The proposal isn't flawless, but it's not a bad start. All well and good, but the real danger is that the White House's messenger may taint the message. The author of the framework is Ira Magaziner - a man perhaps best known as the chief architect of Bill Clinton's failed health care reform. That proposal went down in flames, and today many see Magaziner's name as synonymous with elaborate bureaucratic boondoggles. Magaziner insists he has no such scheme in mind.
Health care is very different from the Internet.
The Internet is a whole different ball game. With the Internet, you have a medium that functions as an almost perfect market. The proposed policy could also bring a sort of redemption for Magaziner, who still seems nettled by the failure of his health care plan. When talk- ing about the Net, Magaziner speaks in careful, dispassionate tones. But mention health care, and he leans forward in his seat, clearly animated and slightly agitated.