At the end of the day, the Senate's most conservative Democrat turned out to be just another Democrat after all. Ben Nelson has decided that there's one abortion he can definitely support: the Senate's health care bill. I wonder, though, if he really believes that this legislation will significantly restrict abortion funding. My guess is that, no, deep down, he knows that Harry Reid's blandishments on the issue are false, and that this is only cover to protect him from the wrath of his constituents.
Even without single-payer, even without the public option, even with restrictions on abortion funding, this is still likely to be a terrible bill. We'll know for sure after everyone's had an opportunity to read it - which, of course, won't happen until after it's passed.
2010 and 2012: these are truly going to be years of critical importance.
Update: More from Stacy McCain and Smitty, Carol's Closet, Jennifer Rubin, and the Weekly Standard.
Update II: Heh. One of the Jawa bloggers writes Nelson a short letter.
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I hope Nelson spends his thirty pieces of silver wisely.
ReplyDeleteMy despair is that the supposedly conservative candidates in '10 and '12 are going to be arguing over what branch of lacquer to put on the turd, rather than assuming the Federalist posture we require.
ReplyDeleteSmitty: There is that danger, to be sure. The shift toward the left has been a long-term phenomenon of political plate tectonics - and, like geographical tectonics, it has occurred largely outside of the realization of the generality of the citizenry. We shall see whether the Republican Party - as a party - can maintain the unity to roll back the liberal juggernaut. I am not optimistic.
ReplyDeleteThat should be "geological", not "geographical".
ReplyDeleteTheir whole aim is to embed this monster in such a manner as to make it almost impossible to completely irradicate. You could call this the tapeworm agenda.
ReplyDeleteAnd while were at it let us give a huge "shoutout" to the people of Minnesota an their ooooh so conservative credentialed governor for allowing that travesty of an electoral process to stand without one blush or apology. Without Franken this bill would not have seen the light of day in all probability.
Now we have to rest our hopes on the neo-socialists in the House who think the bill is not socialist enough! Maybe the conference will come up with something so horrendous that it has to fail. Don't hold your breath.
And then he opines......
ReplyDeleteI think you are seeing one of the three or four major reasons the dems are drving full speed ahead on increasing the deficit. You really can't attack the structure of this thing without rolling back all of those tax increases. If you leave the tax increases in you are only biting at the heals of this monster. There will be an all out campaign next year to show how these tax increases will help reduce the shortfall. Republicans will then have to sail right into the headwinds of this daily mantra.