Senate Still Has Time to Get Health Care Reform Bill Right

• By Norman Ornstein
• Roll Call Staff
• Dec. 2, 2009, Midnight

As the Senate takes up health care reform, it is hard to focus on anything else. There are plenty of other worthy topics, like Sen. Robert Byrd’s (D-W.Va.) milestone of service (and the absurdity of his position high up in the line of presidential succession). Or the fascinating struggles among Democrats over the proper role of the Federal Reserve System (and the appropriate level of Congressional meddling in the Fed’s deliberations and operations). Or the effect of the hacking of climate scientists’ e-mails on climate change legislation in Congress. Or the struggle over how to pay for Afghanistan, including how many ways we can parcel out tax increases on the wealthy.