Why we should thank Arlen Specter

Imagine Obama had fewer Democratic Senators to work with on health care. House liberals would have been told to keep their fantasies in check. Democratic Senate leaders would have negotiated with real commitment with moderate Republicans, instead of proceeding with a “we like you but we don’t need you” mentality. And the final unsavory and unsightly deals would probably have been cut with Senate Republicans, rather than with members of the President’s own party. The final package would have been less than libs wanted, but it would have arrived.