Golf Clapping For Joe

Everything you need to know about the Village response to Joe F'ckin Lieberman's announcement yesterday can be summed up in today's WSJ editorial board.

Bravo, Joe. It's a relief to see at least someone standing up to the Washington rush to rearrange 18% of the U.S. economy without carefully inspecting the cost and the consequences. (See above for what the Senate Finance bill that is the basis for Mr. Reid's bill would do to insurance premiums.)

Mr. Lieberman added that he'd also oppose a bill that includes Mr. Reid's provision for states to "opt-out" of the public program "because it still creates a whole new government entitlement program for which taxpayers will be on the line." Exactly right again.

The opt-out language is a ruse designed to give the impression of political and consumer choice when it will provide none in practice. The many new mandates, regulations and taxes in Mr. Reid's bill would so distort every state's insurance market that premiums would rise fast in states that did opt-out, assuming private insurance was still available at all.

States would quickly have no choice but to sign onto Mr. Reid's Medicare-for-everyone alternative, which would charge lower rates because the government will rig the rules in its favor. Democrats on the left know that if they can create the public-option architecture in any form, it is certain to become the only option in relatively short order.

It's funny how an industry making massive profits where revenue is rising at the rate of 5-8% yearly and with anti-trust exemptions allowing functional monopolies can't possibly find any way to make any money in the free market.

How nice of Joe to stand up for America's endangered insurance company profits.

Just in case some friend of a friend of a nameless aide ever sees this, keep telling yourself that voters are going to reward Democrats that block health care reform and maintain the status quo. That worked so well in 1994, after all.