TW: Some folks (i.e. the "gang of six" Senators Nelson NE, Landrieu LA, Lieberman CT, Snowe and Collins ME, Wyden OR) want to delay health care reform in order to quote "take more time to find opitmal solutions". This is crap.
There are times when "rushing" towards legislation risks making bad decisions. At times of crisis- 9/11 comes to mind- Congress is vulnerable to populist measures which after greater reflection are not good policy. The entire Iraq fiasco is arguably the result of post 9-11 fears being manipulated by W. Bush.
The Fall of '08 credit crisis led to "bailouts" etc. which may or may not end up as good policy but understand without those "bailouts" the economy could be in far worse shape than it remains.
Nevertheless, health care reform is not "rushed" legislation. This legislation seeks to address challenges which are slow moving yet inexorable. Folks have been pondering these issues literally for decades. These changes are neither radical nor ill-considered. That is not to say they are perfect but what legislation is. Are Republicans presenting serious alternatives? Are Republicans participating in the actual process other than pouring oil in the road hoping for an Obama slip?
Legislation of this magnitude is a massive cat herding exercise where further delay means killing it for the foreseeable future. This type of legislation must be enacted in an off-year period otherwise the standard election year legislative constipation will gain pre-eminence. Furthermore the more time one gives vested interests to pick away at the legislation the less likely the legislation will happen.
The choice here is not between this legislation and some better legislation it is about this legislation and none. None to me is unacceptable. This country must start making the challenging decisions necessary to face our weak financial future whilst ending the growing void whereby tens of millions of Americans have no and very poor health care coverage.
The current legislation is a first step. Without a first step there can be inherently no second step.
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