As you may know, the House unveiled a new healthcare bill last week. Reactions have begun to roll in, and the consensus is not unexpectedly… mixed.

— A left-leaning NYT editorial praised the bill:

House Democratic leaders have unveiled a bill that would go a long way toward solving the nation’s health insurance problems without driving up the deficit…. This is a bill worth fighting for.

…. The result would be near-universal coverage at a surprisingly manageable cost to the federal government.

— Mayo Clinic, the group medical practice lauded by Obama, writes in their Health Policy Blog:
Although there are some positive provisions in the current House Tri-Committee bill – including insurance for all and payment reform demonstration projects – the proposed legislation misses the opportunity to help create higher-quality, more affordable health care for patients. In fact, it will do the opposite.

…Unless legislators create payment systems that pay for good patient results at reasonable costs, the promise of transformation in American health care will wither. The real losers will be the citizens of the United States

— A Huffington Post article documents RNC Chairman Michael Steele’s reactions to the bill:

Asked on Monday whether President Barack Obama’s plan for health care reform represented socialism, RNC Chairman Michael Steele didn’t waste words.

“Yes,” he declared, “next question.”

…. Earlier in the address he was equally biting. “This is unprecedented government intrusion into the private sector,” Steele said. “Period. And you can sweeten that anyway you want but it still tastes bitter.”

— Also highlighted on HuffPo , William Kristol, editor of the neoconservative publication The Weekly Standard, argues in a blog post that “Obamacare” should be the new talking point in Republican attacks on Obama’s agenda:

With Obamacare on the ropes, there will be a temptation for opponents to let up on their criticism…. This is no time to pull punches. Go for the kill.

….This is the week to highlight every problem, every terrible provision, in the Democratic bills… drive a stake through [the legislation’s] heart…, and kill it.

….So the constructive part of the message would be: Start Over. We’re not giving up on health reform. Far from it. But the only way to pass health reform is first to get rid of the misbegotten efforts now before Congress.

— Not surprisingly, Obama has praised the bill:

This proposal would improve the affordability, availability and quality of healthcare and represents a major step toward . . . our goal of fixing what is broken about healthcare while building on what works

— Further, Obama has urged action on the bill before the summer recess delays legislation even further, saying: “we’ve talked this problem to death”.