Obamacare for Thee, But Not for Me

If Obamacare was a good thing, everyone would want it, right? Well, among those who know it best, um, not so much:

In the health debate, liberals sing Hari Krishnas to the "public option" -- a new federal insurance program like Medicare -- but if it's good enough for the middle class, then surely it's good enough for the political class too? As it happens, more than a few Democrats disagree.

On Tuesday, the Senate health committee voted 12-11 in favor of a two-page amendment courtesy of Republican Tom Coburn that would require all Members and their staffs to enroll in any new government-run health plan. Yet all Democrats -- with the exceptions of acting chairman Chris Dodd, Barbara Mikulski and Ted Kennedy via proxy -- voted nay.

In other words, Sherrod Brown and Sheldon Whitehouse won't themselves join a plan that "will offer benefits that are as good as those available through private insurance plans -- or better," as the Ohio and Rhode Island liberals put it in a recent op-ed. And even a self-described socialist like Vermont's Bernie Sanders, who supports a government-only system, wouldn't sign himself up.

"I'm a socialist; I'm not crazy."

Not unrelated: my brother got a hip joint replaced this morning - by a talented doctor who works hard and cares for his patients. He would still be talented if he worked for Obama, but it's nice to know he will benefit personally from doing a good job this morning.

If you need any work done, maybe now would be a good time to get on it, before your doctor gets forced to work for the same people who brought you the Department of Education.