Legal Commentary

Friday Morning Open Thread

By Big Tent Democrat

Depending on what Bart Stupak gains in his hardball negotiations with the White House, I think it is better for the health bills to pass than not to pass. But it is not a big deal imo. If it fails, it's not a big loss on policy. I am not even sure it is a loss on the politics frankly.

In terms of progressive activists, it is clear that they have been completely rolled in this process and were given absolutely nothing. The good parts of the bill (Medicaid expansion, theoretically, the better regulations, though I have no confidence in the enforcement mechanisms) were not controversial and should not be seen as concessions to progressives. Indeed, I expect they would be passed separately if the Senate bill fails. In short, progressives got nothing in the political bargaining.

In my view, they should not lift a finger to get these bills passed. If progressives EVER want to wield even a smidgen of influence, they have to be prepared to sit on the sidelines if they do not get what they want. Let the winners in this bill do the work for getting it passed. It's their bill after all. Not progressives.

This is an Open Thread.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on March 05, 2010 (boomark / email).