This is were I get very confused. Why would the house pass the original senate bill and trust the senate to modify it at a later date? Zippy could just sign the dang thing and say "too bad" right?
Is the "bill" that zippy will offer up tomorrow actually what he wants the senate modifications to look like? and most important, what happens if the house does pass the senate bill as is... then the senate passes a modification to their original bill and the house does not pass the modifications? Has any piece of legislation ever been this convoluted?
Good question. The answer is that they couldn't. Because it's a Reconciliation Bill, the Consitution demands that it originate in the House. Therefor, the House will pass the Reconciliation Bill, then the Senate will pass the Reconciliation Bill, then the House will pass the original Senate bill.
This is perfectly fine - although something of a Parliamentary sleight of hand, so long as the President signs the original Senate bill (passed by both houses of Congress), the he signs the Reconciliation bill (again, passed by both houses).
"Is the "bill" that zippy will offer up tomorrow actually what he wants the senate modifications to look like? "
Precisely. Although it was announced as something different, as a practical matter this is Obama's blue print with respect to what the Reconciliation Bill should look like.
"and most important, what happens if the house does pass the senate bill as is..."
As I pointed out above, they will actually pass the original Senate bill "as is", but not before both Houses pass the Reconciliation Bill.
"Has any piece of legislation ever been this convoluted?"
Legislation has passed some 22 (or so) times using Reconciliation. But, NEVER for something this big and socially impacting, and never with this legislative sleight of hand. The Dems have proven themselves to be formidable foes. Hopefully, it's a lesson not soon forgotten by the GOP.