Booker backs 'Medicare for All' but pledges 'pragmatist' approach

[brooklynite]

Politico

Sen. Cory Booker on Sunday said he'd take incremental steps to overhaul the American health care system rather than push through "Medicare for All" if elected president.

Despite his support for the proposal, the New Jersey Democrat told CNN host Jake Tapper that his experience as mayor of Newark, N.J., taught him, "You don't let your purity of what you're looking for undermine urgent results needed right now for the people in your community.

"I stand by supporting Medicare for All," he said. "But I'm also that pragmatist that when I'm chief executive of the country ... I'm going to find the immediate things that we can do."

Booker's comments underscore the tensions playing out in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary between progressives pushing sweeping economic proposals and moderates saying that more incremental moves will be necessary if the party wins back executive power in Washington.

[theaocp]

1. The tranquilizing drug of incrementalism.

Ah, but at least we keep the purists at bay. So much inspiration.