The stupid tax debate versus talking about the benefits of Obamacare

The stuff in this video is the debate worth having'not stupid tax semantic arcana Yes, there's no tax on the middle class, even though there is a tax penalty on would-be freeloaders.

And yes, if you insist on calling that tax penalty a tax on the middle class (which it plainly is not), then you are sliming Mitt Romney because he did the same thing in Massachusetts (and doesn't call it a tax).

But for crying out loud, can we take a step back for a moment and realize that to effectively sell Obamacare we need to spend more time talking about what Obamacare delivers'and the real people benefiting from it'and less time beating back Republican nonsense about what it doesn't do?

Sure, we need to battle Republican disinformation, but nobody in their right mind is going to support Obamacare merely because it doesn't impose a broad-based tax. Nobody is going to support it merely because it has a mandate enforced through a tax penalty on people trying to make everyone else pay for their health care.

The reason people will support Obamacare is because it will give every American access to affordable health insurance. It makes sure that insurers cannot screw over people who have the misfortune of getting sick. In short, Obamacare will save lives and make people healthier. Obamacare is just a start'there's more to be done on health reform'but for the first time in our nation's history our nation has accepted in its laws the moral obligation to ensure every American can get quality health care. And that's an amazingly good thing.

10:13 AM PT: As Greg Sargent reports, Republicans will keep on flogging the tax debate even though Romney's contortions on the issue makes them look foolish. They really would rather talk about nonsense than the real, tangible benefits that Obamacare will deliver.