Paul Krugman has a great column in the New york times today, regarding health care.
This part especially goes a long way towards explaining why the “centrist” members of the senate are far from the center:
Honestly, I don’t know what these Democrats are trying to achieve. Yes, some of the balking senators receive large campaign contributions from the medical-industrial complex — but who in politics doesn’t? If I had to guess, I’d say that what’s really going on is that relatively conservative Democrats still cling to the old dream of becoming kingmakers, of recreating the bipartisan center that used to run America.
Hopefully Democrats will do what they were elected to do which is help the American people not protect the interests of a few insurance companies, if they don’t Democrats may be looking at another 1994 scenario where republicans are swept into office largely because no one sees any difference between the parties.
I find it difficult to distinguish the parties, whether from the policy coming out of the White House or Congress.
Mr Bettor:
Nice to see you back here.
Right now we are seeing that money corrupts both parties, I am kind of hoping that shining the light on it will encourage Democrats to do the right thing and pass. at least, a very good public option. If they don’t I am predicting an electoral debacle similar to 1994, when Republicans had a great off year election. It would be very difficult to support a group of people that seemed more interested in what the insurance companies wanted than what their constituents want and really at this point need.