It was the final game of the 1970 NBA finals—winner take all. NY Knick Center Willis Reed missed game 6, and the Knicks lost badly. No one expected that he would play in game 7. He was not on the court warming up before the game.
Just before the opening tipoff, Willis hobbled onto the court to begin the game. The fans roared. His opponents (the LA Lakers) were demoralized. His teammates were exultant.
Willis scored a few points early in the game, but it was his presence that made the difference. To this day, it is regarded as one of the great moments in sports— it turned a likely loss into a big victory for NY.
We badly need a Willis Reed moment now.
For some time it appeared that the US might pass a significant health reform bill. But the debate has gone seriously off track. Besides the nonsense about death panels, Democrats have fallen asleep at the wheel and allowed the Republicans frame the issue. As a result, the prospects for meaningful health reform legislation passing Congress appear slim.
It is not just health care that is at stake here-- it is the future of the nation. Although I usually do not agree with Senator Jim DeMint, I think he was right on the mark when he pointed out recently that a failure to pass health reform legislation will be Obama’s Waterloo. It will embolden the Republicans and will help turn Obama into the next Jimmy Carter rather than the next JFK (and we all know what we got after Carter).
I am not an enthusiastic supporter of a public option; my main concern is that it will not stem the sharp rise in health care costs. However, something needs to be done to make sure that the nearly 50 million Americans without coverage have health insurance. A public option will accomplish this. It will also lay the foundation for more meaningful reforms by showing that there has been a shift in power and sentiment away from the insurance companies. And last, but not least, it will provide a much needed economic stimulus.
If we are to have a Willis Reed moment, we obviously need a Willis Reed.
Sadly, President Obama has not provided the necessary leadership and inspiration on this issue. His floundering, and the mixed signals coming out of his administration, has hindered public trust and respect for him-- both necessary to lead health reform efforts. The President is not a lost cause, however; he certainly has the ability to be an inspirational orator and leader.
But I think we still need to look elsewhere for a viable replacement. Two possibilities suggest themselves.
My first Willis Reed candidate is the obvious one-- Ted Kennedy. Senator Kennedy has been a dogged fighter for health care reform during his entire life. Like Willis Reed, it is not clear if he will be able to make it to the Senate for any of the upcoming votes on health care reform. An appearance by Kennedy, especially if accompanied by a ringing endorsement of the public option, has the potential to inspire his colleagues the way that Willis did.
My second candidate is less obvious, and another Reed-- Harry Reid. If the Republicans want to filibuster health care reform, and if the Democrats cannot get the 60 votes to end a filibuster, there is another option—just let the Republicans keep talking until they are finally talked out. Then vote for health care reform in the Senate. Majority wins!
The Senate filibuster rule (Senate Rule 22) ALLOWS for a procedural filibuster. In a procedural filibuster, senators can say they are going to talk to prevent passage of legislation; usually, this alone prevents a bill from coming up—unless there are 60 votes to stop it. However, according to Senate rules, the Senate Majority Leader has the ability to require continuous floor speeches. In the early 1960s another Majority Leader, Montana Senator Mike Mansfield, required continuous speeches for a filibuster and also refused to let any other business be brought before the Senate until the end of the filibuster. This maneuver led to passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964.
If Harry Reid adopts this tactic, Republicans will be forced to keep talking until they are talked out. The filibuster will, of course, be broadcast on TV; Senators who stall for time by doing things like reading the telephone directory will be ridiculed. People will be clamoring for the filibuster to end, and for the Senate to deal with real business and the real problems facing the country. Even if it goes on for months, as all Republican Senators talk for several days, at some point the filibuster will have to come to an end. At this point, the Senate can try to pass a health care reform bill by a simple majority vote.
Harry Reid might need to do some arm twisting to get the needed 50 votes (and then have Joe Biden cast the deciding vote in favor of reform). But the votes are there. All that is required is the leadership... or the Reid-ership.