One of the ways Democrats and President Obama have sought to deflect attention from the growing public opposition to their health care plans is to turn the tables and argue that Republicans are just trying to kill “reform” without offering any alternatives. This argument is problematic on serveral levels. Republicans do not have the votes to kill any legilsation, and in any event, several Republicans have offered alternatives (see here and here). Now, it is true that Republicans as a whole haven’t united around a single alternative bill. However, it’s hypocritical for Democrats to try to criticize them for it given that in 2005, they didn’t offer an alternative to President Bush’s plan to reform Social Security — and still haven’t offered anything on this crucial issue after two and a half years in control of Congress, and six months in control of the White House. Instead, they just attacked Bush’s plan until public support for it collapsed and any chance of passage died. So, Democrats simply have no leg to stand on when they argue that Republicans are being the “party of no” on health care.
