Obama's continued refusal to even discuss how he's going to pay for his grand schemes is increasingly frightening. It's good to do things, but they have to be paid for. He seems to have completely retreated into a 20th century liberal fantasy world where all expenses can be shunted off to the next generation (or two) and there will be no repercussions or consequences in the future. The $20-30 trillion debt he apparently intends to rack up is not going to do the American economy much good.

"The time has come – this year, in this new Administration – to modernize our health care system for the twenty-first century; to reduce costs for families and businesses; and to finally provide affordable, accessible health care for every American."

Mmmmmmmmm. That's good kook-aid.

I feel like after showing us the menu before the election, the chef, Obama, has just introduced the experienced and committed kitchen and wait staff, with wonderful aromas drifting from the kitchen.

The chef is now indicating first-half 2009 service of the appetizers, salad, and wine, and my mouth is watering.

The bill will be coming later after our tummies are full, but given what the previous chef did to piss my money down the drain, a $100-300 billion health care Obama/Dem. solution sounds pretty good compared to the tasteless Wall Street Crook Bailout brought to us by Bush and Paulson spending spree which contained nothing but empty plates for us plebians that just pay the taxes.

Of course, as everyone predicted, the reporters didn't want to talk "boring health care" but dig for dirt about O's connection to Blago...

I loved the lady from Reuters who was the last reporter O called on who turned to the other reporters in the room and said..

"I know this will disappoint the other reporters here, but I would like to ask a question concerning health care!"

Mike, I don't think that's true. The short answer is that he's going to deficit spend. He's been pretty explicit about his willingness to run up fairly serious short-term deficits out of a conviction that some massive spending (on healthcare, infrastructure, and green jobs, primarily) is both necessary to our long-term fiscal stability and will have at least some short-term stimulative impact on the economy. (Healthcare reform gets health insurance of employers' backs; infrastructure puts people to work; green jobs do the same AND enhance the sustainability of various facets of American life and productivity.) What he HASN'T said, and what it seems like you want him to say, is: "All of my programs will be revenue-neutral." And obviously, saying that would be nuts. I respect the instinct that prizes fiscal austerity, but saying we can't afford health care reform because of the economic crisis is like saying that a house fire is so catastrophic you can't afford a hose.

Think of it this way: If we'd elected Gore in 2000, maybe that nifty surplus would still be around and this wouldn't be such a huge issue. Just something to keep in mind next time.

Gosh Mike...I guess the 7 billion a month that goes down the drain each month from the standing president's illegal and immoral occupation of Iraq doesn't bother you a bit...

But Obama's plan to provide healthcare to all Americans scares the holy hell out of you!

Take your head out of your a** Mike, leave that 19th century conservative fantasy world you live in with Bush, and join the rest of us in the 21st Century!

Hope President-elect Obama is choosing the right persons for certain offices. But I guess he is right in choosing Daschle and Lambrew for the new Health office.

But that does suggest a year one commitment, which syncs with Obama's previous statement that he'd like to send a bill to Congress by March or April.

Why should he even send a bill to Congress? Isn't the lesson of the Clinton fiasco in '94 that the President should send Congress a bare bones list of principles he wants in legislation and let them work out the details?

Ron E. -- I think that goes to Ezra's earlier point that the reason you get a Tom Daschle to do this is so that by the time your bill actually drops on the floor, a solid majority of Congress already knows what's in it, has forged compromises, and signed on. You don't want to just let congress "work out all the details" because that becomes a what's-for-me clusterfuck VERY quickly. (Read Jeff Birnbaum's book about the 1986 tax reform if you don't believe me.) What you want to do is make sure that there's no senator who reads about your bill on A1 of the Washington Post and spits out his morning coffee -- and you REALLY want to make sure there are fewer than 40 such Senators.

Blego should be healthcare czar. He seems good at transfer of wealth issues. Okay, he has a big mouth. But there are machiavellian reasons why he talks that way.

Rahm is going down, even if he stops showing up at The One's pressers. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Pirouette your way into the pokey, wise ass. While we're at it, why not take out Jesse Jr. too since his "emissary" will certainly rat him out when push comes to shove. Of course there will be a lot more wise asses who take a tumble over this. The One had better thank his lucky stars that the prosecution won't go after him.