Ezra Klein on Obama Health Care Speech

Ezra Klein sees President Obama drawing a final line in the sand on health care reform in his Washington Post blog.

What's important about this speech is that it didn't leave any paths open. It attacked the Republican bills, the arguments for piecemeal reform, and the idea that procedural impediments are sufficient to excuse the further delay of a verdict. This is the end of the line. There's not a magic alternative behind the curtain or a hard reset that will lead to a harmonious bipartisan process. It all just is what it is. And now it's time for a vote. It's time for health-care reform to either pass or fail.

In addition to seeing whether health care reform will pass, we will see if the Democrats are any more capable of governing than the Republicans they replaced in recent elections. Great policy ideas are important but don't amount to much if you can't get them implemented while controlling the White House and big majorities in both houses of Congress.

--Ballard Burgher