If Democrats abandon health-care reform...the lesson will be that they can't govern.

[jefferson_dem]

Can Democrats govern?

It's worth taking a step back from health-care reform for a second. What Democrats are doing isn't just abandoning a particular policy issue. They're proving themselves unable to govern.

Democrats spent most of 2009 with 60 votes in the Senate and about 256 in the House. They had a popular new president who was following a disastrous Republican administration and a financial crisis. The opposition party was polling somewhere between foot fungus and spoiled meat. You don't get opportunities like this very often. The Senate majority, in fact, was larger than either party had enjoyed since the 1970s. And what have Democrats accomplished?

Well, not much. You can see a list here. A stimulus that was too small. Ted Kennedy's Serve America Act. Credit card regulations that were largely an acceleration of rules the Federal Reserve was going to impose anyway. I guess they almost passed a compromised health-care bill, but you don't go down in history for almosts.

If Democrats abandon health-care reform in the aftermath of Brown's victory, the lesson will be that they can't govern. No majority within the realm of reason will give them the votes to move their agenda swiftly and confidently. Even the prospect of the most significant legislative achievement in 40 years, an achievement that will save hundreds of thousands of lives, will not keep them from collapsing into chaos when they face adversity.

At that point, what's the pitch for voting for Democrats? That they agree with you? A plumber and I both agree that my toilet should work. But if he can't make it work, I'm not going to pay him any money or invite him into my home. Governance isn't just about ideology. It's also about competence and will. That's where Democrats are flagging.

<SNIP>

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/01/can_democrats_govern.html

[treestar]

1. Since the Republicans can, they should be back in power then?

:shrug:

[depakid]

11. Actually, since they're capable of getting things done

maybe we should all try to take over the Republican party and change it from the inside....

:sarcasm:

[burning rain]

14. "Should" has little to do with it.

They will be if Democrats keep up not keeping up.

[Vincardog]

2. It's also about competence and will. That's where Democrats are flagging. And the GOP demonstrated

What great confidence?

[TheKentuckian]

3. That needed to be a concern a while back

It is too easy to go off track starting from votes instead of policy, eventually the thing explodes under the weight of internal conflict.

You start with policy and then compromise to get votes until you get something that is useful, sellable, and can pass.

We started with a gob of crap to attract votes and ended up with no health care reform whether the bill mislabeled as such is passed or not.

However, I agree the effort should be fierce and unending until it does get done. Congress and the White House can stick weariness of the issue and getting on to other stuff up their collective asses.
Just like when a kid won't do their chores or homework, you send them back to do it again and the remain responsible for the rest of their responsibilities. NO EXCUSES. If you don't want to do your job then someone else will just like everybody else. These assholes aren't special, they have a duty to the people.

[Armstead]

4. I'm hoping this makes some of you more understanding about some of us who...

felt like we got abandoned earlier in the process as the things we cared about got stripped away piece by piece.

[WI_DEM]

5. The lesson is they can't pass HCR

Truman, JFK, Carter, Clinton all tried and failed. LBJ even with his big majorities in '65 didn't try to pass Universal Health Care (perhaps our best chance) but did Medicare and Medical Assistance. In atuality, Obama has moved the ball further than any president and I don't believe he is just going to ignore it now.

[johnlal]

6. If the Democrats pass healthcare reform, my premiums still go up...

The Democrats passed credit card "reform", and people are still paying 30% APR on ther credit cards.

Now the White House wants to require me to buy insurance from a private corporation, and my premium is almost guaranteed to go up next year, with no competing public option. The White House never really seriously considered a public option or a single payer system.

So maybe they can keep passing laws and calling them reform, and patting each other on the back, but don't expect me to get really excited about it. They didn't need our input when they drafted the bill, so I guess they don't need our support now.

[alsame]

10. IMO, talking about mandates in this economy was not

smart. And once the public option was removed, it was downright stupid to propose mandates without cost controls.

[Mass]

7. They should not abandon it. They should write a GOOD bill and challenge both corporate Dems and

Republicans to vote for it, then take names.

[Teaser]

12. taking names won't matter

It will not hurt the Republicans who vote against it one bit. Bank that.
They tell their constituents they oppose health care reform, and their CONSTITUENTS APPROVE of that.

[Bitwit1234]

8. Yeah the republicans now they can govern

all they had to do was run the country in the ground, let banks and wall street take all the money, send the jobs overseas, raise energy prices out of reach for the average American. THEN VIOLA....THERE IS NO COUNTRY TO GOVERN...AND THE TEA BAGS HAVE ""THEIR"" COUNTRY BACK. GIVE IT TO EM.

[cutlassmama]

9. You're right. They did run it into the ground. I love my country

and have no intention of giving in to them.

[OHdem10]

13. It can be worse if they spit in America's eye and pass it anyway.

Does anyone think for example, J. Imeldt, at GE has run that
company , Jack Welsh before him and never had to make a course
correction. OOps this aint working, Folks. What would
you think if you heard one of these guys knew they were
doing or going about something knowing it was wrong.

As Imelt said, you suck it, correct and move on. An intelligent
person is one who recognizes they might be wrong. I won"t
describe the person who just keeps on doing the wrong thing.

There is nothing wrong with making a course correction without
abandoning HCR. Put together some of the popular pieces of
the plan. Roll it out as Ist Step in a New Beginning on Health
Care. Do not blabber and wring hands. Just do it. This gives
you time to work on the set. The Public will like the first
step and this cools the temperature on H.C. It is easier to
pass it piece meal--that 60 vote monster is gone.

Quietly, and efficiently we will eventually have some kind
of Health Care.

Sure the Nattering Nabobs of Negativism will have to chew on
their bone sometimes showing their ignorance. Hold your
head high and keep on keeping on. Take the hit early if there
really is one. Get it over with.