A CONSERVATIVE ARGUMENT TRIUMPHS IN THE HEALTH CARE DEBATE:
"The Senate Finance Committee has voted against creating a new government health insurance plan to compete with the private market. The 15-to-8 vote could forecast the fate of the public option in the Senate as a whole. The outcome was expected but still a defeat for liberals who view government-sponsored insurance for the middle class as a key component of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul....Opponents said a public option would drive private insurers out of business and amount to a government takeover. Proponents said it would give consumers choice and competition."
Note--five Democrats, including Chairman Baucus, vote against the public option. That gives you a hint of where THEY think public opinion is on this.
BASEBALL DIARY: the Tigers and Twins were rained out yesterday. Their monster series thus resumes today with a day/night doubleheader. If the Tigers can split, I'll be happy.
Meanwhile the Angels clinched the AL West title last night with an 11-0 thrashing of the Rangers. The Angels indeed overcame sadness (the death of teammate Nick Adenhart) and a lot of injuries this year, and they certainly deserved the title. But the Rangers improved greatly, and they now need to finish strong. 90 wins is within reach yet.
AN ESTABLISHMENT LIBERAL IN WASHINGTON TURNS ON OBAMA:
It's Richard Cohen of the Washington Post--and he makes good points:
"Sooner or later it is going to occur to Barack Obama that he is the president of the United States. As of yet, though, he does not act that way, appearing promiscuously on television and granting interviews like the presidential candidate he no longer is. The election has been held, but the campaign goes on and on. The candidate has yet to become commander in chief."
Of course this point has been made by many already. Appearing on 5 Sunday news shows in one day, obviously over-exposing himself...what was the president and his aides thinking? Are they really so smart and brilliant as people have portrayed them? One wonders.
Cohen went on to say:
"The trouble with Obama is that he gets into the moment and means what he says for that moment only. He meant what he said when he called Afghanistan a "war of necessity" -- and now is not necessarily so sure. He meant what he said about the public option in his health care plan -- and then again maybe not. He would not prosecute CIA agents for getting rough with detainees -- and then again maybe he would. Most tellingly, he gave Congress an August deadline for passage of health care legislation -- "Now, if there are no deadlines, nothing gets done in this town ..." -- and then let it pass. It seemed not to occur to Obama that a deadline comes with a consequence -- meet it or else."
Conservatives have been on top of this Obama penchant to, er, change his story for some time. It's good to see non-conservatives starting to pick up on it too.
