A Quick Comment on the Health Care Vote
This startling image of a food fight is from connectionblog
The headlines are blaring today that the US House of Representatives voted on Sunday to pass the Senate version of the health care reform bill. Some think it was great (like Paul Krugman). Some are not so sure (like David Sanger). But one thing is for sure. The debate over health care reform was wildly over done. One got the impression that despite all of the apparent reasons for doing something, passage would end the universe as we now know it and open a portal to hell.
I give President Obama credit for realizing in the end that failure to act would have been far worse than no health care reform. It would have been a symbol of failed governance. Failed politics. When the moment of truth came, Obama put his reputation on the line and came out fighting for his core values and beliefs. And now, like it or not, at least the system has produced a result.
But we may need to revise Churchill’s famous comment on US policy making from
You can always trust the Americans to do the right thing. After they have tried everything else.
to
You can always trust the Americans to do the right thing. After they have screamed bloody murder and strained everyone’s patience to the breaking point and tried everything else.
Hmmm … I can’t wait for the debate over financial reform to get started.
Tags: Leadership