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Image credit: Reader Rachel in Kentucky

GOP Sen. Jim DeMint went head to head against Democrat Sen. Dick Durbin on NBC’s “Today Show” and MSNBC this morning. DeMint noted that the “American people are very angry”. Durbin’s response? Essentially: Shut up and pay the price of Democrat majority rule.

Watch Durbin justify the massive cost of Demcare and the taxes it will impose as “the cost of having the kind of America we want to have:”

Writes Sen. DeMint: “What kind of America do we want to have? One where people are free to live their lives as they see fit, or one where Washington controls nearly every aspect of our lives?”

We know what kind of America Democrat dinosaur Sen. John Dingell wants: “The harsh fact of the matter is when you’re going to pass legislation that will cover 300 [million] American people in different ways it takes a long time to do the necessary administrative steps that have to be taken to put the legislation together to control the people.”

Yes, he said it:

Welcome to Nancy Pelosi’s vision of taking America in a “new direction”.

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What’s happening in the Senate: Debate will continue all day on the Senate wreckonciliation “fixes,” with the GOP offering a plethora of amendments and procedural motions. GOP Sen. Judd Gregg is taking aim at the student loan nationalization power grab, via the CSM:

Senate Democrats emerged from a caucus luncheon Tuesday resolved to block any changes in the House fixes.

“This is just going to be parliamentary games,” says Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) of Missouri. “It will be death by gotcha votes – dozens of them. We have to stand up and be strong and say: Sorry, we are not going to play.”

This companion bill – the promise of which was the only way to secure passage of the unpopular Senate bill through the House – increases subsidies for low- and middle-income Americans and it adjusts funding to lower deficits. It also includes a measure that makes the federal government the exclusive provider of student loans.

Sen. Judd Gregg (R) of New Hampshire wants to focus public attention on the student loan provisions. The nationalization of the student loan industry, quasi-nationalization of the financial system, nationalization of the auto industry, and quasi-nationalization of the health industry will “drive this country down a road towards a European-style government,” he says.

The Foundry reports: “Reconciliation Bill Adds Even More Taxes.”

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And behind closed doors, where they are no doubt assuring each other that the whole charade is meaningless: Obama to sign abortion order behind closed doors.