Paul Krugman relates the ideological triumph of healthcare reform:
...it represents a rejection of the view that the solution for all problems is to cut some taxes and remove some regulations. In that sense, what’s happening now, for all the disappointment it represents for progressives, is a historic moment.
And let’s also not fail to take note of those who had a chance to join in this historic moment, and punted.
Whether its the massive expansion of federal assistance to lower and middle income Americans or the strict regulations on how a major American corporate sector does business, this is the antithesis of the kind of politics you hear recommended by the cable villagers and Halperins of the world. A rejection of the Reaganomics model of government intervention. And if it can be improved and shepherded to practical success, it will build the progressive movement for many years to come.