Buried on the second page of Politico's "don't believe the post-election conservative hype" article, this is going to have Mickey Kaus positively tickled. Couple it with how death panels got reinserted into House legislation, and everything old really does seem new again:

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs insisted Wednesday that the White House plans no changes whatsoever in its legislative strategy or agenda as a result of this week's contests. However, a White House aide told ABC that the administration will seek to bolster moderates by returning to an argument that health care reform will curb the deficit -- a talking point Obama aides have de-emphasized in recent months in favor of a focus on making the insurance system more secure and predictable.

The way I remember it, Obama aides de-emphasized Orszag's bend-the-cost-curve argument because it wasn't true. It wasn't true before Pelosi started outright lying about the cost of the House bill. It won't be true after politicians incite populist resentment against people who "choose" to be unhealthy - smokers, drinkers, people with dietary choices that Bay Area scolds frown upon, etc. Private ambulances are adding surcharges for obese patients. I'm just hoping they never discover that sex kills just like alcohol and obesity.

Six or seven years into nationalized health care - when citizens have to choose between higher taxes or scapegoating the overweight guy next door - won't that be a pleasant public sphere? I'm especially interested to see how the left handles the soda drinkers they're looking for excuses to tax. The race-infused classist condescension, already on display in some of our more refined liberal outlets, is going to be exquisite.

In fairness, that little dig about fashionable Bay Area health fads was probably unfair. Democrats are floating taxes on wine along with their sin taxes on beer. So it's not like they're being elitist.

References and related after the jump...