In steering the increasingly unpopular Democratic health care reform bill through Congress, even those behind this controversial legislation must wonder at some of the dishonest schemes now being considered to ensure passage. At some point, all of us must step back from the heat of the moment and wonder about our government’s integrity when those in charge threaten to engage in out-and-out deceitfulness.

Many Americans were already enraged by Democrats’ decision to use the budget reconciliation process to pass the health care reform package on a simple majority vote in the U.S. Senate, rather than following the usual Senate rules requiring 60 votes. Democrats pursued this after Republican Scott Brown’s recent Senate victory in Massachusetts robbed them of 60 votes in the Senate.

Now Democratic House leaders, hard-pressed to find the votes to pass the Senate health care version in their own chamber, are conspiring to save their members the embarrassment of even voting for this bad bill by embracing the so-called “Slaughter rule,” named for New York Rep. Louise Slaughter. This rule would allow House members to vote for the amendment package of “fixes” to the Senate bill without actually passing the Senate bill itself.

Neat trick. That means Democrats could return home to their districts and tell constituents they had not voted in favor of the Senate’s health care reform bill.

If none of this makes any sense, you’re right in the head. Allowing House members to approve the Senate bill without actually voting for it is dishonest in our book.

We understand why this bill would embarrass them. The Senate bill that House members are considering includes such dreaded provisions as the “Cornhusker kickback,” which allows the state of Nebraska to avoid paying its share of Medicaid payments, which obviously would increase under this bill. Which is why many Americans have urged, even beseeched, our Congress to destroy this huge, costly entitlement bill and begin anew.

The Slaughter rule, if used, would allow Democrats to avoid voting for the Senate bill that would, nonetheless, be approved by them. Then, the idea goes, House members could pass “fixes” to eliminate regrettable parts of the Senate bill. Which, of course, technically, they never voted for. Except they kind of did.

At some point, Americans on either side of the health care issue must ask themselves: If our nation’s leaders are permitted to engage in this underhanded charade out of desperation to pass a health care bill, what does it say about our leaders’ vows on transparency and honesty in government? If the House of Representatives considers using the Slaughter rule to pass this legislation so that members can duck responsibility for it, why are they tolerating this bill in the first place?

In the final analysis, no bill is so important that our senators and representatives should be allowed to hide from their votes and dodge responsibility for their actions. Add to this other concerns — including a virtual takeover of the student loan business, quietly slipped into all this legislation even though it has nothing to do with health care — and who can blame voters for being cynical and angry?

We have not subscribed to those who have loudly claimed President Barack Obama and the Democratic leadership are bent on tyranny. But if Democrats open the door to this legislative sleight of hand and employ the Slaughter rule, even rational minds would have to give significant credence to such damning allegations. We would deeply regret that. We urge immediate course correction.

Even Republicans, for all their legislative hypocrisy and arrogance in times past, never attempted anything quite so outrageous and dishonest as this.