Don’t be surprised at the force of “win at any cost” by the Dems. They’ve staked their entire reputation of governance on getting this through. They’ll sacrifice any one or several parts of what is in this bill to get something on the scoreboard. What do they have? The stimulus? It’s being torn apart by both conservative economists who see it as a huge disruption in the market and liberal economists who think it wasn’t enough.

They basically have delivered absolutely nothing to those who voted them into power. I really believe the leadership on the Left basically written off 2010 as a bloodbath, they’re quite willing to sacrifice both sections of this bill and even more of their rank and file in the House by shoving this through.

What we have to do is try to convince enough of those rank and file that they will survive if they vote against this thing. A very tall order but one I think can be done; perhaps fewer threats that we’ll “target” them if they vote for the bill and more “we’ll focus most of our efforts elsewhere if you vote against this” from our leadership.

The House can pretty much kill all amendments through their Rules Committee. In the Senate I believe they usually tend to limit by mutual agreement the number of amendments to be offered.

I’ve got to believe that the GOP will include an amendment for the doc fix, else why would they (and a number of Dems) kill it as a separate bill or as an amendment to some unrelated bill?

Since it immediately adds $250B to the CBO score, it will help kill the bill.

If Coburn is going to have the bill read after every amendment, then won’t Reid just cut off the number of amendments?

I read the original, but your synopsis (especially item 3) buoyed my spirit.

Thanks for your take, as well as the chuckle.

I like our odds!

Here’s what they are planning. A devious plan.

It takes 60 votes to get any bill to the floor. Once to the floor they will water it down and make it seem benign to get the votes they need. The Seantors can then say they didn’t vote for the bad stuff.

Then when it goes into conference because it has to in order to be put with the house bill, they will add all the stuff back in along with dreams the left has had for years.Then it only needs 51 votes.

America, our freedom is the envy of the world. We must work together to fight for it once again.

Call all Senators and tell them NO BILL TO THE FLOOR, PERIODl. Even if they are not your own Senator, call. (I tell them they may not be my state senator but they are deciding for all Americans)

The One cannot fail: his obsessive hatred of American business is matched by Reid’s and Pelosi’s hatred of it. If you have read MAObama’s books, or at least the tomes with his name on them, you know that his hatred of American business is one of his main motivators: businesses oppress people, profits are unfair, if not just plain thievery, and so every business must be taught a lesson!

And in MAObama’s sick mind insurance companies who feed off sick people are the worst!

Lying, back-room maneuvering, nuclear option to avoid filibusters, etc. any means will be used. This bill is not D.O.A.

Reid and company will use any means to pass a FedGov take-over of health insurance. Falling numbers in polls will mean nothing.

Fight it with all means possible, (I hope my fears are proven wrong), but brace yourselves for defeat and a shock wave throughout the economy…if any economy is left functioning…and a psychological shock wave affecting the future of America.

And to understand MAObama and why logic or sensible politics will never stop his obsessions…check out those books! To defeat your enemy, know him inside out.

Not being a Senate rules guru, I’m having difficulty understanding the 51 votes vs 60 requirement. Can someone please help me out? Can the Dem’s pull a fast one using the lesser requirement of 51 votes in any way, shape or form to RAM this through? Thanks in advance.

The first strike should be to have the entire bill read, as Senator Coburn has threatened to. I have written the Georgia Senators Chambliss (*replied at length) and Isakson, asking them to help Sen. Coburn lead in this regard.

The second strike coming form Erick’s strategy below, is a brilliant strategy once “on the field”. It speaks to Dan’s #3 of this post, but offering meaningful amendments. (From Erick’s diary back on Tuesday, http://www.redstate.com/erick/2009/11/10/if-health-care-becomes-about-abortion-or-any-other-issue-but-freedom-we-lose/ )

“Mandates must come out because government should not force people to purchase health insurance. The public option must come out because it will destroy competition and intentionally undermine contracts between private entities. Triggers must be abandoned because Obama will have every incentive to trigger the trigger. Payment restrictions to doctors must come out because government should not set wages for doctors. It must be a game of subtraction.

After the GOP is done demanding things come out, not be ameliorated or added, there will be no bill left that the left can support. Additionally, the GOP must orchestrate a strategy to put Democrats up for election in difficult positions — offering up amendments that the Democrats cannot say no to, but that take away votes from the overall legislation once agreed to.”

Meanwhile, I’m racking and stacking a target list of those “Aye” votes last Saturday, whittling down The 220 ( http://www.redstate.com/hammer2008/2009/11/08/the-220/ ). Suffice to say, 37 are either Freshman or Sophomore congressmen (a few replacements interim, like NY23′s Owen) and another 13 are more entrenched incumbents who could be defeated lacking the 2008 Obama “coat tails”.

My full findings should be up on Friday.

and yes, killing mandates will also kill the bill

The problem on Obamacare in the Senate is not the BlueDogs.

It is Graham, Snowe, Collins, and McCain.

It could pass in a watered-down form with some GOP Senators but be just as devastating to healthcare and the economy/jobs.

They will use budget reconciliation and jam it through. The parliamentarian is a staffer, not a senator, he isn’t going to rule anything out of order. The Dems have publicly had the fix in on this strategy for months, I don’t understand why people think this won’t pass — grabbing 1/6th of the economy is way, way too important a chance for them to pass up. So they lose a couple members, maybe even the House — in the long run, this turns us into Europe forever and will move the country left, the Dems know it, they WILL use budget reconciliation.

, but what makes you think the Republicans will stand steadfast? Some are quite liberal. Some could be bought. Big government gets bigger because big government begets bigger government, and because legislators feel compelled to legislate. We would be better off if we just gave all of them a million dollars each and a 365 day vacation. It would certainly cost the taxpayers less.

Pelosi and Reid both BELONG to Obama. They will try every trick they can to push this down our throats. And if that means extorting a few votes and buying a few more, then up pops the devil and the bill goes through.

We hate Osama bin Ladin, We distrust Iran and North Lkorea. Yet we elect as President the most dangerous man on the planet.