Written in 1854 by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, the poem “The Charge of the Light Brigade” detailed the suicidal mission of the British Light Cavalry at the Battle of Balaclava. The cavalry was armed with sabres and on horseback but yet they made their charge against heavy resistance by the Russian cannon. The poem honors the bravery of those that died in that charge, but if you interpret this poem toward the politics of today you can see a different meaning in Lord Tennyson’s words.
Half a league half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred:
‘Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns’ he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Likewise, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is leading her Democrats in the House against the cannon fire of the voters upset with the health care reform bill that is to be voted this weekend. Pelosi’s Democrats’ “valley of Death” will be the mid-term elections in November 2010. On rode Pelosi’s two hundred fifty three.
‘Forward, the Light Brigade!’
Was there a man dismay’d ?
Not tho’ the soldier knew
Some one had blunder’d:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do & die,
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Do they know Pelosi is leading the Democrats on a fool’s charge? Apparently, the Democrat membership shouldn’t question why, their’s is but to vote aye. History is to be made she says while ignoring what is left of the pro-life members in the Democratic House. Fight for the unborn? “History was to be made!” she said to Bart Stupak with scorn. Or was Obama the one man that is leading them down this path needing something to define his presidency? On rode the two hundred fifty three.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley’d & thunder’d;
Storm’d at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.
Media pundits have been following the vote to the health care bill closer than paparazzi following Britney Spears. Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin and Sean Hannity have been rallying the GOP and conservative troops to call Congress. The voters have been lighting up the House switchboard. There has been Tea Party rallies on the the steps of the Capitol and elsewhere. Still rode on the two hundred fifty three.
Flash’d all their sabres bare,
Flash’d as they turn’d in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army while
All the world wonder’d:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro’ the line they broke;
Cossack & Russian
Reel’d from the sabre-stroke,
Shatter’d & sunder’d.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.
So, Pelosi’s Light Brigade has decided to vote on Sunday. They think they will break the Tea Party resistance to their socialized health care and they think the voters will be “shatter’d and sunder’d” as they see their bright and shiny new government entitlement program. Pelosi has even stated that she is willing to sacrifice some of her members in November in order to push health care reform through. So in November, those that will ride back to DC? Not two hundred fifty three will there be.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley’d and thunder’d;
Storm’d at with shot and shell,
While horse & hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro’ the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.
As they go into the “valley of Death” known as the mid-term elections of November 2010, the Democrats that do return will see which of their colleagues that did not return. These are their colleagues that had fought so hard with them as they also watch the House turn Red. Will they ever listen to what the people said? Less than two hundred fifty three there will be.
When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wonder’d.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!
Saturday afternoon, Pelosi and Obama rally the troops to honor the charge they are making. They sit up on the stage insisting they are fighting the good fight, they will take the hits, and they will move forward, no matter what it takes. Congressional approval is at an all time low. President Obama’s approval rating is at 43%. All the country wondered why they won’t listen to them. All the country wonders why their taxes will go up. All the country wonders why their insurance premiums will go up. And finally, all the country wonders why they pursue health care reform while more and more lose their jobs, their homes, and their life savings while the economy sputters along. Harry Reid’s Democratic Senate will also be making this suicidal charge, so watch as Reid’s fifty nine shrink as well. From this weekend and into the November elections, the voters will also honor the Pelosi Brigade – with retirement. So into history rode the two hundred fifty three.
Crosspost from Downstate Illinois Advocate
