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Ah, Republicans in disarray. It's a sight to see, and Senator Isakson says what we all know: If John Boehner had been able to keep his caucus united around a "deal", a deal would have been done. And because he wasn't, not only won't a deal be done, but the best anyone can do at this point is to pass the Senate bill extending tax cuts for the middle class.

Isakson admits what the House seems to be in a constant state of denial over: The only legislation that will pass now or after January 1st are the middle class tax cut extensions. As a practical matter, there's no reason not to extend those before the end of the year. Well, there's one reason: John Boehner won't accept reality and put the Senate bill up for a vote because it would pass because a majority of Democrats support it and God forbid they should do anything with the other side.

As for "miracles on Pennsylvania Avenue," let's just say I expect to see a snowball in hell before any miracles in Washington, DC.

Full transcript below the fold.

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Johnny Isakson actually took into account the Terri Schiavo fiasco and wanted to put an end to most of it when he added his "living will" provision. He didn't realize that it would lead to the Palin's to cry Obama's got death panel's and the new health care bill will kill old people. Who's fault is that? he even responded to Ezra's intervieww by saying these people were acting like nuts over the issue. Well, President Obama talked about the nonsense at the NH town hall yesterday and Isakson probably felt like he had to save face with his teabagger pals and issued this statement.

“This is what happens when the President and members of Congress don’t read the bills. The White House and others are merely attempting to deflect attention from the intense negativity caused by their unpopular policies. I never consulted with the White House in this process and had no role whatsoever in the House Democrats’ bill. I categorically oppose the House bill and find it incredulous that the White House and others would use my amendment as a scapegoat for their misguided policies,” Isakson said. “My Senate amendment simply puts health care choices back in the hands of the individual and allows them to consider if they so choose a living will or durable power of attorney. The House provision is merely another ill-advised attempt at more government mandates, more government intrusion, and more government involvement in what should be an individual choice.”

Riiight. It's Obama's fault that the kooks got a hold of it and are lying about his amendment to turn old people off to any health care reforms. What a shock. it's too late for Isakson to blast the White House. he needs to go on TV and explain himself because the words that he wrote are being turned into a hot, heaping pile of dog poo.

Have you wondered who started the whole euthanasia talking point going? Where did it originate and why was it put there? Of all the silly things.

It was Republican Johnny Isakson from Georgia who introduced the Soylent Green amendment in the Senate bill because he learned his lessons well from the Terri Schiavo incident. And he's shocked that conservatives have taken his amendment and made a mockery of it.

The most awesome Digby has the story:

Ezra found a semi-sane Republican on the "The Dingoes Want Moy Bayby" controversy. He's Johnny Isakson of Georgia, who turns out to be the guy who put the Soylent Green amendment in the Senate bill:

Is this bill going to euthanize my grandmother? What are we talking about here?

What we're talking about in the health care debate mark-up, one of the things I talked about was that the most money spent on anyone is spent usually in the last 60 days of life and that's because an individual is not in a capacity to make decisions for themselves. So rather than getting into a situation where the government makes those decisions, if everyone had an end-of-life directive or what we call in Georgia "durable power of attorney," you could instruct at a time of sound mind and body what you want to happen in an event where you were in difficult circumstances where you're unable to make those decisions.

This has been an issue for 35 years. All 50 states now have either durable powers of attorney or end-of-life directives and it's to protect children or a spouse from being put into a situation where they have to make a terrible decision as well as physicians from being put into a position where they have to practice defensive medicine because of the trial lawyers. It's just better for an individual to be able to clearly delineate what they want done in various sets of circumstances at the end of their life.

How did this become a question of euthanasia?

I have no idea. I understand -- and you have to check this out -- I just had a phone call where someone said Sarah Palin's web site had talked about the House bill having death panels on it where people would be euthanized. How someone could take an end of life directive or a living will as that is nuts. You're putting the authority in the individual rather than the government. I don't know how that got so mixed up.

You're saying that this is not a question of government. It's for individuals.

It empowers you to be able to make decisions at a difficult time rather than having the government making them for you...read on

Keep reading the piece to find out Why is the state of Georgia trying to kill your grandmother? Where will it end?

Why haven't the media interviewed Johnny Isakson dozens of times so the truth can get out to America? Instead, we have crazy people yelling Beckerwocky and shouting down the town halls.

Good job, Ezra, for going to the source. Your pals at the WaPo can learn something.