The democratization of information–through blogs, Twitter, and other sources–is a boon to obsessive policy wonks like me. We now have the tools to follow every incremental step of the legislative process. But that same instant access to information amplifies every daily victory or setback into world-shaking events. Take the current debate on health care reform. Proponents of reform haven’t had a great week. Two of the major Senate proposals received high cost estimates from government economists, which may or may not affect the scope and ambition of a final bill. But the debate was sure to get contentious once real dollar amounts and concrete proposals started getting a public airing. Everyone involved in the debate already understood that health care reform is an expensive proposition. Congress only began public debate on health care this week. But already, we’re seeing blog posts with titles like “Health Care Reform D.O.A.?“
That’s not to say I’m blase about the prospects for real health care reform. I’d like to see Democrats a lot less skittish and a lot more forceful about key aspects of reform like a mandate for coverage and a public plan option. And Obama needs to counter GOP criticism about the cost with reminders that they oversaw one of the biggest entitlement expansions in the form of Medicare Part D.
I’m not ready to declare the fight over before it’s even begun. My seatbelt is fastened tight for the bumpy ride ahead, but I remain hopeful that we’ll get where we need to go.
