Healthcare

Max Baucus Is Political Poison

An audience at College Park, Maryland boos the president's mention of Max Baucus:

But you know, I'm beginning to see an upside to Baucus. His shitty plan appears to be pushing more and more Democrats towards supporting a bill with a robust public option. Now that they've seen how dangerous and unpopular the centrist Baucus Plan really is, no one is going to want anything close to it.

Also, there was something very awkward and disconcerting about Baucus' press conference Wednesday. Usually a whole gaggle of lawmakers appear to make announcements like this. It not only shows solidarity, but it underscores that Congress is a collective body. Yet there was Max -- all alone -- laying out a healthcare plan that would impact all of us. Max Baucus. Of Montana. Who nobody knows about. I can imagine whole populations of viewers seeing this on the nightly news and saying, "Senator who?"

The guy is a punchline. He's a joke. And the sooner the Senate distances itself from him, the better off we'll all be.