Colorado Progressive

Ross Kaminsky thinks Democrats are “masters at implementing their agenda piecemeal, getting through bit by bit until they’ve implemented a European-style welfare state which only a few who were paying attention saw being built under their noses.”

I think it would be pretty sweet if that were true.

I’ve suggested before that Democrats don’t have to get everything done this year in order to affect positive change in an unsustainable and increasingly unpalatable health care environment. And they probably won’t. If there’s one thing that the Republican attack machine has succeeded in accomplishing this year–and no, Michael Steele cannot take credit–it’s to obscure many of the meaningful and attainable parts of health care reform that would tangibly improve American lives. Who doesn’t want to know that they couldn’t be discriminated against for being sick? Or that they could keep their benefits–at affordable prices–even if they lose their job? Who doesn’t want a guarantee that the benefits they or their employer pay for will actually cover their condition when it comes time to file a claim?

Unfortunately, we’re talking about three things: public option, public option, public option. And Democrats and liberals have helped keep focus on that issue instead of playing up the meaningful impact that other, less glamorous details of reform will have on American lives. Rhetoric like Kaminsky’s, that a public option equals full-blown socialism, only ratchets up the hysteria and drowns out more meaningful conversation. Which is exactly the point if your goal is to obstruct rather than participate in the legislative process.

Conservatives like to call proposed health care reform solutions socialism. The meme translates well as a bumper sticker and gives demonstrators something easy to shout during town halls. More importantly, the socialism tag effectively refocuses the debate on the public option and distracts people away from the nuts and bolts of meaningful reform. Don’t be fooled into shouting back. Instead, thank Kaminsky for his optimism about what Democrats can accomplish a piece at a time. And let’s use his criticism as a reminder of all the other little pieces that are at stake.