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Since 2008 – Progress Through Politics

The Big Dog Weighs In On HCR

IN a statement released today, Bubba sez:

America stands at a historic crossroads. At last, we are close to making real health insurance reform a reality. We face one critical, final choice, between action and inaction. We know where the path of inaction leads to: more uninsured Americans, more families struggling to keep up with skyrocketing premiums, higher federal budget deficits, and health costs so much higher than any other country’s they will cripple us economically.

Our only responsible choice is the path of action. Does this bill read exactly how I would write it? No. Does it contain everything everyone wants? Of course not. But America can’t afford to let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

Analysis:

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PUMA troll heads to explode in t-minus 5…4…3…2…1:

And this is a good bill: it increases the security of those who already have insurance and gives every American access to affordable coverage; and contains comprehensive efforts to control costs and improve quality, with more information on best practices, and comparative costs and results. The bill will shift the power away from the insurance companies and into the hands of consumers.

Take it from someone who knows: these chances don’t come around every day. Allowing this effort to fall short now would be a colossal blunder — both politically for our party and, far more important, for the physical, fiscal, and economic health of our country.

Emphasis mine. Your thoughts?  Is it just me, or is all the internal strife in the Democratic party exactly what teabaggerz, opposition Repubs (and that’s all of ’em), and the big insurance lobby have been trying to gin up all along?

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Categories: Uncategorized.

/ 56 Comments

56 comments

  1. fogiv

    …I find myself in disagreement with the ‘kill it’ crowd.  Harkin recently said something like (paraphrase):

    We’re buying a starter house, not a mansion.

  2. HappyinVT

    NAFTA singing president who also failed to provide healthcare reform Clinton?  Yes, I’ve seen all of that elsewhere.  Oh, I forgot the Obama asked Clinton to do damage control while Obama hides in the White House notion (although Obama is actually on his way to Copenhagen, but don’t let facts get in the way).

    Paul Krugman, the darling of the Left except when he’s “wrong”, says the Senate should pass a bill (even though there is no public bill because we’re still waiting on the CBO).

    I’m not sure how many people are confusing whatever the Senate bill is with the final bill out of conference.  Or if people believe the Senate bill will be the final bill.  Apparently, there is a rumor that started somewhere in the last couple of weeks that the White House (Rahm probably ’cause he’s evil) doesn’t want a conference committee at all but for the House to simply vote on the Senate bill.

    I’m not sure what is gained by killing the Senate bill.  What does starting over get us but a bunch of wasted time (and more time for the teabaggers to out scream and shout us).  As painful as it is, it might be necessary to hold our noses and accept the painful truth that we’re not going to get a much better bill out of this Senate and work our asses off getting more progressive Dems where possible.

  4. Chris Blask

    At least Never in John/Jjc’s life, or their generation.

    Not in my/Hollede’s generation.

    Not in Sricki/spiff/chaos’ generation.

    So maybe “never” is a long time, but most of us would not live to see it.

    However, if this does pass, I expect to see more reform pass in my lifetime.  So, what is it?  Any change, or none?

  5. HappyinVT

    A Talking Points Memo reader has an excellent observation on the politics of the public option and the anger of the left:

    I think people are pissed right now less at the fact that they didn’t get what they wanted, and more at the fact that they feel like their people didn’t really fight for it. Leaders don’t always get what they want. But people recognize when true leaders at least give it a shot. And people judge that leadership by what they say in public and how hard they see them publicly pushing for it. Closed door negotiations don’t count.

    They wanted to see Obama push the public option and say that it was a crucial, important part. His broad outlines of “cuts the deficit, improves coverage” is too bland and not something people can rally around, and he gives the impression that he’s ceding power and leadership to a less capable bunch in the legislative branch.

    They wanted to see news stories about how “staffers close to the majority leader” say that chairmanships and other perks were on the line for any Democrat who talked about filibustering this crucial bill.

    They wanted to see congressional leadership and the president campaign hard for an “up or down vote on healthcare” the way the Republicans did so effectively for the judge appointments.

    But none of that happened, and the things that people care about died with a whimper.

    My sense is that the Obama administration attempted a low-risk political strategy for itself. By eschewing any strong commitment to the public option, they made it easier to sacrifice something that they always figured they’d probably have to lose. It’s telling that in all the coverage of the death of the public option, you haven’t seen stories saying “Obama administration dealt huge defeat in Senate.”

    But in doing so, they betrayed a bond that the left thought it had with the young administration. And that’s made this a much higher-risk strategy for the bill, and thus for the White House, too. If the Obama administration had been firmer on the public option and only let it go after grueling negotiations that ended with a concrete agreement on the bill, it’s possible the administration would have had a better case to make to progressives. On the other hand, there are a lot of “ifs” in this debate, and there are plenty of ways that could have backfired, too.

    http://voices.washingtonpost.c…

  7. louisprandtl

    But I do want something to pass for a starter. Let’s get this one done and then we can fight for expansion of HCR. However the abortion clause wanted by Nelson is a dealbreaker for me.

    On the other hand, Republicans don’t want the bill to pass because they very well know that nothing succeeds like success. Rethuglicans would be in minority for the forseeable future if this bill is passed and signed into a law.

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