“GOP member: ‘I’d like this in the bill.’

“Dem member response: ‘If we put it in, will you vote for the bill?’

“GOP member: ‘You know I can’t vote for the bill.’

“Dem member: ‘Then why should we put it in the bill?’

And this is why any attempt towards bipartisanship is utterly worthless.

Over the past year, the GOP has proven themselves utterly incapable of legislating or providing one iota of political leadership. (And, no, releasing a 32-page health care bill that ignores the complexities and refuses to address the systemic nature of health care reform doesn’t represent “political leadership”- just simply legislative games.) If they can score political points by ignoring the struggles Americans face on a daily basis, then that’s the strategy they will pursue.

Of course, their supporters will state: “The Republicans are the only ones trying to protect America!” Which begs the question: If this is true, why isn’t John McCain President, with Mitch McConnell overseeing a 59-seat majority in the Senate?

Despite a proposed health care reform that eliminates the Medicare Part D “doughnut hole”- which forces seniors to tap their savings to pay full out-of-pocket costs of thousands of dollars for prescription drugs- as well as benefiting in thousands of dollars of government subsidies while forcing younger Americans to pay more in premiums, just 32 percent of Americans under 65 think that a passage of a health bill will leave them better off, according to the most recent Kaiser Health Tracking Poll.

What is the disconnect here? Are seniors so easily spooked, they’re going to fall prey to any scare tactics targeted at them, no matter how spurious and unfounded?

Remember during the 2008 Republican primaries when John McCain said that if we had troops in Iraq for 100 years, that would be “fine with [him]?”

Well, here he is this morning on ‘Face the Nation’, CBS News’ Sunday morning political pundit gab-fest, in which he voiced support of the Obama administration’s plan to continue pulling troops out of Iraq, despite the horrific twin suicide bombings that occurred today, killing 136 people near the Justice Ministry and city government buildings in downtown Baghdad.

Said Senator McCain:

The majority of the {Iraqis] are opposed to [the extremists]. And the Iraqi military will be able to handle this transition. But it’s not going to be without tragedies such as we’ve seen just today.

So, let me get this straight.  Not only does Senator McCain quote Chairman Mao- which somebody should inform Glenn Beck, as he has the mistaken belief that quoting Mao equates an undeniable and unwavering support for totalitarian Communism- McCain also supports Obama’s ratcheting down of the war in Iraq.  Makes you wonder if there were any degrees of policy difference between Obama and McCain after all.  And if there isn’t, then what was that heated rhetoric towards the end of the election a year ago all about?

Maybe it was because the conservatives- or whatever it is that passes itself as a conservative ‘movement’ these days (I’ve seen similar movements in my toilet in the morning)- truly had no candidate for President last fall.  I mean, as David Brooks pointed out, if the conservatives couldn’t even elect their preferred candidate in the South Carolina party, then that reflects pretty well on just how politically marginalized and impotent they are.  Little wonder they’ve resorted to tea-baggin’.