I can see it now ... the commercial features a screaming Howard “Yeaaahhh” Dean saying, “Now, coming to a medical clinic near you, health care from the same people who brought you Cash for Clunkers and the U. S. Postal Service.

No, thanks.

There are already horror stories about auto dealers with money tied up in an inadequate government computer system that can’t handle the load. From Mississippi to Wisconsin to California and all in-between, dealers are pulling out of the ill-conceived and poorly executed program.

If this is the best the government can do, they need to leave health care alone.

And the postal service, which is discussing cutting out a day’s delivery, can’t get the mail out now.

Despite a monopoly status that no other business could have without having the Justice Department down their necks, the agency is going broke and looking to cut a day’s service after raising rates time and again.

If this is the best the government can do, they need to leave health care alone.

We need to deal with real reform of the health care system �” and that starts with delivery.

No honest effort to reform can be mounted without tort reform, and that means the Democrats need to toss the binkie away given them by the trial lawyers and belly up to the bar.

Unless the cost of malpractice insurance is addressed, unless the cost of litigation is addressed, unless the flood of advertising for brand-name drugs is addressed and unless we come up with the real number of Americans who want insurance and cannot afford it, there’s no reason to waste any more of the people’s money.

But that’s not going to happen under an administration that seems to think all things socialist are great. So big was the club being swung early on in the health care debate that the AARP, American Medical Association and American Hospital Association fell in line despite limitations on health services to seniors and no attempt to address tort reform.

Our best guess is that it was much like the Clinton administration and the banks back in the days when the groundwork of the subprime mortgage meltdown was laid. Then, it was “you do this or you’ll be buried in red tape, paperwork and bank examiners.” Now, we can only surmise the Obama administration played the same hand �” especially since they’ve already done that �” and gave the big three the chance to cow-tow or have to deal with the health care czar that’s sure to be appointed.

Real reform. Now.

John H. Walker is editor and publisher of L’Observateur and can be reached at (985) 652-9545 or john.walker@wickcommunications.com.