Pass the Bill

"Kristol, however, noticed that his party lacked direction, and offered his vision as a way forward. His memo offered a simple and clear response: the GOP had to kill the Clinton reform plan at all costs. The merit of the reform proposal and its ability to improve the lives of Americans was deemed largely irrelevant—Kristol argued that a successful reform effort would position Democrats as the 'protector of middle-class interests,' a fate the GOP could not allow. The Republicans' principal goal, Kristol added, should be to focus on handing the White House a 'monumental setback.' (He declined to use the word 'Waterloo,' but the sentiment was hardly vague.)
"The memo became the basis for the GOP strategy in 1994—it remains the guiding principle of the Republican Party today—and was integral in killing what was thought to be the best chance at passing meaningful reform since the days of Truman. Clinton's approval ratings suffered dramatically; Democrats developed a reputation for being unable to deliver on their own agenda; and less than a year later, Democrats lost their congressional majority. Republicans, far from being punished for their obstructionism, reaped the rewards of health care reform's demise. (Indeed, the public blamed the White House and the Democrats for overreaching, grinding on for months, and having little to show for it — a task made easier when Democrats blamed each other in ways that played into the Republican narrative.)
"As the health care system worsened, the issue of comprehensive reform became toxic for Democrats, and it would be nearly two decades before a president with an impressive electoral mandate, working alongside huge Democratic congressional majorities, chose to take on the domestic policy challenge that has burdened the United States for generations."

Steve Benen in Washington Monthy writes a memo to congressional Democrats.