FIRST TAKES
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Pelosi Plan Finds Foes on Left, Right
Liberals say it's too conservative, and conservatives say it's too liberal
By John Johnson
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Posted Oct 29, 09 3:43 PM CDT
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(Newser)
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Some early takes from the left and right on Nancy Pelosi's health care bill:
- Tevi Troy, National Review: This will offend states, employers, budget hawks, insurers, even liberals who don't think it's "robust" enough. "The Pelosi approach is an impressive demonstration of coalition building—if you’re trying to build a coalition of opponents."
- Jon Walker, Firedog Lake: Gee thanks, Blue Dogs. By forcing Pelosi to scrap the idea of tying the public option to Medicare rates, this results in a "huge victory for the health insurance industry, hospitals, and PhRMA."
- John Nichols, the Nation: "The compromise was even more compromised than had been expected." Pelosi's plan is a "big, big victory for the insurance industry" and will "undermine the ability of the public option to compete."
- Chris Good, Atlantic: Not so fast: "It was a compromise that appears to have mostly upside: it could gain Pelosi some support from moderates, but it appears not to have cost her any support from liberals."