Saturday, January 30, 2010

Chico Marx Explains the Democratic Strategy on Healthcare

I was trying to remember why the Democratic strategy on healthcare seems so familiar, suddenly I remembered where I had previously seen it: In the Marx Bros. classic, "A Night at the Opera."

Chico is sneaking into the country by impersonating a famous aviator. Asked to make a speech he foreshadows the way the Democrats are behaving with regard to passing healthcare reform:
"So now I tell you how we fly to America. The first time we started we got-a half way there when we run out a gasoline, and we gotta go back. Then I take-a twice as much gasoline. This time we're just about to land, maybe three feet, when what do you think: we run out of gasoline again. And-a back-a we go again to get-a more gas. This time I take-a plenty gas. Well, we get-a half way over, when what do you think happens: we forgot-a the airplane. So, we gotta sit down and we talk it over. Then I get-a the great idea. We no take-a gasoline, we no take-a the airplane. We take steamship, and that friends, is how we fly across the ocean."

You can see a clip of this scene online at TCM.

Mickeleh's Take: Well, at least Chico managed to find a way to complete the journey.