Healthcare's Bitter Battle

Looking healthy, but will it last?Healthcare reform legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives- it was close, by a vote of 220 – 215. 39 Democrats opposed the legislation and just one Republican representative, from Louisiana, crossed the aisle to vote for it. Without even looking at the implications in the overall health care industry, one of the most significant things about this legislation passing the House is that it is a huge victory for President Obama: it shows that he has sway and that he can get things done. Yes, his party has a big majority in the House and dozens of representatives crossed the aisle, but with legislation that is this revolutionary, extending health care to millions who do not currently have it and making it illegal to deny coverage to someone for a pre-existing condition, it can certainly be considered legislation working with and underdog’s chances.

Well, the underdog is halfway home. Now the senate will consider its own version of the legislation that has gone through several committees and even more revisions, adding and losing the public option and prompting everything from historic pleas around Ed Kennedy to passionate lobbying by the insurance industry. Surely it is the defining political battle of Obama’s first term. If he wins in the senate, his revolutionary power will again be energized: if he loses, he will go limping into year 2 of his presidency. With 60 democrats in the senate, Harry Reid needs to figure out how to get all of them to vote for the bill- no easy task. Republicans and moderate democrats are staunchly against the public option and bringing government into the health care industry, while in some ways the government run public option is a crucial part of the health care reform in the first place.

Independent senator Joe Lieberman reminded everyone of his rigid stance today:

"If the public option plan is in there, as a matter of conscience, I will not allow this bill to come to a final vote," Lieberman told Fox News Sunday.

The two core issues that make the bill revolutionary and also lead to such aggressive opposition from Republicans and some moderates are the entrance of government into the health care industry and the taxing of the wealthy to pay for the health insurance on the poor. Conversely, the bill would insure 36 million more currently uninsured U. S. residents, insuring a total of 96% of the U.S. population. The battle in the senate will be bitter. I’ll think of Harry Reid as one of the greatest politicians ever if he can get the thing through in any resemblance to what is going on with the House bill- opposition like the protests in August are sure to abound.

2 things:

1.    How intense will protests against universal health care be during the holiday season? Will we as a nation be faced with our own hypocrisy?

2.    How is Sarah Palin still relevant? She is cited by Reuters as “a leader of conservative grassroots opposition” to the plan. How is she grassroots? How is she a leader? Why is she being quoted by national media sources, who are, in effect, giving her that voice?