As we watch the healthcare reform debate unfold and move its way toward some conclusion in terms of passing a bill the way many of us think and feel about this process and what has been accomplished will change. However, for some who are just ideologically and politically opposed to this President and any proposal driven by the Democratic party little or nothing will change even if they benefit from particular aspects of this reform. I view the bill as a process that move us forward, not an end point where our healthcare crisis and the burden of debt it places on future generations will be resolved because of it.

Governing, policy formulation, and reform are not static, but dynamic, ever changing, always morphing actions and reactions to the challenges we constantly face. If we can view legislative events as an ongoing process of stops and starts then we can be better advocates for pushing needed changes because we know that creating and implementing policy never ends and can and must be improved over time. Where the danger lies is in stalling and doing nothing, leaving things the way they are with many more lives in debt and ruin. The Daily Dish has an excellent post on polling and healthcare reform titled “Pass. The. Damn. Bill.” that’s worth checking out.

(Also check out the article from Newsweek by Sharon Begley titled “This Won’t Hurt a Bit: How we can save billions by cutting out unnecessary procedures that kill tens of thousands a year.”