Let's get Part I of health care reform done. To do this the Senate should pass the bill that the House sent up, with no changes.
THEN start the fight for the next phase of health care reform. There should be an alternative to the mandate to buy insurance from big insurance companies -- a public option or Medicare Buy-In.
For the rest of the year, progressives should answer attacks on health care reform by answering, "And that's why we need a public option, Medicare Buy-In." Make it a choice between scrapping the bill -- and getting rid of things the public wants such as prohibiting denial of insurance for pre-existing conditions, and prohibiting companies from cancelling policies as soon as someone gets sick -- and making the bill better with a public option.
