Slam On The Brakes

Not only did Max Baucus's little deal last night fall through on a Senate agreement on Obamacare, the Senate Sensible Centrists are now telling Obama that his health care plan is not getting done on time...and implying that it's probably not getting done, period.

A bipartisan group of centrist and conservative senators sent a letter to the Democratic and Republican leaders on Friday urging delay in consideration of health care reform.

The letter, obtained by the Huffington Post, was drafted by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and is also signed by Democratic Reps. Mary Landrieu (La.) and Ron Wyden (Ore.). Independent Joe Lieberman (Conn.), who caucuses with Democrats, signed on, as did Maine Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins -- moderates heavily courted by President Obama.

The organized effort to slow down the process is a blow to the reform effort. Obama has pushed hard for a final vote before the August recess, arguing that delaying until September could slow momentum and risk missing a historic opportunity.

The letter, sent to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) stresses that while the senators still want health care reform done this year, they don't feel comfortable voting for it until they've had more time to study its costs and benefits.

First of all, "still getting it done this year" is code for "Oh, we're going to be too busy with the budget in September and then campaign season through 2010. So sorry about that." I warned last week that the Newsweek piece on Eric Holder's investigation was a warning: that the price of Obama not putting a leash on Eric Holder's possible investigation was going to be a fatal delay of Obamacare, and lo and behold, here we are having the Sensible Centrists say we're moving too fast, potentially scuttling the entire plan.

It's entirely possible that the usual suspects would have done this anyway, Holder's investigation or not. But it became painfully clear that Obama's failure to condemn Holder this week was tacit approval of allowing him to go forward, and surprise...Obamacare is now paying the price. Too much of a coincidence there if you ask me.

We come not to praise Caesar...