This is just a gut feeling, but…is the health care debate turning in the Democrats’ direction? Some data points: the insane rise in health care premiums is being used to great effect by President Obama and Kathleen Sibelius this week–bad timing by the insurance companies! Glenn Beck’s Eric Massa debacle –and Rush Limbaugh’s threat to move to Costa Rica–have put the right-wing ringmasters on the defensive. An Associated Press poll has only 4% of the American people supporting the health care system as it currently stands…and then there’s this broader survey of health care attitudes, via Andrew, which shows the public evenly divided on reform, even after all the scare tactics.
As I wrote last week, Democrats will benefit mightily at the polls if this thing passes. They’ll be able to say: Because of us, you’ll never again have to worry about the insurance companies taking away your coverage. But every Republican opposed that…
A second point: senior citizens, worried about Medicare cuts, will only experience increased coverage in the short term, as the so-called “donut hole” for prescription drugs is closed.
But I do wonder why on earth the President is going to Indonesia in the midst of all this? Shouldn’t he stick around until it’s done?