Max Baucus, Blue Dog Senator from the state of Montana, who has the courage to take more money from insurance companies than any other member of Congress, the courage to turn the Senate Finance Committee into the crucible good ideas die on, and the courage to water down the health care bill to mush to appease out-of-power Republicans. On that last count, Baucus and the American people have been duly rewarded – the bill is bereft of Republican sponsors. It’s almost like right wingers like Chuck “Death Panel” Grassley were acting in bad faith all along.
Still, shitty or not, Baucus’ bill is about to be released into the wild, where co-ops and other inane concessions to the GOP can (hopefully) be scrubbed as the health care reform behemoth lumbers toward resolution. With overwhelming support from both doctors and everyday citizens, only an avalanche of insurance money and Democratic spinelessness could stymie real progress. What are the chances of that happening? …Don’t answer.
