I don’t get it. We’ve been assured over and over and over by Democratic mouthpieces that the public couldn’t care less how filthy or unconstitutional the process is by which this travesty passes the House. And yet here’s a Democrat at grave risk of losing in November getting out in front of even most Republicans to condemn Slaughter’s strategy.

This is why she needs to be primaried, I guess.

The floor maneuver has been used in the past, but Lincoln said it should not be appropriate as a way to pass monumental health care reform.

“Arkansans and most Americans are demanding more accountability from Washington, not less, so I believe that any plan to approve major reform without actually voting for it simply won’t fly outside the beltway,” Lincoln said. “The Senate had a full and transparent debate on health care reform last year. Because of my efforts, the original Senate proposal and the final Senate bill were both posted online 72 hours prior to their respective votes so that the public could review the bills. I took the additional step to post to my official Web site the bill language and every amendment that the full Senate considered to give Arkansans the opportunity to review the proposals.

“The House should vote on the Senate health bill under normal rules. I noticed that Bill Halter has called for more accountability in Washington, so I expect him to stand with me and support transparency throughout these final stages of the debate on health insurance reform.”

So confident is she of this issue’s toxicity that she’s actually trying to make it an issue in the Democratic primary. Here’s hoping that Halter, as a favorite of the fightin’ fightin’ nutroots, chooses to throw down with her by defending the procedure. The “you rubes don’t care how we do things” position deserves a defense too, my friends. In fact, if all goes according to plan, many, many Democrats will have a chance to take a stand on its behalf later this week. I’m counting the minutes.

For your viewing pleasure, here’s Clyburn on Fox this morning trying and utterly failing to explain what it means to “deem” a bill passed in the House. Skip ahead to 2:47.