I like Chris Van Hollen. I like him a lot, actually. I’m glad he’s honest and that he can articulate a strategy. But his strategy is a strategy for scared little wimps. I don’t give a rat’s ass if the Ben Nelson medicaid deal makes the Senate bill’s ‘brand’ look tarnished with independents. That’s just transactional sausage-making. Own it and love it, and tell the critics to stuff it. And then take it away in reconciliation. It’s the opportunity to tell the voters “I voted for it because I knew I could vote against it later” in perfect Kerryspeak. Everyone in the caucus is afraid of that one little line, so health care reform is essentially dead?
It’s hard to muster a sufficient amount of contempt for the congressional Democrats.
