Krugman: "O.K., folks, this is it. It’s the defining moment for health care reform."

The Defining Moment
By PAUL KRUGMAN

O.K., folks, this is it. It’s the defining moment for health care reform.

Past efforts to give Americans what citizens of every other advanced nation already have — guaranteed access to essential care — have ended not with a bang, but with a whimper, usually dying in committee without ever making it to a vote.

But this time, broadly similar health-care bills have made it through multiple committees in both houses of Congress. And on Thursday, Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, unveiled the legislation that she will send to the House floor, where it will almost surely pass. It’s not a perfect bill, by a long shot, but it’s a much stronger bill than almost anyone expected to emerge even a few weeks ago. And it would lead to near-universal coverage.

As a result, everyone in the political class — by which I mean politicians, people in the news media, and so on, basically whoever is in a position to influence the final stage of this legislative marathon — now has to make a choice. The seemingly impossible dream of fundamental health reform is just a few steps away from becoming reality, and each player has to decide whether he or she is going to help it across the finish line or stand in its way.

For conservatives, of course, it’s an easy decision: They don’t want Americans to have universal coverage, and they don’t want President Obama to succeed.

For progressives, it’s a slightly more difficult decision: They want universal care, and they want the president to succeed — but the proposed legislation falls far short of their ideal. There are still some reform advocates who won’t accept anything short of a full transition to Medicare for all as opposed to a hybrid, compromise system that relies heavily on private insurers. And even those who have reconciled themselves to the political realities are disappointed that the bill doesn’t include a “strong” public option, with payment rates linked to those set by Medicare.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/30/opinion/30krugman.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&pagewanted=print

"The legislation on the table isn’t perfect, but it’s as good as anyone could reasonably have expected."

Quite a few of the useful parts could be taken out and passed separately.

who claim to be for reform:

"I won’t try to psychoanalyze the 'naysayers,' as Mr. Orszag describes them. I’d just urge them to take a good hard look in the mirror. If they really want to align themselves with the hard-line conservatives, if they just want to kill health reform, so be it. But they shouldn’t hide behind claims that they really, truly would support health care reform if only it were better designed.

"For this is the moment of truth. The political environment is as favorable for reform as it’s likely to get. The legislation on the table isn’t perfect, but it’s as good as anyone could reasonably have expected. History is about to be made — and everyone has to decide which side they’re on."

He is talking about the legislation Reid plans to submit to the Senate and the current House bill with a not weak public option. He is not talking about a trigger to nowhere excuse for a public option. I agree with Krugman, if the legislation is not weakened further. We still don't know what the final legislation will be. A LOT depends on that. The fight is ongoing, we haven't won what he is describing here yet.

One of the FEW things I can fault the administration on is NOT putting Peter Orzag and Austan Goolsbe on tv ENOUGH. They always make the case at hand assertively and convincingly.