In his breakthrough 1973 smash, Charlie Rich crooned memorably: “No one knows what goes on behind closed doors.” But he also expressed gratitude that behind closed doors his gal made him glad that he’s a man. In other words, he gave us a pretty good idea what was going on behind closed doors.
Andrew Malcolm reports that the Democrats are going behind closed doors to cobble together the final Obamacare bill that they intend to ram through Congress without needless procedural detours. Today C-SPAN’s Brian Lamb wrote a letter to the leaders of Congress asking them to allow cameras in the room for the final negotiations on the health care bill. Lamb wrote:
President Obama, Senate and House leaders, many of your rank-and-file members, and the nation’s editorial pages have all talked about the value of transparent discussions on reforming the nation’s health care system. Now that the process moves to the critical stage of reconciliation between Chambers, we respectfully request that you allow the public full access, through television, to legislation that will affect the lives of every single American.
Tom Bevan mercilessly quotes Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs explaining why there is no need for broadcasting the final negotiations on the health care bill. But everyone knows that there will be no cameras behind the Democrats’ closed doors for roughly the same reason there were no cameras behind Charlie Rich’s closed doors. They’ll be doing it royally, only they’ll be doing it to those of us on the other side of the doors.
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