Some of my friends -- the ones who would probably describe themselves as progressives -- are unhappy this morning. They're complaining over their coffee and Danish about the flaws in the legislative package passed last night, and about the shortcomings of incrementalism as an approach to real change. I respect their passion, but would say this: Last night was more than a legislative moment. It was also, and the implications of this will be deeper and broader than any legislation, a political one. (God help me, this is a part of the argument David Frum made yesterday.) Had the administration been turned back on health care it would have been crippled, probably irreversibly, in its ability to do big things in the areas that still need big things done: Energy, jobs and immigration, to pick just three. Anybody who thinks the recalcitrant, obstructionist fringe that's been driving the Republican car won't dig in like crazy on immigration reform hasn't been paying attention. This morning they have less, maybe a lot less, to dig in with. And Obama has the wind at his back heading into the midterms, and a renewed chance to do everything that still needs doing -- including further fixes to health care, although he probably won't want to lead with that.
Would it have been nice to get it all? Yes. Did the administration make mistakes -- not writing its own bill early on, wasting months on a quixotic, hands-across-America dream of bipartisanship? You bet. But we don't live in a magical, friction-free world, and the opposition to this president has been historically ferocious, cynical and mean. The right guys won yesterday. I'll take that as a start.
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God Bless America.
You stated that President Obama should have written his own bill early on. Note, if he would have written his own bill a la Hillary and Bill, it would have met the same demise as 1994.
A good poker player holds and play his/her hand only when required.
Take the passage of HCR bill as a first step in the journey.
I have a hard time imagining this empowers the Obama administration. The mistakes you mention illustrate an administration out of touch with average citizens. Bring on the change already.
P.S I've known about David Frum for 30 years. He's Canadian. He married a Canadian. His Father in Law is Peter Worthington who writes for The Toronto Sun,( a frightful little fascist rag). David Frum has been advising the Republicans about the health for profit system in the States and has been and still is the beneficiary of our Socialized medicine - THE ENTIRE TIME!
God, I love Conservatives. For lessons in utter shamelessness, it just doesn't get any better than them.
stevemacgregor
Because this bill is tailor-made for them.
1) You will be forced to purchase an expensive product from companies you hate
2) If you do not, the IRS will come after you
3) You may be taxed on this product that you've been forced to buy.
That's going to well up the anger on the right. And it's gonna turn the independents off the bill. The left is already upset because cost controls like the public option, medicare buy-in, drug reimportation, direct medicare drug-price negotiation and a rate regulator were culled from the bill.
There is a serious messaging challenge ahead and if Democrats don't stop congratulating themselves and get to work on the central issues, they're in trouble in November.
The only time the mandates ever polled well was when coupled with the public option. That's not going to change between now and November.
With 60 votes in the Senate, a Super-majority in the House and a landslide election victory, you're telling me this is the best he could do?:
Mandates to buy PRIVATE Insurance
No Public Option
No Drug Importation
No Drug price negotiation
This is all good. There is no bad here.
I agree with you - strategically very impressive.
To be crude - what the Congress has needed was a huge enema
With a cherry ( Health care ) on top.
I can't wait until the "coup de grace"
I might die a happy man after all.
I loathe the right.
I have never seen anyone treated the way our President has been treated, they should be so ashamed of themselves!
too many people on these posts think tactical vs strategic.
The President worked this strategically since April 09, smartly he waited until some of the dust had cleared before executing his plan.