'Splain Something for Me

The president, master politician that he is, has recognized the pushback against his health care reform ideas. He has tactfully pulled back from the current incarnation that would cost over a trillion dollars. The position of the moment is that any bill he signs must be revenue neutral.


It seems to me that if you advocate massive reform because the cost of health care is out of control and causing huge deficits, then say that you would sign something that is revenue neutral, you don't really care about the cost. Now, if cost is no longer important, why in the world would one continue to pursue it? Just because you can?

"I'm from the government, and I am here to help you" should send off the same warning signals as "the check is in the mail", "I've never done this before", and "it's only a cold sore". The government already is deeply involved in health care in this country. Fix the VA hospital system. Fix Medicaid and Medicare.

Medicaid at it's peak was only supposed to cost a billion dollars a year. We've passed that by just a bit. It is not the Presdient's fault that the government is awful at best when it comes to estimating costs. That said, given his intellectual gifts, it would be nice if he recognized it.