The news last week regarding the prospects for a comprehensive, effective health insurance reform was not good, as congressional support for a government run “public option” seemed to be diminishing. Many liberal commentators were expressing doubts that the output of the congressional sausage machine will be much of an improvement over what we have.
Meanwhile, a poll from the New York Times showed that 72% of the public support this “public option”. Furthermore, only 18% of the public think the Republicans are likely to improve our health insurance system.
Something doesn’t compute.
If the public overwhelmingly supports the public plan, and mistrusts the Republican opposition to it, where is the pressure to compromise coming from? The President, the public, and most leading Democrats want a public plan. But somehow it is being scuttled in order to produce a bi-partisan compromise that Republicans can live with.
Could it be that some Dems are in the pocket of the insurance companies? I’m just asking.
For 30 years, Democrats have been timidly allowing Republicans to walk all over them. Now, after resounding electoral victories and a public clamoring for change, they are still doormats.
It is ironic that Democrats are the biggest threat to progressive politics.
Tags: bi-partisanship in Congress, Democrats are timid, Health care reform, prospects for public plan
[...] two recent posts, here and here, I speculated about why some Democrats and all Republicans oppose a government [...]
[...] In a recent post, after wondering why some Democrats were opposing a very popular government supported “public option” as part of health care reform, I speculated that they may be in he pocket of the insurance industry. [...]