(November 10, 2009 - Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America)
In what can only be characterized as a desperate move by the Administration and Senate Majority Harry Reid, Senate Democrats were honored today with a visit by Former President Bill Clinton. He made a rare appearance on Capitol Hill to press reluctant Democrats to move forward on the Baucus Plan for healthcare reform. This is familiar territory for the former Chief Legislator as his presidency was stained greatly in his first term by a failed healthcare effort. Hillary-care has been interpreted by most political historians to have been the heart of the motivating force that led to the Republican Revolution of 1994; so his appearance at this late hour has invoked great fear in many moderate Democrats who worry that his presence sends the wrong signals.
The Senate is essentially in no man’s land on the Baucus proposal. Majority Leader Harry Reid moved forward with the bill before he had secured 60 votes necessary to break filibuster. It has left him in the unenviable position of trying to work out a deal after he has moved the bill toward the full Senate. This has proven to be more difficult than he must have expected as even moderate Democrats are threatening to bail on the Majority Leader and join forces with Independent Senator Joe Lieberman who has already pledged to block the bill from coming to a vote if it still contains the “public option.”
It is unclear who the target audience was for Clinton’s visit – moderate Democrats to pull them along or progressive Dems who may need a pat on the back to remind them that their cause is noble? President Obama appears to be content staying out of the negotiation process, so I assume that Clinton’s involvement must have been the administration’s attempt to break the stalemate.
Clinton had the following to say to CBS after the meeting with Senate Democrats.
The complex nature of the legislation means that it will be continuously amended in years to come, he said.
“There is no perfect bill because there are always unintended consequences,” Mr. Clinton added
I think President Clinton is failing to see the error in his logic and why so many oppose this legislation altogether. The “unintended consequences” are precisely what have all of us scared to death as this bill swipes away our liberty.
