Your morning reminder of the crushing stupidity of the health care debate

We've heard lots of reasons for why we shouldn't pass any type of health care reform: Joe Lieberman's feelings are hurt, it'll eat all the money the financial sector hasn't already eaten, SOCIALISM~!, COMMUNISM~!, because Americans prefer their shitty health care system, or because it will result in our Muslim President ordering the mass deaths of everyone's favorite grandma or great aunt. But it's rare when we see a political hack just open up and admit the naked political calculation behind desperately trying to block a bill. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) is just that kind of hack.

"And if they get there, of course, you're going to have a very rough time having a two-party system in this country, because almost everybody's going to say, 'All we ever were, all we ever are, all we ever hope to be depends on the Democratic Party,' " Hatch said during an interview with the conservative CNSNews.com.

"That's their goal," Hatch added. "That's what keeps Democrats in power."
...
"Do I believe they're that diabolical? I don't believe most of them are, but I think some of them are," Hatch said. "Maybe diabolical's too harsh of a word, but the fact is, they really, really believe in socialized medicine."

That's right, we can't do a reform of health care or include a public option because people will like it too much, will be grateful, will vote for Democrats on the basis that they passed it, and vote against Republicans just because they opposed its entire creation and worked actively to kill it. Well, I have to say that's clearly a concern. I mean who would want to vote for a plan that people would like? This whole popularity/voting problem is even more of a problem than Ben Nelson's fears that a public option would be too beneficial and win any competition against private insurance. Thankfully our elected betters exist to protect us from things they know we'd like and would work to reduce health care costs and make health care more available.

Just one last thing Orrin: the Democrats don't really believe in socialized medicine, or even really, really believe in it. If they did they wouldn't be trying to pass some ultra-watered down, half-assed public option that will almost invariably now be taken out of the bill. No, they'd be trying to pass the thing that would actually massively reduce health care costs and cover everyone: single payer health care. But after Medicare and Medicaid reduced costs for its users, proved to be the two most popular health plans in the country, and covered people fully, Government learned better than to try that horrific fiasco again. So keep on protecting us from things we'd like and things that would make life better and easier for us, otherwise we might just like and vote for the people that do pass it. Orrin, I can't believe you were actually in the Senate Finance Committee health care negotiations. Great call, Max.