Posted on 09/09/2009 11:59:25 AM PDT by RobinMasters
Code for 'I can get a better price for my yes vote if I wait until they really need it'
Although he is a DEM..he know the insurance industry..I always liked him more than Hagel..although that wasn’t hard..I will make a point to call his office to let him know I support him on THIS..I’ll actually see him this weekend at a trap shoot...
Or how many earmarks I can get for my special interest friends...and I’m sure he also likes being treated like a “prom queen” (I know Barney Frank is envious) as people try to woo him to one side or the other.
I won’t rest until this thing is dead but right now it doesn’t sound very promising that the Dems wiill be able to scrap together enough votes with or without a public option? IMHO even the 51 for reconsilation is iffy?
The House bill is published, not the Senate bill.
The Senate bill is a ephemeral document, being constructed and reconstructed by insurance company lobbyists and the politician underlings, changing as they test waters here and there.
It is like Bush II’s Social Security Privatization bill, every one guessing what it says by leaks.
Correct me if I am wrong but the Dems WERE at 60 votes. With the death of Kennedy they are down to 59. With the lack of voting ability for Byrd they are down to 58. Nelson is squishy but is technically still to be considered part of the 58 that may vote yea. Landrieu I thought was another fencer along with Lieberman.
Bottom line is as of now, minus Kennedy, they are not at the 60-vote threshold to begin with, one is MIA, and two to three are on the fence. Even with Snowe and/or Collins they are still possibly down. Reconciliation is the way they may very well go to their own detriment but their reelection strategy then would be “the Republicans are trying to take away health coverage from millions of poor and middle class Americans by repealing our progress on health care.”
The one problem is that they also are aware of the backlash which would not only result in heavy Republican/Independent turnout in ‘10 but a huge number of average folks will get involved in the nomination/electoral process the day after they do this. I know I will be one and my motto to the Republicans will be: Candidate Before Party.
Let’s not forget good old dependable Olympia Snowe when it comes to siding with the enemy. She’s on record as favoring the bill.
Cracks in the facade?
Someone get out the tumpets. Perhaps we can blown down the whole mess.
“I’m not going to commit anything at this point in time on procedural votes, neither pro nor con, because it will depend on the circumstances. “
Translation - my vote is for sale.
I have repeatedly sent him emails and called his office about NOT supporting any government option, in fact, just drop the whole idea until they can attack the actual few small problems. A new radio ad I heard him yesterday saying that we (apparently, those who oppose Obamacare) are just “afraid of change”. Well, he can take the change and put it where no one will see it. I just know he’s going to go partisan on this and not vote the wishes of his constituents. And he can blame himself a few years out when all the health insurance employees in the state are out of work and instead of being “the Good Life State”, we will be the “used to be the Good Life State”. Since he’s sort of seen as a leading moderate democrat, he has some power in that role, and he’s afraid of losing his power more than of losing his Senate seat (as is the case with so many of them).
The physical vacancy finally caught up to the moral and intellectual vacancy.
For a moment there I thought it was referring to BOB NELSON of Flori-Duh. But on second though that congress-critter has his head so far up 0Bama’s alimentary canal that it a wonder that ZERO manages to get any food to digest!!
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