Low Friends In High Places

California has now joined a number of other states in hosting Congress Crooks whose votes are being bought by sweetheart deals. But in California's case, it won't even benefit the whole state, or even a large part of it. I want you to know the names of the two political whores who will likely be voting in favor of the bill after receiving a pathetic bribe.

The two California Democrats who represent agricultural areas in California's San Joaquin Valley are Dennis Cardoza and Jim Costa. These two pathetic excuses for elected representatives aren't just political whores. They're cheap political whores. They were allegedly among the "undecided" votes, supposedly leaning "no" on the health care bill. They've even been called "conservative Democrats" (which I consider to be a factual impossibility). The bribe they've been offered is utterly incomprehensible, and the damage it will do is incalculable. Unlike the more famous Gator-Aid, Cornhusker Kickback, the Louisiana Purchase and Dakota Deal, this bribe won't even help the citizens of their districts, let alone the state that is in desperate economic distress.

A little background on why this is such a reprehensible move on the part of these two fools. Since 1992, there has been an incremental attack on California agriculture by the liberals and their beloved Environmental Protection Agency. Each move by the EPA crippled the farmers and farm-workers just a little more with each new initiative and each new obscure and/or worthless animal or plant that needed "protection." The farmers in the San Joaquin (Central) Valley worked the most productive land in America, which by careful garnering of resources and creation of immense water projects begun at the start of the 20th Century turned a vast desert into America's food basket. But a recent EPA suit dealt what may be the final blow.

In order to protect a fish species that was dying out anyway and serves no known purpose in the scheme of macro-ecology, the abundant water available to feed the farmlands in the Central Valley was effectively shut off entirely. This past year alone, rain levels (and obviously water availability) were at 129% of average. Yet the starving and thirsting Central Valley gets not a drop. Shut down those pumps. Close those valves. Dry up those streams and channels. All in the name of protecting the Delta smelt. For those of you who may not be familiar with this travesty, here's a link that will give you the details: Meet The Fish That Conquered California.

Remembering the fact that the water needed to slake the thirst of the Central Valley has already been nearly 100% cut off to protect a lousy fish, what did these two amateur goodfellas get for their votes? A temporary 25% increase in the amount of water allowable in their districts only. The expression "a piss in the Pacific Ocean" comes quickly to mind. Or maybe "a teaspoon of water to put out the Chicago fire." These two cheap dates sold out their votes for a trickle of water that wouldn't do much more than water a few lawns.

In theirs and surrounding districts, the unemployment rate is between 20% and 40%. Bankruptcies are being filed at a rate to rival that of the Great Depression. The Central Valley is beginning to look like the midwest during the dustbowl of the 30s. And nature has nothing to do with it this time. It took eco-zealots to block the water that is the lifeblood of the Central Valley farms.

How much effect will the actions of these mental midgets have? One courageous Republican in an adjoining district, Devin Nunes, called them out. "They are getting a 25% temporary increase in water for their districts in exchange for 100% yes vote on the health care bill." An influx of water that is grossly inadequate for the purpose of getting the farms back in business and the food being moved all over the world in exchange for a socialist, statist national health care scheme that will bankrupt America, destroy our medical community, and make California even worse off.

Normally, the U. S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation would announce any changes in allocations of water on March 22. That doesn't mean there would have been any increased allocation, just that if there were, that would be the date to do so. But for some strange reason known only to God, the two losers, and Senators Feinstein and Boxer, March 17 seemed like a good time to get ahead of the curve. The foursome (God chose not to participate) announced the brilliant move together, just in time for the two to sell out their constituents and switch to yes votes for the Sunday showdown.

If these two political prostitutes had gotten a 90% permanent increase in the water allocations for the entire Central Valley, it would still have been extortion. But at least I could have understood that they might believe such an increase helped a huge portion of Californians more than the health care bill damaged America. But this! It's like selling your children so you can buy that used black and white television at the pawnshop. Junkies sell their bodies for more than this to get a quick fix.

Like most of you, I will be watching the train-wreck on Sunday. If these two clowns vote against the health care bill, I will sincerely apologize and commend their courage in the face of immense pressure from Washington D.C. But if they vote in favor, they will have earned the utter contempt of the majority of Californians. There is quite literally no reason for them to vote in favor of the bill they formerly questioned except for the political bribe. Thousands upon thousands of Californians who count on their representatives to save them from the predatory EPA will be asked to believe that it was so important to get a piddling 25% temporary increase in water allocation that these morons voted to destroy American health care while doing nothing to fix California's problems. At least UFO hunter Dennis Kucinich got a ride on Air Force One in exchange for his principles. They may also have offered Dear Dennis the name of a tailor so he could get rid of that hideous mud-colored polyester suit and gigantic green tie he was wearing when he announced his sellout.

Any Californian (or any American, for that matter) who finds this to be a contemptible sellout can call the offices of the two miscreants. Cardoza's phone number is (209)383-4455. Costa's number is (559) 495-1620.