Recurring Themes: Paul Krugman gets it

I have the theme several times here that many people on both the left and the right are constantly surprised when President Obama keeps his promises. It is the left's turn to get hyperbolic about President Obama delivering a health care reform pretty similiar to what he had promised. Paul Krugman calls out the left in his most recent column.

But that says more about the complainers than it does about Obama himself. If you actually paid attention to the substance of what he was saying during the primary, you realized that

... what you’re getting is what you should have seen

On the specific matter of this Health Care Bill, the more I read the complaints from the left (which I consider myself) the more delusional I think many of them may be. I would have liked to have gotten a better policy. You gotta ask what could have been done different. When it comes down to it there was no leverage on Lieberman. Krugman addresses as well.

But on health care, I don’t see how he could have gotten much more. How could he have made Joe Lieberman less, um, Liebermanish? And I have to say that much as I disagree with Ben Nelson about many things, he has seemed refreshingly honest, at least in the final stages, about what he will and won’t accept. Meanwhile the fact is that Republicans have formed a solid bloc of opposition to Obama’s ability to do, well, anything.

Kill The Bill?

Many progressives have started the chorus of Kill the Bill and start over.

My gut reaction is very similiar, and I understand the desire to do a better job than what this piece of legislation is going to end up looking like. In addition as an active progressive I can completely concur with the feelings of wanting to stick a fork in the eye of Senator Joe Lieberman. (FBI: you are monitoring this, that was a figure of speech).

Kill the Bill and start over with a clean slate. That is what is coming from various corners of the liberal masses. I believe one of their greatest concerns, which I fully agree with, is that politicians will attempt to sell this as the reform that was promised and say all done. The result being a water downed bill and then politicians turning their attention to more important things you know like running for reelection.

That would be very difficult to swallow as a person who has fought hard over the last 14 months or so trying to improve our system. However, is there a middle ground to grab hold of? Is it possible to Pass the Bill and start all over?

In football it is often the right call to punt on 4th down even when you were so close to getting that first down. Why? Football is a game of field possession. When you make great strides to move the ball down the field, it often makes more sense to punt to protect that field position instead of going for it all, missing, and setting the opposition up in even better position.

I know, a very clunky comparison. I guess what I am asking is it better to take what we got and keep fighting? One of the very simplest and most important aspects of Health Care Reform was that no person should go broke from getting sick. I guess, if the bill before us does that and I am not sure it does, then maybe we should punt.

I reserve the right to say that there is potential that this bill does more damage than good. In that case Kill the Bill might be the right call.

A Picture is worth a 1000 jobs

There is a danger of posting this picture at the same time Paul Krugman ( just to the right of here) is talking about the possibility of a double dip recession. That being said:

The graph provides for an interesting peek at the economy through the job loss lens. I have always stated that the President is like the quarterback of the economy, he gets too much credit for a good economy and too much blame for a bad one. What sticks out to me is that job losses peaked in January of '09 and we have had a fairly steady improvement since. Secondly, while I do not know the precise number, the majority of the stimulus funds are still in the pipeline. Hopefully, they will counteract the possibility of the double dip recession.

You Spin me right round, Baby like a record Baby Right Round

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/70107-new-public-option-plan

Reports of the demise of the Opt Out Public Option are coming in fairly steadily and the reports of the next round of compromise are hitting the news. This morning "The Hill" is reporting that Senator Reid has asked Senators Schumer, Carper, Landrieu to work on a compromise that addresses the few Dems left to get on board.

The reporting suggest a new version of the Public Option will emerge next week.

Drum roll please the new Plan will be

National Public Option Opt-In with Triggers.

Hmmmm. Now why does that sound so familiar?

Oh yeah

Here is my proposed compromise (mind you we have compromised way beyond anything I would truly liked to have seen). Nationwide State Opt-in plus triggers by state.

http://mysteryj.blogspot.com/2009/11/health-care-debate.html

A note on Reoccurring Themes:

I have fallen into the habit of returning to some earlier themes time and time again. I am not sure if this is a sign of brilliance of laziness. Such themes have been I Love Maps and today the fact that both sides the left and the right are aghast that President Obama continues to do what he campaigned on.

Today's edition is on the Afghanistan troop deployment. After long deliberation President Obama has ordered an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan over the next 6 months. Personally I have rather mixed feelings on this matter. I will continue to consider and work through. The point of this post, regardless of the left's hand wringing and the right's complaining about dithering, this is pretty much what Senator Obama campaigned on.

A central piece of his foreign affairs plan was to remove ourselves from Iraq to focus on Afghanistan. He often made a point about deliberation and thoughtful consideration and this exactly how we got to today's announcement of the troop escalation. While I may not be very happy with this announcement I can not be surprised.