Legal Commentary

How The Health Bill Debate Is Like The Iraq War Debate

By Big Tent Democrat

One way it is not YET, is that we do not know who is right, the bill proponents or the bill opponents. Indeed, as of yet, we do not even know what the bill will look like. Ben Nelson is still making demands.

One way it is like the Iraq War Debate is people like Joe Klein are castigating bill opponents for "melting down" and being NOT Very Serious People, while pointing to Very Serious People who are in support.

For the most part, the substantive arguments made by bill opponents are not being addressed by the Very Serious People. It has been very disappointing to see Paul Krugman follow that path. Which is ironic in that in 2002, Krugman was not taken seriously with regard to his opposition to the war in Iraq (I imagine Joe Klein castigated Krugman at the time.) It is strange to see him give the health bill opponents the same type of treatment he rightly chafed about regarding Iraq and other Bush policies. I guess it always is about whose ox is being gored. (See also Glenn Greenwald on the ideological divisions in the Democratic Party.)

Speaking for me only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on December 18, 2009 (boomark / email).