A Hero of the Fight

If I weren't so cynical, I would say that this is a sign that the health care reform fight, in its radical separation of heroes from cowards, could in and of itself mark a sea-change in Congress.

A few hours after Rep. Dennis Kucinich switched his support to become a critical vote for the health care bill, he took to the House floor to ask wavering colleagues to join him. Astonished colleagues pointed to Kucinich (D-OH) darting from member to member on the House floor yesterday, saying privately they'd never seen him get so involved in whipping a vote.

It's not just progressives he's targeting to keep in the fold, it's everyone, a top Democratic aide told me. Members know that Kucinich - a staunch antiwar liberal long in favor of a single-payer system and often going out on a limb with his own agenda - is setting aside deep ideology to help get something passed. "It's a totally new dynamic. People are realizing he's doing it for history," the aide said.

Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) told me last night in the House Speaker's lobby that Kucinich's support is "a sign of Democrats recognizing how important this is."

"If Kucinich can back this bill after the way he staked out a position against it, it does help show people they can come together too," Frank said.

chimpale commented in response to someone condemning Kucinich:

Kucinich a sellout. Right.

For all that this bill still allows insurance companies to do, near term, it's still a far cry from the status quo. I hope to see Kucinich leading the fight--and being treated as a leader in the fight--to immediately begin improving on the bill after it's signed and to at least get us a public option.

I replied:

Absolutely. Amazing to witness in real-time one of those moments that turns a mere politician into a statesman for the ages.

I bow to no one on my dirty fucking hippie credentials and I'm telling you that this is going to make the single lefti-est member of the House (since Bernie got promoted to the Senate) into a LEADER on transforming this piece of shit into real single-payer.

Kucinich going from a lefty scold everyone ignores to a lefty Conscience everyone respects is going to accomplish far more on health care and many other issues than committing political suicide over admittedly huge subsidies to a dying industry.

Seriously, it's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.