Obama's Best Health Strategy: Steal The Republican Plan

In the next few weeks, Senate Democrats are expected to release health-reform legislation, sparking a summer of heated debates.

Even with large majorities in the House and Senate, and a President who is “absolutely committed” to health reform, Democrats are in for a fight. Former Senator Tom Daschle has pegged the odds of success at just 50-50.

What’s a winning strategy for them? Economist John Goodman, President of the NCPA, puts forward an interesting idea: Democrats should look to Republicans – literally.

He argues:

The biggest mistake Hillary Clinton made 15 years ago was not endorsing Bob Dole's health bill, which had more than 40 Republican co-sponsors. The Dole bill would have given her 70% to 80% of everything she wanted anyway, to say nothing of creating a huge bipartisan lovefest. Democrats would have held the Congress in 1994… and, well, you get the picture.

Barack Obama is about to repeat that same mistake. The smartest thing Obama could do is endorse a bill sponsored by Sens. Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Richard Burr (R-NC), along with Reps. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Devin Nunes (R-CA).

Mr. Goodman is brilliant and thoughtful. I don’t always agree with him, but then I’m not always right. Read his full argument here.