Snowe Job Part 6

Ezra Klein's interview with GOP Sen. Olympia Snowe is a real eye-opener, and if you had any hope that Snowe's interested in anything other than her own Sensible Centrist bona fides, they get dashed pretty quickly.

You were the only Republican to support the Senate Finance Committee’s bill. What do you see in the bill that your colleagues don’t?

Well, it’s hard to speak for others. Could be a philosophical difference or a policy difference. They would have liked more time, and I don’t disagree with that. In the Gang of Six, when the deadline was September 15th, we wanted to continue instead of ending at that point, but the chairman felt he had to move forward. There are a lot of issues. I said in the committee the other day I still have concerns.

You mentioned the Gang of Six. Looking back, would you consider that process a success or a failure?

It was an outstanding process. I think that if the American people had had a window into those deliberations people would have felt very encouraged. It’s a rarity today in many ways to have that opportunity to sit down with your colleagues, face to face, several days a week for multiple hours, just working through issues. It didn’t culminate in agreement, but it did establish the foundation and essence for the legislation that was ultimately reported to the Senate Finance Committee.

When Obama was elected, there was a real hope that we’d be entering a less partisan, more cooperative era. Was that an unrealistic expectation?

It shouldn’t be. I think the art of legislating has somewhat been lost here in Congress. It generally just boils down to simple talking points and soundbites, rather than really immersing ourselves in the substance and complexities of any given issue. You really have to take the time to examine all facets of it. People question that this took several months. It should have taken longer, frankly.

The rest of Snowe's answers are equally as depressing and condescending. She talks about affordability, but when Ezra Klein basically says "Look, the public option and mandates would make insurance both affordable now by driving down costs for everyone" Snowe responds with the same psuedo-libertarian "Well, government's not the answer" crap that the rest of the GOP is hiding behind.

And in the end she talks about how the discourse is cheapened because of folks like Glenn Beck, and then turns around and says the mean ol' Democrats won't listen to the reasonable, Sensible Centrists like herself. If they did, why gosh, there'd be no reason for Glenn Beck to attack. Then, she goes on to say that the kind of fundamental change that's needed for the system isn't necessary, and we just need to tweak a few things here or there...

The plan here is simple. Snowe dreams of having a grand compromise for the sake of grand compromise, not for a bill that makes health care reform a reality.

If the Dems can't figure this out, then they deserve their fate in 2010.