The Democrats didn’t even try to push universal healthcare. They chatted about it slightly and then quickly decided that they really wanted Obamacare. We all know that it was an intentional handout to the insurance companies, and you can blame obstructionist Republicans if you like, because they certainly did exist, but the Democrats were happy with what they got.

And I think it’s extra clear that the Democrats were more than happy to please their corporate funders because of how they handled the big bank bailout around the same time.