Politics As Usual

I was just reading an article about health care reform that describes the potential paths to its passage after the Massachusetts election. It described the process that I think is the most likely and the easiest to comprehensive reform. However, this pathway also involves strategic politics and dealmaking, the same practices the Obama Administration has said they would like to cease. This led me to wonder if the form of politics so common in Washington was harmful to society or necessary for its improvement. Washington politics are characterized by closed door meetings, strategic voting, and powerful lobbying. These same polticis have been necessary to get health care reform to its closest point to passage ever. Which leads me to ask if Politics as usual are as bad as they are made out to be...?

The same Obama Administration that has preached transparency and a new era of politics inside the beltway has engaged in these activities but the deals made would be beneficial to Americans. The most well known deal made the Obama Administration in the health care reform discussion was with the pharmaceutical companies. The Administration received their support early in the process and a pledge for $80 billion in savings for Americans. A portion of the savings would benefit Seniors caught in the donut hole in Medicare coverage, In the donut hole they pay full price for prescription drugs until they reach the catstrophic threshold. The drug companies also helped garner public support for reform as part of their deal with the Administration. Although the details of this deal were discuessed behind closed doors I'd say the benefits outweigh the lack of tranparency and I'm sure grandma agrees...

In the article I read it described one of the popular methods for health care reform passage. In this method, the House would pass the Senate's version of the health care bill as a simultaneous bill with edits is passed in the Senate through reconciliation. This process is still possible although the Democrats lost their supermajority because passage through reconciliation only requires a simple majority (51 Democrats). If Congress chooses this option they would pass a reform bill with the priorities everyone agress on including eliminating discrimination for pre-existing conditions, implement guaranteed renewal of health insurance of plans, and increase eligibility for state Medicaid programs that provide health insurance to under privileged populations. Democrats up for election this year fear that they may face a backlash from voters who think this process is underhand, sneaky, and Washington Politics as Usual. At the same time they may gain 30+ million new supporters...the amount of uninsured Americans expected to receive health insurance as a result of health reform. So again I have to ask if Politics as usual in Washington really bad when it helps benefit society...?