The idea that passing the watered down Senate version of Health Insurance Reform is a bad idea and instead begin the reconciliation process begs the question: "Why not both?"
What's preventing Democrats from passing the Senate plan, then immediately either under current Budget Reconciliation or under next year's budget rules simply having a single issue Public Plan that is implemented in 2011 which I believe is years before the House plan would have taken effect. Why is it one of the other?
I realize that budget rule legislation has a maximum 10 year limit but if say 60-70 million Americans (or more) are covered under a voluntary public plan in 2021, does anybody believe any Congress or President (Democratic or Republcian) would cancel that program risking the wrath of that many voters?
I highly doubt it. And I have not understood why this process from the beginning wasn't played this way. Maybe because if the Liebermans and Landrieus saw this coming they would have killed any and all reform months ago. OK. Is that any reason to look a gift horse in the mouth. As I understand it, many of the crucial elements of the Senate bill wouldn't be subject to Budget Reconciliation anyway. But there seems to be no doubt that the public option would.
I think Nate Silver's analysis is irrefutable regarding the current stripped down version of the bill. This is critical stuff that needs to be passed in whatever form it eventually gets done. Why not take 3/4 of a loaf and keep working?
Finally for all the Rahm/Obama haters: At what point in the process was it possible for the Administration to bring the hammer down and force Nelson, Lieberman, Lincoln and Landrieu to vote their way or the highway? When I read the doom and gloom and finger pointing on this from our friends on the left I feel like I am watching a Saturday Night live skit" "Really" with Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers.
"Really? You thought Barack Obama could scare Ben Nelson. Really? All those multitude of liberal Nebraska voters just waiting for Nelson to cross Obama so they could vote him out of office. Really!?"
"Really. You thought Joe 'I support John McCain/Obama is a menace' Lieberman would be cowed by tough talk from Rahm or Reid. Really!?"