FACE~!

Even as the health reform debate rages on ever stupidly, there are still people out there trying to make the case for why good reform is necessary. And wouldn't you know it, some of them are in the Senate. They're intelligent and informed on the subject, so you probably haven't heard them get to speak in a "debate" that only seeks to give time to the most ill informed and politically craven of our elected betters.

But even as we speak there are hearings going on in the Senate Judiciary Committee entitled Medical Debt: Can Bankruptcy Reform Facilitate a Fresh Start. In the hearing a conservative analyst, Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Diana Furchtgott-Roth, was trying to explain (read: lie) that moving towards a more European style health system that covered everyone would actually increase medical bankruptcies, currently responsible for 62% of all bankruptcies. Al Franken had a few questions regarding that assertion.

FRANKEN: I think we disagree on whether health care reform, the health care reform that we’re talking about in Congress now should pass. You said that the way we’re going will increase bankruptcies. I want to ask you, how many medical bankruptcies because of medical crises were there last year in Switzerland?

FURCHTGOTT-ROTT: I don’t have that number in front of me, but I can find out and get back to you.

FRANKEN: I can tell you how many it was. It’s zero. Do you know how many medical bankruptcies there were last year in France?

FURCHTGOTT-ROTT: I don’t have that number, but I can get back to you if I like.

FRANKEN: Yeah, the number is zero. Do you know how many were in Germany?

FURCHTGOTT-ROTT: From the trend of your questions, I’m assuming the number is zero. But I don’t know the precise number and would have to get back to you.

FRANKEN: Well, you’re very good. Very fast. The point is, I think we need to go in that direction, not the opposite direction.

It was at this point that Chairman Pat Leahy had it officially entered into the record that Furchtgott-Rott had "totally gotten her ass served." Russ Feingold was seen to put his hand over his mouth and scream out "Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn" while Herb Kohl stood up with his arms out, barking "Health care reform! What? Health care reform! What?"

One question: are there any other comedy writers out there that want to run for office? This Franken thing is certainly working out better and more substantively than just electing business leaders, career politicians, rich boys, and small state governors. Well done, Minnesota. This still doesn't forgive you for Bachmann.