By NYCeve (Eve Gittelson)

Max Baucus, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, asked his fellow heavily insured Senate colleagues, to summon courage from deep within, as they slow walk the mark up of the healthcare bill. Providing healthcare to the American people is a scary undertaking for these folks, and they need “courage”.

But I’ll wager that it takes a lot more much courage to be an uninsured or underinsured American citizen. And if Max Baucus needs a courage pep talk, he has fifty million Americans who would be glad to explain survival strategies with him.

Baucus at one point had called for members to do what Harry Truman admonished others to do in the past, which is to show some courageous, skillful leadership, and seize the opportunity to change things for the better. So far though we’ve seen little of that great statesmanship, and instead a lot of old-fashioned partisan politics.

It seems clear that righting the deep moral wrong strong healthcare legislation with a public option, would remedy is sadly lacking from the debate.

But truly, for Mr. Baucus to invoke the concept of courage (just to do his job), is one of those moments when you don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

The cloistered bubble of Washington DC, has rendered those we send there to do our business, fully incapable of understanding the day-in and day-out realities Americans at every socioeconomic level contend with. Survival on many different levels, for so many of us, has become a full time job in the United States of America.

Today, in a searing report in the New York Times, we learn of the likely closing of the dialysis unit at Grady Memorial Hospital. It’s out of funds. Imagine this, Mr. Baucus, in the richest country on the planet. Imagine the fear of the dialysis patients, about where they will go for the treatment they require three or more days a week, just to stay alive. If you don’t get it, you die. This is courage, Mr. Baucus.

Uninsured and dangerously underinsured Americans have more courage in their little fingers, than members of the United States Senate could ever imagine or withstand. And their pathetic and lame stalling, and refusal to do the business of the people is a fitting tribute to small-minded little men and women—I’m speaking to you, Kent Conrad, Blanche Lincoln, Max Baucus and others.

It gets even better, or worse, depending on your point of view.

At one point in the proceedings yesterday, Jim Bunning, offered a nonsensical amendment demanding final CBO estimates befo re the committee could vote, an amendment that might put off a final vote for two more weeks. and then promptly fell asleep.

Yesterday during the Senate Finance Committee’s mark-up of chairman Max Baucus’ (D-MT) health care bill, Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) chastised the whole operation. “I do not support a government takeover of the health-care system,” Bunning complained, saying the bill “confiscates more money from the taxpayers” and “tramples on American freedom and liberties.” Soon after, Bunning decided to take a little nap:

During opening remarks at the Senate Finance Committee session, the Kentucky Republican appeared fast asleep for several minutes, with his head cocked to the side and his eyes closed, before a staffer roused him. Bunning’s head was propped in his hand and his mouth was slightly open while he slept, several witnesses told HOH.

How pathetic. How tragic. But thanks to CSPAN, at least it’s on view for the world to witness.