So health care has passed yet another hurdle. On a straight party-line vote, it is now available to be debated in the Senate. I just want people to remember three things in a few weeks when the Republicans are blanketing the media with complaints about things ‘moving too quickly’ and how they would be willing to work with the Democrats if they just had some more time to consider things.
1. It’s just a tactic, and not a very good one.
2. They voted today in a unified block to PREVENT health care from being debated. Yes, the madness of the filibuster means that the tool that is apparently popular for its ability to ensure debates can also be used to attempt to prevent those debates from happening.
3. Mitch McConnell made very clear today just in case you hadn’t already figured this out, when he said: “The battle has just begun. We are going to do everything and anything we can to prevent this measure from becoming law.” That is their goal. Any media outlet who reports on this story as if there were two sides who have an interest in seeing health care reform pass is choosing to lend legitimacy to one side in this fight.
On a different note, this is yet another record for how far health care reform has progressed. There are still quite a few things yet to clear – and things are looking pretty bad again for the public option – but every time we cross another one of these lines, we are just that little bit closer to making a serious difference in the lives of millions of people.
So that’s good.