I would say the passing of this bill moves the probability of final passage of something from ‘impossible’ to ‘possible’ but still ‘unlikely’. What you say above is true, that is their strategy, too keep things moving, to put members on the spot and ask them what they need to vote ‘yes’.
Aside from Abortion the house and Senate differ drastically on ‘how to pay’ The house makes believe the entire government can be funded by a few rich people, like CA and NY do and here in MD (LOL) . But Many in the Senate depend on the rich to fund their campaigns. There is the public option conflict too.
But best is that now we have this dog of a bill out in the open for republicans to attack for many more months, and democrats to defend, into the election year.
“But best is that now we have this dog of a bill out in the open for republicans to attack for many more months, and democrats to defend, into the election year.”
Good point. Watch em stumble.
If I am right about that, we will then have a room full of evil people like Debby Wasserman Schultz (to sneak in abortion again among the thousands of pages) and Rahm Emanuel conspiring to make it worse than the bill from either chamber.
After that, it will be "Hurry up and vote without reading it!" again. When the senate and house vote on the "fixed" conference bill, we had better be ready to get on the phones. I believe it will already be an election year by then.
As much as I would like to believe otherwise, I believe that the most of the same buffoons will come back in 2012 to vote for Obama again, even with high unemployment and a very unpopular health care bill, so it would be good if they don't succeed now.