Dr. Howard Dean was governor of Vermont for 12 years. He was a front runner briefly during the 2004 presidential campaign. He became chair of the Democratic National Committee. And now he is demonstrating why he failed for Governor and why Democrat are better off having him as the “former” chair of their party.
As Democrats in the Senate struggle to cobble together a super-majority in support of health care reform, Governor Dean is busy throwing bricks into the room. Upset that the legislation likely to emerge from the Senate will contain neither a government-run health plan nor the ability for 55-to-64 year olds to buy-in to Medicare, Governor Dean is urging defeat of the bill. The reason, according to a report by the Associated Press, the Senate health care reform bill is “an insurance company’s dream.” Which is malarkey. I don’t know any insurance carriers happy with the direction of health care reform in Washington. As the AP reports White House spokesman Robert Gibbs putting it, “If this is an insurance company’s dream, I don’t think the insurance companies have gotten the memo.”
Governor Dean asserts that “You will be forced to buy insurance. If you don’t you’ll pay a fine.” True enough, although in the Senate bill the fine is $750, far less than the cost of coverage. Then he goes on to assert that insurance companies would not be prohibited from denying coverage for preexisting conditions. And that older Americans would pay more than their younger neighbors for coverage.
Let’s look at the substance of the Governor’s complaints. Does he seriously believe that whatever health care reform bill emerges from Congress will allow health insurance companies to deny applicants for coverage? If so, he’s the only pundit in the country who does. Even Republicans support guarantee issue of health insurance coverage.
As for older people paying more for coverage than younger people, he’s right. Both legislation passed by the House and being considered in the Senate allow carriers some flexibility in setting rates by age. But both bills substantially reduce the differential that exists today. In California, for example, a 64 year old can expect to pay six times more than a 19 year old for the same coverage. (Anthem Blue Cross offers a $3500 deductible PPO that costs a single 19 year old in Los Angeles $110 per month and his 64 year old neighbor $664 a month). Under the legislation being considered in the Senate, the ratio would could be no more than 3-to-1. The House bill limits the differential to 2-to-1. Governor Dean never complained about this premium spread before. Now that the public option is likely to be cut from the Senate bill, a 3-to-1 limit on premiums becomes a decisive factor for him?
Governor Dean’s attack on the Senate bill is a loud reminder of how much Senator Edward Kennedy is missed in Washington. Senator Kennedy was as liberal, if not more liberal, than Governor Dean. The difference is that Senator Kennedy accomplished a great many things on the national stage. Governor Dean has accomplished nothing nationally. Senator Kennedy was successful in large part because he recognized the need to seize progress when and where he could. He knew there would be future opportunities. Even more importantly, he understood that, in broad terms, America becomes more progressive over time. Consider: it wasn’t that long ago that the fight was over whether the government should provide a medical safety net for older citizens. Republicans called Medicare socialism. Now they defend the program.
There’s a lot in the current health care reform bill I don’t like. There’s a lot about the status quo I don’t like either. What is infuriating about Governor Dean’s attack on the bill is that it is as nonsensical as those of the right. His “insurance company dream” is to the left what former-Governor Sarah Palin’s “death panels” are to the right – ideology masquerading as dire warnings.
Liberals in Congress will probably come around to supporting what they consider a watered down, insufficient health care reform bill. Liberals outside of Congress, like the former Governor from Vermont, will call on them to defeat the bill and start over. Underlying their logic is apparantly the belief that it’s possible to pass an even more liberal Congress.
What liberals like Governor Dean need to realize is that moderate Senators like Ben Nelson and Blanche Lincoln are just a part of the party as liberals like Senators Jay Rockefeller and Charles Schumer. I suppose Governor Dean could recruit liberals to run for the Senate in Nebraska, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana and other states from which moderate Democrats hail. There’s only one problem. Liberals don’t get elected to the Senate from those states. Not in 2010.
Members of Congress understand the need for compromise. They may not like it, but they accept that their less-than-liberal colleagues represent their constituencies. Those on the sidelines have the freedom to ignore such realities and to throw bricks with abandon. These ideologues won’t solve many problems, but I guess the brick throwing makes them feel better.
Senator Kennedy understood the need to work with those less liberal than himself, to keep issues alive by passing significant reforms that may not be all he wanted to achieve, but laid the groundwork for future efforts. Governor Dean is blind to this approach. But then, Howard Dean is no Ted Kennedy. Never was. Never will be.