October 23, 2009

10/23: Some Things Aren't Optional

Liberal bloggers are diving into the legislative weeds today as they discuss the various public option compromises being floated in Congress. The first choice of most liberal bloggers is the so-called "robust" public option favored by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), which ties reimbursement rates to Medicare and adds 5%. The netroots are pushing House Dems to pass a bill with this type of public option, since they believe that "having the strongest possible House bill going in to conference with the Senate is critical."

The second choice of most liberal bloggers is the so-called "opt-out" compromise favored by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), which creates a national public option that states can opt out of if they wish. Most (but not all) liberal bloggers consider this compromise acceptable, if not ideal. What virtually no liberal blogger supports is the "trigger" compromise favored by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), which would call for the creation of a public option in states where private insurers fail to provide enough affordable insurance options. Now that Snowe is threatening to filibuster a health care bill that includes an "opt-out" public option, some lefty bloggers are urging Senate Maj. Leader Harry Reid to "dust off the reconciliation procedures book."

What else is happening in the blogosphere?

• Conservative bloggers (Lewis, Jessup, Malkin, Allahpundit) are buzzing about ex-AK Gov. Sarah Palin's (R) endorsement of Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate in the NY-23 race. After praising Palin, RedState editor Erick Erickson slams MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) for declining to endorse Hoffman, arguing that his decision "further bolsters the Pawlenty stereotype as milquetoast establishment." Meanwhile, Michelle Malkin is the latest righty blogger to call on GOP candidate Dede Scozzafava to withdraw from the race.
• Conservative bloggers (Geraghty, Lane, Reynolds) are buzzing about the news that a former Dem official who received donations from NJ Gov. Jon Corzine (D) was found guilty of corruption.
• Liberal bloggers (Yglesias, Benen, Sudbay) are blasting Sen. Mary Landrieu's (D-LA) criticism of the public option.

HEALTH CARE REFORM: Snowed In

Now that Snowe is threatening to filibuster a health care bill that includes any form of public option other than her trigger proposal, some liberal bloggers are urging Senate Dems to use the reconciliation procedure pass health care reform:

• Daily Kos' mcjoan: "AHIP is working Republicans, backing up any effort they might make to obstruct healthcare reform, and particularly the public option. It's looking like they got to Olympia Snowe. [...] All these months [MT Sen. Max] Baucus and the administration have been courting her for this, she's waving her own veto pen. Presumably, it will be her trigger or nothing, but with momentum gaining behind a much stronger opt-out option, she's threatening to take her marbles and go home. It's time for Harry Reid to dust off the reconciliation procedures book. If Snowe is going to side with AHIP and the rest of the Republicans, they're going to have to do this without her.
• TalkLeft's Big Tent Democrat: "If I was playing the Dem hand, I would start talking about reconciliation in response to this. To wit 'if Republicans do not want to grab a mop on health care reform, then we will do what we have to do to fix it ourselves.'"

The Washington Monthly's Steve Benen doesn't understand Snowe's behavior: "This just isn't rational. Snowe has demonstrated a genuine interest in health care reform, and that's admirable. But she's willing to defeat a bill she would otherwise consider based on a single provision that most Americans wouldn't be eligible for anyway? Is the popular policy idea really so offensive that it's worth killing the entire initiative, decades in the making, and letting this once-in-a-generation opportunity pass?"

TAPPED's Dylan Matthews tries to look on the bright side: "[O]ne major caveat is that it would be more politically and historically difficult for Snowe to filibuster a complete health-care bill with a public option than to merely threaten to do so. Plus, it would be more than possible for the Senate leadership and the White House to pass a Senate bill without a public option and then add the House's during conference committee. The bill presented before the Senate then would have an even greater finality to it, making it even more difficult for Snowe to give a no vote."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: The Wrong Line Of Attack

The Washington Independent's David Weigel (h/t Andrew Sullivan):

"The Democrats are in worse political shape than they were a year ago because unemployment is at 9.8 percent, the war in Afghanistan has grown less popular, and the bailouts of struggling banks are seen as wastes of money that haven't worked. Republicans benefit when they talk about this stuff. But [Glenn] Beck and the others don't let them talk about this stuff. For the past few months, they have moved the discussion onto fantasy terrain, accusing the president of reaching for dictatorial powers and surrounding himself with 'radicals' who want to destroy capitalism. [...]

This isn't to say Republicans have been distracted or unsuccessful in Congress. They've certainly scored victories during this period. And by paying attention to these conservative witch hunts, they've definitely kept their base revved up. But in the current political context, it seems like they're missing the forest for some shrubs. It's as if Democrats tried to press their advantages in 2005 not by going after the Iraq War or the mishandling of Hurricane Katrina, but by spending weeks attacking mid-ranking members of his administration and claiming that President George W. Bush was driving the nation toward fascism. And remember, one of the huge political mistakes of 2005 was the Republican decision to do a full-court press on an issue that had come from conservative activists and pundits: the fate of Terri Schiavo."

LEST WE FORGET: "Lowest Priority H1N1 Vaccine Groups"

McSweeney's contributor Sarah Garb:

• Lighthouse keepers
• Christian Science reading room employees
• The Maytag repairman
• Philosophy post-docs
• Psychic Friends Network operators
• Donkey Kong world record seekers
• Detroit Lions food vendors
• North Korean tour guides
• Both residents of Twombly, Maine
• Dodge Caliber salesmen
• Writers

Posted by Ian Faerstein at October 23, 2009 12:42 PM