The Dismantling of the Health Care Reform Bill

“A message to progressives: By all means, hang Senator Joe Lieberman in effigy. Declare that you’re disappointed in and/or disgusted with President Obama. Demand a change in Senate rules that, combined with the Republican strategy of total obstructionism, are in the process of making America ungovernable. But meanwhile, pass the health care bill.” - Paul Krugman

I got a really bad feeling this morning after reading some of the health care press. I was reminded again by the numbers and the urgency of the problem:

Here's what I perceive happening - there are people in Congress that want to kill this bill by picking it apart piece by piece. Dismantling it altogether, until the left (the whole left) becomes disinterested and makes the whole process implode. They want to frustrate the efforts made during 2009. And then blame the progressives for "not working together." It's pretty transparent to me, now.

We cannot let them do this. We must fight for a proper health care bill. I have thought many times before that if the health care bill fails this time, there will only be one other option left. And that will happen when things get too tough financially for the average American, just like $4/gallon gas prices. And that option is a single-payer system.

Shouldn't we start fighting fire with fire? Does the American citizen need to be hit over the head with a 2x4 before they realize that the politics being played with in Washington will affect their health care and wallet very soon?

UPDATE: You want proof of the Republican strategy? Take a look at what the Republican Senator Coburn from Oklahoma had to say.

UPDATE 2: Talking Points Memo website post "Goodbye, Cruel World" talks about handwringing on the left. Basically the answer is "Stop your whining and complaining, this is the work of real democratic states, and it's hard work." I agree - we need to all step up.

References:

Benen, Steve.  “Ten Months In.” Washington Monthly, Political Animal Blog, 2009-11-29. http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_11/021205.php
Chamberlain, Charles.  “Governor Dean Speaks to Me: Health-care bill needs major improvement to be worth passing.” Democracy for America, 2009-12-17. http://www.democracyforamerica.com/blog_posts
Bill Clinton:  “Abandoning Health Care Bill 'Colossal Blunder.'” The Huffington Post, 2009-12-17. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/17/bill-clinton-abandoning-h_n_396159.html
Cohn, Jonathan.  “The Left Is Playing With Fire (Updated).” The New Republic, 2009-12-16. http://www.tnr.com/blog/the-treatment/the-left-playing-fire
Dionne, E.J. Jr.   “Crunch Time.  Why health reform must pass by Christmas.” The New Republic, 2009-12-07.  <http://www.tnr.com/article/economy/crunch-time>
_______ “The Most Frustrating Body. The Senate has changed, and not at all for the better.” The New Republic, 2009-11-19.
http://www.tnr.com/article/environment-energy/the-most-frustrating-body
Krugman, Paul.  “Pass the Bill.”  The New York Times, 2009-12-17. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/18/opinion/18krugman.html

VIDEOS:

The Ed Show:  Arianna Huffington and Joan Walsh, Salon.com. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-tv/arianna-on-ed-it-is-absur_b_393480.html>
Howard Dean on CNBC:  “Health Care Battle: Democrats vs Democrats.”  Howard Dean, former Democratic National Committee chairman and former Vermont governor, discusses the issue with CNBC. Yahoo, 2009-12-16.  <http://news.yahoo.com/video/business-15749628/17170409>
MoveOn  “Hits $1 Million Mark In Anti-Lieberman Campaign.” The Huffington Post, 2009-12-17.  <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/17/moveon-hits-1-million-mar_n_395962.html>
Stein, Sam.  “Gibbs Lashes Back At Dean, Suggests He’s Irrational.” The Huffington Post, 2009-12-16. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/16/gibbs-lashes-back-at-dean_n_394596.html