I was taken aback when I read Paul Krugman’s July 5 column about health care reform: HELP is on the way. He must have been having a very, very good day.
For Krugman, a columnist I read regularly and respect, it was a bit breathless. It was almost a victory lap, one that the Democrats can ill afford to take.
“Last week,” he wrote, “the budget office scored the full proposed legislation from the Senate committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). And the news — which got far less play in the media than the downbeat earlier analysis — was very, very good. Yes, we can reform health care.”
He goes on to conclude that health care reform “is now within reach.”
So is a manned mission to Mars.
Yesterday, the Associated Press reported: Disputes put a health care time table in doubt.
“Senate Democrats edged away Wednesday from their goal of passing ambitious health care legislation by early August amid heightening partisan controversy over tax increases and a proposed new government role in providing insurance to consumers,” the report said.
Rather than meeting the goal of legislation by August, majority leader Harry Reid prefers “flexibility.” New York Senator Chuck Schumer reckons that the new goal is to have legislation in place “by the end of this year.”
Veep Joe Biden said: “Folks, reform is coming. It is on track.”
Folks, watch for centrist Democrats to sell out on this issue. See my June 24 post, with appropriate links, that explains why Democrats who receive the most health care PAC money are wavering.
Add to this the fact that opponents of the current health care reform package, which includes a public insurance option as a centerpiece, are spending $1.4 million per day through lobbyist efforts to ditch it, according to the July 6 Washington Post.
Finally, Americans are under such a fierce assault over the health care debate, I’m convinced they don’t know what to think anymore. Consider this Reuters story that appeared yesterday: Nearly two-thirds of Americans polled believe Medicare doesn’t pay anything for cancer treatment.
Which, of course is complete nonsense.
But the translation by public option opponents will be: Most Americans distrust Medicare. Why should they trust the government to run any kind of health care program?
Reform advocates, it appears, just aren’t getting their message out.
