Oregon and a handful of other states trying to navigate the choppy seas of comprehensive health care reform felt their sails go slack on Tuesday when a promising bipartisan effort in California unexpectedly sank. The surprising failure of California’s ambitious $14.9 billion plan stunned health care reform advocates throughout the nation and brought into sharp focus the myriad obstacles facing any state hoping to effect more than incremental health care improvements. The highest hurdle, as always, is the staggering amount of money a state needs to extend decent health care to all - or even most - of its citizens. But even if money to pay for such plans were no object, threats to the profits of major stakeholders in the existing system offer incentive enough for ferocious opposition. The heavy hitters in the health care industry have enormous political clout. All eyes were on California’s far-reaching legislative proposal to overhaul a health care system burdened by 5.1 million uninsured residents. But a yearlong effort on the part of Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez collapsed when the state Senate Health Committee voted 7-1 to kill the bill. The bill would […]