Robert Reich: "Why All House Democrats Must Vote for Health Care Reform"

[berni_mccoy]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/why-all-house-democrats-m_b_499753.html

Health care reform is necessary, and House Democrats should vote for it because it's best for the nation.

They should also remember the political lessons of history. To paraphrase Mark Twain, history doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme. As the White House and the House Democratic leadership try to line up 216 votes to pass health care reform -- and as Republicans, aided by the National Association of Manufacturers and abetted by fierce partisans like Newt Gingrich, try to kill it -- I can't help thinking back to 1994 when the lineup was much the same.

...

In early September, William Kristol of the Project for the Republican Future spelled out the next stage of the Republican battle plan: "I think we can continue to wrap the Clinton plan around the necks of Democratic candidates." And that's exactly what they did. On November 8 voters repudiated President Clinton. They brought Republicans to power at every level of government. Democrats went from a controlling majority of 257 seats in the House of Representatives to a minority of 204, and lost the Senate.

I remember how shocked we were the morning after the votes were counted. I asked one of Clinton's political advisors what had happened. "It was health care," he said, simply. (That advisor, by the way, is now in the Obama White House.)

Today's Republican battle plan is exactly the same as it was sixteen years ago. In fact, it's been the same since President Obama assumed office. They never were serious about compromise. They were serious only about regaining power. From the start, Republicans have remembered the lesson of 1994. Now, as they prepare to vote, House Democrats should remember the lesson as well.

[Change Happens]

1. Thank you Sir!!!

[FBaggins]

2. This assumes (incorrectly, IMO) that they rejected Dems because helthcare failed...

...and not because Dems were pushing a HCR proposal that they didn't support.

IOW... it assumes that Democrats would have done better had they been able to pass any bill that could be labeled as HCR.

In reality, Republicans didn't "wrap" Clintons failure to pass a bill "around the necks of Democrats"... it was that they wanted to pass something that the people didn't support.

[NJmaverick]

3. K & R

[mdmc]

4. I heard him on alternative radio the other day

he told some good jokes..

[babylonsister]

5. Rec'd from me, too. nt

[zipplewrath]

6. It was guns

I hate to say it, but the truth is the health care was only a small part of it. The GOP peeled off alot of folks "Reagan democrats" over the "assult weapons" ban.

[ibegurpard]

7. should've proposed a bill your left flank could enthusiastically support

instead of "well, it's something..."

[ibegurpard]

8. dupe

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. "They never were serious about compromise." Then why did Obama do so much compromising?

Reich says that the Repugs never were going to compromise, he's right, but Obama started compromising from the start.

How does that work?

[Moosepoop]

10. K & R

Thanks, berni!