The Return of 42

From the Washington Times:

“In all likelihood, Mr. Clinton warned Mr. Obama (again) not to repeat his 1993 mistake of allowing mounting opposition to torpedo his grand plans to overhaul health care. Like Mr. Obama, Mr. Clinton was a young Democratic president, with stars in his eyes and idealism on his shirtsleeve. Also just as today, the American people overwhelmingly opposed what he and Hillary Rodham Clinton wanted to do. The result: the total collapse of HillaryCare and loss of Democratic control of the House in 1994.

“You can hear Mr. Clinton telling Mr. Obama: “I was right where you are – enemies on my right, enemies on my left. The vultures were circling. And man – Hillary was on my case. What else is new? But I digress. Don’t let the sons of guns get you. Don’t let ’em tear down my, er, our dream. Mark my words: You will lose more seats in Congress, maybe even party control like I did, if this thing dies. Grab 51 votes in the Senate and do reconciliation if you have to. Stop looking like a potted plant and steamroll ’em.”

“Mr. Clinton gave similar advice several weeks ago, when he alighted on the Senate Democratic caucus to remind its members of the dire consequences he and the party suffered when HillaryCare failed. However, Mr. Clinton refuses to see the biggest reason for his party’s implosion in 1994: It was precisely because the Democrats even tried to pass socialized medicine. Mr. Obama seems to be falling because of the same perverse logic that did in Mr. Clinton: that the same American people who overwhelmingly oppose government-run health care would punish the Democrats more if they failed to pass it. It made no sense then, nor does it now. If Mr. Obama takes Mr. Clinton’s advice, we will get this monstrous, Pac-Man-like entitlement that will consume everything in its path.

“Further, if Mr. Obama listens to Mr. Clinton, he’s toast, politically. (On second thought, maybe Bubba gave him that advice for a reason. “Hillary, baby, get on the horn to our fundraisers.”)”