Is being stupid a requirement for the position of politician?

It doesn’t look like it to me,” House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel said in an interview. “I really hoped that we could have gotten a bill out of here by now,” he said, adding that he has a “heavy political heart.”

along with a fat political ass

and speaking of fat political asses:

Massachusetts Senator John Kerry said he was “relatively confident” the panel will reach agreement by week’s end.

Kerry said his plan to tax “Cadillac” health benefits is gaining support. “There’s certainly consensus building now that it’s fair to ask the most expensive plans to contribute something” to help finance the overhaul, he told reporters.

Because, of course, this won’t result in people and/or companies dropping these “Cadillac” plans in favor of a Honda plan to avoid additional taxes.