There is an ancient middle eastern parable that has passed down through the ages. That it continues to this day is a testament to the lasting insight of its tale. Although there are many variations of the tale, one variation is quite applicable to today, and it goes something like this:
Once upon a time a fox was trying to cross a river. The river was deep, and the current was strong, but the fox desperately needed to get to the other side. As he pondered his plight, a scorpion approached him. The fox was fearful and backed away in apprehension, but the scorpion spoke to him in reassuring words.
“There is no need to be frightened of me, for we both face the same predicament. I too want to cross the river; but if I try, I will drown.
I have come to make a deal with you. If I take you to a place that is shallow enough for you to cross, will you carry me on your back, so that I too may cross?”
The fox was still suspicious of the scorpion, but he really wanted to cross the river. “What guarantee can you give me that you won’t sting me if I carry you across?”, the fox asked.
“On my life I promise that I won’t sting you”, the scorpion replied. “Besides, if I sting you, we both will drown”.
The fox mulled the proposal over and over, and despite being one of the smartest creatures in the land, could find no flaw in the scorpion’s reasoning.
“Alright, you have a deal”, the fox said. “Take me to the shallow spot, and I will carry you across.” So off the two traveled, side by side until they reached a bend in the river where the water slowed and shallowed considerably.
“Climb on my back, and I’ll carry you across”, the fox spoke cheerfully.
The scorpion hopped on the fox’s back, and they ventured out into the river. The scorpion had been right. The water was shallow enough to cross, and the fox happily hummed to himself as he easily swam the distance. But right as he reached the deepest point of the river, he felt a sharp pang in the back of his neck.. The scorpion had stung him. He struggled against the poison and the current, but it was too late. He knew he was going to drown. With his last breaths, he cried”
“Why did you sting me? now we will both drown!”
“Because I am a scorpion”, his rider replied matter of factly, “It is my nature”.
And with those words, they both perished.
Now flash forward to today. The House of Representatives is being asked to vote on reconciliation changes to Obamacare, even though the Senate has passed no such changes. Obama, Pelosi and Reid, all with long histories of unscrupulous behavior, are assuring them that the Senate will pass those “reconciliation” changes just as soon as Obama signs the legislation into law. But no changes may be forthcoming, for once Obama signs the Senate bill into law, the Senate Democrats could just meekly float a few trial balloons and then move onto other issues, as might Obama. . This way they would be able to claim that they tried, but the Republicans obstructed them. Once the legislation is signed into law, the Senate Democrats have little motivation to change the law that they themselves wrote and passed. The Senate version would be law of the land, and both the House and the Senate Democrats could suffer overwhelming defeat in November from the wrath of the American voters who wanted no part of Obamacare and have been loudly protesting against it.
Should the Democrats lose their seats, they will cry out, “Why did you do this to us? Now we’ve lost our seats!”, to which Obama, Pelosi and Reid would reply, “Because it is our nature”, or in the more profane parlance of the movie Animal House: ” Face it. You f—ked up. You trusted us!”