A Visit From Congress

T’was The Day Before Christmas

T’was the Day Before Christmas, and up on The Hill

The Senate was met to consider a bill,

A bill to fix Health Care, a bill that would pump it,

A bill that Republicans roared “We must dump it!”

“That bill would let paupers with lumps in their heads,

“Or sweating and shaking with fever in beds,

“Be treated by doctors, be folks just like us!”

“Oh, my goodness gracious, we must raise a fuss!”

From Rush, Glenn and Sarah arose such a clatter,

That wavers of tea bags quite mad as a hatter,

Would protest a bill that said spending for health,

Should not be a privilege restricted to wealth.

The Goons of the Right with their feverish chant,

Tried to turn “Yes We Can!” into “Hell No We Can’t!”

But to their great wonder and great Right Wing Fear,

A consensus of sense just began to appear.

With Harry Reid steering and cracking the whip,

And buying back those who might think to jump ship,

With politics stolen from “Let’s Make A Deal!”

Health Care at least, began to seem real.

“Now Nelson! now Baucus! Now Schumer and Tester!

“On Boxer! On Franken! On Feinstein and Specter!

“To a 60-vote cloture! To an end to this stall!

“Now vote away! Vote away! Vote away all!

As  politics’ bubbles all end with small pops,

Especially thoughts unenhanced by brewed hops,

So straight into passage the Health Care bill flew,

With 39 nays, but 60 Woo Hoo!

The next step’s a conference of Senate and House,

To iron out kinks so there’s nothing to grouse,

And nothing to sneer at and nothing to hate,

In a health care reform that’s at least decades late.

And then in each chamber a vote half-plus-one

Is next-step in doing the job to be done.

Then White House for signing and reform at last

It finally gets done, but it sure wasn’t fast!

Now Right Wingers growl, and they bristle like thistle

About helping others except with a missile.

But health reform’s coming, don’t doubt it one bit.

And for those who can’t stand it, “Hey Fellas -- Tough Shit!”

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