I know this will come as a shock — sort of like the Pope being Catholic — but the Dems are admitting they have a “serious problem” with regard to the health bill negotiations, and do not expect to finish until February. From Roll Call: “We’ve got a problem on both sides of the Capitol. A serious problem,” Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) | Read More »
RealClearPolitics has the key parts of Dodd’s statement in a video clip here and CBS News reports the Trillion Dollar President’s approval rating has hit a new low — 46%. Senator Dodd (D-CT) gives his normally rambling comments, among them: “If this is all about surviving politically, then we’re missing the whole purpose of what we’re supposed to be doing,” which is ironic and easy | Read More »
From the Huffington Post, with notes of betrayal: “I believe this is the moment when we must stand as one and say enough,” Service Employees International Union President Andy Stern wrote in a letter to his fellow members. While he stopped short of formally opposing the bill that is making its way through the Senate, he did express outrage over the concessions made to Sen. | Read More »
The Hill is reporting that Senator Sanders is a NO on ObamaCare: Asked by Fox Business Network’s Neil Cavuto asked Sanders if he could support the compromise bill. The senator replied “I’m struggling with this. As of this point I am not voting for the bill. And here’s why.” Sanders, who favors a single-payer healthcare system, said that he has informed the White House and | Read More »
It is clear after watching this video, there is more driving the left’s opposition to ObamaCare than just that the public option is out. For example, Hamsher said in this interview that Senator Lieberman was acting on behalf of the the White House for drug companies and insurers, after she attacked the bill for raising the costs of heath care. (FireDogLake agrees with Howard Dean: | Read More »
H/T erod: From Plum Line, which has published an advance look at a radio interview Howard Dean recorded for Vermont Public Radio. The interviews will air tonight at 5:50 PM: “The gauntlet from Dean — whose voice on health care is well respsected among liberals — will energize those on the left who are mobilizing against the bill, and make it tougher for liberals to | Read More »
Let’s play a what if game, shall we? According to a numerous reports, Senator Reid has caved to Senator Lieberman’s demands — NO public option, NO trigger, NO Medicare buy-in. Senator Reid now needs 60 votes to pull the public option out of the bill. Will all the liberals, the Burris-Sanders-Franken-Brown-Feingold block of Senators, and perhaps others, vote to pull the public option out of | Read More »
Update: The New York Times is reporting: “In a surprise setback for Democratic leaders, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, said on Sunday that he would vote against the health care legislation in its current form.” And on the issue of abortion, the New York Times was equally shocked by Senator Nelson: “On a separate issue, Mr. Reid tried over the weekend to concoct | Read More »
Well, now this is something. The New York Times is actually reporting the Dems still do not have 60 votes, even after Senator Reid’s much trumpeted vapor deal by the MSM (mainstream media): “Democrats do not dispute that they still have not nailed down the 60 votes that will be needed to approve the health care measure.”
In a classic have-it-both-ways-moment, Senator Reid has been selling the media and the public the following story line: in a breakthrough deal we took out the public option, but its not dead. Uh, huh. The deal that was supposed to buy off Senator Lieberman’s opposition to any form of a public option, did not kill the public option. So, if you don’t kill the public | Read More »
It is so important, it bears repeating: “I’ll vote against any bill without a public option,” said Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill. The quote is from ABC News, and right before the Burris-bomb, is this little ticking surprise for Reid: “There are at least two Democrats who say they’ll vote against any bill that does not include a public option, and there may be many more.” | Read More »
Sen. Lieberman is setting steel rebar and hardened concrete around his threat to filibuster the public option. From Politico: “It’s classic politics of our time that if you look at the campaign last year, presidential, you can’t find a mention of public option,” Lieberman said. “It was added after the election as a part of what we normally consider health insurance reform — insurance market | Read More »
Reconciliation strategy for health care reform faces opposition from key Democratic Senators. The great New York Times health care legislative strategy takes a lethal blow — again. As Bloomberg reports: Resorting to a budget procedure called reconciliation would infuriate Republicans and force Democrats to settle for more limited changes, said Jennifer Duffy, senior editor at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report in Washington. “Both procedurally and | Read More »
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