The "Spirit" Is Still There. Health Care Reform? Not So Much

It's hard not to compare the two -- last Saturday, Ted Kennedy spoke from the grave in support of real health care reform:

I also want you to know that even though I am ill, I'm committed to do everything I can to achieve access to health care for everyone in my country. This has been the political cause of my life.

And today, the President let us know what he thinks about access to health care for everyone. From senior advisor David Axelrod:

As to the fate of a government option plan to compete with private insurance, Axelrod suggested the controversial concept is gone but not forgotten: "The spirit that led him to support a public option is still very much at play here and so you know he wants competition. He wants choice."

Isn't that special? That spirit and a dollar will get you a cup of coffee, but it sure as hell won't do a damn thing to help you pay the medical bills.

After months of standing on the sidelines and allowing Republicans, Blue Dogs and the Max Baucus-caucus to frame the health care debate, it seems that Obama has decided that the political cause of his lifetime is to appear to be bipartisan rather than getting the job done that we elected him to do.