THE POLITICAL VORTEX THAT IS HEALTH CARE REFORM

The national health-care debate began shrouded in mystery, with bitter, one-sided attacks and, to put it kindly, an exaggeration. While convening a secret task force outside of the normal bounds of government, Bill and Hillary Clinton vilified the insurance and pharmaceutical industries and promised health-care reform that would both necessitate no new taxes and lower the nation's deficit. After some hemming and hawing, Republican leaders came out blasting almost any idea initiated by the president and first lady.

From that unfortunate beginning, health-care debate in Washington has been as much about politics as anything else. Today, House and Senate majority leaders forthrightly explain their goal is rushing together the most liberal bill that will get them 218 and 51 votes -- the bare minimums -- and calling it a health-care reform victory. This is no way to rewrite laws that not only impact one-seventh of the U.S. economy, but also touch intimately the lives of all Americans, especially since some consensus reigns on dealing with the most pressing health-care issues: portability, the elimination of pre-existing conditions, affordability and access.

Instead of intensifying the partisan firebattle and pushing a plan that even some within his own administration concede might bankrupt the American economy, the president should refocus on the real goal: reducing the number of uninsured Americans while not penalizing those already insured. A latent consensus exists on Capitol Hill among Republicans and Democrats to do just that through insurance reform, some genuine subsidies for the poor and encouragement for managed competition. Once these bipartisan first steps are taken, if Mr. Clinton is still persuaded that a government-controlled plan is better, he should renew the debate after this fall's elections in a more reasoned and reflective manner. To do so would display ability on his part to govern as a president rather than to just campaign incessantly to be one.

On its current course, the health-care debate promises to make a mockery of deliberative government as Congressional leaders force votes on complicated bills that haven't been written yet, much less read and analyzed. At the same time, the debate erupts into more strain and conflict as controversial points are aired in a heated rush, setting Americans against Americans on difficult issues that deserve debate, but in a less anxious and hysterical atmosphere.

Case in point is the issue of whether or not government should pay for contraceptives and abortions. Coverage for these items are in the Clinton health plan, a fact that viscerally offends many Americans who would be forced to pay for something -- most specifically, all abortions -- that they find morally reprehensible. We agree that such forced payments of abortions would be repugnant and caution the president about bribing this issue through. But that isn't the point here. Abortion coverage is but one flashpoint in the current debate. Better to deal now with the issues that have broad agreement rather than to try to manipulate an ill-conceived plan to passage by the slimmest of margins.

Of course, the president sees himself in something of a pickle. Fearful that Democratic losses in Congressional elections this fall will weaken his power on Capitol Hill, he is pushing for whatever he can get now. What Mr. Clinton fails to realize is that Democrats are facing congressional losses specifically because of how he has handled health care as well as other issues. Support for his plan is running well behind opposition. Instead of trying to defy the American people as he is doing, he would be wiser to listen to them. Then his party wouldn't be in such trouble, and his own popularity rating, which doesn't get much above 40 percent anymore, might rebound.

It isn't too late to put together a meaningful health-care reform bill that will pass. From plans drafted by Democrat Jim Cooper to Republican Bob Dole, there are many points that have found solid majority backing on Capitol Hill, points that would go a long way toward solving many of today's problems. Unfortunately, the president seems willing to risk accomplishing these points in favor of something the American people have said they don't want. That is a shame not only for him, but also for the country.