Advice to Democratic Congressmen

By September you will have solicted public opinion on the health care bills. I'd like to help you read those opinions.

It's a choice between the ones who agree with you, who are largely keeping silent; and they ones who are screaming incoherently, or enraged by things that aren't even in the bill, or are threatening to kill you. May I suggest that those last opinions can be sensibly ignored? If someone said "I think we should reconsider rolling back the tax cuts as a way to pay for the bill," you should pay attention to that. If they said "Obama isn't a citizen! Socialism! The tree of liberty!" then you shouldn't pay attention. Well, you should look into beefing up security.

Otherwise ask your Republican colleagues if they have any suggestions. Take their stony silence as a no and vote for Canadian-style health care.