HEALTH POLITICS: The Long View -- Why History Propels Democrats' Reforms

David Rogers, now with POLITICO, formerly of the Wall Street Journal, may be the least chatty reporter in Washington (trust me, I sat about 5 feet away from him for 12 years in the Senate Press Gallery... although I suppose if you averaged his taciturnity with my extroversion, you would have had two average chat-ers). He's also one of the best and clearest-thinking. He has institutional memory and historical context often lacking in the 24/7 rush-rush of much of the media today. So while so many people are hyperventilating about whether two off-year GOP gubernatorial wins will spell doom for health reform, David comes up with this reassuring and well-reported story, "Dems want to seize historic moment."

Health care is big for House Democrats: big like Social Security in the '30s and civil rights in the '60s, big like the war stories retold now in party caucuses as lawmakers grapple with the floor vote that is just days away.

All politicians live in the present -- or risk perishing, as seen Tuesday night. But history also sits on the shoulders of Democrats these days, and having failed to act on health care in 1994 -- and then having lost power -- they feel an almost inexorable push to seize this moment before it slips away.

Turning back "would be an absolute disaster," House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) told POLITICO Wednesday. "I can tell you right now, if we don't pass this bill, I don't care who you are; if you have a D behind your name and this bill has not been passed, you are in tremendous peril next year

It's a great and thoughtful piece, vintage Rogers with anecdotes about obscure congressional races of the 1930s, when Social Security was enacted. The backlash against the New Deal, you may recall, brought us Father Coughlin... the prototype for today's right wing bloggers, Fox Newsers and Tea parties...

Let's hope the House's sense of history helps jittery Senate centrists get centered.