I’d be more tolerant of Blue Dogs (especially those in blood red districts) if they didn’t lie in order to justify voting with the Republicans. The health care bills are both scored by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and they both reduce the budget deficit (Senate version: $132 billion, House version: $138 billion over ten years). Not only that, but contrary to the rantings of John McCain, this is no mere accounting trick. CBO estimated that the Senate bill will save $1.3 trillion in its second decade. So, how are these bills meaningfully expensive? If you want to argue that that the bills don’t bend the cost curve sufficiently, that’s fine with me. But don’t call them expensive because that’s counterfactual and annoying and a Republican talking point. If you don’t want to vote for health care reform, come up with a real reason. There are plenty to choose from on both the left and the right.
