Posted on 11/19/2009 6:10:41 PM PST by Free ThinkerNY
Senate Republican aides say that Harry Reid has scheduled the first vote on his health-care bill for Saturday night for 8:00 p.m. after 10 hours of floor debate. Ed Morrissey notes that registered voters oppose the House health care bill 51 percent to 35 percent; a poll done by the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling shows registered voters oppose "President Obama’s health care plan" 52 percent to 40 percent.
All eyes are on Democratic senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska to see if he will vote Saturday night on the motion to proceed. Nelson is threatening to filibuster the final bill over funding of abortion and the "public option," but he's said this about voting on the motion to proceed:
the meaning of the motion to proceed is very simple:
It’s a motion to commence debate and an opportunity to make changes.
Let me say it again: it is a motion to start debate on a bill and to try to improve it.
If you don’t like the bill, then why would you block your own opportunity to amend it? Why would you stop senators from doing the job they’re elected to do—debate, consider amendments, and take action on an issue affecting every American?
If Senator Nelson is really dead-set against things like taxpayer-funding of abortion, it would make sense to vote against the motion on Saturday night.
(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...
What’s with Congress voting on these things late on a Saturday night? First the House votes late on a Saturday night, and now the Senate will have a vote on a Saturday night? And Congress is famous for working Tuesday through Thursday.
So a 2000+ bill is produced on a Thursday, and theoretically these senators will have read the bill before they vote on it, right?
Does Congress realize how stupid they look? Agree or disagree with a bill, it appears that we can’t even expect that these members will read and understand what the heck they are voting on, before the Democrat leaders expect a vote.
We’re all getting a good civics lesson as we see this proceed. Sadly it’s a sad civics lesson. They don’t even teach civics in school anymore; probably not politically correct to do so.
Treason.
If you read Nelson’s comments closely, he will vote for cloture, to shut down debate and get over the 60 vote hurdle, and then he’ll vote against the bill to cover his you know what so he can say back home, “But I voted against it!” Get rid of this guy.
While the President needs over three months to develop an Afghanistan policy and months to choose a dog. Where is the outrage at the rush?
The GOP risks losing major face on this vote and they don’t even realize it.
They need to block this and if they roll over they are lame ducks walking as far as the voters are concerned.
On “The Senate Doctors Show,” Senator Tom Coburn, M.D., and Senator John Barrasso, M.D., discuss the 2074-page Senate Democrats’ health care reform bill. They’ll be reading and digesting the bill before Saturday night’s vote.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fgbSqQxyMQ
Stupid? More so than the sheep who continue to put up with their crap past the point of no return? More than the idiots who not only re-elect them, but who wink at their robbery? Right now, they aren't the stupid ones. Venal, yes. Smug, yes. Stupid, no... and they're laughing their asses off.
They don't fear us, therefore they don't respect us.
Mr. niteowl77
Joe Leiberman and Blanche Lincoln are our best chance. Arkansas where sge currently leads by 2 points in 2010 “if she votes against Health Care, but if she helps pass Health Care she is down by 12 points.” Arkansas State polls on Health Care are 69% against and 24% for. She needs to be called by people from Arkansas.
Oooooooo...the suspense builds.....NOT!!!!
These Democrats are so phoney it's pathetic. They will pass it and then reconcile it in the middle of another Saturday night with 51 votes with 9 Democratic Senators saying "It's too extreme." Blah, blah, blah.
Our goal will be to kick them out next November and repeal it. I hope Ben Nelson and the rest of them are ready to join the unemployment lines.
I’m in Nebraska. I keep e-mailing and calling his office. Hope it helps!
Just more smoke and lies. Nelson will vote for it.
someone needs to photoshop reid into a grinch costume for christmas
The only question is...can "dingy harry" obtain 60% approval from his fellow senators??
If yes....then we do have problems.
If the GOP isn't even in the room, it makes little difference.
Cloture is not dependent on getting 41 votes against it, but on 60 votes for it.
If there are only Democrats (and independents) in the chamber, Reid still needs 60 votes (that is, all of them).
“Does Congress realize how stupid they look?”
You presuppose they care how stupid they look. In their mad pursuit of CONTROL, looks don’t mean diddley... They seek only to secure their control over you and me and all the others folks in the US and extend their socialist nightmare across the whole spectrum of life in America.
They only look stupid to those of us who see them for the commie crud they truly are...and we couldn’t muster a majority in the last election cycle.
It’s time to take back the country.
Back in ‘93, there was another Nebraska senator by the name of John Kerrey. He was considered the deciding vote on Bill Clinton’s stimulus package.
For a whoole week, Kerrey wouldn’t let on as to how he was gonna vote. He’s appear at these press conferences and make all kinds of deep-thinking facial expressions as though he were truly conflicted over his vote. I remember it too well and frankly, it was sickening to watch.
In the end, he fell in line and cast the deciding vote FOR the stimulus package. He said he couldn’t stand in the way of his President.
I suspect that when push comes to shove, Ben Nelson will do the same.
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