Dems Are Stuck With a Mess of Their Own Making

Dems Are Stuck With a Mess of Their Own Making

There's a lively debate going on in the blogosphere and the press about whether Democrats would be better off passing or not passing a health care bill.

Some liberals claim that Democrats would be better off passing a bill, any bill, even if it's unpopular with the general electorate. The idea is to energize the Democratic base, currently demoralized by the prospects of failure. Current polls show Democrats far less enthusiastic and far less likely to vote -- passing a law might change that.

Others, mostly conservatives but also some liberals speaking privately, figure that Democrats would be...