Remember what Sam Nunn did to Bill Clinton on gays in the military, right after Clinton was elected? He didn't stab Clinton in the back. No, Nunn stabbed Clinton right in the chest. And it looks like Max Baucus is doing the same thing, except on health. CQ Politics:
Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus , who has a history of going his own way on major policy matters, Friday announced plans to unveil his own “specific goals and policy options for comprehensive health care reform in 2009” next week — without waiting for the detailed proposals of President-elect Barack Obama .
In a letter to Obama on Thursday, Baucus said: “Next week I will present to you and to the country my plan to move forward on health care reform in the early days of the 111th Congress and of your administration.”
He added, “I made sure the Finance Committee spent this year learning and preparing for action on a comprehensive overhaul of the health care system, and I intend for us to move swiftly and decisively with legislation in early 2009. The Finance Committee and this incoming administration have laid lots of groundwork already, and there’s just no time to waste in tackling health care reform.”
He said he would “work together with the new administration” in refining the plan.
By contrast, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy , D-Mass., chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and his staff have been emphasizing that they plan to use Obama’s health plan as a blueprint. They are already working closely with the president-elect’s team.
The HELP Committee will share jurisdiction with Finance over portions of a comprehensive health care overhaul.
“I think everybody on the Democratic side will be taking their cues from the Obama White House,” Kennedy staff director Michael Myers said Thursday.
Let's drag the Overton window right, so we get a "compromise" between Max Baucus and Harry and Louise! Ick.
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Not Sure
I'm not sure that it even matters if Baucus tries to pre-empt the wildly popular president and the lion of the Senate. I think Teddy gets this one.
But, we've always been at war with Eastasia...
It is not 1992
Obama just won by a landslide.
The Finance Committee is pretty conservative, but it just lost two of its Republican members, so we will have to see what the new committee looks like.
I really don't think this will work for Baucus. And really, it would be nice if the Obama fan base descended upon Baucus.
I think Damon is right, Senators will defer to Teddy, which is what I am worried about. Kennedy might decide to abandon a life long commitment to single payer in favor of getting something done.
We can win this, but it will be very tricky.
In fact
I would be surprised if Baucus's plan was ever seen.
DCblogger
I'm much more skeptical then you. Kennedy will be allowed to get this, and it's my belief that it won't be single-payer. I'm behind single-payer, but we can already see where this is going, and it's closer to more regulation than redoing the entire system.
But, we've always been at war with Eastasia...
oh really?
but we can already see where this is going
We can? who are we? I don't see anything of the sort. As the Chair of Health Edcuation Labor and Pensions, Kennedy will have a lot to say about this.
I Guess
I guess I don't have enough faith as you. Oh, well.
I really do appreciate all that you do, but perhaps you should take into account all of the different possibilities of how this could end, otherwise, you're looking at the world through nothing more than hope-tinged glasses and you should know how obnoxious one can get when that happens.
EDIT: Just saw a post you made on your feelings on the Obama victory, and you've definitely been hitting up on that hopium for quite some time, it seems. Yes, that really does matter in how I view your motives and judgement from here on out. I'm not going to be chided for not being optimistic enough.
But, we've always been at war with Eastasia...
Um
Not that I'm a fan of Baucus, nor am I likely to be a fan of what Baucus might produce on health care, but I believe at least some on the left have been worried about the balance of power between the Congress and the Executive.
It would be nice to see Congress assert itself, although it would be nicer if they did it in ways I could agree with. It would also be nice if they did on every issue, not just the ones with the most lobbying and campaign donations behind them.
From Open Secrets, Baucus' donors by industy group:
Securities & Investment $774,018
Lawyers/Law Firms $672,004
Insurance $573,335
Health Professionals $514,233
Pharmaceuticals/Health Products $470,913
Real Estate $376,719
Health Services/HMOs $355,750
Lobbyists $342,975
Hospitals/Nursing Homes $325,625
or $2,239,856 from health and insurance related donors, about 20% of the $11.4 million he raised (of which he has about $4.4 million left).
It's Not a Nicety
That Congress agree with you shouldn't be a nicety, it should be necessity. If a coalition of the Executive and the Congress gets us to single-payer (or much closer to) and the Congress exercising its power alone does not, I'll take the former.
But, we've always been at war with Eastasia...
I probably agree with you
but there's still the nagging question, "If not now, when?".
This was originally framed in terms of Baucus against Obama, not a coalition. A coalition is more or less what the Constitution sets up in practice. But Obama dictating to Congress and Congress assenting isn't a coalition either.
I'd also hope there are enough progressive Democrats in Congress to assert themselves against whatever industry-sponsored, lobbyist-written bill Baucus will probably produce, as well as the insufficient proposals Obama has made to date.
Badger, good point
As DCBlogger points out to me, it's not 1992.
Still, I will say that it would be nice to see liberals throwing their weight around a little, instead of Max Baucus.
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Serves on the Finance Committee. Health care is a major issues of his. I don't know the details, but Ron has been working on a health care plan for over a year now. All I can remember him saying about his plan is that he is looking for a plan that both sides of the aisle can support.
I wonder if the plan Max is talking about is the same plan Ron has been putting together.
Wyden plan
it is not single payer, forget the details, but not a single payer plan. Also, it has far fewer cosponsors than HR 676.
This could turn out ok, though
since it seems like the only way to get Obama to lead is to get him to follow. He's not inclined to do until someone else does first. He had almost nothing to say about the economic meltdown until after several major Dems had already been making the rounds, and even then the first statements were just Powerpoint bullet summaries of others' policy proposals. And no help on the homeowner end until after McCain came out with HOLC-lite.
I keep thinking of the primaries, and Obama's tendency to say little solid on policy until after Clinton has put out her position.
It's like a little kid who doesn't give a whit about some toy they have until another kid starts playing with it, then they have to have it back because "it's theirs."
Yes, this is all slightly tinfoily, but if I'm right, then the key to pushing real change is to target a few (the few?) liberal Congresspeople and push them to get out in front of him.
Reasonable men adapt themselves to their environment; unreasonable men try to adapt their environment to themselves. Thus all progress is the result of the efforts of unreasonable men. -- George Bernard Shaw
Is there any info on what Baucus does propose? Is it top secret?
I'm asking here bcz there are so many who have made UHC their prime objective and would know where to look. I hope.
I think we need to raise Obama's consciousness on single payer/UHC. And it should be done as part of the overall economic security planning he's doing. What I fear is that the Haves, the Big Banker Boyz and their supporters, have his ear--and the LIttle People do not--much less the Have Nots. I also fear his tendency to follow, so the Congressional libs need to lead. But, again, couched in terms of "economic security."
IIRC, Truman got school lunches through Congress as a matter of national security. So many men had been turned down for military service in WWII bcz of nutrition related diseases that both the military leaders and Truman wanted to improve childhood nutrition. Hence, school lunches. This I am stating from memory--will check further. Was it Ike who did this?
Point being: subsume UHC into Economic Security and it has a better chance of passing than as a stand alone bill. It is less of a big fat target for Big Pharma and For-Profit Insurance. And Repubs, of course.
Baucus Schmaucus
What does the leadership want to do and what will they allow to come up for a vote? That's just as important as anything Baucus says. If Reid and/or others are hinting that something like health care may be a year two or year three battle, than the landscape may be much different than it is today. The different landscape is also important.
Only tyrants rig elections.