Why health reform remains possible
But these are not normal times, and while Democrats may still be thought of as feckless on health care issues they remain in a position of strength, thanks to divisions among Republicans.
While complaining about these divisions, Wall Street Journal editorial writer Kimberly Strassel (above) recently demonstrated why they are improving the prospects for reform.
She complains that Republican voices have not been heard on the President's plans, which she derides as ObamaCare. Then she offers her own approach, a plan that failed in the 2008 election.
Her article chirps enthusiastically about a bill from Sens. Tom Coburn and Richard Burr, but it turns out what she's pushing is the plan proposed last fall by Sen. John McCain. He lost.
Thus the Republicans are split into four groups:
- Republicans who worked on programs like S-CHIP during previous Administrations, who are actively negotiating with the Obama Administration.
- Business interests that presently offer health insurance, and health insurers who assume something will pass, who are also negotiating, often through the Democratic caucus.
- Republicans who reject any health plan as socialism and are not taking part in the legislative debate.
- Republicans like Strassel who are busy fighting last year's battles and calling it transformation.
If Republicans were united they could easily work with conservative Democrats to keep conservatives' worst fears, including the public option, out of whatever plan Congress passes. But they are not.
Thus Democrats need negotiate with just a few Republican moderates, and hold their caucus, to get something passed. And in passing something that removes the present "uninsured" tax from the backs of companies that do offer employee health insurance, they pick up votes for the future.
Whether what passes is a good thing or not may be in the eye of the beholder, but a paucity of realistic alternatives indicates something probably will.