An Easy Choice on Health Care

The internal debate on health care strategy for Democrats can be boiled down to this: do we choose the approach whose specifics are more popular with the public and will almost certainly work better in practice once it gets passed, or do we want to go with something that has some bipartisan support and may avoid an all out war with the insurance industry?

The first approach is currently being championed by President Obama (although not always by his Chief of Staff), Speaker Pelosi, Senator Reid, and 4 of the 5 committee chairs responsible for bringing the legislation to the floor. The second approach is strongly favored by Senate Finance Committee chair Max Baucus, Tennessee Rep. (and co-killer of health care reform in the Clinton years) Jim Cooper, and a few conservative Democrats in the Senate.

Seems like a damn easy choice to me.

The first thing to understand in all this is the consequences for the Democrats for the next generation and probably longer if they pass some convoluted, complicated, unworkable compromise that doesn't change the abusive patterns in the insurance and pharmaceutical industries and doesn't begin to control health care costs. If they pass a compromise that doesn't meet regular people's needs, folks will figure it out very quickly, as most people deal with the health care system all the time. If the Democrats twist up this bill to make insurance companies and their Republican allies happy, it is end of story for this generation of Democrats -- our party will not recover from screwing up health care.

The second thing to understand is that wealthy, powerful elements of the health care industry, along with the entire right-wing message machine, will oppose any health care reform bill. Democrats trying to avoid a fight should just get over it: they will get one no matter what.

Here's the other thing: having a clear, clean fight -- Obama and the Democrats take on the insurance companies -- is an easier message to win with than the mushy "we're all in this together, we're all partners in solving this problem" thing Obama has been doing so far. Having enemies helps define this fight in Obama's favor, especially when the enemies are as unpopular as the insurance companies.

So face your fear, Max Baucus. Tell you health industry allies no, Jim Cooper. Work through your fear of commitment, Evan Bayh and Ben Nelson and Blanche Lincoln and Mary Landrieu. Let's put together a bill that actually works and move forward sometime soon, in our lifetimes preferably. It's time to get this done.

Comments

[kevinw]

If the Democrats can not pass a health reform bill the contains a robust Public option and no triggers or other gimmicks, then they will have proven to the electorate that there is no advantage in having a large majority of Democrats in the Senate or House. 52 is all that is need to keep the Repubs from running amok destrying constitutional principals. There will be no need for money or effort for 2010. There will probably not be that much need in 2012. This is the signature issue for the Democrats. They have been saying for sometime all they needed was the 60 votes. They got what they requested. They now need to deliver. Any attempts at putting makeup on the results will be quickly detected. It is not enough to have anything that is activated by a trigger. You know that one will never get executed. The Co-op (sometimes spelt Co-Opt) is not a public option. It is a gimmick fig leaf, designed to look like they delivered at the same time doing nothin that woul make their Insurance company paymasters angry.

This is it their one and only shot. They blow this and you will disillusion all of the new comers to the party. One of the problems of providing hope is that it creates a much more powerful defeat when you turn out to be a fraud.

[satorist]

Democrats already have a ready-made bipartisan consensus: 60-70% of the public wants effective, universal health care at reasonable cost. A strong majority favors "Medicare-for-all". What the don't have (and never will) is congressional bipartisanship. But congressional Republicans are a hothouse hybrid fringe party with about a 17% approval rating. PETA is more popular. Why anyone would twist into themselves into a pretzel to accommodate what is now essentially a splinter group is baffling until you realize the Achilles Heel of D legislators has always been an overriding enthusiasm to legislate. Anything that has the potential to interfere with a smooth legislative process is a threat to be dealt with. This made them cowards when they were in the minority and timid in the majority. They don't want to spend every day fighting obstructionist procedural motions that tie up floor activity for hours and days and prevent swift action on their pet projects.

They need to be reminded that wrath of congressional Rs is nothing compared to the wrath of voters who demand real reform of health care policy. They asked for our money and our votes to change things in Washington and we gave it to them. Then they asked for a Senate super majority and they got it. They can't now ask that it be easy.

[jjden]

The pathetic appeals by the Democrats to the republicans for bipartisanship have gone on way too long. There is no way it will occur and if it did any bill repuplicans would cooperate on would by its very nature be a bill not worth having. So I wish the Democrats would stop begging the goon party for its support.

If the Administration wants any sort of meaningful and effective health care refrom the President is going to have to "get in the trenches" and work for it like LBJ did with the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. Those bills passed despite fierce resistance from their opponents but they passed because LBJ was willing to make them a top priority and "worked the levers" to make sure they did.

One can only wish the American people would get over their hysterical fear of "socialism". The right wing nut case machine knows it has only to bark out the right terms and the American people respond like a herd of scared sheep. Of course, hoping for any sort of reasoned response from a public barely able to sit through and comprehend the nightly array of "reality" TV bilge is like hoping to see a pig fly. As MDCambridge says the public does not seem to mind having police, fire depts, highway system publicly funded....but seems frightened to death by the thought of a public health insurance option.

[gd h]

Here's the scorecard: no improvement in jobs, but the clear message that it doesn't matter, we've got to be patient while the money flows through the economy all the way down from the big corporations. We can afford to wait a couple of years, while the corporations, well, they're protected from the consequences of their mistakes..­.including the health care "business" (pirates). 2nd: No health care reform. A lot of bickering among players including Dem's (DINOS) who are out of control. 3rd: Harry Reid says (perhaps, a little late????) that they don't need republican votes. 4th. It took six months to seat the last democrat--al franken. How does that happen? somebody's not working at this. 5th> Rahm Emanuel and others waffle every day on this, and we speculate, are these trial balloons--floated by the same man who said "trust me"? I am not impressed and I don't think it is going to matter to many what the excuses and speeches say in 2010. It's only next year. I sincerely hope the party can pull itself together but history says---"Naaaah".

[jefflorida]

how true

[clevelandchick]

I am so tired of our representatives of BOTH parties patently ignoring the will of the people. 72% of the population favors Public Health care and a great majority favors Single Payer. So logic tells you that there are Republican voters out there who want a Single Payer plan, it's NOT just the Left.

Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid are three social programs passed without ONE Republican vote. Especially in light of the absolute nuttery coming from the Republican Party in these times, there is no way in hell they are going to vote for a plan that actually helps this country.

I wish there were a way for the American people to petition to put law on the national ballot stating that members of Congress and the Executive Branch had to pay for their own healthcare and it could not be funded at the taxpayer's expense.

We all know if the people could even threaten to get such a law passed by a national referendum...a Single Payer plan would be developed and passed unanimously within weeks. Believe you me...they'd find the money. In fact both sides of the aisle would be bragging about how much money Single Payer saves instead of the fear-mongering b.s. we're getting from them now.

[jefflorida]

judging from california, petitions to put laws on the books is one mixed blessing. also judging from california, fear-mongering b.s. is immortal.

[ran6110]

Write your congressional representatives and ask them why do they get quality health care at tax payer expense.

Yes, they have a small premium but check the figures they don't pay nearly as much out of pocket and get much better coverage!

If we can't have complete and affordable healthcare then they shouldn't either!

Just because they got elected doesn't make them better than the people who voted for them.

[treetracker]

Better yet, ask them what Constitution they are upholding? The one that promotes "representative government" seems to have been misplaced.

Over 70% of the population want a plan. That is a MAJORITY and then some! In a democracy, majority rules. If that's supposed to be true, then why do "we the people" have to plead and beg our representatives to represent us?

Something is VERY WRONG with this picture.

[mannapat]

Obama is not all-powerful, not a God, but I don't know...if he manages to push through single payer health care or even a really good, workable public option on health care in his first 4 years, it will be a miracle, all right. If he doesn't, he won't get another 4 to try again. And I'll be going green, along with a substantial portion of his "base", and the millions of Americans who Still Won't Have Any Health Care, and have had it with broken promises. I'll be doing my best to educate the masses: Vote Out Incumbents. And start with the Blue Dogs. Our motto could be: "Familiar with the name? Vote for the other guy!" Let's start over.

[ran6110]

The real obscenity to me is they (congress) have 'private' meeting about this and include so-called industry leaders, lobbyist and their rich friends that have a financial stake in the out come.

But never do they include the voters in the debate and deals are made that affect us but no one is looking out for us!

In this era of near instant communications the transcripts of these meeting should be full disclosed to the public!

There is no honest debate about healthcare that needs to be held behind closed doors!

If anyone in washington won't talk in public about the closed door meetings then they shouldn't be part of the process.

[springsm]

If you listened to Bill Moyers on July 9th with his guest....you will know that we will never get anywhere with health care. ONLY if and when the general public knows the slimey tricks that the gop and the heath industry do will they find the backbone to stand up to them. I don't have much hope for a reform...and I have no faith that Obama will be tough on what he wants. I think this bipartisan idea is a great one...it would take a social revolution to get the present day Party of No to come to the table honestly. And all of these chest beating Bible thumping congress people should not fear...right. They should go ahead and do what is right. If the people think the job is a good one, hopefully the wheat will be separated from the chaff. If you listened to Bill Moyers you might be feeling hopeless. He is one of the very few that does honest reporting.

[ran6110]

I agree to most of your comment except I think both parties are equally to blame.

[Canuck3]

I give up!!

I have tried to keep abreast of your healthcare debate, partially because I am an American citizen who won't live there because of your lack of Universal Healthcare. After seeing and hearing person after person after person in the U.S. saying they want and need Single Payer and yet seeing the President who I voted for and believed in simply without the "balls" to do the only thing that MUST be done - go single payer - I have lost all hope. The U.S. is now officially a dysfunctinal poltitical entity.

I can't stand hearing this anymore. So I am offcially tuning out because I can't stand to watch the country I love miss the biggest opportunity to hep itself simply because most people in power there are a bunch of selfish, weak-minded a-holes. It is not a Tragedy - it's just stupid..... it's the beginning of the end for America IMHO.

I'm outa here.

[jmpurser]

I think that's the ultimate long term plan of the PTB in this country. Simply kill all hope of any reasoned and intelligent debate and government and when the masses turn away in disgust they do as they will.

[springsm]

I didn't flee the country, the the last 8 years I did feel like you do. And it effected everything I did and thought. I had hope (the audacity of it) that Obama truly would turn aournd some of the stuff..but he can't and he caves so quickly. AND we are still looking at too many of bush people and ideas being carried on in WA DC IN the Obama administration.

[gd h]

I am SO down with you. This has brought me down for 8 years, and so much more the last four--I really fail to see how the country could have possibly misjudged the last "president"--but I just, apparently, misjudged the current one. I cannot begin to tell you how disappointed I am, and how desperate I am--I needed the next ten years to be prosperous, as I was destroyed by the emotions and the economics of the "stupid wars", and now am not offered one bit of relief (health care, jobs, recovery for small business) in the area of recovering my own economics. This will be the status quo until I die, and I am a veteran who SO believed in this country. Now it is impossible. Thanks for your post.

[Dolmance]

This is the showdown. Whoever wins the health care debate lives and whoever loses dies.

This is what the Cato Institute has told the Republicans. That's why they're fighting so hard.

This is the showdown.

[jmpurser]

Well, in terms of political parties maybe. Given the Democrats current position under the Obama administration I think it's entirely possible for them to "win" politically and get wiped out as a party. The "public option" plan is so weak that I believe getting it will convince people that any health care reform has to be a disaster.

[jmpurser]

The "public option" plan is the "easy" choice only because it doesn't really do much. REAL health care reform will be hard but President Obama took that off the table when he tried to kill Single Payer. What's left isn't really worth fighting over which is probably why the Obama administration keeps "floating trial balloons" about dropping it entirely.

[SageFire]

Eventually we will end up with single payer health care because it is the only logical humane option. The question is how many people will lose their health, their lives, their homes, their children, their parents, their retirements before it happens. This truly is the most important issue for our country.
We have to actively dispel the talking point "do you want some bureaucrat deciding the fate of your medical care" who in reality has no vested interest in denying proper care unlike the CFO of an insurance agency who has EVERY vested interest in denying proper care.

[AnnfromCA]

I agree. If the Dems cannot muster the votes, why vote them in at all? What good are they to people?

[gd h]

not much.

[Ranta]

What good are Dino's . Better to run progressive candidates against them in primaries. What is the difference if we lose.
I live in the south. Tell me what on earth Heath Shular is any good for other than the name Democrat. Running right wingers serves no purpose.

[RitaLouise]

Will someone please tell me why health care has to be FOR PROFIT? That is the crux of all this lobbying. It is the money. Take the profit out of the health care, and let it be self sustaining you take out the the greed of the investment holders. Not for profit health care seems to be the most equitable solution, but is never mentioned, probably for the fear of the onerous words "socialism"!! Well when it comes to the health of a nation, maybe we should just kick capitalism down the road in this instance because it has not served us well at all, and is increasingly powerful to where we will all be slaves of "the system". Obviously the lobbyists only get stronger with their deep pockets and the little guy doesn't have a chance. Is this democratic? I think not!

[MDCambridge]

Does socializing our police force, our firefighters, or our highway system make us socialists? Pragmatists maybe, but not socialists. It is pragmatism and not socialism that mandates a not-for-profit health care system.