Moderates Should Show Their True Colors on Health-Care
July 27, 2009 7:28 AM
Health-care legislation is facing a troubled future in the House of Representatives, where "Blue Dogs", who are a group of moderate Democrats, are threatening to withhold support for Democratic health-care reform packages because recent revenue estimates have shown that it will be far more expensive than expected. A similar problem exists in the Senate, where a number of moderate Democrats and Republicans also support health-care reform, but not at any cost. Moderates are being attacked from the left for being cost conscious, and from the right for supporting any changes to health care policy at all.
Blue Dogs and moderate Republicans, though a small minority of Congress, represent a block of American voters (moderates) that is larger than the number of either conservative or liberal voters.
In between election cycles the conservatives and liberals who alternatively control Congress berate moderates for their idealogical impurity and/or lack of spine. How rude of the moderates not to give their unquestioning support to their views even though both represent a much smaller minority of voters.
Thank goodness that Blue Dogs and moderate Republicans are exerting a moderating influence on this important Congressional policy. Politics is the art of the possible. It is entirely possible to enact new health-care policy that will represent a significant improvement over the status quo. It isn't essential that it be passed by August, and the support of moderates is essential if it is to be passed in this Congress. No health care legislation will solve all the health-care challenges. It is better to pass significant improvements in this Congress and to tackle the remaining challenges in a subsequent round of legislation, than to repeat the Clinton Administration mistake of overreaching and end up with nothing.
Blue Dogs and moderate Republicans, though a small minority of Congress, represent a block of American voters (moderates) that is larger than the number of either conservative or liberal voters.
In between election cycles the conservatives and liberals who alternatively control Congress berate moderates for their idealogical impurity and/or lack of spine. How rude of the moderates not to give their unquestioning support to their views even though both represent a much smaller minority of voters.
Thank goodness that Blue Dogs and moderate Republicans are exerting a moderating influence on this important Congressional policy. Politics is the art of the possible. It is entirely possible to enact new health-care policy that will represent a significant improvement over the status quo. It isn't essential that it be passed by August, and the support of moderates is essential if it is to be passed in this Congress. No health care legislation will solve all the health-care challenges. It is better to pass significant improvements in this Congress and to tackle the remaining challenges in a subsequent round of legislation, than to repeat the Clinton Administration mistake of overreaching and end up with nothing.
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