Forgive still another sports cliche, but oftentimes it's true that the "Best Defense is a Good Offense". As an example in a contract negotiation sometimes the best way to get someone to stop making ridiculous lowball offers is to respond each time, not by reducing your price but by raising it.
In the same way then, maybe the way to confront those who are hellbent on repealing health care reform through politics and destructive legal action is again not by resisting them but instead hammering them aggressive tactics, raising the stakes.
They want to repeal the health care compromise? Sure. Submit legislation that would replace it with a Public Option, one that would take the big steps that would really reform the system instead of something that tippy toes like this one does.
If you're going to create a frenzy on the right anyway, why not give them good reason to act in such ignorant and bigoted ways? Let's face it, their strings are so easily by the Status Quo puppeteers that we may as well go all out and manipulate all their fears and prejudices.
History has shown how easy it is to push the buttons of those only looking for a pretext to openly express their social hatreds. So let's give them one, a health care bill with teeth...not the current change that nibbles at the edges.
Arguably, the insurance companies got off the hook with this one. They still control the health care system.
You can bet they're already planning to find ways to game the new rules.
It has never been about bureaucrats getting between us and our doctors. It has always been about getting
Between them and their profits and they are still the ones who will determine just what medical care we get. These are creative people.
So yes...let's keep the health debate alive. Let's return to a discussion about the baby steps we've taken. Instead of quivering in fear and going into a defensive crouch, let's think about meeting Repeal with Expansion. Rather than worry about re-electing those who supported reform, make those who opposed it run for their political lives. To borrow another cliche, "Fight Fire with Fire" . As in firing all those who play such mean petty games with their country.
To use their expression "Repeal and Replace". Them. Send them spitting to their tea parties. Then next year, bring about meaningful change. Start playing offense and roll over the forces of the status quo. It's high time we should stop worrying about progress being pushed back. The best way to do that is to move forward.
Follow Bob Franken on Twitter: www.twitter.com/frankenb
And get what we want in the process.