“I think it’s safe to say that there are a huge number of big issues that people have,” Kyl said, referring to Republican senators. “There is no way that Republicans are going to support a trillion-dollar-plus bill.”
They are not going to vote for anything you propose. Just write the best bill you can, and pass it.
John PM
In the legal profession, this is called bargaining against yourself. Effective negotiations need to involve some give and take. If one party is not doing any giving, then walk away and continue with the case. If they really want to settle/negotiate, they will come back to you.
Linkmeister
Funny, I just said exactly the same thing.
Bob
@John PM:
Democrats are masters of the self negotiation. It displays a complete lack of confidence.
Lets put it simply for the Dems on the fence:
-Not one of those people screaming at town halls voted for a Democrat. If you move a solid, progressive bill, you will not lose one of their votes.
-Just pass the damn bill and forget all the bi-partisan crap. No Repubs voted for Social Security either. How did that work out for them?
Keith G
I suppose the West Wing now knows this. If not, healthcare is not our biggest problem.
That said, would be nice if we could dope slap Nelson into a new reality. Unfortunately, the Senate is not very good at forcing its members to deal with reality.
handy
Maybe if they put the “Death Panel” provision back in the Senate Bill, but instead made it apply only to scary Muslim evil guys who live in caves where all the oil is, maybe Kyl and his colleagues would get on board. Republicans seem to have no problems voting for those kinds of trillion dollar bills.
Demo Woman
Watch Biden give a speech about bi-partisanship. All he has to do is quote the top Republicans and say they are not for reform. Of course, Boehner, Kyl and McConnell will appear on MSM whining but the message will be out there. I might be naive but Kyl just gave the Democratic members a chance to shine. The Republicans really don’t care if you can’t buy health insurance on the open market or if you are dropped from coverage when you get sick. All they care about is cutting taxes for their wealthy friends.
Indylib
Well, it looks like things may be headed for an upswing.
Move-On sent out an e-mail this morning saying that the public option is not dead and asking it’s members to contact Sen, Shumer and Gillibrand to encourage them to keep fighting for it and to contact their own Senators to tell them they want a PO included in the bill.
FDL, through Act Blue has raised over $50,000 today to reward Dem House Members who say they won’t vote for a bill without the public option.
A group called The Progressive Change Campaign Committee has raised $50,000 to run ads against Ben Nelson.
(all of this via Politico)
politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0809/The_left_energized.html?showall
And last but not least Obama is planning a teleconference for 2:30 PM ET Thursday with people from Organizing for America (with us plebes, not bigshots) to answer questions and get out info about HCM.
tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/08/obama-to-hold-live-strategy-meeting-with-organizing-for-america-…
This is what we need to be doing. Screw the wingnuts (figuratively, people, we don’t want them to breed), pat the backs and contribute to the pols who support the public option and pressure the asshat BlueDogs with really big sticks.
freelancer
At this point, it’s like they’re a parent who is continually caving to a stubborn 3 year old.
STOP SWEETENING THE DEAL! You have all the power. Send the toddler to bed hungry!
Indylib
@Indylib: geez, I need edit function.
HCR, not HCM.
General Winfield Stuck
I would like to think that Obama and dems in congress are just going thru the motions with all the bi-partisan fantasy. House dems get it, and have for awhile and the senate is always a puzzle palace of gladhanding, and you never know what will come of it until they are finished, or give up.
With Obama, I just don’t know where he stands on this, or at least the end game. Maybe its’ chess that’s way over my head, and it is true he has maintained a few staunch principles in a Health bill that would seem to indicate he would only sign a bill that lowers costs, and a PO is the whole game on that.
As today we hear Conrad saying a co-op would not lower costs as has the GAO, and wingnut 2 in the senate has told us what we already knew, that they want nothing. Throw in House libs putting their foot down and the die is cast. They will never 60 votes to break a certain filibuster, so it’s RP or nuttin’, and they still have to make it absolutely deficit neutral to get past the Byrd Rule.
Test of will.
Steve V
Why are you still following this? You declared it dead a couple of weeks ago, remember? There won’t be any bill to pass! :)
steve s
Tell the senate dems that they’re free to vote against the final bill. Then tell them that any Democrat who votes for a filibuster will suffer the consuquences.
1 No committee chairmanships, no special privileges ever, of any kind, while they remain in office.
2 Guarantees to raise money to run primary opponents against them
and
3 Rahm Emannuel will personally come by and punch their wives in the left titty.
Tsulagi
Hell, Grassley said he may not vote for what HE proposes and agrees to. How many times do the Dems need to get slapped upside their heads before some sense breaks free?
cleek
you mean the Republicans are going to stand up and talk, shut down the Senate, etc. ?
yarite.
Martin
@Tsulagi:
Baucus (D-Aetna) is the only one negotiating with Grassley.
Comrade Luke
Jesus Christ, who gives a flying fuck about 60 votes.
– when we were in the minority all we head was “We need to get back into the majority”
– when we got the majority were told we needed 60 votes, and we spent months angsting over Al Franken because then we have the Magical Sixty!
– we now have 60 and it’s not enough because of the Blue Dogs, so we need…what…eighty now?
And we complain about the REPUBLICANS moving the goal posts?
We have the majority. Craft the best bill you can and then pass it. And if your team starts complaining, twist their arms until they submit.
It’s politics, it’s not a fucking tea party (pun intended). If you don’t like doing the dirty work come join the rat race with the rest of us.
sleeping dog
The Obamcom’s are in full fledged panic and will cut any deal rather than have him defeated on his signature issue. Doesn’t matter if it is a bad or awful bill that gives away the farm, just have something he can sign and lie about.
He’s proving to be more vapid than I feared.
IndieTarheel
Mock them, mercilessly.
mgordon
Anderson Cooper is reporting that they are going to tell the Repubs to fuck off and pass their own bill.
YellowJournalism
@mgordon: Don’t you wish that’s what he actually said? Or what the Dems actually said?
D-Chance.
Exactly. You have the WH, a 60-seat Senate, an overwhelming HoR majority… pass something.
And, no, you can’t blame Republicans. With the numbers you have, you have no one to blame but your own damn selves.
Blogreeder
You obviously don’t understand politicians. If the bill contains enough pork, party affiliations don’t matter. To pass something, they have to have the votes. Some Democrats are center right too and they might not vote either unless they’re well greased.
Karen
I certainly don’t understand the need for “bipartisan”. Not when Grassley is stating he won’t even vote for what he’s put together.
Get the message to everyone who says they’re a member of the Democratic party (such as Betsy Markey D-Co) that if they don’t vote for it, their funding is gone. Then vote for the reform. Don’t even worry about the batshit Republicans.
Tom65
Looks like Obama is ready to say “fuck ’em” and go it alone with the House Dems:
nytimes.com/2009/08/19/health/policy/19repubs.html?_r=4&hp
Now we just need to get Reid in line.
Brendan
@steve s:
3. Rahm Emannuel will personally come by and
punch their wives in the left tittyteach them how to become a meatcutter. (Gauze and bandages included)Brendan
Arrrrgh…
@steve s:
3. Rahm Emannuel will personally come by and
punch their wives in the left tittyteach them how to become a meatcutter. (Gauze and bandages included)