Kabuki Writ Large

One need always be a bit skeptical when dealing with the Wizard of Odds. He is the master of the staged event, the double-speak and the compound innuendo. He "makes himself perfectly clear" by being perfectly obtuse. The lighting, the music, the timing and the makeup are the issue, not the substance. A scenario in which there would be real give and take simply won't meet his needs.

There were nods all around when the Bamster announced his intention to hold a White House meeting of the Congressional leadership from both parties on television to discuss actually finding consensus on healthcare. But, skepticism is prudent.

What's the ROE?

Having cogitated for a couple of days, the Republicans are considering the scenarios and it isn't unreasonable to have serious reservations.

Who is coming to dinner? Will there be a cast of supporting characters for the Messiah or will there actually be some moderate Democrats in the assembly?

Will it be possible to get anything beyond a media event done in a half-day assembly?

Will the agenda be a review of the two conflicting bills, each more than 2000 pages in length or will it be a clean slate discussion of what the problem really is and what would realistically be done to deal with it?

Will there be a white paper or working outline of topics offered to the participants before the meeting so that attendees can arrive prepared?

Will there be rebuttal and follow-up to highlight objections or disagreements on proposals?

Last night on Fox News there was a film-clip of Health & Human Services Secretary Sibelius speaking on healthcare reform. She said the reform is "too complex" to be attempted with anything but a comprehensive bill. An incremental approach dealing with individual aspects of policy wouldn't work because the various healthcare components are too inter-mingled.

Does that make sense to anyone? If the situation is so inter-mingled then logically any incremental remedy should have impact on the entire system. The impossibility of an ominibus bill spanning thousands of pages of complex language, filled with set-asides, exceptions and pay-offs should be obvious. Picking single aspects for clear and concise legislation to get a solution on track over time is a doable task.

This is going to be a grand production of fiction that may make Avatar look like a documentary.