O.K. Senator, you have a chance to do the right thing with very little political risk. I know the health insurance companies are throwing millions of dollars around. I say take every last dime of it you can get, and then turn around and vote for the public option. Is there a better way to prove you can't be bought? I might even be willing to throw a few bucks your way for such a show of integrity. But if you vote against the public option, or for some watered down alternative, then it's clear you do not have your constituents best interests at heart, and you might as well put a "For Sale" sign in your office. It's the health insurance industry or the public welfare, you cannot have it both ways.
Listening to the health care reform debate has been slow torure. After all the recent waffling, I can no longer say I know where anyone stands anymore. If we come out with a strong public option, it will all have been worth it and I will happily applaud those involved. However if this is all leading to an enormous letdown, I will try to harness my disappoint in some productive fashion to make sure there are consequences.
I am a pragmatist, and I believe politicians have to look out for their futures, so I always allow for such considerations. The frustrating thing about this particular legislation is that the public option has no real downside. It's inclusion in the healthcare reform legislation comes with none of the political downsides that can cost politicians their jobs. Including the public option does not increase the cost of the legislation, the cost is mainly attributable to the increase in the number of insured. In fact if properly administered the public option should bring down the eventual cost of the legislation. So the public option doesn't raise taxes, increase the deficit, kill jobs or threaten the national security. In other words there is no reason for a Democrat to stand in its way.
Yet we still have many Democrats who are doing just that. The only sensible conclusion is that the health insurance lobby has more clout with these Senators than their constituents. And making their constituents aware of this fact, it seems to me, is the only effective message that will have any sway with these legislators. To sing the praises of the legislation will fall on deaf ears, but if we can get the public to associate the legislation's opponents with the health insurance industry, that can change votes. It must be made very clear that this is a choice between us and them. Either you are with the public or you are with the health insurance industry.
Arguing the merits of the legislation will, in this case, be ineffective. It will only allow the legislation's opponents to claim they can achieve the same goals through alternate means, no matter how unsubstantiated the claim may be. However to associate a legislator with the insurance industry against the interests of their constituents will get attention. It's a message we should repeat at every opportunity.
The only message that I feel the administration will hear is that any legislation that does not include a public option will be considered a failure. If the White House fears that their healthcare efforts might be labelled a failure, they will take a much different view of the obstructionist Senators. This administration is always looking down the road, but in each battle, they want to be able to say we got the best deal we could and it's a success. In general that's a good strategy and a smart strategy. However you cannot afford to miss good opportunities when they present themselves. To sacrifice the public option just to say we got a deal would be a Pyrrhic victory and a terrible missed opportunity.
Dealing with the Senate is always tricky. Obama obviously understands this, and he is trying to incorporate the lessons of the Clinton and Carter administrations. With some success, his powers of persuasion will grow. Right now he's trying to perform a delicate dance, which I am sure is frustrating, but may be necessary given the extensive agenda he is pursuing. It's apparent many Senators will put their own interests ahead of those of their constituents. In such cases. the only solution is to make the interests of the Senators become those of the constituents, even if it involves some pressure tactics. No matter what message comes out of the White House, I don't think Obama will mind if we are successful in this regard.
The thing about the healthcare debate is not that we can win it, it's that we should win it.