Posted on 11/22/2009 10:35:00 AM PST by freespirited
Only a day after Senate Democrats voted to move into a historic debate on overhauling the nation's healthcare system, key centrists made it clearthat the party is still a long way from delivering on its promise to provide near-universal insurance coverage and contain medical costs.
Faced with the prospect of Republican filibusters, Democratic leaders must deliver the same kind of total unity they managed to achieve in Saturday's vote to begin debate: Every Democratic senator, plus two independents who caucus with them, supported the key procedural motion.
But several of those senators spoke out today to say that they will not support the healthcare bill itself unless major changes were made.
Conservative Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) said on ABC's "This Week" that he voted to cut off a GOP filibuster and move into debate only because that opened the way to changing the bill put forward by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. ...
Nelson said that if the Reid bill itself had been before the Senate on Saturday, he would have voted to block it. "I would have voted no to end debate. . . . I would not have let it get off the floor. . . . That is the next round," he said.
Meantime, Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, the former Democrat who is now an independent, said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that he voted to end debate only because he wants a chance to amend the bill, specifically to remove the so-called public option provision, under which some consumers would be offered an optional government insurance plan that would compete with private insurers.
"I don't think anyone thinks this bill will pass as it is," Lieberman said, vowing to filibuster the final version of the bill if the public option remained.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
The scum are telling that lie for the benefit of their stupid “independent” supporters.
They had a chance to kill this monstrosity and they didn't.
Any “major changes” will be strictly palliative.
Well gee Joe what about the rest of the crap in this bill? To say nothing about the 2 to 5 trillion price tag?
The entire Congress need to be changed.
Moving the goal posts again. I thought the goal was healthcare for all?
“Every Democratic senator, plus two independents who caucus with them, supported the key procedural motion.”
Liberman voted FOR this?
Exactly...they are working in unison against us. They all need to go.
Unless it is made worth their while with billions of our tax dollars filling their districts.
You nailed it. This is all for the public gallery of Obamot seniors and independents- aka as three headed donkeys.
Lieberman voted to start debate, as he had said he would. He says he will filibuster the motion to stop debate and take a vote on the actual bill if the public option stays in.
This is nothing but sandbagging by the Senate Dems. The talking points will start, political cover will be assigned and then the bastards will pass it.
Democrats know they will be punished to political extinction if they seriously oppose(ie vote No)on this bill, but THEY ARE ALLOWED TO BS THEIR CONSTITUENTS as much as necessary to cover themselves.
It is a very cynical business.
Am not so sure. The public outcry has just begun, and a bunch of them face tough re-election fights.
Ben Nelson is lying. It's easier to amend a bill before "debate" is opened. Once debate is opened it requires 60 votes to amend.
I had wondered what Lieberman did. Stood with his old friends it appears.
Any that believes anything a Democrat says is a bigger fool than an obama voter.
Conservative?
LOL!
They are in CYA mode. This is exactly the BS they’ll be flinging even ater it passes. Make no mistake. This bill will pass somehow someway. And these tools are ultimately responsible for allowing it to get through.
IMO, Nelson and Lieberman are no different than the Army officials who knew all about Hassan and did nothing.
KILL it don’t mend it! Should be the cry to the GOP and Liberman.
I've just heard this news!! The current senate health care POC (Piece of Cr@p) is actually going to be cut in half!!
Yes...you read it hear first....CUT IN HALF!!
They're going to print the next copy of this POC on BOTH sides of the paper....thereby cutting it in half!
See....we conservatives did make a difference!!!!
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