There is growing concern that a problematic implementation of the Affordable Care Act will hurt Democrats in 2014. In response, some on the left, like Jonathan Cohn, have pointed to Medicare Part D as an example why such concerns are overblown. They argue while the implementation of the drug benefit program was rocky, it was not a big political issue in the next election and quickly became popular.

There is one very important difference between Part D and the ACA that makes this a poor analogy.

Supporters of the new Affordable Care Act have recently launched the “Thanks Obamacare!” campaign to highlight the law’s positive aspects. Unfortunately several of the features the campaign praises are provisions that haven’t taken effect yet and won’t until 2014. That highlights the political malpractice in the design and timing of the APA.

I’m glad to see that Paul Krugman has attacked the absurd idea that health care patients should be treated as consumers, and Jonathan Cohn has chosen to echo Krugman’s argument. What I can’t understand is where was powerful denouncing of the absurd idea that we need more “consumer-driven” health care during the debate over the Affordable Care Act?

Jonathan Cohn is trying to defend the individual mandate in this bill by claiming the Netherlands also has an individual mandate. The problem is the health care system produced by the Senate bill would be nothing at all like the health system in the Netherlands. I have long maintained the progressives should accept an individual [...]

This morning, the Politico made news by reporting that someone at the White House had ordered Harry Reid to cut a deal with Joe Lieberman on health care. The White House denied the report. But since, then, two more reoprters have confirmed Politico’s account.

As activists make their way around Capitol Hill for today’s day of lobbying against the Stupak amendment, we ask: What will the Senate health care bill look like? Amidst the grandstanding, egos, and filibuster threats, is it possible to come out of the Senate with a more progressive bill than the House passed? Joining us [...]