Posted on 01/05/2010 6:14:54 AM PST by Red Steel
President Obama has yet again summoned Democrats from House and Senate leadership to the White House to determine their final strategy to pass some bill that reconciles the disparate healthcare “reform” measures passed by each congressional body. Republicans were not invited to today’s meeting.
Among those expected at the White House either in person or by teleconference are Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca.) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.).
If the majority leadership cannot agree to try to strong-arm the Senate-passed bill through the House without changes by simple majority on a motion to concur, both the House and Senate would have to pass any “compromise” bill with a 60-vote margin required in the Senate to bring debate to an end.
Already, 13 state attorneys general have threatened to sue over the Senate-passed bill over the backroom deals aimed directly at Medicaid relief for some states in the “cash for cloture” deals that garnered the 60 required votes to end debate, allowing for the Christmas Eve vote for passage.
Hill sources relate that the attempts at a health care deal would be worked out behind closed doors between Pelosi and Reid, that there is too much dissention within Democrat factions to be able to get anywhere near an agreement within a larger leadership circle. Any attempt to include leaders of the factions -- ranging from the far left radicals calling themselves “progressives” to pro-life Democrats -- would cause yet another disastrous delay for the majority party determined to shove through their highly-unpopular, ideologically driven bill in an election year. No matter what the political cost.
Democrats are trying to convince their caucus that voters won’t retaliate against them in November. The latest sales pitch is that voters will like the bill once they know more about it, which is absurd on its face as the bill is not yet written. Again. Throughout this process, the more voters have learned about the Democrat proposals, the larger and more vocal the opposition has become.
Further, both House and Senate-passed versions begin taxing voters this year without any benefits kicking in until 2013 earliest. That’s the main mechanism used by Democrats to camouflage the staggering cost of this new entitlement. Voters simply love being taxed for three or four years and seeing nothing in return. Or not.
Can the House pass a bill that the Senate will subsequently pass? That’s the multi-trillion dollar health care bill question as the November elections loom large.
They want the gummint to take over another 13% of the American economy and will sacrifice a few senators and congress critters in 2010.
They look at it as short term pain for long term political gain.
Bastards all.
4 years before a person can get a return on their investment?
Sounds like the ultimate Nigerian scam.
PING
“Bastards all.”
Yup.
Enough said.
sw
Skip reconciliation, and send the already passed Senate version to the house to be voted on as is. Obama could be signing the thing by next week if they go that route.
Isn’t it amazing on how the repubs are portrayed as obstructioninsts when they have been iced out of any discussions on this garbage? Amazing trick that is.
Media would have a field day if GOP did this. They are all evil absolutely evil
Media would have a field day if GOP did this. They are all evil absolutely evil
“...should get out of the way”
“...Republicans usually do what they’re told”
What disgust and derision 0bama displays.
If it looks like this is what will occur, the Pubbies should simply leave.
I think it's more likely that the democRAT leadership is trying to convince their caucus that they're toast regardless, and they should vote for this as a stick in the eye to conservatives.
But only in my dreams would that happen.
Exactly! This is where the rubber will meet the road. The Senate Bill is unpalatable in the House, the abortion language is too weak for the pro-lifers like Stupak and the bill could fail in a less likely scenario that the liberal caucus will not bite on the no public option thing. My thinking is Pelosi allows the Senate bill to be voted on, it fails pretty convincingly, but the Dems spin it as a "First step" and nothing is "Over yet". They can then demagogue the issue into November. Democrats accept a fall back position, regroup, re organize and try and sell another bill a little better. Obama can then blame the Republicans and special interests. He will get back some of the independents as the months go by, demonize the Republicans and keep a happy face on the liberals for holding firm. The bill is a loser politically and now with all the Attorney Generals filing lawsuits in all different Federal courts a real good chance this bill getting a smack down.
IMHO the real significance of all this thrashing about by Onada and Reid is that they do not have the votes to pass Onadacare. If they had the votes the vote would have been already taken.
The Attorneys General who might challenge the constitutionality of some of the stipulations should ask the court to dismiss every representative and Senator who voted in favor of the unconstitutional measures. It won’t be enough to have compensatory relief, we will need some punitive relief.
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