Today's good news is that the Republicans are fully occupied ripping their top candidate to pieces and pasting him back together. It's a fair guess that this won't improve his chances in the general election.

The bad news is that for the Democrats it's down to Clinton and Obama, and neither one looks too eager to steal the other's strong points. Both candidates are getting bad advice at least some of the time. If I'm a Democrat who pinned my Hope on universal health care, I would have to be discouraged that Obama's chances look better than Clinton's today. But if I believe that universal health care makes more sense than Obama's dip in the shallow end, should I give up?

I hope (there's that word again) not. If there were a cage match today between universal health care and any of the remaining candidates' proposals, I'd bet on universal health care. We're not going to get that, but we will get a few more debates. Perhaps the candidates will have a positive influence on each other.

If Obama emerges with the Democratic nomination and the same advisers at his elbow, it would be worthwhile to hold his and their feet to the fire. If the policy doesn't make sense, they won't be able to explain it sensibly. To the extent that the general election addresses issues, any weak, conflicted policy is potentially untenable--if people pay attention. If an adviser is tied to that untenable policy, the adviser's position could become untenable, too.

If Clinton emerges with the nomination ... Same applies.

I think we can get single payer from Obama, we just need a good bill in the House of Representatives and agitate for it the way we opposed FISA. It would be better if we had a President who understood that health care is different from health insurance. I have set up a Google Comprehensive News Alert on David Cutler and health care. I also have one on Cuomo and Ingenix.

If we start now a steady drip-drip-drip could make a big difference.

While taking him to task for his not-so-humble comments about what a great husband he is, I slip in the fact that he also says he hopes to provide healthcare for all Americans.

UGH. http://hillary1000.wordpress.com/2008/02/21/oh-no-he-didnt/

I'm sure that Obama's comment about his record as a husband was meant to be funny and self-deprecating; it was a question about Valentine's Day he was answering.

there's nothing and no one in Congress who will stop the GOP obstructing everything--including and especially on Health Care.

the most we can hope for is nibbling around the edges--more children covered, and more money in the budgets for public hospitals and clinics and stuff, i think.

A Presidential Act could do it in one big stroke, but neither of them have the balls to do that--nor have they promised to do big bold moves at all on anything.