Not to be overlooked....

In all the furor over the health care bill, one ought not to overlook the fact that it was not just the Republicans who are against it. In order to get the bill this far in the House and Senate, Pelosi and Reid have had to buy votes from reluctant Democrats with all sorts of extraordinary favors. We all know about the $300 million to buy the vote of Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu, and Sen. Ben Nelson's deal that Nebraska, alone of all the states, wouldn't have to pay any additional Medicare costs. And we all know about the deal with labor unions to exempt their members from a tax that applies to all the rest of us. There are, according to commentators who have read all the way through the proposed bills, hundreds of similar "vote buying" deals buried in the legislation, though few as large and obvious as the examples above.

Moderate Democrats are still very worried about the true costs of the legislation (as opposed to all the fake "revenue neutral" projections being aired). Abortion rights supporters and abortion opponents are both unhappy with the current language. And there are perhaps a dozen other issues on which there is no agreement even among Democrats.

Pelosi and Reid will, of course, try to paper these difference over, and there are reports that even more sweetheart deals have been struck behind closed doors this week to try and get a bill that can pass (so much for President Obama's campaign pledge of transparent government). But when all is said and done, it is worth noting that even the Democratic majority isn't really happy with this bill, though they may be convinced to swallow their opposition and vote for it anyway under pressure from their leaders.

For a major piece of legislation that will profoundly change American life to be passed with such uncertain support, even from the party in power, is not a good sign.

Everyone, Republicans and Democrats alike, agree that health care needs reform. It shouldn't be so hard to find moderate, incremental changes that could win bipartisan support without the need to arm-twisting and sweetheart deals. It would, of course, be far less change than the extreme left would like,and therein lies the problem, because at the moment the Democrats are being led by the extreme left, who show no inclination to compromise on anything.