Health care starting to churn; Dems to go it alone?

In a conference call with reporters, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) said that while some progressives view the co-op proposal as an unacceptably watered-down alternative to a public insurance option, Republicans think it's still too similar. He indicated that both he and the party would oppose them.

This quote is no surprise, it's been the argument all along. The GOP DOES NOT WANT health reform. They wanted to kill the public option with co-ops, and then when the public option was dead, they'd kill the co-ops.

However, Obama's grass roots folks haven't gotten off the ground. Somehow they trusted that the filibuster=proof majority in the Senate would get the real health care we need. But it hasn't happened. The Congress fractured and the Netroots have been quiet.

Until this week. Once the White House suggested they were willing to soften their position on the public option, all hell broke loose. The Progressive Democratic wing of the House has refused to cast their 60+ votes for any bill that doesn't contain a robust public option.

Around the conference table at TNR, we've been saying for weeks that what Obama really needed was a group of equally vocal, equally zealous critics on the left, pulling the debate's center of gravity in the other direction. And, wouldn't you know, that's exactly what's happened over the last 48 hours.

Bob Cesca
Now, I have no idea if the White House's intention was to soften on the public option just enough to infuriate, then mobilize and activate the left to revive its push for the public option. But, as Noam writes, that's exactly what has happened.

Here are the immediate consequences of the president's and Secretary Sebelius's remarks from this past weekend:

1) The netroots are re-activated and are furiously talking policy and mobilizing again.
2) The House progressives have declared an ultimatum in support of the public option.
3) Congressman Weiner has emerged as a terrific spokesman in Congress.
4) The AFL-CIO has drawn a line in sand in support of the public option.
5) The debate has shifted back to policy and away from crazy wingnuts. As long as healthcare reform is about policy, the Democrats win.
6) Complacent, the far-right prematurely tipped their hand on their opposition to co-ops, weakening their position and signaling that no amount of comprise will win their votes.

And now comes the news that - finally - the Democrats have seen that the cries of bipartisanship were a ruse to kill health care. The GOP never had any intention of playing along with any group other than big insurance.

Now, if a solution is to be had it looks like it's coming from within the ranks of the Democratic party.

New York Times
Given hardening Republican opposition to Congressional health care proposals, Democrats now say they see little chance of the minority’s cooperation in approving any overhaul, and are increasingly focused on drawing support for a final plan from within their own ranks.

Top Democrats said Tuesday that their go-it-alone view was being shaped by what they saw as Republicans’ purposely strident tone against health care legislation during this month’s Congressional recess, as well as remarks by leading Republicans that current proposals were flawed beyond repair.

Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff, said the heated opposition was evidence that Republicans had made a political calculation to draw a line against any health care changes, the latest in a string of major administration proposals that Republicans have opposed.

“The Republican leadership,” Mr. Emanuel said, “has made a strategic decision that defeating President Obama’s health care proposal is more important for their political goals than solving the health insurance problems that Americans face every day.”