Max Baucus has failed mightily, and that’s useful
All hail Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. For months, he has cajoled, wooed, sweet-talked and surrendered to Senate Republicans, trying to craft a health-insurance reform bill that just one GOP member would accept. He failed.
But failure is important. In fact, it’s critical going forward. By being spurned so thoroughly and so publicly — by being played a fool — Baucus has demonstrated to his fellow Democrats just how foolhardy it will be to try to compromise with people whose fundamental political strategy is to refuse to compromise.
And in policy terms, it’s also pretty clear that in his effort to please both Republicans and the health-insurance companies that have financed his campaigns, Baucus has produced a bill that is utterly unworkable.
Or, as Dr. Howard Dean described it:
“The Baucus bill is the worst piece of healthcare legislation I’ve seen in 30 years. In fact, it’s a $60 billion giveaway to the health insurance industry every year. It was written by healthcare lobbyists, so that’s not a surprise. It’s an outrage.”
At the Washington Post, Ezra Klein shares that viewpoint and explains why, focusing on one particular feature involving the impact on low-income workers. He calls it “not only the worst policy idea in the bill, but one of the worst policy ideas I’ve ever seen.”
In a related development, President Obama hosted Sen. Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, and Bob Bennett, Republican of Utah, at the White House for an extended private discussion of health care reform. That sent the GOP enforcement brigade into a full-tilt five-alarm tizzy, with Redstate.com founder Erick Erickson announcing:
“It Is Time To Go To DEFCON 1. Bob Bennett Is About to Screw America.”
Bennett, Erickson warned, may be willing to — gasp! — compromise!
“Bob Bennett is going to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory just so he can feel good about his legislative record,” Erickson wrote. It’s all about the victory, not about the policy.
So again, thanks to Senator Baucus for making that point so crystal clear for everybody. Good work, Max!
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270 comments Add your comment
Kitty Pawz
September 17th, 2009
8:32 am
Just to rub it in, JAY:
White boy beaten by two blacks on a school bus as black crowd cheers on=not racist, not newsworthy
Black woman pushed and kicked a few times=front page news, FBI investigation as hate crime
Yep, no double standard here, move along folks…move along…nothing to see here.
TnGelding
September 17th, 2009
8:39 am
Kitty Pawz
September 17th, 2009
8:32 am
The difference is children and adults, plus the woman was serving her country in the Armed Forces and was beaten in front of her child. Nobody said it wasn’t newsworthy. They said it probably didn’t have anything to do with race.
Finn McCool
September 17th, 2009
8:39 am
I agree. Now we agree on what we don’t want so we spend the next two weeks getting it right before submitting it again.
Thanks, Max.
Paul
September 17th, 2009
8:41 am
““The Baucus bill is the worst piece of healthcare legislation I’ve seen in 30 years. In fact, it’s a $60 billion giveaway to the health insurance industry every year. It was written by healthcare lobbyists, so that’s not a surprise. It’s an outrage.””
So why did Sen Baucus come up with such a lousy piece of legislation if he was trying to gain Republican support? One can just imagine what would have been said if Republicans had signed on to this?
Dems offer compromise. Dems charge compromise is horrid legislation. Reps reject legislation. Dems castigate Reps for not accepting it.
?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
TnGelding
September 17th, 2009
8:43 am
I agree on Baucus, Jay. The GOP is making a huge mistake by not working to improve the bill and get the main things they desire included. Obama has indicated he is willing to talk. They have to get this thing right.
Taxpayer
September 17th, 2009
8:43 am
I agree, Jay, that Baucus played a key role in the health care / health insurance debate. Now, it is time to kick it up a notch and start discussing that 20% worth of stuff that disagreements are made of. Of course, the party of no will continue its strategy. Let’s see how it plays out going forward.
Finn McCool
September 17th, 2009
8:43 am
Wyden wrote out his plan in the NYTimes today:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/17/opinion/17wyden.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=ron%20wyden&st=cse
GEORGE AMERICAN
September 17th, 2009
8:45 am
DO NOT COMPRISE! DO NOT GIVE UP! OMBLARMA’S SOCIALISM MUST BE STOPPED!
TO INSURE OBLARMA’S FAILURE HEALTH CARE MUST BE STOPPED AT ANY COST!!!
Finn McCool
September 17th, 2009
8:47 am
Paul writes Dems castigate Reps for not accepting it.
I think you are misreading Democrats on this. They aren’t castigating the Republicans for not signing on. Instead, they are using the FACT that they aren’t signing on as a reason to give short shrift to Max’ bill. No one intended for the Finance Committee’s bill to be the end-all be-all. Just a step.
What they are castigating is the fact that Max could have sent up the same bill 2 months ago instead of wsting all this time.
Taxpayer
September 17th, 2009
8:47 am
So why did Sen Baucus come up with such a lousy piece of legislation if he was trying to gain Republican support?
“Why did Baucus end up with such a lousy piece of legislation after gaining so much Republican and Insurance company support??????????????”
TnGelding
September 17th, 2009
8:48 am
Finn McCool
September 17th, 2009
8:43 am
Just having read the first few paragraphs, the competition is to get the employers’ business now. More later.
Jackie
September 17th, 2009
8:48 am
@Kitty Pawz
You forgot the part of the story between two kids where the Sheriff investigated and said it was a fight between the two kids over who sat in the seat first.
Second incident was a 6′2″, 250 lbs. white man attacked a woman with her child and proceeded to punch and kick the woman because the woman asked the man to be careful in opening the door that almost hit her 7-year old.
Wonder what would have been done if you were in a position to witness either event?
Brad Steel
September 17th, 2009
8:49 am
I didn’t know Max Baucus was beaten was beaten by black children on a bus. This truly is newsworthy. Shame on you, Jay.
And kudos to Kitty Pawz for bringing this very topic and world-changing fisticuffs to the worlds attention. You really should have your own column.
TnGelding
September 17th, 2009
8:49 am
GEORGE AMERICAN
September 17th, 2009
8:45 am
And get left out in the cold as the Kenyan prince basks in his success.
Paul
September 17th, 2009
8:50 am
Taxpayer
I just read an article that said Baucus had NO Republican support and now you say he had gained Republican support?
Can you clarify?
USinUK
September 17th, 2009
8:53 am
Paul –
I responded to you downstairs …
Finn McCool
September 17th, 2009
8:56 am
Regarding the illegals and health care, here’s one way to look at this:
Find the language in Obama’s bill that says that illegal aliens are covered or admit it’s a canard – God forbid we should help some migrant worker who is stricken by illness or accident while laboring in service to Americans.
We Can’t Afford Health Care? You Lie!
http://www.truthout.org/091609R
USinUK
September 17th, 2009
8:56 am
oblarma???
sounds like his engrish is acting up again …
Kayaker 71
September 17th, 2009
8:57 am
We are all now pleasantly relieved to get Howard Dean’s opinion. He could say that the earth was flat and most Demos would believe it. What a jerk!
Dell
September 17th, 2009
8:58 am
Max Baucus has accepted millions from the health insurance industry and this bill is rotten to the core as a result. If you would like to protest corruption in Washington please join our voting bloc here:
http://www.votingbloc.org/Reform_Bloc.php
Bosch
September 17th, 2009
8:58 am
The Baucus plan doesn’t do anything to address costs – I wouldn’t sign it either. It’s the costs people!!
The only way to get the costs down is to provide a public option, but as we know – too many people have been screaming “ITS SOCIALISM” and the politicians cave – and the fact that they are all bought by insurance companies. Oh well…..same old excrement, different day.
TW
September 17th, 2009
8:59 am
Classic example of attempting to build a foundation without principle.
Kitty Pawz – great example of Rush and his double standards.
Kitten Pawz
September 17th, 2009
8:59 am
because the woman asked the man to be careful in opening the door that almost hit her 7-year old.
—————————
Yeah right…I lived in Morrow and know how blacks act towards whites. Let me put it to you this way, she did not politely ask the man anything. She mouthed off at him and probably gave him the typical black attitude and he snapped!
My point still remains: there is an obvious double standard, and you idiot libs froth at the mouth when it’s pointed out!
Voltaire
September 17th, 2009
9:01 am
George American–
If you truly believe what you write, hopefully you and your family feel the cost and feel it as deeply as many do now. Then maybe you’ll be able to see the issue more clearly. This is not a child’s game, as your comments seem to imply. By the way, you wouldn’t happen to be wearing a brown shirt today would you?
Taxpayer
September 17th, 2009
9:02 am
Paul
September 17th, 2009
8:50 am
Taxpayer
I just read an article that said Baucus had NO Republican support and now you say he had gained Republican support?
Can you clarify?
After months and months of work by this bi-partisan committee, you now tell me that there was really no bi-partisanship, no support from the great pretenders, no real valid input on all those reams of paperwork. I am truly shocked, Paul. If you could only see the look of dismay on my face. All these months, wasted.
I do hope that helps clarify my new outlook, given this startling revelation that the Republicans were just doing nothing but saying no all this time.
Finn McCool
September 17th, 2009
9:02 am
Kitten Pawz writes: Yeah right…I lived in Morrow and know how blacks act towards whites.
Wow, you are soooo oppressed. How do you live? The black man is keeping you down, is he? Ohhhhhh, whoa is you.
Cry me a river….
USinUK
September 17th, 2009
9:04 am
“Yeah right…I lived in Morrow and know how blacks act towards whites. Let me put it to you this way, she did not politely ask the man anything. She mouthed off at him and probably gave him the typical black attitude and he snapped!”
hahaha … thanks, KP … you absolutely proved Carter’s and Cosby’s points … well done, you!
btw, you may want to read what the WITNESSES (you know … the people who were actually THERE) said about the event rather than listen to those voices you hear in your head …
(although, if your rantings are any indication, those voices to seem to be real screamers)
USinUK
September 17th, 2009
9:06 am
oh, and one more thing … I love how you completely justify a 250-lb man beating the crap out of a woman “cuz she was mouthy”
babbbee, you put the a$$ in class …
AmVet
September 17th, 2009
9:06 am
“…that the earth was flat…”
No, yacker, that is the domain of the right-wing’s lunatic fringe.
NOT liberals.
Project much?
OK, people, here’s how to best make sense of the otherwise utterly nonsensical Republicspeak favored by the humiliated neo-conned.
Whenever you see them misuse the word CONSERVATIVE, replace it with the word CORPORATE.
Watch how much more sense it makes…
On health-care. On matters of the environment. On fiscal policy. On their beloved Crusades.
It always works…
danjonglee
September 17th, 2009
9:06 am
We need one party system where there is no debate….then we will not have to worry about compromise…Oh wait, we have that…
Paul
September 17th, 2009
9:09 am
USinUK
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13343828
notice the number: 18
Taxpayer
[[ you now tell me ]]
I did not tell you anything.
Jay wrote Sen Baucus had no Republican support for his plan. You wrote ““Why did Baucus end up with such a lousy piece of legislation after gaining so much Republican and Insurance company support??????????????”
I asked if you could clarify what Republican support Sen Baucus had gained.
Or would you care to restate?
Zedd
September 17th, 2009
9:09 am
So if the Republicans are the bad guys in all of this, why is Reid promising to use reconciliation to pass a bill since he can’t get 60 votes from his own party?
TnGelding
September 17th, 2009
9:10 am
Finn McCool
September 17th, 2009
8:43 am
I don’t like the mandates and fines on businesses or individuals. A tax to fund universal health care is the only mandate I could support at this time. If people don’t want to buy health insurance or sign up for government plans they qualify for, let them suffer the consequences. If the current system continues, then the benefits provided by the employer should be considered income. We’ve got to close the budget deficit, and soon.
USinUK
September 17th, 2009
9:12 am
Bosch –
as we were discussing a few months ago:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/cristianoronaldo/6201032/Cristiano-Ronaldo-overpriced-as-Manchester-United-got-a-great-deal-says-Fabio-Capello.html
“He is not worth £25 million more than Kaka,’ said Capello.
Taxpayer
September 17th, 2009
9:12 am
Kitten Pawz
September 17th, 2009
8:59 am
because the woman asked the man to be careful in opening the door that almost hit her 7-year old.
—————————
Yeah right…I lived in Morrow and know how blacks act towards whites. Let me put it to you this way, she did not politely ask the man anything. She mouthed off at him and probably gave him the typical black attitude and he snapped!
My point still remains: there is an obvious double standard, and you idiot libs froth at the mouth when it’s pointed out!
They got it on film. So, let’s wait and see how that plays out since they decided to arrest the guy after reviewing the evidence. So, try to keep your cool and not snap until this thing has played out. Don’t become just another angry white pawn.
Road Scholar
September 17th, 2009
9:13 am
Kitten Pawz: So you were there at the beat down?!! Your generalization shows your biased opinion. NO witness (yes there were some that were willing to provide facts) stated that the woman did nothing to provoke him. So “snapping” is okay? While the race of the witnesses were not disclosed, let me throw out your next statement that they were all AA and that they “stick together”.
jconservative
September 17th, 2009
9:14 am
I have not seen a single word from the Democratic or Republican members of Congress concerning the millions of baby boomers about to join Medicare & how the nation will pay for that.
If someone said anything & I missed it, please let me know.
USinUK
September 17th, 2009
9:15 am
Paul –
thanks for the link, but nowhere in that article does it say that the WH doesn’t know who does what, which was your original point.
what the article DOES say – repeatedly – is that it’s a non-issue that is being ginned up by the right-wing pundits.
in the UK, they would call that scoring an own-goal.
mm
September 17th, 2009
9:15 am
Baucus was only milking the insurance companies for campaign cash, as were the entire gang of six. Did anyone expect a better result from this cluster? He looked like a bumbling fool at his press conference yesterday.
Cherokee
September 17th, 2009
9:17 am
TO INSURE OBLARMA’S FAILURE HEALTH CARE MUST BE STOPPED AT ANY COST!!!
Yeah health care is horrible – wouldn’t want any of that here…
USinUK
September 17th, 2009
9:18 am
meanwhile, proof that the right wingnuts really don’t have any sense of irony:
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/09/16/tea-party-protesters-protest-dc-metro-service/
“Protesters who attended Saturday’s Tea Party rally in Washington found a new reason to be upset: Apparently they are unhappy with the level of service provided by the subway system.”
so, people who are anti-gummint were riding gummint-subsidized mass trans????
stop!!! my sides … these people just slay me …
Joan
September 17th, 2009
9:19 am
Liberal whiners love to bite the hand that feeds them. If it weren’t for “corporate” America most people wouldn’t be able to work the long hours it takes to make enough money to pay sufficient taxes to support all these whiners and moaners. And about the health care bill–so long as it takes mega money from people who have worked hard for it, to “spread it around” to those who haven’t it will be opposed. And about immigrants–you and I both know the amnesty bill is the next thing on the agenda, and then voila–illegals at all. Obama and his magic wand.
Northern Songs, Ltd.
September 17th, 2009
9:19 am
Zedd: pay attention now, it gets complicated. There are only 59 members of the Democratic caucus in the Senate. One recently died; it was in all the papers. 2 members of the caucus are actually independents, and one is a flip-flop Republican. Having said all that, Reid doesn’t have the ‘nads for the reconciliation option.
Bosch
September 17th, 2009
9:21 am
USinUK,
Well, he does have all those styling products to buy……..and the good ones can be quite expensive!
I’ll bet he doesn’t use Suave.
Taxpayer
September 17th, 2009
9:21 am
Taxpayer
[[ you now tell me ]]
I did not tell you anything.
Jay wrote Sen Baucus had no Republican support for his plan. You wrote ““Why did Baucus end up with such a lousy piece of legislation after gaining so much Republican and Insurance company support??????????????”
I asked if you could clarify what Republican support Sen Baucus had gained.
Or would you care to restate?
NOW, you expect me to trust what Jay says, just take it at face value without any verification from a trusted source. Do my eyes deceive me! You see, once you said (and, I read your exalted word) that there was no Republican support, well, I knew it to be true. Before, it was just the untrustworthy word of a liberal in the liberal news media. I do hope THAT helps to clarify things for you, my most trusted one. However, I must still say that I am still in a state of shock after learning from you that the Republicans on this bi-partisan Senatorial above the fray of the house Senate Committee did nothing for all these months even as we the people waited and waited and waited for their words of wisdom to come down from on high and shower us with their awe. Shocked, I say. By the way, did I mention, disappointed too. How about you.
Bosch
September 17th, 2009
9:22 am
USinUK,
I remember back when the original tea bagging parties were going on – they were telling everyone to use MARTA – you just can’t make this stuff up.
Wyld Byll Hyltnyr
September 17th, 2009
9:24 am
Ain’t there some way to blame President Bush for this. He has to be responsible for the administrations failure to move anything forward, why, it just can’t be Obama’s fault. Could it?
Doggone/GA
September 17th, 2009
9:24 am
To the “party of no” there’s only 1 compromise they will accept: my way or the highway
Cherokee
September 17th, 2009
9:24 am
Thanks for bringing that up, UK – I thought the funniest part was that they were complaining because they had to use – wait for it – “private” taxis…
Some people simply have no sense of irony.
Northern Songs, Ltd.
September 17th, 2009
9:25 am
Let’s all welcome ‘Joan’ to the “I’ve got mine, the rest of you can pi$$ off” club