The ego that ate the Democratic party.

The health care mess is certainly a conundrum with no good political answers. I find it fascinating that the White House, in cahoots with Pelosi and Reid, appears to favor forcing the Senate bill with 51 votes then somehow wrangling 218 votes in the House.

Until, Brown pitched a monkey wrench into the works it was evident that a health care bill would be passed. Any health care bill. So they made a mess of a bill and smashed it through. Then after last Tuesday there was a pause. Many took a step back. Dodd called for a "breather".

But, alas, calm reflection is not the Democratic party's strong suit. Now we are back to where we were a week ago: Just pass something. Anything.

Politically, I understand this. If nothing passes Obama's first year is an epic fail. The trouble is that if the Senate bill becomes law Obama's second year may well be an epic fail too. I stated over a month ago that Obama needs to come clean on this bill. Kill it. Admit it is bad law and start again. Get something simple passed by March and move on. In the end Obama made the exact same mistakes that Clinton made. He was insular and arrogant. It's a damn shame, but there it is. Obama, unlike Clinton, still has the chance to bring lesser - but still helpful - change to the health care system. This year. Probably within a few months.

The political crisis brought on by rejecting the Senate bill will be severe for a few weeks. It will pass. Then a simple bill that helps people immediately can be passed. Many Independents will forgive him the screw up if he signs a sane bill. If he signs this insane one, the middle is gone.

Will Obama opt for a sober response to the Massachusetts beat down of the Senate monstrosity? No. His ego is too malformed. According to Congressman Berry, who said today he's quitting, Obama's stance in meetings toward blue dogs has been: 2010 is not 1994 and the difference is "me". There you have it. Obama will save the day. He, with David Pouffe's teleprompter at the ready, will swoop in to make sure the Dem majorities remain. There is no evidence that Obama has helped any Democrat this year - but facts have never mattered to him anyway. He must be "great" or he shall be nothing. In fact, he said he'd rather be a great one term President than a mediocre two term President. He will be neither.

It's almost painful to watch Obama misread the country. He reads his election has a referendum on him. Still. They liked me in 2008 and by God, they will in 2010 too! As if he hasn't been President for a year.

Obama ninnies keep saying "Change is hard" - assuming arrogantly that what they are doing is change people want. I keep going back to "epic". It's an epic failure of understanding. It's willful denial. It's a belligerent refutation of the year that just passed. 2009 was only about health care reform in the minds of a precious few in D.C. For the rest of us it was about economic anxiety.

Obama is not smart. That needs to be repeated. Obama is not smart. He has a kind of intelligence, that's true. But he's not smart like Reagan or Clinton. He doesn't understand his job. A year doing it has not helped. I'm more convinced than ever that his intelligence is warped by his ego. He doesn't get that the Senate bill is soulless. Ramming it through won't give it a soul. It will not suddenly fire the imagination of the public. It's bad law and people know it. They will rebel. The question isn't who will be angry - it's who won't be angry? Obama appears to want to shackle the Democratic party for a generation.

The only sane political choice is to kill the bill, and suffer the blow back. Then work with the GOP on a smaller reforms. Get some of the independents back. THEN ramp up the base before November. Doubling down on health care is foolish unless unemployment is about to vanish. No one will give a damn about healthcare "reform" that limps across the horizon in 2013 when they go to vote in 2010. If he was forcing real reform down our throats he might have a shot at changing attitudes by November. The Senate bill is a pile of shameful dung. It is now. It will be in 10 months. It's not Social Security. It's not medicare. It's an offensive, asinine, soulless concoction bought and paid for by soulless bureaucrats and passed by venal politicians.




Then again, maybe Obama only wants one term. More time to golf.