(Via AoSHQ) Rep. James Clyburn went out there today to promise that, if only Democratic voters come out and keep their feckless legislators in control of Congress, said feckless legislators will maybe get a public option going next year. Although one suspects that if Democratic voters just elect Clyburn he’ll hold up under the strain somehow.

“Reelect me, keep Democrats on the field. And when we come back next year, maybe we will get to the public option,” Majority Whip James Clyburn (S.C.) said during an appearance on the Tom Joyner Morning Show.

“Maybe.” Some thoughts on this:

• The current ratio of 255/178 (2 vacancies) in the House, 59/41 in the Senate is apparently not enough to ensure a public option: but nobody – and I mean nobody – is even trying to pretend that the Democrats are going to gain seats this year in Congress.  So one wonders how they expect to do that.  Actually, one does not wonder: even with the ‘maybe’ weasel-word Rep. Clyburn is lying through his teeth.
• Drawing on that: if you are a Democrat who took this promise seriously… well, you will not actually deserve every drop of spiritual pain that will be dripped on your back on Election Night, but only because it’s not nice to torment the cognitively impaired.
• SC-06 is generally considered to be a safe Democratic district*, and one that Rep. Clyburn typically wins with large percentages of the vote.  Since when did you start worrying personally about being re-elected, Congressman?

Moe Lane (crosspost)

*Jim Pratt is the challenger this year.  He has giraffes.