Obama Looking Weak

So the full-court press is on to label the Republican opposition to the Rush-to-Health-Care as political obstructionism is on. This is a bad move and an advertisement to anyone watching that the democrats are playing a weak hand. Just like the Bush administration couldn't get any of the democrats to participate in their attempt to reform Socialist Ponzi Administration Security Administration, the Republicans are wisely (per their constituents) dragging their feet on the federal health-care takeover (which may or may not constitute "reform", depending on one's faction of choiceperspective). The Democrats promised up and down to reform the way health-care is provided in this country, and, since they own both the Legislature and the Executive, have no excuse not to pass such a reform. But the thing is, they know it'll suck: until money and stethoscopes grow on trees, such reform will include all manner of rationing, and is liable to have the kinds of customer service made famous by Marge Simpson's twin sisters. If the "reforms" pass by a party-line vote, then the Democrats get all the credit or blame for however it shakes out, and those in power know this'll mean a lot of blame. Such a party-line establishment of nationalized health-care would constitute electoral red-meat for the Republicans, and everyone on the hill knows it.

And Obama & his aides just admitted they don't know what to do about that -- on national TV.

The left-wing will fall in line behind the repudiation of the Republicans for being "political" (OMG, Legislators being political?! How shocking!), and this will work to stave off their constituency temporarily, but in the end they'll either have to gut their program sufficiently that the Repubs can take that home to their 2010 campaigns as a legislative victory, or they'll have to take the larger risk and completely own their health-care program forever-and-ever-amen.

While ex-President Bush could claim that he couldn't line up enough votes to defeat a filibuster (which is the normal way a faction advertises that it hasn't the balls to sign its own checks), President Obama owns his Congress, so if he tarries too long he'll risk being branded a coward, to boot.

If I were a Republican congressman, I might even risk smiling.