Posted on 03/05/2010 6:11:07 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
The Republicans were appalled, outraged, aghast—and running out of means to describe their horror, indignation, and righteous anger. It seems the president, after a year of trying to induce the Party of No to say “yes” to something, finally called for an up or down vote on health care. Majority rule in a democracy—oh the shame of it! Although, come to think of it, the 2000 election showed the GOP is only too happy to dispose of the concept when politically convenient.
The Republican opposition to reconciliation—passing the health bill without facing a filibuster—is transparently cynical for a party that has used the process, from Reagan to Bush II, to reshape the tax code and redefine the role of the federal government, which, unlike health care, constitutes not one-sixth but close to one-quarter of the entire economy.
But the truth is that in the health debate, the Republicans are now irrelevant. They constitute a solid wall of opposition, impervious to fact or argument. But they are also a static Maginot Line, and Democrats have enough votes to get around the GOP’s servitude to ideology and the insurance industry. All they have to do is call the roll and cast the votes.
Nancy Pelosi, who’s been a brilliantly effective House speaker, regularly producing majorities for far-reaching measures on issues from financial reform to climate change, now has to persuade her caucus to set aside its injured sense of prerogative and pass the Senate health bill. Harry Reid, the majority leader of the Senate, where most of the House’s progress has so far gone to die, is now freed of the search for 60 votes and the extortionate tactics of senators 58, 59, and 60. To pass amendments to the Senate bill through reconciliation, he only needs 50 votes plus Vice President Biden. And he can probably count on the suddenly primaried Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, who can’t afford to alienate her base by acting like a pseudo-Republican.
So the only thing that stands in the way of health reform is the Democrats themselves.
There’s the parochial temptation, irresistible to many members of Congress, regardless of ideology, to attempt their own version of Sen. Ben Nelson’s despised and discarded “Cornhusker Kickback,” which nearly sank health care under the weight of a special deal for Nebraska. New York Democrats are now demanding special breaks for their state. If they and others with an instinct for the capillary let their particular notion of the perfect become the enemy of the universal good, they don’t deserve to be called “progressives”—and they won’t deserve to be re-elected.
The same goes for those who favor or oppose abortion rights. The president’s compromise doesn’t give either side all it wants. But in the end, it's not pro-life or pro-choice to deny more than 30 million Americans the chance for potentially lifesaving health coverage. And there likely won’t be a public option now, even if 50 or 51 senators come to favor it; its absence may be critical to rounding up enough Blue Dog Democrats in the House. A last stand on the public option barricades could bring the most illiberal result of all—failure once again on the great unfinished business of social justice in our society. That battle can be fought another day, in another Congress.
Then there’s the uncertain and often miscomputed political calculation, which tempts electorally threatened politicians to break with their own president and party. That won’t work this year, just as it didn’t work for scores of moderate Democrats who openly scorned Hillarycare in 1994; voters angry about the economy and congressional dysfunction that year chose the Republicans and tossed incumbents out. This year, as then, Democrats will have to run alongside health reform even if they run away from it. They will have to run with the phantom or the reality of the bill. Pass it—and voters will see that there are no death panels, just as there is no rationing and no loss of the right to pick your own doctor. Instead, Americans will soon discover that they can no longer be denied coverage because a child has a pre-existing condition like asthma and that their insurance can’t be canceled when they get sick, with a bean-counter cutting off their chemotherapy because they’ve reached their annual limit. Better to campaign on that than on the defensive claim that a defeated bill wasn’t your fault, wasn’t your idea, and somehow wasn’t your failure—in short, “re-elect me for doing nothing.”
It's time for Democrats to prove that they’re a governing party—or in Congress next year, they won’t be governing at all.
That idea might even be better than anything else I’ve heard. States cannot afford this crap. I live in California and there are bread lines for God’s sake. Delta Smelt have it better than the folks here.
At least bodily waste can be used as fertilizer, what can Bob Shrum be used for?
My marxist congresscritter is all but cleaning his desk out now. He openly admitted months ago that he won the seat by 2% only because Obama was on the ticket.
LOL!!!
The name “Bob Shrum” makes a barf alert both unnecessary and redundant.
They have. Mitch McConnell made that promise last week -- saying that repeal would be the campaign promise of every GOP candidate.
You must've missed it.
Yea, but did he say 51 votes...or will he simply throw in the towel once the Dems filibuster?
You and me both. Its really really uncanny how she pegged this fifty years before it unfolded.
Where are you now John?
You’ve got a lot more faith in the republicans than I have.
Naaaah.
I have a lot of believe in the fact that politicians love power more than anything else. If Republicans want to take and maintain power, they had better do what the Tea Partiers want them to do in 2013(repeal 0bamacare), or they will be out on their butts come the 2014 elections, like what happened to them in 2006 when they got kicked out.
YOU CAN NOT REPEAL IT unless Obamao signs the repeal bill.
-or- the republicans have veto proof majority in congress which is extremely unlikely.
Wake up and smell the coffee.
Yes but Shred actually believes it. Amazing.
Keep voting it out and have PFL BO and the dims place ruinous taxes on the American peoples back. Remember there is no “Health Care” in this bill until 2013 but the taxes and medicare cuts start immediately. We can beat them like a drum with this tactic.
Here's the funny part - - if the rats pass Mengelecare via "reconciliation", guess what? - - the Republicans can repeal Mengelecare via "reconciliation". If you want "cynical", just wait until the rats start squealing about that.
We can, and will repeal it when we vote 0bozo out of power in 2012, assuming it even passes this year.
“-or- the republicans have veto proof majority in congress which is extremely unlikely.”
We won't even need that, after we've sent 0bozo back to his gangster ruled, decadent, Chicago homeland in 2012.
Yes 2012 is possible, I thought the implication was for those running in 2010 to sign the repeal pledge. The 2010 winners may not necessarily be around in 2012. 2 years is eternity in politics.
True.
But then 0bamacare doesn't actually kick into effect till 2014, even though the taxes for 0bamcare kick in immediately. Voters wil be suffering the pain of extra taxes, without the benefits of from those extra taxes. That's a recipe for political disaster for 0bama and the Democrats in 2010 and 2012, if this bill passes. The Tea Parties are here now. the Tea Parties will be even stronger in November and in 2012.
0bama wants a fight? He's gonna get it. Voters are far angrier today, than they were in 1994, when the Democrats were swept out of power in the House, for the first time in over 40 years
I stopped reading after this part,
Nancy Pelosi, who’s been a brilliantly effective House speaker
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