Posted on 11/21/2009 4:24:18 PM PST by indianrightwinger
Why was it so hard for Dems even to start health care debate? By: Byron York Chief Political Correspondent 11/21/09 6:43 PM EST The extraordinary thing about the dramatic events surrounding the health care bill in the Senate is that there is any drama in it at all. Lawmakers are simply voting to begin debate on their version of health care reform. Just begin debate -- not end it, and not move on to a final vote.
If Democrats, with a 60-vote majority in the Senate, were not able to begin debate on the top Democratic policy priority in a generation -- well, that would be a devastating turn of events, both for the party and for President Obama. And yet just starting debate has proved difficult, and only today did the 60th Democratic vote fall in place in favor of beginning the process.
I asked a high-ranking Republican Senate source whether it was really that hard to get the Democratic votes together. Could it have been a media-fed story, with reporters looking to inject some unwarranted drama into the proceedings? No, I was told. "It really was that hard for them to get to 60 just to proceed," the source said. "Very telling."
And judging by the statements of four moderate Democrats -- Lieberman, Lincoln, Landrieu, and Nelson -- it will be far, far harder when the process comes to the really important vote, the one that would bring debate to a close debate and move on to an up-or-down vote on the Democrats' health care plan. Today all four of those Democrats publicly threatened to side with Republicans and kill the bill before it can move to a final vote, unless their concerns are met.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...
>> unless their concerns are met.
And therein lies the key. We’ve been here before, folks. A couple of weeks ago, IIRC.
What’s more, Dingy Harry will be working like heck to turn one or two (R)s. By “meeting their concerns”.
Evil nest of vipers on both sides of the aisle.
And so far, this entire debacle is owned by Democrats, and Democrats alone, save one misguided and one term republican congressman who represents one of the most government dependent constituencies in the country.
“threatened to side with Republicans and kill the bill before it can move to a final vote, unless their concerns are met.” ..and just like with the Stupak Amendment in the House, there will be a trick to get them to come aboard, which Obama will then say will be gone before long. How they can work with their leaders is beyond me.
Dirty Reid needed a health care “victory” and used a perfunctory vote as a propaganda win.
Everyone please take note of the $100 million bribe, paid with tax dollars to Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA), to secure her vote just to start the debate.
They amended the Senate bill at the last minute to include $100 million to help pay health insurance premiums, in states that have been declared federal disaster areas within the past seven years. There’s only one state that fits that description: Louisiana.
If this bill is so wonderful, why do they have to bribe a Democratic senator $100 million just to start the debate? And why do they have to threaten people with a five-year prison sentence if they don’t buy health insurance? If it’s as wonderful as they say, they should have to resort to $100 million bribes and prison sentences.
Exactly what I have been saying.
The Obama state media wanted to help out Reid and the Marxist so they did this huge HYPE on this vote !
Now the real fight begins !
Thought it was a cloture vote until I read this. This is meaningless. I don’t get why they need a vote to start debate.
this is not over by a long way and I’m surprised if anyone says this is a done deal as one newbie did on a thread they started.
We fight and fight this and get the GOP to ave some balls and do what they can.
Even if they can drag this to nearer the election will be good for us and a defeat for the Marxists.
Seeing as I came form the UK i know what the Govt health is like and it is not good.
Thought it was a cloture vote until I read this. This is meaningless. I don’t get why they need a vote to start debate.
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Just a test to see if they really bought the right RATS.
Looks like they did — and of course, Slimey Harry needed some form of victory surrounding this Marxist takeover of America and its freedoms.
Let the games begin!!!
If this bill passes and Obama signs it into law, can the newly minted Congress of 2010 which will NOT include the Dems who got kicked out of Congress because of their vote, REPEAL this deficit busting bill? If the benefits do not go into effect for 5 years and only taxes go into effect immediately, wouldn’t the public prefer the reduction in taxes that repealing this would cause? Then the new Congress can start over with common sense solutions.
this could actually be a good thing. it’s an opportunity to expose this thing for the fascist abomination that it really is.
the dems tried to hide this thing until they simply couldn’t hide it any longer.
This has never been about “health care.” It is about testing the resistance to a power grab of a significant part of the American economy.
They will get the 60 votes they need to start debate. But I think this is only cover for when they pull the nuclear trigger to end debate. Reid will claim that because they already got 60 votes in the first count they only need 51 to cut off debate, the nuclear option. But the media will not call it that and will cover for the dems, including fox. Only Rush, Sean and Glenn will call it what it is. But in the end we will have government run health care.
“Everything about socialism is sham and affectation.” 23.11, Ch23. Evil, Economic Harmonies - Frederic Bastiat 1801-1850
Witness evil.
The GOP can't even hail balls, much less possess same.
This bill, if it passes into law, will not be entrenched in the American psyche or the economy until after 1 to 3 years after implementation. I think the Dems are making a mistake by not getting their abominable bill to take affect as soon as possible and until then it will be vulnerable to repeal.
sadly very true.
Wrong “affect” = effect. :^)
That $100 million is not just a SIMPLE BRIBE - ITS BLOOD MONEY!!!
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