I’ve heard an awful lot of threatening bluster on how the Democrats are going to ram this bill through with various measures. I’m really not buying this. I think that we have a lot of scared congress critters who are trying to talk big.
Let’s talk about the Public Option. The radicals in the House are all for it while the Blue Dogs are supposedly not. So first, the House has to agree on it. Then the Senate, as far as we can tell will deliver a bill without a public option, or at least a watered down version of it. How can any one ram through a bill when they can’t agree on any of the details.
In terms of using Budget Reconciliation or the Nuclear Option. The Wikipedia article and a recent WSJ article make it clear that such an action would strip the bill of any items that did not have a direct impact on costs or revenues. This would leave such a gaping hole in the bill that it would never pass that way.
In sum, I challenge any one to believe this bluster. My prediction: the lack of agreement between the two legislative bodies will lead to a stalemate and no final passage, though I am not currently enthused enough to put money on this. I wonder what the Iowa markets could say about the likelihood of health care legislation?
“I’ve heard an awful lot of threatening bluster on how the Democrats are going to ram this bill through with various measures.”
THEY ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME....
They have just 18 days left to pass this nightmare. That’s what is driving all of this.
If Dems lose BOTH New Jersey and Virginia, the moderate Democrats will flee Obama’s agenda like roaches exposed to the light.