President Obama finally demanded an up-or-down congressional vote on health care reform, and he even added Republican proposals such as health savings accounts and something called "health courts" (what?) to cut medical malpractice costs. He's vowing to get Congress to have it done by Easter.
I'm neither impressed nor enthused.
I'm not sure when "change we can believe in" became "I've heard it all before." It might have come when the public option was dropped, or it might have even been when Massachusetts elected a truck-driving stud to the U.S. Senate. But I have to be skeptical when Obama includes Republican proposals that don't have a prayer of getting any Republican votes for his health care plan and actually have a good chance of making Obama lose Democratic votes, particularly in the House.
I once thought health care reform had a good chance of passage, and now I'm not so sure, what with all the cat-herding Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid are faced with. With House Democrats angry at Republican ideas included in the bill and Republicans in either chamber still uncooperative, it's become obvious that Obama is trying to please everyone . . . and has pleased no one.
Florida congressman Alan Grayson, a Democrat, famously said that the Republican proposal for health care reform is not to get sick, and if you do, die quickly. I'm already signed on to that plan, as are 47 million other Americans.
It's all we can afford. :-(
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