We are going to pass health care reform. What form it takes does not appear to be as important as the fact that something will be passed that will be called "reform." I realize that this sounds cynical, and it is. I wish circumstances were different or that I could feel more optimistic. However, I find this state of affairs worrisome. President Obama is out there now pushing health care reform, and yet, what he really seems to be promoting is the idea of health care reform.

I agree completely with President Obama that health care reform is necessary and that it should happen sooner than later. At the same time, I am not at all clear on what exactly will be passed or whether it will truly deserve to be called "reform" at all. I fear that we could very well end up with the Senate bill and be told to be content with that.

I hope that doesn't happen, and I hope that reconciliation can fix the Senate bill. But a strong public option, ideally in the form of Medicare for all, seems to be the only way to fix it that makes sense. And this does not seem particularly likely to pass in the Senate.

With our President saying that the time for discussion is over, there seems to be little choice left. We either throw our support behind some amorphous legislation without knowing what will ultimately be included, oppose it until it is clear what is being passed, or bow out completely. Unfortunately, none of these options sounds particularly appealing.

Subscribe to Red State Progressive