Pundits To Set Your Watch By

by Patrick Appel

Kristol predictably tells Republicans to kill health care reform. Joe Klein has seen this play before:

The sun rises in the east. The sky is blue. Bill Kristol advises Republicans to vote against health care reform. The first time he tried this, in 1994, he established a reputation for tactical "brilliance," as he managed to intimidate Bob Dole--whose life was saved by government health care--into opposing the Clinton effort. The Republicans stonewalled and won. But that was then. The conservative tide was still flowing strong. It's ebbing now, although many Congressional Democrats haven't figured that out yet. And Kristol acknowledges the new landscape: he tries the hilarious dodge of suggesting that Republicans kill this year's effort and support reform next year.

Ezra Klein partially agrees with Kristol.