Monday, February 1, 2010

Signs Of Hope

Via Kevin, this is good. People are doing rational things. That's how health care reform passes. It reflects badly on Obama that he hasn't told Rahm Emanuel to shut up about going slow yet, and started leading. But if the House and Senate work out a plausible deal, as they can, he'll be roped into leading.

6 comments:

Josh said...

What is the difference between being "roped into leading" and "following?"

Neil Sinhababu said...

Yeah, Josh, I was trying to find the right way to put it. It'll look like he's leading to the casual observer, since he'll be the highest profile figure involved, and he'll promote the effort. But we won't get there because of his pushing.

corvus said...

Well, unless there is some more lines outside of the quote that keeps getting passed around, I don't think that article really undermines the Rahm line, so much as it shows how Rahm's statements actually line up with everyone else's. They really have publically moved on to jobs stuff, which technically speaking, means that healthcare is on the backburner, like he said. Yet, apparently, that doesn't mean it's dead, so much as they are just doing everything behind the scenes. Since most of what needs to be done right now is less dependent on process, corralling democrats in the House, and maybe reworking some of the previous compromises for the hold-outs (it sounds like some House Progs are figuring since it will be reconciliation anyways, they may as well get their public option back), they might as well do something else in the meantime or cover, like jobs. And since this basically amounts to the House and Senate Leadership holding lots of meetings and phone convos, it's probably necessary for the White House to be the ones focusing on the cover, so I can't penalize Obama (or Rahm) to much for that (though I have, repeatedly, over the weekend).

I think the most hopeful thing that's come out of this article is that it is perfectly obvious that Nancy and Harry know what the score is, and that's passing the Senate bill through the House and getting a reconciliation package set up and far enough on course that Nancy can get 218 votes on the Senate bill. Those are the two people that matter in this. Any other talk you hear is fluff, either for bipartisan cred, or because they person talking, like Ben Nelson, doesn't like that Reconciliation makes them irrelevant. Reid is not going to court Snowe, he has already said, publicly, that it was a waste of time to bother with her the first time, and it's his opinion on it that matters (And then maybe Kent Conrad, but I think I remember reading on Ezra's place that even he is pissed off at the level of obstruction, and he seemed to agree to using reconciliation way to fast to suggest he feels like going the other way). If Obama talks about going peicemeal, or trying to include Snowe, he's just playing Good Cop to GOP voters and centrist Dems. At this point, it's all about what Nancy and Harry are up to, and all signs coming from them are positive.

And really, I think everyday we hear something coming from Washington is good news. Because as long as there is some article about the Legislature doing something, of having done something, in the process, it's a sign that these people still care about it, and are still working on it, and haven't given up.

ikl said...

Was going to write something but see that Corvus already did. Seems like this happens a lot!

Neil Sinhababu said...

Yeah, I agree with all of that, Corvus.

corvus said...

All right. Thanks, guys. Glad to be useful.