The revisionist history writers were busy last week. The health care law was “sweeping” and “historic.” Mrs. Pelosi was the “most powerful speaker in history,” and President Obama had cemented his place as “one of the most consequential presidents.” The press, in short, echoed Vice President Biden’s view on the importance of the legislation.

This narrative is fantasy. We are asked to believe that the Democrats achieved a glorious victory when they were able to squeak to passage with only four votes to spare. If Bart Stupak and his colleagues had not sacrificed their consciences and gotten on board, then the speaker would have been impotent and the president a failure? To quote Vice President Biden again, “If we were unable to move the ball on this issue . . . we would have been done, absolutely done.”