Hoyer giggles at the idea that congressmen would actually read the boondoggles they pass

Different people will laugh at different things. Apparently what amuses Steny Hoyer, the Democratic Majority Leader of the House, is the idea that congressmen should commit to reading the health-care bill before they pass it.

In fact, Hoyer found the idea of the pledge humorous, laughing as he responded to the question. “I’m laughing because a) I don’t know how long this bill is going to be, but it’s going to be a very long bill,” he said.

“Members clearly--and staff and review boards, they read them in their entirety. They go over it with members, and members read substantial portions of the bill themselves, but the issue is--I don’t know who signed this (pledge), but frankly the opposition has been very vociferous, not of the verbiage and bill, but on the concept that it incorporates,” Hoyer said.

Well, yeah. That's what we all knew was happening, but politicians like to pretend that they're actually conscientious about their jobs. Hoyer is so frank that he doesn't even bother pretending. While I appreciate his honesty, isn't it a bit frightening that these guys regularly pass these telephone book-size bills and have no real idea what is in them. They pass these monstrosities under rules that limit debate and amendments so even if people knew what was in the bill, they can't change them. That's why we're still finding out what was in the stimulus bill and what tidbits were hidden in the Waxman-Markey bill.

This is no way to run the country. But I guess it's easier to laugh along with Steny instead of crying.