Max Baucus took some time to speechify to the good people of CAP on health reform today. He didn't say much that readers of this blog haven't heard, but this was important, coming on the heels of the new deficit projections:
Last week, CBO released its estimate of the President's budget. Included in that estimate was a projection of future budget deficits that we face as a nation.The picture is bleak. Deficits are higher and continue longer than we had expected. The economic conditions facing our country are severe. Unemployment is rising. Families are struggling to make ends meet. Many are losing their homes.But this economic uncertainty does not dampen the urgency of health care reform. Indeed, the economic downturn contributes to the urgency for health care reform.
Not a surprise, but a useful restatement of principle. On the other hand, he'll probably take some heat for telling Karen Tumulty that he views the public plan as little more than a bargaining chip to keep the insurers scared and cooperative. I guess you can't fault the guy for being honest, but it's the sort of honesty that seems both likely to cause him problems and to reduce the effectiveness of his strategy. Baucus's full remarks follow the jump.
