Something We Can Call Health Care Reform NOW

So I decided to listen to the Clinton keynote instead of blog it. He's such a pro, he goes an hour without notes and weaves in a dozen subjects seamlessly. Lane Hudson, an LGBT activist, yelled out a challenge to Clinton about his signing of DOMA and Don't Ask Don't Tell, and while he was clearly angered, he never missed a beat, and gave his rebuttal (some of which is legitimate, some spin).

The overall thrust of his argument last night was the "half a loaf" argument, as Clinton implored the crowd to essentially settle for what we can get, because no bill would be a disaster. Which is true to an extent. Clinton was talking about the politics of health reform, and the idea that Obama's approval will skyrocket after a bill signing, and even more when all of the scare tactics put out there by conservatives fail to materialize. But there's another side to that. A bad bill, one where the tangible benefits do not outweigh the costs, will actually realize some of those worst fears, or at least give conservatives the opening to protest loudly about them. If middle-class people aren't getting enough in subsidies, if everyone waits around four years for the insurance exchanges and then they cannot be accessed by everyone, people will take it out on the President. So I do believe details matter.

Now we're in the hall waiting for the Howard Dean health care session, and there's a sign being handed out in the hall that says "we want discussion not disruption". It's not exactly the stuff of which stirring protest slogans are made. "CIVIL DISCUSSION NOW!!!!"

...Lane Hudson explains why he interrupted the President.