This is touching:
The political odyssey of health care reform in many ways is the story of Ted Kennedy, and as President Obama signed the historic bill into law Tuesday, Kennedy’s gravesite was a place of quiet celebration and poignant reflection.
The late senator’s widow, Vicki Reggie Kennedy, spent hours on Sunday at the simple white cross at Arlington National Cemetery marking where her husband was laid to rest only seven months ago. Ted Kennedy’s youngest son, Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.), visited on Monday morning and left a hand-written note that read: “Dad, the unfinished business is done.”
Of course, the business is never done. But it’s a good day.
Next up, the Republicans will go to court to challenge the mandate. They’ll lose, of course, but they’ll score political points like crazy because no one wants to be compelled to buy insurance from a private corporation. The answer, which should be repeated like a mantra, is, “I agree with you, so let’s create a publicly-administered alternative. If you don’t want to pay for CEO bonuses, cut out the middle man and buy the public option.”
The more unpopular the Republicans make the mandate, the more we can re-channel that unpopularity to support for a public alternative. It’s a trap that we must set.
