The Democrats have the votes to use budget reconciliation not only to pass Obama’s health care proposal as outlined just prior to the health care summit, but also possibly to add in a public option – or so the messengers would have you believe.
There is a consistent spin being put out by Democrats since the summit to create the illusion of inevitability to the budget reconciliation process being used to pass non-budgetary legislation.
Don’t believe it, or not believe it.
No one really knows if the votes are there, and if so, how the Senate Parliamentarian will rule on such procedural issues. And even then, there are legislative tactics which may be used either to kill the process or to make it even more damaging for Democrats.
The messengers simply are trying to demoralize the opposition, and to give a backbone to those Democrats who are wavering. It’s all spin.
Keep focused on killing the worst piece of legislation “since the Great Depression.”
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Rule By Tyranny. Senator Byrd’s (D-WV) Thoughts on Reconciliation: http://tinyurl.com/yjv67cy.
There is also a link in the story about Senate minority whip Kyl stating that amendments will not be used to slow down the reconciliation process.
If I were a constituent of his, I would ensure he regrets mouthing those words and retracts them immediately. Someone help him find his spine – and his brain. Strategy is not a bad thing and neither is obstruction.
As a good friend of mine says "obstruction in the name of liberty is no vice and cooperation in pursuit of tyranny is no virtue".
I hope Senator Kyle is paying attention.
Seems that way to me too. Seems as if the Dems are trying to convince everyone they are going to pass it, that is their strategy. Hoping to influence everyone into believing it is inevitable. I belive it is far from a done deal. I aslo belive the presidents plan is far more than they expect to get passed, but leaves them plenty of room to 'negotitate' with abortion and other items. That is why the president's plan is more liberal than the House's plan.
Seeing McCain hovering around at last week's Oba-kabuki while messaging that "both parties are very close to a deal", I can't help but worry about another "Gangs of McCain" moment where he snatches another Republican effort out of the jaws of victory to deliver a landmark victory for Dems…. again.
It's first and goal on the 1/2 yard line. Hand off goes to McCain who (gasp) drops back, WAY back looking for a receiver in the end zone. He spins and fires a perfect spiral to the opposing team's star defensive back at the 50-yard line who waltzes in for the winning score as time runs out. Republicans lose again to go 0-16 for the year.
pasadenaphil has got the addle-brained ancient fossil McCain just about right. He doesn't know what's going to come out of his mouth until after he hears what he's just said. Ditto for Twitter.
An Attention Whore with ADD, his plump daughter looks like she's going t carry on the tradition of leading with her chin. Hayworth for U.S. Senate—we can't afford any more Jeffords or Specter half-wit moral lepers in the Republican Party.
I am sure what you say is true. I'm hoping the inevitability of the Democrats losing control of Congress occurs to them before they inevitably succumb to their own inevitable ability to quash the inevitable.
I don't think the House has the votes to pass this albatross of a bill through. The House version barely passed by a simple majority last time 220-215. In order for this flying turd to go through, the House has to gag down the Senate bill. Since the Senate bill passed, the landscape in the House has changed considerably. Jack Murta is at room temperature, Bob Wexler ihas retired, Bart Stupak and Joseph Cao have suddenly grown backbones. All this considered, it still does not include a dozen or so Blue Dog Democrats that are fighting for their political lives. It's going to take one hell of a hail Mary to pull this one out.
If the House goes first and passes the Senate bill — THE SENATE BILL IS LAW. The *ONLY* thing holding it back is Pelosi's promise she will hold the bill until the Senate passes something. Does any person with an IQ in the doubt digits really believe, if the Senate fails to act, that Pelosi will shelve the bill??? Hell no, she'll just forward it on to the White House. Once the House passes the Senate bill, that's it, it's over. We need to focus on defeating it in the House, the Senate actions are basically irrelevant at that point, I can't believe people are arguing the minutia of Senate procedure — I am starting to think it's a deliberate White House strategy to confuse everyone as to what House passage of the Senate bill actually does.
Is it correct that if the House rejects it, then reconciliation is moot, and won't need to be considered?