Where the Health Care Bill went wrong

[edhopper]

It seems to me that even the best outcome in the Senate right now will be wholly inadequate. And if Lieberman has his way, it will be a complete waste of time. So where did it go wrong.
IMHO it was a big mistake at the get go for President Obama and the Democratic leadership to take Single Payer off the table. They started with a weak position and completely overestimated the willingness of the Republicans to compromise. Not seeing that they had every intention to stop ANY Health Care bill.
These were fatal mistakes that should have been foreseen.

[earthside]

1. And ... Process.

Agree about taking single-payer off the table as a strategic error.

However --- no matter what kind of reform was introduced, it was going to be almost impossible to pass the Congress as long as the Senate did not change Rule 22, the filibuster rule.

But not having the guts and fortitude to change the rule, the Senate Democratic leadership almost guaranteed that three or four disgruntled, intransigent, conceited Senators could hold the whole process hostage. The irony, of course, is that the 40 Republicans are virtually irrelevant to the process, it is the 'independent' who caucuses with the Democrats and 'conservative' Democrats who are the problem.

There is a clear majority in both houses of Congress for real, genuine, progressive health insurance reform -- it is one Senate rule that has totally warped the legislation.

Google 'filibuster' and you can find plenty of articles explaining how a simple majority in the Senate could have changed Rule 22.

Now, who is responsible for this lack of foresight, uh?