Liberal Shell Game: Pelosi "Shell Bill" Has Public Option!

They're at it again: The liberal democrats are trying once again to sneak in the "public option."

According to Philip Klein of the American Spectator:

Shortly before midnight on Sunday, Democrats released a 2,309 page health care bill that will start the process of reconciliation — but don’t let that fool you, it’s not the actual reconciliation bill with all the changes you’ve been reading about. Instead, as Rep. Paul Ryan, the ranking Republican member on the Budget Committee, explained to me last week, this is just the “shell” bill — the vehicle that Democrats need to get moving on health care. Once the bill gets approved (likely Monday), Democrats will send this phantom bill over to the Rules Committee, where it will be stripped, and then they’ll insert in all of the actual changes that they’ve negotiated...

Memeorandum offers a link to a story at The Hill, but it does not tell the whole story. All I had to do was open the PDF file and search for the word "public."

Page #2, Titles and Subtitles, Title II, Subtitle B: Public health insurance option.

The words "Public health insurance option" searched as such were found 54 times.

The most troubling point in the entire bill, based on my brief search? This statement:

SEC. 155. SEVERABILITY.
If any provision of this division, or any application of such provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be unconstitutional, the remainder of the provisions of this division and the application of the provision to any other person or circumstance shall not be affected.

Now I'm no attorney, but my take on that statement is that if anything within the section described (and that clause appears twice) is deemed unconstitutional, nothing but the exact item found unconstitutional is affected.

In other words - screw you, America - we've protected ourselves with some nifty legaleze and you'll never get out of this - ever.

If anyone can prove otherwise, I'm happy to listen.

We must stop them at all costs - this will be the end of individual sovereignty. Our individual rights and personal liberties will be fundamentally destroyed if this bill proceeds.

More explanation and discussion can be found at The Conservative Lady, Left Coast Rebel, The Other McCain, Another Black Conservative, and of course Memeorandum.