Now that the blushing bride of the American public has been introduced at the alter to the two-headed health care reform – House and Senate versions – the vibe in the air seems downright awkward. Think Ben Stiller in “Meet the Parents.”
Is this a case of the “Bride of Frankenstein”? The Atlantic magazine’s blogger Marc Armbinder seems to think the cure involves amputating the political right from any solution.
In Health Care Reform Isn’t Dead, Armbinder makes his case:
My favorite health care reporters have gone into “concerned” mode again about the fate of health care reform legislation. I decided to recanvass the sources who’ve convinced me that reform is alive and kicking to see whether the fundamentals of the debate have changed over the past two weeks. The answer is mixed.
The result Armbinder comes up with is that the biggest obstacle to health care reform may be Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus’s attempts to bring Republicans into the fold.
Once again, the key number here is 60. Not 60 Democrats and Republicans, but 60 Democrats. Or 58 Democrats and two Republicans.
… Instead of coming up with a model bill and working backwards, he seems to be allowing Republicans to dictate the particulars and then working to see how many Democrats he can bring aboard. And ironically, his approach is pushing away the type of Republicans who, when the final bill hits the floor, when the ultimate question is health care reform or no health care reform, might be persuaded to vote for the bill.
Well, if the initiative is not in serious trouble, Mr. Armbinder, why are the administration and its supporters on a full-court charm offensive?
Kathleen Sebelius is “optimistic,” UPI.com reports support from the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Huffington Post’s cheerleading section is painting Obama’s likeness over that of FDR.
The truth seems to be somewhere in the middle - health care reform is swaying at the tipping point, where pollsters beginning to lead with the percent opposed.
Just half opposed, the Houston Chronicle reports on a new Zogby Poll shows falling support for health care reform. (The Chronicle was also the source of the Sebelius optimistic on health care reform article cited above)
The authors conducted an online poll that found 50 percent of respondents oppose a bill introduced by U.S. House Democratic leaders this week that would overhaul the system and pay for it by raising the taxes of the wealthiest Americans. Forty-two percent said they support the bill.
…
“The question is whether the air is coming out of the balloon or it’s just a matter of wedding-bell jitters,” said Dr. Ward Casscells, a UT-Houston administrator who created the poll and commissioned Zogby conduct it. “As health care’s hour draws near, it’s going to take leadership to convince a skeptical people that the legislation being considered is good for them, not just the uninsured.”
On the other hand, most of the media seems to be focusing on the awkwardness:
The L.A. Times talks about spreading the “pain,” CBS talks up opposition from small businesses, and even the Chattanooga Times is saying the “clock is ticking.”
Tags: health care reform, Houston Chronicle, Marc Armbinder, The Atlantic
