Posted on 11/16/2009 9:48:30 PM PST by BCrago66
A number of centrist Democrats in the Senate are turning what normally is a simple procedural vote into a cliffhanger.
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) wants the healthcare debate to formally begin this week, before the chamber recesses for the Thanksgiving break. But the absence of both a final bill and a cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has made some centrists anxious about offering their support for an otherwise routine test vote that typically unites a majority party.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
"Another complicating factor is the health of Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), who has missed more than 130 roll call votes this year.
Reid needs every member of his party because Republicans have indicated they will vote en masse against the Democratic legislation."
I've had the Byrd issue on the back on my mind for some time now. If his intermittent illness prevent cloture, that's a good thing. Byrd could still vote for cloture when he gets better, but another stall provides more political time to strengthen the opposition.
In the event of Byrd's demise, the Democratic Governor of West Virgina would appoint another Democrat, so there would still be a potential 60th vote for cloture. So the best we can hope for is that Byrd's health issues buy us time.
The left knows Lieberman is their weak link. That’s why they held a protest in front of his house.
Freaking people in WV still voting Dem. They are conservative but love unions and govt freebies.
When Cap & Trade destroys the coal mining industry, the unions will not be able to help them.
The irony -
...needing the vote of former grand-dragon KKK to support the ongoing marixt / socialist agenda of the first African-American president
If someone wrote all this up in a novel it would be rejected as improbable Fantasy
I foresee a “Weekend at Bernie’s” scenario for Sen. Byrd.
Wouldn’t put it past them.
They also held a sit-in in front of his office, same day as the townhall march on Washington.
If Joe was susceptible to that sort of thing, he’d still be a dem.
Anyone that is stupid enough to allow themselves to be incarcerated by these communist thugs deserves to be there. They won’t be taking me alive.
What makes anyone think reid won’t pull a pelosi and make them do it this Saturday or maybe in the middle of Friday night?
I hope it wakes up some of those “oh boy! free health care!” nuts who seem to think money grows on trees and the government can just give them anything they want.
If they realize they may find themselves behind bars, the idea of free health care doesn’t seem so free anymore.
those people won’t be paying. the payers will be you and i.
All Byrd will have to do is to call a "Point of Order" and ask for the Process he wrote to be read and Reid's only option then is to go Nuclear and wipe reconciliation and the current filibuster rules out the door.
My thinking however, is even if Reid foists this Obamination upon the American people it will be challenged by the States in Court. After all, it took an Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to place Income Taxes upon the American people, surely it will create a Constitutional debacle such as we have not seen in the courts in almost a Century.
LOL
Yesterday afternoon in a local store another patron and I had the opportunity to "chat" with a lady that had clearly voted for the usurper. When I informed her of the mandatory purchase of insurance or fines/jail she was stunned. The other patron jumped in supporting everything I said and adding his own facts. Would love to know what she did when she got home.
These morons need educated and WE are the ones to do it...one person at a time...everywhere and anywhere we run into people!
I would go on to say, that this is our turning point, the house of cards for the DEMS, LIBS, MSM is getting ready to all fall down in rapid succession.
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