Writing in the wake of the fix-vote:

Why then, on the eve of the most important domestic policy debate in a generation, are the President’s advisers talking about Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and Fox News? Is this really a common interest and concern among Americans? Would the average voter consider this form of politics to be big or small?
By spending time on juvenile and crass partisan strategies the President’s advisers triangulated the wrong target – their own allies. Their tone and tactics united Republicans (all 40 voted against the doctor fix) and caused 12 key allies to fall away.
The Barack Obama I know and worked with in the Senate (through his initiation) is capable of so much more. America needs that Barack Obama to change the tone and go back to attacking problems rather than personalities.
If he does, he’ll find plenty of friends ready to work with him – old and new. Every Republican wants to enact comprehensive health care reform that lowers costs, improves quality and increases choice. No matter how often our motives are questioned we will be ready to discuss plans like the Patients’ Choice Act, which I’m sponsoring with Senator Burr (R-NC) and Representatives Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Devin Nunes (R-CA), that cover more people than the Democrat plans without pushing our economy off a cliff.