I think that the reality is that Obama got beat.

I’m still willing to let him take credit, but I still don’t trust him.

So the Reid plan is not, in fact, the public option at all. It does little or nothing to control cost or increase competition. Instead, it forces the public insurance plan to peg its prices to those used by private insurance companies while guaranteeing that the private companies will dump their sickest subscribers onto the public. It is a recipe for failure.

I don’t always agree with Obama’s method’s but they sure do seem to get the job done.

[...]

I wouldn’t want to play chess against the man.

This would be the President who last week was questioning Harry heading in this direction? And who will throw Harry under the bus if even one Dem joins the GOP filibuster?

There are things the President has done well in the process, and things that he has done poorly. We’re not over the finish line yet, and that’s largely all he’ll get judged on (especially if we ignore that ridiculously slow proceess on this *one* issue has completely hamstrung Congress and the White House from addressing a shitload of other things that need to get address).

So let’s see how things turn out before we praise the Ninja Chessmaster, and see the impact on other items on the rather broad agenda. Praise where it’s warranted. Be open to criticism where it is as well. There’s plenty that has happened this year that warrants some of each.

John