The Usurpation Congress

Democrats to America: Drop Dead. A Congress that succeeds in getting what it wants by shredding the Constitution this time will not go back to the rule of law.

Megan McArdle on The Future After Health Care.

Are we now in a world where there is absolutely no recourse to the tyranny of the majority?

Republicans and other opponents of the bill did their job on this; they persuaded the country that they didn't want this bill.  And that mattered basically not at all.  If you don't find that terrifying, let me suggest that you are a Democrat who has not yet contemplated what Republicans might do under similar conditions.

Here's the roll of shame. In addition to this bill disastrous for health care, the economy and the national character, it also undoes most of the pro-life movement's legislative successes in one fell swoop. As Congressman Mike Pence said to Stupak,

You traded 30 years of pro-life legislation for the promise of the most pro-abortion President in history.

By the way, would you like to know the Wales it profiteth Bart Stupak not to lose his soul for? $726,409 worth of grants for his district's airports. And for what? No one on the right or left thinks the Executive Order means anything. As Ezra Klein says, the President "will sign an executive order stating, essentially, that the law will follow the law."

My advice? Get that surgery you've been putting off now. And take your vitamins. (Does anyone fear violence when these lawmakers go home? We were talking about that at dinner tonight.)

Update: VDH agrees, crosses the rubicon

I don’t see why the ram-it-through, health care formula won’t be followed by similar strategies for blanket amnesty, cap and trade, and expansions of the state takeover of cars, banks, student loans, and energy.
Remember, all these will be packaged as “comprehensive” reform — comprehensive health care, comprehensive immigration, comprehensive energy, comprehensive monitoring of even the banal decisions we make.

Which was, of course, the point all along.

the bill was about assuming a massive portion of the private sector, hiring tens of thousands of loyal, compliant new employees, staffing new departments with new technocrats, and feeling wonderful that we “are leveling the playing field” and have achieved another Civil Rights landmark law. (NB: do the math: add higher state income taxes in most states; the new Clinton-era federal income tax rates to come; the proposed lifting of limits on income exposed to FICA taxes; and now new health care charges — and I think you can reach in some cases a bite of 65%to 70% of one’s income.)

At which point, people wise up and stop working. That little revolution over an entirely justifiable 1-cent tax on tea looks rather quaint, doesn't it?
 Upper-date: Mr. W. quotes Churchill in comments:

Do not suppose that this is the end. This is only the beginning of the reckoning. This is only the first sip, the first foretaste of a bitter cup which will be proffered to us year by year unless by a supreme recovery of moral health and martial vigour, we arise again and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time.