And, as we watch this play out, do you have any predictions? Will we be pleasantly surprised down the road or are we in for another chapter of entrenched special interests coming out on top?
I've never been very good at predictions. That said, I'm going to predict that Obama will end up signing a health care bill that includes either a public option or Olympia Snowe's trigger--in which case, a few years down the pike, the trigger will click and there'll be a public option that, over time, will grow.
Will such a victory help build momentum for decent climate change legislation? Right now, I'd bet against it. I desperately want to be wrong.
Short-run:
1. Target the profit-soaked, administration-heavy, big-lobbying insurance companies. Put a face on the enemy. MoveOn is planning to do this on Sept. 22.
2. Do a serious inventory of states and districts where Blue Dogs are vulnerable to "primarying"--running primary candidates to their left. Start planning to do that in 2010.
3. Young people (especially) who worked for Obama and consider themselves true-blue environmentalists: start organizing rallies in behalf of climate change legislation. Include unions and low-middle income community groups. Momentum, momentum, momentum.
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