Bill Kristol Discovers Debate

The Most Wrong Dude In The Punditverse (tm) suddenly discovers the need for public debate of policy and demands Congress stands up to the tyranny of giving people health care choices.

Congress should assert itself, stand up for the deliberative and democratic process, and defy this presumptuous presidential diktat.

The time to debate is now. There's plenty of time to act later.

This from the same guy who famously said on Iraq:

So the editors of this magazine wrote in the December 1, 1997, issue, whose cover proclaimed, not so subtly, "Saddam Must Go." Saddam will soon be gone, thanks to the courage of one man above all, George W. Bush, very much aided by the equally impressive courage of another, Tony Blair. Obviously, we are gratified that the Iraq strategy we have long advocated--and whose contours were further specified in that December 1, 1997, issue, in articles by Zalmay Khalilzad and Paul Wolfowitz, Frederick W. Kagan, and Peter Rodman--has become the policy of the U.S. government, because we believe it is the right policy for the country and the world.

Oh? So...no need for standing up to a Presidential diktat there in 2003, Billy? How'd that turn out for the country and for the world, considering we're still there? If only Congress had stood up to prevent the pointless war in Iraq over ginned up, false reports of WMD in Iraq...but we can make up for it, they have to protect the country before 50 million Americans suffer untold indignities and are forever scarred by the monstrous desire of Obama to push Congress for (lightning, scary organ music) affordable health insurance.

Thunderbolts and lightning, very very fright'ning, me. Look, you'd have an argument if you hadn't come out yesterday and said your entire plan was not debate the merits of Obamacare versus the hundreds tens (umm...what Ron Wyden said) GOP health care plan (singular) out there, but to kill Obamacare entirely.

So the constructive part of the message would be: Start Over. We're not giving up on health reform. Far from it. But the only way to pass health reform is first to get rid of the misbegotten efforts now before Congress. The only way to pass health reform is to start over in the fall. The Obama plan wouldn't go into effect until 2013 anyway (except the tax increases, which would kick in in 2011). We have plenty of time to work next year on sensible and targeted health reform in a bipartisan way. But first we need to get rid of Obamacare. Now is the time to do so.

You don't get to play the "Congress isn't debating!" card when 24 hours ago you said wanted to completely scrap the plans before Congress now. That's not debate, Bill.

That's a diktat.

Sheesh.

(Dude, 24 hours ago. Do you read your own stuff?)