Scarecrow

We interrupt our regular programs to bring you special coverage of the latest absurdity.

Surprise! Senate Democrats Compromise with themselves to weaken the public health option and shield private insurers and providers from reforms.

Neither Klein nor Starr note that the Urban Institute's paper describes both the public exchange and the public plan working together. It's how they work together that determines how well they achieve the transformative and efficiency benefits of both. The exchange establishes the rules for reformed, efficient behavior, while the public plan modeled on those rules puts competitive pressure on private plans to make the reforms or lose market share.

There is a fascinating and also frustrating "debate" at The American Prospect on the prospects and merits of the public health plan. It needs to continue and push beyond where the three discussants left it.

Paul Krugman debunks both George Will and economist Greg Mankiw who argue not only that our current health care system is okay and and should be left alone but that a public plan would undermine the current system's okay competitive outcomes. What competition?

As the Congress works through the incentives needed to avoid cost-shifting between different health plan choices, they may find it useful to examine how the same issues are solved or avoided by a single payer system.

President Obama did an ABC-sponsored, nationally televised town hall, answering questions for two hours. His performance was intelligent and informed and open. ABC used the moment to sell commmercials and literally read Republican talking points.

ABC and CBS tried to explain the debate over a public plan, but they showed once again they can’t sort out the simplest arguments. They're easily misled, don't know whom to ask and willing to be spun by industry hacks.

Congress' job is to authorize, fund and create the most attractive, sustainable public plan this country can produce, and then put in place the mechanisms to hold it accountable for doing its job. Here are some suggested features.

American's private health insurance industry threatened Americans with dire consequences if they have to face genuine competition from a public health plan option. In his press conference, Obama called their claims nonsense.