The August recess began with critics attacking health care reform because of its high price tag. It ended with critics attacking health care reform because of how reformers proposed to reduce that high price tag. Full Story »
Posted by Derek Hawkins - via Real Clear Politics, Memeorandum
This is certainly one of the fairest assessments I've yet read on the health care debate. Unusually, for me, I wish it were longer and included more background. I would like to see more on just why the people with the power are just that, the people with the power. They represent some of the least populous states, and therefore a tiny fraction of the country, yet wield inordinate control over the outcome of one of our nation's most important policy decisions. That aside, the piece is well written and makes some of the perplexing issues a bit less vague. It isn't visionary, but it is illuminating.
I'll never understand why the WH didn't push right from the start for a single payer system, fight and fight for it, and then settle for a government run optional program. When Republicans want 1,000 missles they start by asking for 5,000. In the end, the Democrats usually let them have 2,500. If Democrats wanted 1,000 they'd start by asking for 500, hoping they could work up to 1,000, and they'd end up getting 250 and think they did well.