At the Atlantic, James Fallows is remembering the passage of a similarly audacious health care program, Medicare, during the 1960s:
At the time I didn't register the significance of Medicare's passage--something now so engrained as part of the American Way that today's Republicans have positioned themselves as its protectors (against the alleged ravages of the Obama plan). I think that these two quick-reaction TNR articles--by Jonathan Chait, here, and Jonathan Cohn, here--do a wonderful job of registering the significance of the Senate's 60-39 vote today in favor of the bill. Chait's is particularly thorough in parsing and addressing the main objections to the bill. These two writers, plus Ezra Klein of the Washington Post, have through the long course of this debate provided a clinic in how to explain the policies and the politics of a very important, very controversial, and very very verrrrrryy complicated public decision.
Take a look below for more of Jon Cohn and Jon Chait's best health care commentary.
"Recognizing Reform: Is The Senate Bill Really Worse Than Nothing?" Jonathan Cohn (12/21/09).
"The Enthusiasm Gap: Why Liberals Should Not Be Disappointed With The Current Lackluster Health Legislation," Jonathan Cohn (8/7/09).
"Your Health Care System: A Map," Jonathan Cohn (7/1/09).
"Creative Destruction: The Best Case Against Universal Health Care," Jonathan Cohn (11/12/07).
Click here to read all of Jonathan Cohn's articles.
"And the Rest Is Just Noise: Why The Health Care Bill Is The Greatest Achievement Of Our Time," Jonathan Chait (12/14/09).
"The Rise of Republican Nihilism" and "A History of Conservative Opposition to Reform," Jonathan Chait & TNR Staff (12/21/09).
"Down With The Senate: How The Upper Chamber Is Killing Health Care Reform—And What We Can Do About It," Jonathan Chait (8/25/09).
Click here to read all of Jonathan Chait's articles.