Because sometimes I just like to think my thoughts...

I realize Arrested Development was canceled three years ago, but a quotable show lasts forever...

Health reform is obviously a HUGE issue this summer. But the legislation and possible amendments to the proposed bills are so complicated that I find myself so conflicted and frequently changing my mind. I'm not at all swayed by the moral argument that a nation has an obligation to provide health coverage to all its citizens. The theory that universal coverage would (hopefully) be economically efficient and save hospitals having to treat ER patients for primary care is, to me, a much more compelling reason. It's also ridiculous that we spend 16% of our GDP on health care and that we're the only rich nation that doesn't actually provide it.

Capping malpractice claims makes sense too, but I think studying the states that have tried those restrictions should happen first. I also think that removing the tax exclusion for employer-based coverage needs to happen both because it would be a great revenue source and because it's essentially a regressive tax.

Max Baucus (D-MT) called out Obama for saying that removing the tax exclusion is off the table. It's tough to sell politically, since it may result in employers cutting health coverage for its workers. And since Obama has repeatedly promised that no one will be forced off of plans they like, the administration doesn't want to be on record supporting the tax exclusion removal. So interestingly, according to White House staffers, Baucus calling him may actually be good for Obama. If the tax on employer-based coverage ends up in the final bill, he can say that his hands were tied ("don't want the good to be the enemy of the perfect" or something like that...). Thus, the economically good but politically bad option passes. Pretty savvy political move. I don't want us to be bankrupt in ten years, though, so the CBO Chief's warning disturbs me.

It makes me furious that we let Bush burn through trillions of dollars on nothing that actually benefited American society (tax cuts for the top 1%, Iraq, etc.), and now we're in too crappy a fiscal position to actually do things that will be help us in the long-term (health reform, cap-and-trade, public education, etc.). I also hate that people don't realize how much waste occurs in defense spending. Robert Gates seems to be an extremely pragmatic and no-nonsense leader, so I was intrigued by his push to halt production of F-22 fighter jets. Ted Kennedy and John Kerry have absolutely no concrete reason for supporting the production of these expensive jets, so they should just shut up and back off. Gates is, after all, a stated Republican and a self-described hawk and the Sec. of Defense, so I think he has much more credibility.

Being in Washington D.C. has given me so little faith in our elected leaders and legislative process. It is, by design, so slow-moving with zero sense of accountability and no real way to measure results. There are so many passionate and intelligent people here, but it takes years for anything to happen because it's in most people's best interest to stick to the status quo. Politicians are just so short-sighted and are really only ultimately interested in getting reelected.

So much to change, and so few mechanisms to make it happen. Sorry Obama, I'm losing hope.