Jon Walker at FDL:
One of the better-sounding arguments for passing the Senate bill is that “we can fix it later.” While this does sound appealing at first glance, I just don’t see “fixing it later” happening in the next decade or two. Democrats currently have huge majorities in both Houses and the presidency. I can’t imagine there being a time anytime soon where the Democrats have more power.
If progressives can’t push for better health care reform now with a huge grassroots push, I don’t see them having more success after Washington moves on to other topics. As long as this 60-vote myth persists in the Senate, and progressive are not taken seriously, I don’t see how any progressive change (be it on health care or any other issue) will ever happen.
That's a pretty serious concern. There's going to be an awful lot of health care fatigue once this is done, and Members may not be all that anxious to come back to such a contentious subject.
But Jon's got an idea about how to ensure that we do make a timely return:
The only way I can see progressives being able to fix the bill later is if they can hold something the big industries really want hostage. Progressives need something important they can trade in exchange for better reform. The only thing progressives can hold hostage for real reform is the individual mandate.
If it's enough of a certainty in the minds of opinion leaders that passing this bill now and coming back later to fix it is going to work, then surely there could be no serious objection to holding the mandate in abeyance while we "fix" things. After all, nobody needs that mandate to be in place until 2014 anyway, right?
You can play the fix it later game one of two ways, as I see it. You can say, "Well, gee, of course we'll come back and fix it later, because everyone wants to make sure we have just the jim dandiest policy ever." Or you can say, "I'd like to have a guarantee that we get back to fixing this thing like you said we would."
Progressives should make the rallying cry of “no public option, no mandate” an unmovable demand, now and in the future. Progressives in Congress should refuse to support the individual mandate until it is accompanied by the government guarantee of a decent, cost-effective public health insurance option.
And if you think the whole thing just can't work without a mandate? Well hell, then you'll really want to make sure you're true to your word and get back to this bill to fix it later. You're my best buddy, now. We both want to get back to work on it.
So what do you say? Shake on it? Good to be on the same page again, isn't it?
Hear that voice from the back seat, Tweety? Those are the bloggers playin' Hardball, big guy. Why aren't your friggin' guests thinking of this?