There was a brief moment in the debate over expanding the S-CHIP program when the clouds parted and something of a consensus emerged that the crisis in American health care has brought to ground not just the poor but middle-class families like that of Halsey and Bonnie Frost. Then the swiftboating of their 12-year-old son began.
Well, the right-wing blowhards who pulled the rug out from under the people who opposed expanding S-CHIP for legitimate if arguable reasons finally are retreating back into their caves to prepare for the next attack on A Hapless Soul to Be Named Later, unaware of or not caring about the damage they inflicted on their cause by framing the debate in Roman Coliseum blood sport terms.
No matter, the need for health-care reform in America has become so urgent and so difficult to ignore that in 2008 — or perhaps the following year after the probable coronation of a Democratic president — the people who have blocked reform year in and year out will be confronted with having to get on board or get trampled.
Who might those people be?
In order of importance, Republicans, private health insurers, for-profit hospital corporations and pharmaceutical companies.
In order of influence, private health insurers, for-profit hospital corporations, pharmaceutical companies and Republicans.
The one certainty is that whatever steps are taken, they will be relatively modest and a far cry from what Hillary Rodham Clinton tried to ram through 14 years ago.
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