Obama Gets a Big Win and the Country Gets Great Policy

The health care reform bill was signed into law yesterday and the country is better for it. This bill closes the Medicare donut hole, ensures people with pre-existing conditions cannot be denied coverage and provides basic security for illness. Passage of this landmark bill looked certain last fall, was in doubt just a few weeks ago and then finally passed when it seemed all hope was lost. The Democrats showed what can happen when they find their spine, push back at the bully and really fight for something they want. As Maureen Dowd said in her column today:

The Democrats held hands, held their breath and jumped over the cliff — not
that it was a radical bill. And, mirabile dictu, nothing awful happened. The
markets went up. The polls went up. Their confidence went up.

This is a bill to be proud of even if it isn't what everyone wanted. There's no public option and it will probably cost more than the Congressional Budget Office projects. But it's not a nation killer. It's not the apocalyptic nightmare the Republicans claim it will be. We will endure. We will find a way to cut the deficit, reduce the debt and take care of our ill. It's ridiculous to think America will ever find itself stuck in a problem it can't innovate its way out of.

People wanted change in government. They made that clear in November 2008 when they elected President Obama. This is the change they hoped for when they cast their votes.

Republicans and their supporters would do well to evaluate why they want to govern. The party of no has stood firm against every decision this president and congress have made. No compromise, no surrender seems to be their motto. John McCain has said that “there will be no cooperation for the rest of the year” from Republicans. The party of do nothing and do a lot of it wants people to vote for them in Novemeber...why? Blowhards like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck are predicting a push back in the November mid-term elections. Tea Party activists are hopping mad and are shouting loudly about voting out the incumbents. My prediction is that the Republicans will have spent two years doing nothing and people will remember that. If Democrats continue to make good decisions and stand firm in their beliefs they could retain and win a lot of seats on November 2nd.