‘How Should Congress Respond?’

Salvation through legislation is the liberal gospel, and Ezra Klein is in the pulpit:

[The murder of Kansas abortion provider Dr. George Tiller] is the final, decisive act in “an ongoing campaign of intimidation and harassment against someone who was providing completely legal health-care services.” That campaign stretched over decades of protests, lawsuits, violence, and, finally, murder. . . .
This was, in other words, a political act. Tiller was murdered so that those in his line of work would be intimidated. In conversations with folks yesterday, I heard well-meaning variants on the idea that it would be unseemly to push legislation in the emotional aftermath of Tiller’s execution. I disagree.
[I]n my view, [it would be] a perfectly appropriate response for the Congress to decisively prove [the murderer's] action not only ineffectual, but, in a broad sense, counterproductive.

Murder is already against the law, but liberals can’t save the world if they let mere facts get in their way.

Obama plans mandatory socialized medicine

Ezra Klein of the (liberal) American Prospect:

I’ve now been able to confirm with multiple senior administration sources that the health care proposal in Obama’s budget will have a mandate. Sort of.
Here’s how it will work, according to the officials I’ve spoken to. The budget’s health care section is not a detailed plan. Rather, it offers financing — though not all — and principles meant to guide the plan that Congress will author. The details will be decided by Congress in consultation with the administration.
One of those details is “universal” health care coverage.

So, despite the economic downturn — the dire, dire crisis — Obama supposes that the federal government can pick up the tab for everybody’s medical bills. This program will be paid for by the Department of Unicorns and Rainbows.

And by the way, doesn’t it make you feel comfortable that the White House is now run by the type of people who have time to return Ezra Klein’s phone calls?

Ezra Klein: Rule 5C

Ezra Klein loves him some big government. But by skillful deployment of Rule 5C, he merits linkage, even if his argument (whatever that argument may be) is entirely without merit.

Policy? Boring. Hotties? Linkage.