Aug. 26 Daily News editorial

News that some Democratic lawmakers support using their majorities in Congress to push through a sweeping health care reform plan shouldn’t come as a surprise or cause great alarm.

Voters in November put Democrats in clear control. The party sees that as a mandate and would be foolish to do anything other than push its and President Obama’s agenda. Yes, bipartisan support for whatever bill emerges would be ideal, but that goal was likely not achievable from the start.

But as Democratic Rep. Brian Baird of Vancouver and other members of Congress know, party politics will only go so far. Eventually, each elected representative must answer to voters in his or her district or state on the merits or whatever bill becomes law.

During his town hall meeting in Longview last week, Baird said he has not yet decided how he will vote on health care reform. That is the prudent position to take at this point, considering those reform efforts are still very much a moving target.

Whatever plan does emerge deserves careful scrutiny from lawmakers. It also deserves a thorough and level-headed public airing. If Democrats choose to push a plan through without Republican help it should not be done with undue haste.

Passions are running high in both directions when it comes to health care reform. Both passing and opposing reform plans carries with it political risk, so there really isn’t anywhere to hide.

There does, however, seem to be widespread agreement that our health care system is seriously flawed and in need of some sort of repair, if not complete overhaul.

Too many people, both hard-working and not, are being left behind. Their ability to access care is threatened by skyrocketing costs and inadequate or patently unfair insurance practices.

Democrats and Obama have the ability to bypass Republicans on this and any other issue. Their biggest challenge is keeping skittish members of their own party in line if they hope to accomplish any major reform.

Republicans, meanwhile, can say they have ideas that make more sense both fiscally and socially, but they hardly showed the political will to put those ideas into action when they held the majorities in Congress during President George W. Bush’s first term. Now, they are left to make their case in a way they hope can result in political pressure on vulnerable Democrats.

It is also important to note, however, that Democrats need to do more than accuse their Republican counterparts of being obstructionists on this and other efforts of the Obama Administration.

Republicans are, after all, the opposition party. In their voter-weakened position they often are left with little power other than to raise objections. If they marched lockstep with all proposals being floated through the president’s office and Congress there would be little sense in having separate parties.

They not only have the right, but they also have the responsibility to air any legitimate concerns they have about government’s role in health care. Dismissing their voices as obstructionism is a disservice to the system. They should not, however, rely on a strategy of empty and alarmist rhetoric that serves only to polarize and confuse the public.

As talk of health care reform works its way toward action, we should remember both Democrats and Republicans have roles to serve. Let’s hope they serve them in a way where the end result is a solution to our problems with health care.