Exactly.
There's a disturbing thread of defeatism on FR this morning. Last night's vote meant nothing. The Dems are deeply divided. That's not a show, it's the truth. There probably isn't any bill they could write that could get 60 votes to end debate. From now on every amendment needs 60 votes which means that improving on Reid's pathetic work is going to be nearly impossible. For poor Harry the health care debate is likely to be the Hotel California, he can check in but he can never leave.
There are going to be bruising battles over abortion, financing, and the public option and in the end it will almost certainly be all for naught. Dems keep passing milestones, but they also keep kicking all the difficult cans further down the road. Before they can cross the finish line they'll have to pick them all up, and they can't.
Most conservatives seem to think that the Congressional debate is all a sham to give us hope of stopping the health care train so we can be bitterly disappointed. It's all a sham alright but we aren't the dupes in this scenario. The Dem left is the dupe. Nancy and Harry are trying desperately to convince their base that they gave health care their best shot. If they had any rabbits to pull out of a hat they would have done it a long time ago. They've got nothing and that's what they'll end up with.
Even if they pass something, Republicans will be the principal beneficiaries. Anything the Dems do can be undone with a big win in 2010 before it has time to do any great damage. A Republican House could give Obama a choice between unwinding Obamacare and shutting down the government. Everyone in Washington knows that shutting down the government to make good on a promise to cut Medicare is political suicide. With a good spanking in 2010, Obama won't dare go to the mat to keep his historic victory.
Be of good cheer.