I Hate Joe Leiberman

I've been sorta following the whole health care battle. It's so damn complicated and so technical that I've found it hard to get a handle on what's really going on. It's up, it's down and suddenly two angry old white men (isn't that always the case)--Joe Leiberman and Ben Nelson--hold the fate of the health care reform in their hands and the rest of us hostage. It's not just confusing, it's nauseating.

But...as Paul Krugman writes today:

A message to progressives: By all means, hang Senator Joe Lieberman in effigy. Declare that you’re disappointed in and/or disgusted with President Obama. Demand a change in Senate rules that, combined with the Republican strategy of total obstructionism, are in the process of making America ungovernable.

But meanwhile, pass the health care bill.

Yes, the filibuster-imposed need to get votes from “centrist” senators has led to a bill that falls a long way short of ideal. Worse, some of those senators seem motivated largely by a desire to protect the interests of insurance companies — with the possible exception of Mr. Lieberman, who seems motivated by sheer spite.

But let’s all take a deep breath, and consider just how much good this bill would do, if passed — and how much better it would be than anything that seemed possible just a few years ago. With all its flaws, the Senate health bill would be the biggest expansion of the social safety net since Medicare, greatly improving the lives of millions. Getting this bill would be much, much better than watching health care reform fail.

Click here to read the entire column.