Winston Churchill said that, "In war you can only be killed once, but in politics, many times." Warfare and politics have always shared certain common elements. As battles became more complex and further geographically from the generals prosecuting the campaign, they learned that early reports from the battlefield were better – or sometimes worse – than actual events. To gain a better understanding of the reality of their actions, and to plot their next moves, they began using a process known as "battle damage assessment"
In the wake of Sunday's House votes, it may be wise for everyone to take a page from the military and step back a bit to see what it looks like when the dust settles. Democrat leaders have made it clear that they see this as a first step. Republicans have promised to "fix" this bill (and its offspring in the Senate reconciliation process), and the insurance companies are going to have to adapt.
