Competition — whether it’s in the marketplace of products or the marketplace of ideas — benefits the consumer. Landrieu vs. Jindal is a great example of what happens when policymakers must defend their ideas and compete for the support of constituents: we become better informed.
Politico.com reports that, “in a defiant floor speech” during which her voice “quivered” at one point, Sen. Mary Landreiu is defending the $300 million Lousiana Purchase she negotiated with congressional Democrats and the president that led to her “yes” vote on the Senate health care bill. She says it wasn’t done in secret and it wasn’t a condition of her vote. She then called out Gov. Bobby Jindal, saying he has always supported a Medicaid fix.
With that shot, Jindal responded with his own defiant statement, saying you “would have to live in a cave” not to know he opposed the congressional health care bill and that efforts to fix Medicaid should “stand on its own merits.”
I hope they both keep talking — the more information the better as this country charts a path toward improving the health insurance system in this country.
