Barbed wire and health care reform

[cosmik debris]

Once upon a time a Yankee came to Texas and observed the extensive network of barbed wire fences. He bragged that the fences could not stop him, he'd just jump over. The Texans warned him to take measure of the fence first, but the Yankee wouldn't listen. He just got a running start and jumped -- half way across the fence. Now he has a high squeaky voice. And he has learned to take the measure of obstacles before he tries to jump over them.

We have many loyal Democrats who want to craft a health care reform bill that can't possibly pass a Senate filibuster. They seem determined to blindly leap -- and hope that they don't snag their balls on a strand of barbed wire.

The bottom line is that a bill that fails in the Senate is worse than no bill at all because it will delay any health care reform for several more years.

Please remember, when you advocate for health care reform, that it is not just your nuts that might get caught on that fence. A lot of people are counting on us to provide some meaningful reform. We can't afford to fail them just because we failed to measure the fence before we took that jump