In a recent statement made by Senator Claire McCaskill to the Kansas City Star regarding the debate on National Healthcare and why Democrats cannot seem to pass their lengthy Bills in Congress, the Senator stated: “Along the way, we need Republicans to be part of it, or we need to show the American people the game they’re playing.”

If this statement wasn’t so absurd, it might be funny. Is anyone else confused as to why Senator McCaskill, whose party controls the House, the Senate and the White House, would need Republicans for anything other than target practice? Republicans were told early on that they would have a seat at the healthcare reform table only to find themselves on the menu. After submitting eleven reform packages, offering real options, such as Tort Reform and selling insurance across state lines, they were summarily rejected and not allowed in the closed door meetings with Mr. Reid and Mr. Obama.

With regard to the Senator’s statement that Republicans are playing games, I suspect we may have a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Let’s take a look at the games being played by the Democrats in Congress. For example, the cornhusker kickback to Senator Nelson of Nebraska, or the second Louisiana purchase to Senator Mary Landrieu of $300 million in Medicare subsidies. Let’s not forget the new $100 million hospital for Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut. In addition to these kick backs, is one for Senator McCaskill’s biggest campaign contributors: the Unions, who received an exemption from the $4,000 excise tax on so-called “Cadillac Health Insurance Policies.” But everyone else with one of these health insurance policies will be required to pay such a tax.

So in conclusion, it looks like Republicans don’t want to be part of Senator McCaskill’s healthcare reform and neither do a number of her Democratic colleagues like Evan Bayh, Blanche Lincoln, Jim Webb and Diane Feinstein. My advice to Ms. McCaskill is, it’s time to put the Kool aid down and listen to the folks in the show-me state. Or they might just show you the door in 2012.