On Democrats & Health Care Reform

I chimed in today for The Hill's Big Question.

Will Dems push ahead with healthcare reform?

I don't know if they will push forward with reform or not, but they certainly should. It's time for House Democrats to pass the Senate bill. Maybe they can add more reforms through budget reconciliation after, or maybe they can't. Either way, it's clear that the Senate bill is far better than the status quo. Failure to pass health care reform brings more than just electoral problems. We're talking about 30 million Americans who will finally gain access to health care because of this bill. Progressives need to hold their noses and vote for it. We don't have to lose this one.

On Joe Lieberman

I chimed in on The Hill's Big Question today.

How will Lieberman's stance on healthcare affect him politically?

Impact Joe Lieberman politically? This is a guy who hasn't behaved responsibly politically in years. Remember his incredibly sad, ill-manged 2004 Presidential campaign? Where, after the New Hampshire primary, he said one of my favorite quotes of that race, "We are in a three-way split decision for third place!" Remember when he bucked his party and ran for Senate as an independent after being defeated in the Democratic Senate primary? Or, that time he supported Republican John McCain for President over Barack Obama. That didn't make any sense politically either, but he did it. Now, Joe decides to completely reverse his views on the Medicare expansion, just to be a jerk. Lieberman constantly surprises me with his ability to avoid any and all consequences for his actions. Why should this move be any different.

Where I Stand on Health Insurance Reform

There is a lot of anger from the left about what's being seen as Obama capitulating to the Republicans on Health Insurance Reform. During the campaign Obama favored a Public Option. Now, the Public Option appears in danger and many liberals don't think "real" reform is possible without it.

In a perfect world, I'm for the most progressive health reform possible. But, our world is far from perfect and politics is the art of the possible. There are 47 million people in America without health insurance and they don't care if it's a public or private option that provides it. They just want access to quality health care.

A few days ago Matthew Yglesias wrote where he stood on health care and I found myself agreeing with him.

— In terms of the present-day political debate, I think mandate-regulate-subsidize plus a public option would be a major improvement over the status quo.

— But even though mandate-regulate-subsidize without a public option wouldn’t be as good, I still think it would be an improvement over the status quo.

— I don’t think reform advocates should “drop” the public option; I think they should fight for it and try to bring practical pressure to bear on members of the Senate to vote for one.

— But if in the final standoff we get a choice between mandate-regulate-subsidize and the status quo, I would prefer to take mandate-regulate-subsidize.

In summer 2003, I moved to Burlington, Vermont to join Howard Dean's Presidential Campaign. One of Dean's main draws for me, besides his brave stance on the Iraq War, was his success at providing near-universal health insurance to Vermont's residents. He did this without a Public Option.

In fact, Ezra Klein recently pointed out that Dean, considered one of the most liberal candidates in the '04 primary, didn't have a Public Option or co-ops in his national '04 platform.

Dean's plan would have insured millions fewer people than the bills being considered in the House or the bill that we think we'll see out of the Senate.
...
For all that, it was a good and well-meaning plan. But it was a lot worse than what we're considering now. It was a lot worse even than the compromises we're considering now.

I admire the liberals in the House who say they won't vote for a bill that doesn't contain a Public Option, but I hope in the end they put a reform bill on Obama's desk to sign. As Paul Starr says in the current issue of American Prospect, "if any of them actually do vote against the final bill and prevent it from passing because it fails to offer a public option, they will help to ruin the best chance in years to put health care on a path toward reform."

Crossposted on The Huffington Post

The Hill: Big Question

I'm now part of The Hill's Big Question section, where they ask their pundits for opinions on topics throughout the week.

Friday's Big Question was: "What should President Obama be more concerned about: Passing healthcare reform, or improving the economy?"

My response:

It’s disingenuous to suggest that Obama can seriously improve the economy without real health care reform. Heath Care spending represents 17% of America’s GDP and that number is forecasted to grow to 20% by 2017. Too much of this money comes out of the pockets of individuals and small businesses. Anyone serious about trying to fix the economy in a long-term way has to look to serious health care reform as a major part of the solution.