Paul Starr’s analysis of the stalled health insurance reform bill, “Underrating Reform”, suggests that the compromises and concessions made by the Democrats in Congress “to get something passed” in no way diminishes the legislation’s significance. I agree. But not for the reason you might think.

This “stunning historical achievement” succeeds in shining a bright light on “pay to play” politics in Washington and on the spinelessness of the “so-called” Congressional Progressive Caucus. And when the public option finally succumbed to the chopping block, as many of us knew it would, then even “progressives” such as Howard Dean joined the ranks of liberals calling for the President to “start from scratch.”

Professor Starr goes on to assert “the legislation would be a major advance in two important respects…it would boost the living standards of low-wage workers…and improve economic security for the middle class.” A Medicaid expansion would, indeed, improve living standards for low-wage workers. The same is true of the SCHIP expansion that Congress passed in 2007. This clearly improved conditions for many of the country’s poorest children. And it passed without need to resort to reconciliation.

I disagree, however, that the proposed legislation would be a boon to the middle class. That simply defies history. We have only to look to the experiences of the citizens of Massachusetts to see that mandates to purchase private health insurance, subsidized by taxpayers’ money, has been a bust, not a boon, to these families. It has created a population that is underinsured and now has lost its safety net hospitals and providers. Only the private health insurance industry benefits from mandates and subsidies.

What is most distressing, but predictable, about Prof. Starr’s analysis is his vilification of those darn “pie-in-the-sky” liberals who won’t go along with progressive incrementalist spin but, instead, persistently focus the light on shameless influence-peddling by corporate lobbyists and meaningless posturing by progressive Democrats.

Cheap shot, Professor Starr.