Everybody Hates Max

Or at least his health care “reform” bill. Jay Cost looks at the universal dislike of the thing, quoting both the left and the right:

Over at National Review, James Capretta argues that the Baucus bill is full of gimmicks, essentially “shoehorn(ing) a $1.5 to $2.0 trillion “universal coverage” scheme into an $830 billion sack. ” It’s replete with spending cuts that will not be made, plus it forces people to pay indirectly for the new layer of “regulations, taxes, and fees” through decreased wages, a point Hennessey makes as well. Greg Mankiw thinks the bill might mean an 80%+ marginal tax rate on workers between 100% and 200% of the poverty level.

So, the left and the right hate it. Strangely enough, they seem to have the same basic reason: average people are going to get squeezed. The left says that the bill does not do enough to keep their health care costs down. The right says the bill is going to reduce their disposable income.

God help us all if both sides are correct.

Therein lies another problem with omnibus bills such as this, and why I really fault the President for not lowering his sights. As I have noted many times, omnibus bills have a reduced chance of passage because they deal with so many issues, thus increasing the likelihood that a legislator will find a poison pill in there somewhere. But that’s not the only problem. Suppose that there is a hypothetical bill that could pass: what will it look like? Will it be full of half-measures that are the product of political compromises, rather than a coherent attempt to deal with the problem in a straightforward manner? Will most legislators actually dislike it, and only support it for political purposes?

The recent suggestion that Obama and the Democratic majority need a bill – any bill – should give everybody (Republicans, Democrats, and Independents) pause. When politicians start talking like that, they’re signaling a willingness to sign onto a bill that might not actually fix the problems just so they can claim “success.”

I pointed out last night that the so called savings in the bill are smoke – this scam saves nothing, only avoids a piddly amount of additional deficit spending on a completely out of control spending spree Obama and the Democrats have been on since taking power. But go over and read Cost’s whole piece – and click through to some of the links he provides – this bill is as bad as all the rest. Maybe a bit worse since it might give some cover to spineless politicians to sign onto the monstrosity.

Polling by Quinnipiac indicates that more Americans oppose any reform than support it. Something the Democrats (and some Republicans) really need to think about. The support drops dramatically if only Democrats pass this thing. That’s even more reason to start calling your Senators and Representative. Make it clear that there will be political fallout from a yes vote. Smile when you say it, too. It is not a threat you are delivering, but a promise.