( Note:  If you,ve read this already, forgive me. What with spam problems and poor entry management, I've had trouble getting currently posted).

Let me start by taking a moment to identify my particular place in this discussion:  I'm normally a moderately conservative Democrat - I believe generally in balancing the budget, moving slowly and incrementally toward 'progress' (I DO believe in that, which is how I know I'm not a Republican), a moderated and generally balanced free-market, moderated and generally balanced free-trade, powerful and occasionally agressive national defense, and a whole bushel of other sometimes-contradictory things that some on this board would support, and others would not. There are other areas where I just don't claim to KNOW the answer, and I remain available to be convinced. I don't think 'horse trading' is always by definition a bad thing.  On the whole, I'm probably closer philosophically, and by background, upbringing, and temperament to the so-called "Blue Dogs" than I am to most of the contributors on this site. For purposes of discussion, put me down as a classic FOX.

That stipulated, I think that on this Health Care issue, I'm prepared to cross the river: In my judgement, the scale and significance of this particular matter is such that the usual cautious, split-the-difference calculations that centrists tend to make do not apply in the way that they normally might. We have been  a half-century building to this day, it is a matter of vital national interest (a domestic equivalent to National Security, in my opinion), and we are closer at this moment than we are likely to be in any near-term future to actually making a truly substantive start to doing something  constructive about it. These unique moments must be seized, or the timely window closes - perhaps forever, certainly for a very long time.

I personally would be happy to support universal 'single-payer' with private supplemental discretionary options. I am  convinced that it has worked in actual practice in Canada and other places a lot better than we give it credit for, and (taken overall), better than what we currently have, at LOWER costs.  I'm equally convinced that the day is eventually going to come when we do the RIGHT thing and take it all the way there. Meanwhile, I'm reluctantly willing to support any lesser measure that keeps momentum up, and provides a constructive step in the right direction (by a "constructive step", I mean at MINIMUM, a reasonably-priced basic public insurance 'option' with real bite). 

It seems to me that if we are to actually GET there from here, we have to consider the classic differences between LIONS and FOXES, and further consider which traits are most required to make progress at this special time. We are at one of those historical moments where things might go either way. I see it as a time where priorities must be rearranged: Re-election, bean-counting, philosophical quibbles, personal feuds, financial contributions, even party dominance, may have to be set back in the line. In normal times, these are all valid considerations, the sort of things that foxes routinely concern themselves with in their everyday business.  However, it seems to me that these are not normal times, and this is not a normal issue. This is one of those rare, exhilarating grand moments when it seems actually almost sensible to risk EVERYTHING, throw away the gloves, cut your retreat, and give it all you have to win. There are certain critical moments when even the possibility of losing is not as bad as failing to try your best for what you think is right. 

This is a moment made for the lion, and I'm asking people like me who  normally think a lot like foxes to change their usual way of doing business. It's time to take a personal risk for the greater good of the whole, and get on board the train to the future.  

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