In the second quarter of this year alone, the health insurance industry has reportedly spent $133 million to snafu any meaningful medical reform. The “insurers have played the inside game,” writes Politico’s Glenn Thrush, “spending about $40 million on an army of lobbyists and lavishing campaign contributions on Democrats and Republicans to kill the public option.” On top of that, there is now strong evidence that insurers are behind the “spontaneous” protests directed at Democratic town hall meetings where lawmakers have been pleading the case for that public option.

All of which has us wondering exactly what the fuck Slate’s Jacob Weisberg means when he writes, “[President Barack] Obama started by courting the major interest groups and so far has seen none of the major lobbies—insurers, drug companies, hospitals, or doctors—come out against what he’s trying to do.” Mr. Weisberg makes this point as part of his larger argument—namely, that Mr. Obama has been studiously avoiding the mistakes of former President Bill Clinton, who, according to Mr. Weisberg, committed the sin of challenging “too many interest groups too directly.” And so if Mr. Weisberg—who gives every sign that he is sympathetic to the president’s strategy on health care reform—is correct, and “Team Obama” is indeed “reversing the Clinton playbook,” does this mean that we’re finally going to get the reform we need? Or does it mean that “too many interest groups” have absolutely nothing to worry about?

UPDATE, 3:41 pm: “In spite of the loud, shrill voices trying to interrupt town hall meetings and just throw a monkey wrench into everything, we’re going to continue to be positive and work hard,” says Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, characteristically instilling neither fear nor confidence in anyone.