Obama now selling federal judgeships to pass his health care scheme

OK, I mean we all knew how low he was willing to go when he bought the vote of Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu (D)--Storyville, by promising to divert three billion dollars of taxpayer dollars to that state in exchange for a vote in favor of his cherished bill a few months ago, but now Obama has gone that one even better.

Representative Jim Matheson of Utah has been voting against Obama's health care industry takeover bill regularly and had indicated that he would continue to do so despite the pressure from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi because his constituents overwhelmingly don't want this bill passed (just like Landrieu's didn't).

Well tonight, Obama is having Matheson and nine other holdout Democrat congressman come to the White House for a closed-door meeting to try to convincw them to vote in favor, constituencies be damned, but he's apparently trying to buy Matheson off early by giving a plum patronage job to his brother, Scott Matheson. The White House just announced that Obama is nominating Scott Matheson to the Federal Appeals Court as a judge.

“Scott Matheson is a distinguished candidate for the Tenth Circuit court,” President Obama said. “Both his legal and academic credentials are impressive and his commitment to judicial integrity is unwavering. I am honored to nominate this lifelong Utahn to the federal bench.”

OK, so maybe it's all a coincidence, and there really was no one else as qualified as Scott Matheson anywhere in the entire Tenth Circuit, which consists of Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. But the timing is definitely suspect, and I don't think it's too much to ask that this president at least try to avoid even the appearance of impropriety when it comes to handing out peach appointment and soliciting votes from members of congress. But who am I kidding? That's the sort of thing that a president who actually cares what America thinks would do. This guy just wants his health care bill passed, and if that means that he bribes members of Congress (with our money), gives their family members nice things, or pimps his daughters out on Southern Avenue in Southeast DC, then it's pretty clear that he's going to do it; his health care bill is that important to him...more important than ethics, honor or the safeguards established by our Constitution; more important than the law.

I hope Matheson and the other nine Dems stand tall and continue to represent their constituents instead of selling out to the big-eared tin god in the White House, but it'll be easier for them if they know that America's watching. We can't stop Obama from imporperly and blatantly buying votes, but we can at least let those that he's trying to bribe know that we're watching.

Those members are Representatives Jason Altmire (PA), Allen Boyd (FL), Lincoln Davis(TN), Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin(SD), Frank Kratovil (MD), Beth Markey(OH), Jim Matheson(UT), Murphy(?), Heath Shuler(NC) and John Tanner(TN).

Give these folks some calls tomorrow. Urge them to hold out and let them know that you're watching.