February 25, 2010

Today was the health care summit when President Obama and congressional leaders gathered to discuss what to do about the stalled health care bill. No progress was made, except that President Obama and the Democrats finally accepted there is no middle ground, no negotiation, no desire to put the American people ahead of reelection fears.

At the end, President Obama signaled reconciliation is on the table. Finally! The Republicans will take their carping complaints to Fox News and any other media that will print them. The Democrats will be the target of Tea Party gatherings. And meaningful health care reform will pass by a simple majority in the Senate and the House. Later additional laws will be passed to finally create a single-payer system similar to Medicare for all.

There will soon come a day when President Obama will sign the legislation into law.  That day will be celebrated, and Senator Harry Reid (the patient man) and Representative Nancy Pelosi (what a woman!) will get pens that President Obama used. We will get the assurance that pre-existing conditions cannot be denied coverage and that health insurance exchanges will make insurance affordable for most if not all Americans.

We have been waiting for the world to change and we should not forget this day for which we have clamoured: the day President Obama finally drew the line in the sand. February 25, 2010.