Posted on 01/19/2010 8:45:11 PM PST by sickoflibs
It’s over folks. Not just the Massachusetts Senate election but any Democrat health care reform bill. Democrat’s chances of passing a health care reform bill that looks like anything like we have seen is about zero. The rest of the battle against Democrats till the November election is downhill from here. If you had been watching MSNBC the past few days you could see the democrat party and Obama White House preparing for this humiliating loss. Story after story was about Martha Coakley's coming defeat and about how she screwed up. Last night Chris Matthews did a 2 hour special on Obama’s first year in history. Tonight Matthews is reporting on what went wrong during Obama’s first year. Was this great timing or what? In fact tonight on MSNBC Rachael Maddow took issue with Matthews assumption that something went wrong with the Democrat party and started an argument with him about it (a classic moment.)
Obama and the democrat leadership have a terrible job. They can’t give up this battle where defeat is certain. You will hear lots about the various options democrats have to pass a bill. The truth is that even without this special election Democrats would have had a hell of a time combining the two bills and passing a single one with its popularity so low. In fact it is doubtful that the House and Senate could have even passed the same two bills in January again let alone a single bill. Now this election defeat will send shock waves through democrats up for election in November. The leadership’s options have gotten even worse. Republicans smell blood as does the MSM, and democrats are wounded and cornered with few options.
So what are the options Democrats have proposed ? ( I saw many on MSNBC the Obama channel tonight .) Option 1 is to convince the House Democrats to pass the Senate bill with no change requiring no new Senate vote. The problem with this is the Senate bill is unpopular with everyone, even liberals. Option 2 is to pass the Senate bill as in option 1 but promise house democrats that it will be fixed in a later Senate (50 vote) budget reconciliation bill. This would require convincing the House democrats that the bill would be fixed by the Senate later (after being burned multiple times). And many parts of the bill could not be changed using reconciliation. For example reconciliation could probably not be used to create a public health plan. Option #3 is to pass a bill fast before Senator Scott Brown is seated. I will predict that Democrats are now too spooked by this loss to try to move on the Health Reform bill before he is seated. In fact Jim Webb and Barney Frank have already come out tonight with statements opposing passing a bill before he is seated.
Obama is now going to be even more tempted than he was earlier in the year to get a bill by compromise with some republicans. He will make the argument to democrats that compromise is the only option. But now Republicans even RINOs are embolden by the election loss and polls, moderate democrats are scared to vote and the liberals are still convinced that it was compromise that created the crappy Senate bill that everyone hates, and is what led to the Massachusetts Senate loss. Once again, it’s the perfect position to be in if you are the minority. Enjoy!
>Unless Republicans hand it back to them.
McCain!!!
Anyone have a tape of this "man to man" argument?
Cannot wait to see the look on Obama’s face today now that the former “Kennedy seat” has been returned to the MA PEOPLE. :)
You are correct. It IS only the beginning. There are years of hard work ahead to undo the damage done to this country since 1932.
But at least, for right now, today, there is a chance it can be undone. We shall see.
Good gosh. I just cannot even gloat.
0bama mission accomplished: ROFL!
The good news is that it will be the kiss of death in the fall. I don't see how we get back control of the Senate, and certainly nowhere close to the 2/3 that will be needed to repeal this garbage, but I can see us re-taking the House now.
I 100% agree. Now is not the time to start wagging our tongues while saying "nyah nyah." Now is the time to redouble our efforts, to call, write, email, fax--even visit or march on--all those congresscritters. Use this election as an abject lesson of the populace's discontent with how they in Congress do business, but do NOT rest here.
Keep pushing forward!
Option X is to pass a bill that contains vague language and then let the administrative agencies fill in the specifics.
With the present leadership, the GOP would fu*k up a one car funeral.
I think no conservative from Massachusetts (moderate or otherwise) has been elected in my lifetime. I’m 55. This spells trouble for Obama. I predict health care is dead, and many D C Dims will jump ship, and vote against ObamaMao policies.
With their arrogance, special interest kowtowing, bribes and payoffs, and lack of transparency, Democrats have poisoned this bill. It’s toxic waste right now and nobody wants to go near it.
I do believe that Obama has managed to soar above the fray by keeping out of it and that Pelosi and Reid will bear the full blame for this debacle.
The turn around from November 2008 is really amazing. I thought it take 4 years for the middle of the road people to wake up.
But just over a year later they have turned strongly against Obama’s radical agenda.
I have much more hope now that we can hold this nation together.
Unfortunately many, like Reid and Pelosi have all but expressed that they are willing to lose their positions in order to get this through. They apparently see it as a positive legacy that they will be remembered by history for. Personally, I see that misndset as being the same as a suicide bomber. They don't care what happens to them so long as they reach their goal.
“With the present leadership, the GOP would fu*k up a one car funeral. “
Obamacare could be a lose-lose for Obama. He says he is going to "do something" about the 10% (official) unemployment, but it seems to be getting harder to sell Keysian solutions (and corrupt ones at that) to the people.
I wonder how Brown and other "moderate" senate Rs will vote on the next Obama Porkulus.
It ain’t over. Saul Alinsky’s tactics are in play here. They only need 51 senators and 218 Houseys. They know they have only 4 years to do this thing. They were expecting this. Alinsky has a specific plan for this. It will intensify. I doubt it will be solved without blood. They are not scared of voters.
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