A conservative debate on health care

This story on the dismay of conservatives who have found that their real ideas about health care reform are being ignored in favor of demonstrably false cries of "death panels," and "euthanasia," is amusing and telling.

“There are serious questions that are associated with policy aspects of the health care reform bills that we’re seeing,” said Gail Wilensky, a veteran health care expert who oversaw the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs for the first President George Bush and advised Senator John McCain in his presidential campaign last year.

“And there’s frustration because so much of the discussion is around issues like the death panels and Zeke Emanuel that I think are red herrings at best,” she said, referring to a health care adviser to President Obama whose views on some issues have been misrepresented by opponents.

The story highlights a couple of issues. One, we all know that serious policy debate is not on the table as Republican leadership in Congress prefers tantrums and the prospect of Obama's "Waterloo" over the government doing something to improve the lives of millions and save our health care system. Second, the conservative complaints cited in the story are based on notions that are easy to refute by looking at what is being proposed. Just as easy as death panels, frankly.

It's a tough position to be in, I admit.