Blogs and Stories
Half a Victory
Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP Photo
Democrats won the first round on health care last night, but centrist Senators Ben Nelson and Joe Lieberman took to the talk shows today to say the current bill won't pass. Peter Beinart on why the public option might be doomed.
The Senate’s vote Saturday night to open debate on a health-care reform bill shouldn’t make liberals cheer and it shouldn’t make them cry. It should make them sigh. That’s because the vote shows—more clearly than anything so far—what a bittersweet endeavor health-care reform really is.
On the one hand, the decision by conservative Democrats Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas to allow debate to proceed makes it increasingly likely, though certainly far from certain, that some kind of major health-care reform will pass. That’s nothing to sneeze at. After all, Landrieu and Lincoln have sided with the GOP in plenty of big fights in the past, and given how unpopular Barack Obama is the Deep South, it is entirely possible that they could have killed health-care reform outright (which would have continued a century-old tradition of right-leaning Southern Democrats killing liberal reforms). Landrieu seems to have been bought off, in part, by money for her state—which, given Louisiana’s epic, post-Katrina problems, is pretty understandable. Lincoln, interestingly, appears to have gotten pressure from her left in the form of a potential 2010 primary challenge from an unabashedly pro-health-care reform Democrat.
At the end of the day, Senate liberals will choose something over nothing, but with the knowledge that many of the fundamental problems with American health care will endure.
It’s a good example of how the political landscape has changed since the debate over Hillarycare in 1994. Back then, before the emergence of the “netroots” activist left, liberals had little sway over conservative Democrats like Lincoln. Now they at least have some. In a red state like Arkansas, Lincoln still spends more time looking over her right shoulder than her left, but because liberals can now raise money and organize in a way they could not before, she can’t take them entirely for granted. After all, even if she won a primary battle (as she likely would), it would force her to expend scarce resources that she needs for her general election battle. In that regard, therefore, Lincoln’s vote to allow debate is a success story—a sign that even in places where liberals are not thick on the ground, they can nudge conservative Democrats in their direction.
• Matt Miller: The Runaway Senate
• Lloyd Grove: John McCain on why Joe Lieberman is Undecided on Health-Care ReformThat’s the good news. The bad news is that in voting to allow debate, Landrieu and Lincoln hammered some nails in the coffin of a robust “public option” that would allow the government to compete with private insurers. Both senators stressed that if the Senate bill includes a public option, they will ultimately oppose the whole thing. And since apostate Democrat-turned-independent Joseph Lieberman and moderate Republican Olympia Snowe have said something similar, and since health-care reform requires 60 votes, that means that liberals will likely face a choice: between a robust public option and a health-care reform bill that can pass. That’s where the sighing comes in. At the end of the day, Senate liberals will choose something over nothing, but with the knowledge that many of the fundamental problems with American health care will endure. It will be a necessary choice, and a tragic one.
Politically, this is the world in which we live. The 2006 and 2008 elections have moved American politics significantly to the left, but the current conventions of the Senate—which require 60 votes for any important legislation—mean that even strong liberal majorities are not enough. The age of Obama is an age of progressive reform: the fourth in the last century (the first three being the presidencies of Theodore Roosevelt/Woodrow Wilson, the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt and the presidencies of John F. Kennedy/Lyndon Johnson). But it is not an age of dramatic progressive reform, at least not yet. For that to change, liberals are going to have to win again at the polls, if not in 2010, then at least in 2012, and they’re going to have to win big.
Peter Beinart, senior political writer for The Daily Beast, is a professor of journalism and political science at City University of New York and a senior fellow at the New America Foundation.
For more of The Daily Beast, become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
For inquiries, please contact The Daily Beast at editorial@thedailybeast.com.
How Rich People Smoke Pot
Paul Schrodt is a writer living in New York City. He has contributed to New York magazine, Radar, and Esquire.com.
Justice Clinton?
As vice chairman of Public Strategies and president of Maverick Media, Mark McKinnon has helped meet strategic challenges for candidates, corporations and causes, including George W. Bush, John McCain, Governor Ann Richards, Charlie Wilson, Lance Armstrong, and Bono. McKinnon is co-chair of Arts & Labs, a collaboration between technology and creative communities that have embraced today's rich Internet environment to deliver innovative and creative digital products to consumers.
The Tea Partiers' Phony Populism
Peter Beinart, senior political writer for The Daily Beast, is associate professor of journalism and political science at City University of New York and a senior fellow at the New America Foundation. His new book, The Icarus Syndrome: A History of American Hubris, will be published by HarperCollins in June.
Obama Outsmarts the Terrorists
Peter Beinart, senior political writer for The Daily Beast, is associate professor of journalism and political science at City University of New York and a senior fellow at the New America Foundation. His new book, The Icarus Syndrome: A History of American Hubris, will be published by HarperCollins in June.
The Republicans' Reagan Amnesia
Peter Beinart, senior political writer for The Daily Beast, is associate professor of journalism and political science at City University of New York and a senior fellow at the New America Foundation. His new book, The Icarus Syndrome: A History of American Hubris, will be published by HarperCollins in June.
laurel2009
Mr. Beinart conveniently neglects to mention the alternative of Reconcilication. Anything other than a robust Public Option is unacceptable, when one considers that the Public Option was a compromise for a Single Payer System. If Landrieu, Lieberman, Lincoln, Nelson, et.al. choose to line themselves up with the Obstructionist Republicans, let them do so at their peril. Hopefully, Harry Reid and the President will have the gumption to move forward with Reconciliation. Hopefully.....
Carole65
I think reconciliation could be disastrous for the Dems in 2010. The taxpayers are going to be paying for this for 4 years, letting those 40million uninsured still uninsured, unless Congress puts qualified uninsured on Medicaid. That's another expense to be figured into this bill.
Unless this economy turns around with gusto and the unemployment declines greatly before next year, there will be a turn-around in the makeup of Congress.
Natural-Selection
....and do you think this administration and morons in power in both houses will be able to let that kind of money sit around unspent? This is the beginning of our financial ruin and the gov't miraculously having to take control of everything. Can anyone else see past the end of their noses on this?
crypto
Carole65: You have it exactly. You can bet that those congressmen and women arn't going to kiss up to the party at the risk of their positions. Don't think I'd do it with such a shaky plan to begin with.
aBigDeal
"the Public Option was a compromise for a Single Payer System"
The Iraq War was a compromise for nuking the entire Middle East. It still doesn't make the war a prudent decision in hindsight. When has the government EVER saved money OR made things CHEAPER, BETTER, and MORE ACCESSIBLE?
Education? Well, how much does the government spend per student? Where do we rank internationally? How have they made college more affordable? They haven't.
Economy? 10.2% unemployment! I thought the government was going to create jobs?? Cash for clunkers worked wonders, right? Medicare fraud in the BILLIONS!
THIS IS THE SAME GOVERNMENT THAT WOULD BE RUNNING YOUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM!!! PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT!!!
lordastral
"The Iraq War was a compromise for nuking the entire Middle East."
It is interesting you should say this. Attacking Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 or Al Queda, and we "decided" to enter Iraq because our President and Vice President told us in no uncertain terms that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. In Cheney's words, the Intel was "a slam dunk".
But our President and our Vice President lied to us to get us involved in a disastrous war that has cost us close to a trillion dollars, and all to help their contributors.
And you would have those same Republicans that lied to us and cost us the lives of thousands of our sons and daughters in battle tell us what is in our best interest?
Desertpenguin
aBigDeal--
This is the same government that keeps other countries from invading us, the same government that makes sure we have freeways, schools, fire and police departments.
This is the same government that allows you to pretty much do and say as you please.
And it's the same government that allows you to make an a** of yourself on this site without fear of retaliation.
You white-power losers are an enormous bunch of a#$%&*@s.
floridabob
The Public Option is the cheap imitation for a Single Payer System. The final bill will probably have a "triggered" Public Option. Which, we all pretty much know, will be triggered. The Ins. Cos. will gouge out as much profit as they can until they have to compete. The overhead, Pay and Bonus structures will make it clear that they cannot compete. The System will gradually evolve into a Single Payer System which, in this country, is were the system belongs. There is a mentality of corporate greed in America, that would not allow any sort of private/public coexistence. The profit needs to be removed from the care side of the issue and eventually, it will be.
aBigDeal
Desertpenguin
If the government JUST did those things, we'd have a budget surplus of a trillion dollars every year. And I can't do what ever I want without some bureaucrat's hand in my pocket to carry out some vote whoring politicians power grab.
"white-power losers" That's funny. So are you a non-white power taker? Did I ever have power over you? Why do you want power over me? What ever happened to individual freedom?
lordastral
" In Cheney's words, the Intel was "a slam dunk"."
BS That was Democrat and Clinton appointee George Tenet who said that. Nice try. The CIA's crappy intel is a reason for not having a CIA. Funny how Desertpenguin left that off his list of important government functions.
Natural-Selection
BigDeal, you're wasting the energy in your fingers trying to make sense to the pinko libs. They are lemmings full of hatred and too stupid too see where this country is really headed.
For years now we've allowed the libs to throw their childish tantrums and we ignored them hoping it would go away. Leaving them unchecked for this long has empowered them much as a bratty child that gets their way all the time. Well, the great parent is getting pissed and they will be receiving their long awaited spankings!!!
diamondgirl
What you are saying is Socialism, we dont do Socialism in America. The Indy's and Conservatives will be waging a robust offensive against this Administration and everyone in it that has tried to move this Country to the Left.
There will be a HUGE penalty against those who have voted for all the spending on Bills,HealthCare,bail outs,pay offs,pork, and lets not forget the Jobs lost since the Porkulus bill has been passed. 2010 cant come fast enough.
Desertpenguin
As I was saying, white-power losers (including diamondgirl) are an enormous bunch of a#$%&*@s
jalehw
You are every where! I really think you are a plant to get other posters going. I just don't think you are as stupid as your posts are. You should change your mantra.
floridabob
I don't see a "Socialist" behind every tree. It's just the current "right" using a term reminiscent of 50's era McCarthyism to try to play on the fears of the gullible. Actually I suspect diamond and demsdis are in reality left leaning and insert their idiotic posts just to demonstrate how idiotic the arguments against the reform efforts, really are. Quite amusing at times.
gak001
We do socialism all the time in America. How do you get to work everyday? I'm going to guess you drive on a public (government) road. You probably went to public (government) schools. When you were in a car accident the fire company and police departments (more socialism) came and helped you. Your grandparents likely collect social security (socialism) and enjoy Medicare benefits (socialism). There's plenty of socialism in America, and even more in the rest of the Americas. The fact remains, we have a mixed economy and it will stay that way.
melissamsouza
He won' t need to resort to Reconciliation. If he felt he needed to do that, he would have already headed the process in that direction. The Bill will pass, and it will contain an embryo of a public option. An alternative for a more robust public option would be for a 60-vote vote for cloture, then a vote of 50 plus 1, for final passage, exempting the freaked-out Democrats from voting for the Bill. My guess though, is that it won't come to that. Contrary to what Beinert says, both Landrieu and Nelson have suggested that they are open to compromise on a public option, and both Snowe and Collins favor a public option with a trigger. The pundits, as some commetators have said here, have declared the public option dead ever since the summer recess--heck, they even suggested the whole effort might be doomed as well. They were basing their brilliant, clairvoyant predictions on the TV images of screeching Tea Party freaks--you know, of the diamond girl variety. But the bigger and truer picture of the overwhelming majority of civil town-hall meetings showed a public extremely worried about the affordability and availability of health care, and a consensus that something urgent had to be done. And the Democrats always stuck together, more so after that summer. So, Peter Beinert, I disagree with your assessment--I predict health care reform will pass with a 60 plus majority, including a handful of Republicans who are independent enough and don't fear their party. And it WILL have some form of a public option included. You betcha!
picopallasi
http://bit.ly/68qXmW
this legislation will only damn us further.
bgeasyas123
pretty sketchy article......quotes many experts but only names ONE and arbitrarilly says the dems are lying and that this bill will be one of the most expensive bills in history
melpol
No longer will the fast food workers of the nation have to enter the emergencies room for medical treatment. They now will be treated by private physicians. Minimum wage workers will have a reason to smile, they will not have gaps between their teeth. Dental coverage will be provided for them in the new healthcare bill.
diamondgirl
I hate to break it to you, those poor people will have to wait at least 3 more years for a family Dr of their own and a dentist.
gak001
Oh no! You mean after waiting 75 years to have a decent health bill passed, they might have to wait a few more years? The horror! At least you acknowledge that it's inevitable.
johnstafford
RE: "Liberals will likely face a choice: between a robust public option and a health care reform bill that can pass."
=Sadly, that ship has already sailed. The "robust" public option was compromised out of existence weeks ago; in fact, a meaningful public option probably never had a chance once President Obama decided it wasn't worth fighting for.
=God knows what the Congressional horse-trading will do to the final bill to get the "moderate" Democrats to actually vote for it--what's left to compromise?
But, all credit to the "Just say no" strategy of the Republicans. In the end, they got the Democrats to do their dirty work for them.
diamondgirl
Dont worry your little head, there is plenty of money left from the Porkulus bill, its Called Obama's Stash, they will buy whatever votes they need to get it done!
AlanD2
I sure hope so, diamondgirl!
kendetroit
Once Obama decided it wasn't worth fighting for I decided he wasn't worth voting for.
gak001
Kucinich 2012?
kendetroit
Kucinich would be great. But we've got to have the MSM stop calling him a 'kook' and 'extreme' and scaring grandma and uncle bob.
Monk66
One small step for Congress
One giant leap for 95% of our country's citizens
Natural-Selection
One giant disaster for all of us is more like it.
jomama
How do Americans honestly consider theirs to be the greatest nation on earth? The richest nation in all of history is unwilling to ensure the basic medical needs of its citizens are not met? While every single other Western nation does? History will not treat America kindly. They were 80 years behind freeing the slaves at the cost of a civil war, and they're already 40 years behind the rest of us on healthcare. Rush Limbaugh will rot in hell, there is nothing so repulsive.
AlanD2
Conservatives are know for their ability to deny reality, jomama.
They have "faith" instead.
Many of the rest of us understand that America's position in the world is starting to fade, and we are trying to do things (ending the wars, passing health care reform) to stop - or at least slow - the fade.
AlanD2
Don't count the public option out yet. It has been declared DOA a lot of times in the last few months.
octavio
Everybody knows that USA hospitals are the worst crooks.
Who works in these hospitals? The unethical medical doctors,
unethical dentists et cetera.
These crooked hospitals with the money that they
already stole from the USA tax payers already bought the
services of the USA crooked republican senators and the ser-
vices of the blue dogs.
Pass the Public Health Care Bill.After this bill passes
we need to clean the USA senate there are to many whores.
These crooked senators do not look good.Most of them are old,white men,bums without morals,their integrity
was lost when they decided to put their wallets first,instead
of the wellbeing of the average John Doe.We need to vote them out,we need to reform the political system,we need to confiscate their stolen money and give it to the USA treasure.
Any lobbyst seen around Washington D.C. should
be put in jail that moment.
We need to pass the Public Health Care Bill.If we do
not pass this bill the USA is going to continue going down the
toilet.
neverlate
Age of reform? More like Jimmy Carter all over again. Right now the media is doing all they can to hide the stink from this Bill, but it will come out in the end.
melissamsouza
What exactly is the "stink" from this Bill? That it will end discrimintion by insurance companies? That it will extend insurance to citizens who have been denied it for decades? That it will let you choose which insurance suits you the best? What about the "stink" from all of the dead bodies piling up because of the disasters in this health care system? I actually know of at least two people who have died because of the distortions in this system--one because he couldn't afford insurance and therefore couldn't treat his cancer properly; the other because the type of insurance she carried didn't make her interesting enough for her doctor, who neglected her condition and failed to prevent her fatal heart attack. There is an increasing number of Republicans who are becoming disgusted by the behavior of their Party. You're starting to see this in the media and in the blogosphere. It is telling that the Democrats recently crushed a Republican-led fillibuster of an Obama judiciary nominee--with ten Republicans coming on board. You have former Republican politicians like Bob Dole, Bill Frist, Tommy Thompson and others slamming the Republican Party for playing politics with health care. It is one thing to be uncomfortable with some of the provisions in this Bill, and try to make it better. It is another to be in a complete state of denial about the moral and economic catastrophe that is health care in this country, and block anything and everything that is attempted to address it, just because it comes from a President and Party of the opposition. I read a post by a Republican voter today saying how disgusted he was with his party, and how irresponsible it was for them to play the "no" card on health care. Believe me, they will suffer dearly in the coming elections. Don't bet on a Republican comeback so soon. The public may be anxious about health care reform, but they sense the utter ineptitude and dishonesty of the Republican Party.
crypto
It's out neverlate: that isn't fog nor smog you see hanging out there, It's from this "hurry up" bill and the black power stink I keep hearing about on here.
wfleet
1830 Americans have needlessly died since the House passed its version of the Health Bill. If these Americans had had health coverage they would have lived. No flags at half-mast for these folks nor consoling speeches for their ruined families.
A Pearl Harbor every 20 days. 4000 dead by Christmas. 17,000 by Easter. 28,000 dead by the 4th of July.
We need a real Public Option. Every single day we wait for a "trigger" is ten Fort Hoods.
.....
I use the Harvard Study figure of 45,000 a year. (People just like the dead in age, weight, gender, disease, amount of smoking etc *with* health coverage lived. http://tinyurl.com/l7cy8u ) 365,000 needlessly dead since 9-11.
Without guns, flames, or billowing smoke, no one counts the casualties in this slo-motion, silent carnage of Americans overseen by the bloodsucking Medical Industrial Complex.
crypto
That's the biggst bunch of BS you've ever put on here. Harvard ummm hummm, ummmm hummmm. Sounds like Berkley during the Johnson years.
creekboy
There's another option.
Not reconciliation.
Not folding on the public option.
It's the filibuster.
Hold the Senate in session, Force them to talk through the holidays, through the whole year if you have to. It would be great political theater and the public would see the GOP for what it is.
Eventually you'll get 60.
redstatebluedude
Exactly! Our so called dem leaders need to grow a pair. Just sit back, shine a spotlight on them, let them babble away, and start running a "body count" ticker displaying the number who have died for lack of health care since the yakking began.
neverlate
wfleet - the democratic version of death panels
getkicksonrte66
diamondgirl
I hate to break it to you, those poor people will have to wait at least 3 more years for a family Dr of their own and a dentist
***********************************************I'm sure the fast food workers are willing to take that wait in stride!
neverlate
So all of us paying huge premiums should even pay more to cover other people? I am not a fast food worker and have spent about $5k this year for dental work for me and my family. I am in no mood to pay for someone elses dental care. How about focusing on reducing cost as a way of making health care insurance more assessable?
bgeasyas123
insurance is the main reason for the increase in cost neverlate. Insuring more people garauntees the hospital will be reimbursed for more patients, which will lead to less cost/patient. Sure, there are opportunities to alter healthcare so that the delivery costs less, but the delivery costs are not as bad as the level of patients that cannot pay.
AlanD2
Think of it this way, neverlate. Helping other people is the Christian thing to do.
Jesus would be proud of you...
ccrider27
Democrats are making a huge miscalculation as to how much damage to their brand the health care legislation has done. While MoveOn, TrueMajority, Democrats for American and the rest of the Obama brand hale it as "sweeping, historic, comprehensive", most progressives recognize it as a complete capitulation to the insurance, pharma and hospital corporations. This is a huge victory for them and progressives find this abominable.
Having gotten this brand elected, they won't accept whatever crumbs Madame Pelosi throws their way, as she guffawed in a recent Washington Post interview. Contrary to the democratic leadership thinking these progressives DO have somewhere else to go.
And that just may spell a 2012 victory for whoever the Palin-like Republican demagogue turns out to be.
AlanD2
ccrider27: As a liberal, I agree that this bill is far from perfect. Personally, I would like a single-payer system that gets rid of health insurance companies altogether.
But we live in an imperfect world, and if the choice is between an imperfect bill and nothing, I'll take the imperfect bill!
We can always revisit health care in the future to fix problems with new legislation, just as was done with Social Security and Medicare.
crypto
OK you take the imperfect bill. Having seen the "stimulus" and the cap and trade I'll take the nothing. This "Robin Hood" administration will screw everybody in the ground, democrat or republican. You continue to hypocritically talk about Jesus on here and make fun of others opinions. But when we hit the bottom you'll be right here among us. Obamason can't possibly pay for these things without huge tax increases, Small business can't grow WITH the tax increases, and jobs won't materialize without small business. Our only hope is that something happens to throw this congress to the curb nex year.
AlanD2
crypto: If you take nothing, what you get is health insurance premiums which will double in 10 years, as they did in the last 10.
I have to doubt that this will help small businesses very much.
redstatebluedude
If there is no public option to compete with the private insurance racket then there is no reform. Period. If the public option is removed, or weakened anymore, then liberals need to kill the entire thing, something Sen. Sanders has suggested he will do.
I'd rather have no reform than the illusion of reform. At least if it all goes down there will still be political pressure to do something, to try again. The illusion of reform would remove that pressure for the next decade or so and put our economy past the point of no return.
Thank you.
As a first time user, your comment has been submitted for review. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a day or two for your comment to be reviewed, depending on the time of week and the volume of comments we receive.