Replies

Nutmeg, with all due respect, you don't get it. It was preordained which Democrats would "get" to vote against this---those in the absolute most electoral danger and in the reddest districts. The real negotiating only involved 5-10 votes, half of whom had to fall on their swords and will be AMPLY rewarded.

This wasn't close and never was. It was always only about figuring out who would be the sacrificial lambs and including enough crap language that the public wouldn't get "too" riled so that they can put it all back in during the conference.

I have to say, I admire the Dems in their strategy and discipline.

I'm afraid you are correct. I had been hoping Pelousy would screw it up but she worked the numbers and negotiated it down to the bone. We can hope for Reid to fumble the ball but we'd be foolish to EXPECT it. And there's no way we can count on Lieberman. He's a whore for power as most of them are and was looking for a comfy negotiation position.

That being said, it IS close if the GOP hangs tough on the filibuster and can get ONE Dim defector. But...

Now, I do congratulate Boehner and the rest---I think the GOP was near perfect (Cao the only defection, but still wouldn't have mattered) and did all they could do to stop this.

I'm afraid I can't agree. From all the accounts, Boehner RELEASED Cao to defect, and now this monstrosity can be called bi-partisan. Yes, elections have consequences but Bohner had the power to hang tough 100% and he blew it.

The long slide accelerated when the GOP got lazy and fat when it was in the majority. It let the government balloon in size, spending grew to historic levels, their values sold to the highest bidder. I am thoroughly disgusted by the Republican party, and it's going to take a conservative takeover of the party to bring it to sanity and victory.

Time to suck it up and get busy, patriots.

I’m afraid you are correct. I had been hoping Pelousy would screw it up but she worked the numbers and negotiated it down to the bone.
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This 1900 page bill
http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf
passed in the middle of the night, by just a couple of votes, looks bad and smells bad to *any* objective observer (including the vast center of this nation) - no matter how much maneuvering was done to limit the number of socialist canards people had to fall on.
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I am thoroughly disgusted by the Republican party, and it’s going to take a conservative takeover of the party to bring it to sanity and victory.
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I agree with pulling the R party back to its conservative base. NY 23 was one almost successful forray and there will be others, successful and not that we must attempt to make this happen.