After catching up on all of the developments this weekend, it strikes me that we are seeing a variation of the detente based on the concept of mutually-assured-destruction that defined the Cold War play out within the Democratic Party. The White House needs a bill to pass and the attendant signing ceremony. The Democratic members of Congress need a bill to pass and be signed, especially those in the House, and especially the Blue Dogs, or they will be walloped in 2010 (see 1994). A lot of these same members of Congress are beholden to insurance industry money. The insurance industry sees that there must be some reform and have trained their fire on what truly threatens them, the public option.
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