As with any bill jerked around for half a year in the democratic process and packed with side-deals, last week's momentous health care legislation has its perks and its flaws. There's still no public option, but recent college graduates will soon be able to ride their parents' insurance until they turn 27. Meanwhile, the pro-choice movement made no headway when it comes to a woman's right to have an abortion--if anything, they lost ground.
With any disaster comes opportunity. And while it is difficult to see any silver lining right now through the oil-slicked, devastated waters of the Gulf of Mexico, something good may come of the spill. It may help stop a highly problematic piece of legislation--the American Power Act, better known as the cap-and-trade bill.