Foretelling the future?

It seems that U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, fresh from pushing a health care bill through the Senate Finance Committee he chairs, wants to try his hand at something else:

Foretelling the future.

From the Associated Press:

Baucus told reporters that lawmakers have a moral obligation to repair the health care system to rein in costs and extend coverage to millions of the uninsured.

"And that is why we are going to pass health care reform legislation this year, and it is why every Democrat will vote for it, and it is why there will be at least one Republican and maybe a couple more who also will vote for it," Baucus said.

"Every Democrat will vote for national health care reform," Baucus emphasized.

My first thought upon reading that AP article was that Baucus was trying to influence future events by predicting them. It seems on first glance that he's trying to provide assurances to supporters of President Obama's health care effort that Democrats will deliver. But if you read a little closer, it seems that he's putting the pressure on Democrats not to wander off the farm.

That was my academic take.

Then I read it a few more times.

Do you remember this scene from the 1992 Disney movie, "Aladdin"?

JAFAR: Sire, I have found a solution to the problem with your daughter.
IAGO: Awk! The problem with your daughter!
SULTAN: Oh, really?
JAFAR: (Unrolling a scroll) Right here. "If the princess has not chosen a husband by the appointed time, then the sultan shall choose for her."
SULTAN: But Jasmine hated all those suitors! (He tries to stuff a cracker into IAGO's mouth. IAGO backs away. The SULTAN absentmindedly pulls the cracker back.) How could I choose someone she hates?
(IAGO is relieved, but the SULTAN quickly stuffs a cracker in his mouth.)
JAFAR: Not to worry, my liege. There is more. If, in the event a suitable prince cannot be found, a princess must then be wed to...hmm...interesting.
SULTAN: What? Who?
JAFAR: The royal vizier! Why, that would be...me!
SULTAN: Why, I thought the law says that only a prince can marry a princess, I'm quite sure.
JAFAR: Desperate times call for desperate measures, my lord. (He pulls out the staff and hypnotizes the SULTAN with it.)
SULTAN: Yes...desperate measures...
JAFAR: You will ORDER the princess to marry me.
SULTAN: I...will order...the princess...to...(the spell breaks momentarily)...but you're so OLD!
JAFAR: (Holds the staff closer) The princess WILL marry me!

Does Baucus' statement not read something like Jafar's hypnotism attempt? "Every Democrat WILL vote for national health care reform!!"

(No, I'm not saying that Baucus is an evil Grand Vizier. I have a lot of respect for the way Baucus has handled his role on this issue and the way he has proceeded in building the bill. I'm just saying that quote sounded like Jafar's.)

As I was laughing about that --

SIDEBAR: Yes, I was laughing. By myself. What can I say? I'm easily amused. END SIDEBAR

-- and pulling the part of the script for this piece, I realized that there's another ironic connection between the movie and this statement.

Like Jafar said, desperate times call for desperate measures.

In "Aladdin," the desperate measure was an arranged marriage. In Washington, desperate measures on health care legislation could mean the closure of the amendment process, vote lockdowns, reconciliation, and more.

Who says Disney movies aren't educational?

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