I suppose it'll be time to shift gears soon. I've long said on this blog that much public discussion of wonkery was largely wankery, as with Democrats out of power and with the way Republicans treated the minority party, especially in the House, None Of It Was Actually Going To Happen.
But, now, that's going to change. There's some slight chance we can start having grownup conversations about real policies. I'm not super optimistic that much good can happen over the next couple of years, between bare control in the Senate, obstinate blue dog Democrats in the House, and of course Bush's inevitable newfound love of the veto. However, at the very least some decent legislation - both small and big - can at least be proposed, discussed, and taken seriously.
I've spent some time looking over Ron Wyden's health care proposal. I think it's pretty good, though not perfect. It seems like a reasonable starting point for a discussion at least. Most importantly it puts a marker down to presidential wannabes and motivates them to either support it or come up with their own.
Sadly, the 2008 election will, once again, be largely about Iraq, but there are opportunities for other things. I for one wouldn't mind the various candidates spending some time arguing about who has the awesomer universal health care plan.
