"Quid Pro Quo;" Not a chance, right?

Recent news reports from a variety of sources provide an interesting juxtaposition of major political issues being considered by the politicians formerly known as public servants in Washington.

First, a story with this headline in the Forecaster: "No-cost transfers of Brunswick Naval Air Station property now in hands of congressional leaders, Obama"

It contains these words:

BRUNSWICK — U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe joined 12 other senators in urging President Barack Obama and congressional leaders to add a provision in the Defense Authorization Act that could help speed the redevelopment of Brunswick Naval Air Station.

To make a long story short, the Maine delegation wants legislation in the bill that would allow a no cost transfer of BNAS property to the MRRA, instead of requiring that the military receive fair market value for certain portions of the base. Resolving the issue

will fall upon a conference committee made up of the leadership of the House Armed Services Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committees, and ultimately, Obama.

On a separate subject of great interest in Washington at the moment, we read this:

However, few issues have ever been as politically charged as health care reform, and few members of Congress are having as much direct say in its probable outcome than Snowe.

She is a member of the Senate Finance Committee's "gang of six" — three Republicans and three Democrats hand-picked by and including committee chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., and ranking Republican Charles Grassley of Iowa.

Now we all know that our Senators are above reproach when it comes to trading votes, but it is still of academic interest to ponder the interplay between Obama's health care goals and the Senators' implicit interest in helping us out on the local redevelopment front.

One can't help buy wonder in the high stakes games they play in Washington, what kind of trades might suddenly present themselves. Would a member of a state delegation be so interested in something of great interest to their constituents that they might be willing to offer something in return to one in power who has a higher interest?

Nahhh....that couldn't happen, at least not with our girls. I don't believe for a minute that they would shackle the country with huge deficits and government controlled health care just to bring a few million dollars in benefits to the Brunswick area.

Why don't I think they would ever do that? Because earmarks and trading favors and IOU's and pork barrel politics never happen with OUR delegation; they are the best and they are the exception. That only takes place amongst those unprincipled sons o' bitches in other states.

Right? We can all pretty much agree that those bozos and rascals elsewhere around the country need to be thrown out for their shocking and self-preserving behavior. Just like we can agree that OUR wonderful representatives are far too principled and humble to ever do such a thing.

Right?