Health Care Reform

Today, via the generally destructive offices of the WaPo op/ed page, we have two conflicting views about health care reform. The first, from concern troll Michael "Mushroom Cloud" Gerson, urges on "moderate and conservative" Democrats, as only a cynical right-wing douchebag would, in the hopes that they will help Rethugs derail President Obama... er, make that health care reform. Suddenly to this creep there are "moderate and conservative Democrats." This construction, of course, only takes place in the few odd moments when Rethugs need to back off from slandering and reviling "libsocialistfascist Democrats" for leading America into hellfire damnation.

A useful counterpoint is Harold Meyerson's op/ed directly below Mushroom Cloud's, "The Can't-Do Blue Dogs," which, as you can glean from his title, looks at the same "moderate and conservative Democrats" as Mushroom Cloud, takes the Rethug opposition as a given, but asks the pertinent question:

"Why Democrats of any ideology want to cripple their own president in his first year in office, and for seeking an objective that has been a stated goal of their party since the Truman administration, is a more mysterious matter."

Indeed. Unless they're DINO's more interested in holding onto their seats than in supporting their party's leader and agenda, and taking a chance to recast America's health care to benefit millions for decades to come. Wanted: A few profiles in courage.