Now the Democrats have lost Susan Estrich...who's next?

It's pretty bad for the Democrats hoping to cram through a massive reform of the entire health insurance industry in just a few weeks when they lose a die-hard Democrat like Susan Estrich. But she's extremely skeptical of this whole health care fantasy that her pals in Washington are trying to peddle to the country.

The idea that somehow you're going to tax the "rich" enough to pay for quality health care for every American who doesn't have it, can't afford it or stands to lose it, not to mention for all of the undocumented aliens who receive it for free now and presumably will continue to in Obama health land, is almost laughable. It's one of those things candidates say in campaigns, ignoring the fact that it doesn't add up. But in a bill that might pass? Add a 5 percent surtax on every small business in the country that makes $250,000 or more? This is going to create jobs? What am I missing?

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office came out with a report this week concluding that the bill being written by House Democrats would increase the deficit and weaken the already weak economy.

Duh.

And she seems to be one of the few Democrats to recognize that most people are happy with their health insurance and are nervous about how changes will affect them.

No one is explaining to people how the big changes in the bill will affect people who have insurance now, which happens to be the overwhelming majority of all Americans (and an even higher percentage of all voters).

Will our premiums and deductibles go up or down? Will our doctors and hospitals be better or worse off? It is simply not credible to tell me that if I like my insurance now, nothing will change. If you turn the health care delivery system on its head and start regulating, mandating and controlling the terms, don't tell me it won't change things.

Changing the tax treatment of insurance benefits changes who gets them and who pays for them. "Controlling costs" means what? Does my doctor have to see more patients? Get more approvals before ordering tests? Order less expensive tests? I don't know a single person who is willing to sacrifice, or even risk, their health care right now to an uncertain plan that they don't begin to understand — except folks in D.C.

And who has confidence that some plan hurriedly cobbled together in order to get recalcitrant votes before a scheduled congressional recess or a midterm election is going to make smooth changes to our system? We're being promised pie in the sky - health care that won't change for all those who like their plans and low-cost health care for everyone, including those who are uninsured now. And no taxes on anyone except for those despicable rich people who should pony up as their patriotic duty. It's a fairy tale and one that won't end with everyone living happily every after.