Over the past week, senators -- 18 so far -- have been signing on to a letter urging Majority Leader Harry Reid to pass a public option using reconciliation. Today, Reid finally spoke on the matter, releasing a statement through a spokesman.
"If a decision is made to use reconciliation to advance health care, Senator Reid will work with the White House, House and members of his caucus in an effort to craft a public option that can overcome procedural obstacles and secure enough votes," the statement reads.
Democracy for America puts the number at 20 senators. DFA lists the senators who have signed the letter.
I hate to get my hopes up again, because I fear that health care reform including the public option will not be enacted, although polls show that the people overwhelmingly support health care WITH a public option. Apparently, even if the House and the Senate could agree on the form which the health care bill will take, there are procedural hurdles that will need to be crossed that may require 60 votes.
The leaders in the House and Senate could reach a point at which they will have to decide whether to call for a vote knowing that the vote will be close and not knowing the outcome with certainty. Neither the leadership nor the members like uncertainty. The conventional wisdom is that if the Democrats lose the vote, they will suffer a humiliating defeat that will carry them to defeat in the elections later this year.
My thought is if the Democrats do nothing, they will suffer a humiliating defeat at the polls. I'd rather see the Democrats fight for health reform with the public option and lose, rather than do nothing. At least, they will have fought the good fight. Others disagree and believe that a win must be certain before moving to a vote.
What do you think?
FIGHT!
ReplyDeleteFight for what's right. Then your base will want to rally behind you and re-elect you. Wuss on us and we will despair.
FIGHT!
Paul, I am surprised - NOT!
ReplyDeleteAnyone for starting a third party?
I'd rather see them try and fail than not try at all, and still fail.
ReplyDeleteSince when did 59 to 41, or even 55 to 45, become a slim majority? I say break the logjam and abolish the Senate.
I think the animal that best represents the Dems is the frightened rabbit.
Counterlight, if the Dems believe that they need 60 votes to pass legislation, they will do nothing between now and the elections. A good many bills that Bush wanted passed through the reconciliation process.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I'm getting ready to take the Obama/Biden sticker off my car. I've enjoyed having it there since down here in SC, it tends to p-ss-off the kind of person one enjoys p-ssing-off. Of late, however, it's been getting to me, as well. The man's never going to get off the pot, is he?
ReplyDeleteGrandmère Mimi, I can't see putting much faith in the Deomocrats. I like the 3rd party idea. We'll need a catchy name, any ideas? I rather liked Howard Dean's "Democratic wing of the Democratic Party".
ReplyDeleteVictory requires boldness.
ReplyDeleteAnd the far right CAN be beaten.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-bBkpWDs68
And here's part two.
ReplyDeleteBTW, Tommy Douglas is the grandfather of actor Keifer Sutherland.
I'm not interested in a third party. I want a SECOND party. Now we have a choice between an over-cautious center-right party and a batshit crazy far right party.
ReplyDeleteLast week, Michael Steele, Chairman of the RNC, said "The fact of the matter is Senator Evan Bayh and moderate Democrats across the country are running for the hills because they sold out their constituents and don't want to face them at the ballot box." He got it right for sure.
ReplyDeleteMy only bumper sticker is "Bring Them Home". I generally don't do bumper stickers, but I made an exception. Obviously, the powers did not get the message, as the sticker is quite faded now.
ReplyDeleteWade, I suppose that I'm not serious about a third party, because the task of organizing and making a third party functional would be daunting. If only, as Counterlight says, we could have a SECOND party - somehow find a way to yank the Democratic Party back to left of center. However that also seems to be a nearly impossible task. The corporations own us all and run the show here in the US.
Lapin, Those may be the first true words that Michael Steele ever spoke. What did Bayh do to make the Senate more functional while he served? Not much, and now he whines on his way out.
Malcolm, after WWII, Truman tried and failed to get national health insurance passed. The cold war was beginning, and the Republicans took over Congress in 1946 and pushed the same slogan of "socialized medicine" that they use today and would not consider taking up such legislation.
I'll go watch your videos. Would you like to learn how to do hyperlinks? ;-)
If you care to try teaching a 50 year old.
ReplyDeleteMalcolm, here's the link to a site with a clear explanation of how to make a hyperlink. If I can learn, anyone can learn.
ReplyDeleteI haven't watched the videos yet. Now if you'd used a hyperlink....
Vitter is up by 24 pts in the latest Rasmussen poll!
ReplyDeleteThis ain't the late 1940's. . . the reference to policy goals in the Truman administration is irrelevant. Any reference to a "public option" as a prelude to "socialized medicine" (i.e., the health care delivery system controlled and directed by the feds) is accurate at this point. Eliminating private insurance and incentives will spell disaster for the future of health care. . .but such is the "compassion" of the self-righteous. If the profits of the private health insurance industry were seized, only 2% of the costs of health care would be affected! It makes absolutely no sense at all to massively expand mandatory coverage without first attempting to control the rising cost of health care. Genuine compassion would compel this. . .but calls for this are wasted on "progressives" who are more interested in the triumph of ideology than the public interest and the common good.
ReplyDeleteJim, when you have something new to add to the conversation, maybe I'll engage with you in the comments.
ReplyDeleteThat presumes that you have said something new or relevant. . .same tired, old "progressive" dogma that is bankrupt and a proven failure.
ReplyDeleteWhy then do you waste your time here? Why do you bother?
ReplyDeleteYou like to dish stuff out, just want to see if you are able to be directed toward reality. . .guess not. . .too wedded to dogma.
ReplyDeleteMimi,
ReplyDeleteIf you yell at a barking dog, they simply bark louder, and since when have the right-wing been anything but mad dogs? Look at their latest little pow-wow - a bunch of ravening mad dogs needing to be put down for the good of the nation.
The democratic politicians - self-centered careerists. They got what theirs and are leaving. Time to move in some liberals who are willing to use an iron hand.
I told Grandpère today that neither party represents me.
ReplyDelete