At the very wise suggestion of SiubhanDuinne, I’m scheduling this from the early morning hours, just in case none of us front-pagers are available when the (oh please Goddess let it be) final shouting match starts. How’s it going?
***Update [Tim]***
Bart Stupak declared that he will vote yes. It’s all over except the shouting.
***Update 2 [Tim again]***
Atrios is uncharacteristically full of it here. Republicans made a mistake by pitting this contest as an apocalyptic fight to the death. The bigger a fight they pick, the greater losers they look
Why do people like Atrios constantly criticize the media? Among other things, most reporters don’t care a whit for policy. They just report horserace and personality because it’s easy. Sunday talk shows never talk about whether health care reform will be good for America, they argue whether it will be good for the Democratic or Republican party. It’s insipid, but it will bite the GOP in the ass here. Nobody will care about their convoluted (and wrong) arguments about why Obamacare will murder grandma and sicken babies. Republicans lost the big fight of 2010 and the media narrative will swell with stories about how McConnell overreached and tea partiers frightened the sensible factions into hiding and Olympia Snowe should have tried harder to work with Obama.
Republicans did nothing for decades but encourage media Heathers to focus on inane personality narratives (reporters spent endless weeks debating what windsurfing says about John Kerry and precisely zero discussing what BCCI says about him). It’s sad but perfectly karmic that their own frankenstein monster will bite them in the ass.
unabogie
Stupak is a YES, so I think the drama is over.
Nice job, Dems!
scav
just for the color commentary, you can tell something’s happening because no one is posting.
beltane
Per Luke Russert: “This plane will land smoothly”
Which is good, because the landing will be the only smooth part of the whole ride.
Nicole
Does anyone know what they had to give Stupak to get his yes vote?
Sirkowski
When does this thing start? (the voting)
Chat Noir
I still won’t relax until the vote is complete and the bill passes. I am a bundle of nerves. I keep checking Balloon Juice to see what’s happening. Gaah!
SIA
@Nicole: That was my question too. Little Stinker. Think I’ll have to donate to his primary opponent again.
lamh31
people aready speculating about the deal , but I don’t believe that Pelosi would let a bad deal happen
Kris
A little off topic but did anyone watch Reliable Sources this morning? They did a thing on POLITICO in which they showed a POLITICO meeting where there was not ONE person of color in the whole room.
I think people need to boycott them. Racists.
JGabriel
Here we go, 2 minutes past the opening prayer, and we’ve already got the first GOP request for a pointless roll call of ayes and nays on a process.
This is gonna be fun!
.
Corner Stone
Since this is an OT – I wanted to update the story about the guy in the Boston area that was arrested for owning all those guns and hand grenades and illegal batons and weapons.
Turns out, maybe not so much.
Here’s the BJ link where everyone lost their shit.
And the GDT update as of a couple days ago.
Most of the charges were dropped with the exception of firing a firearm near a dwelling and a dispute to determine if two devices he owns are illegal silencers or legal flash suppressors. So I guess we’ll see how that plays out in April.
He’s still being held without bail til then.
TR
Who was the Oregon representative (presumably a Republican) who demanded a yeas and nays vote on approving the record for the previous day’s session?
I know this is just the first of many Republican stalling efforts, but that guy looked like a fucking loon — spiky gray hair, red bow tie, and a bright yellow, huge bicycle-shaped lapel pin. Go ahead, GOP, let him be the face of the opposition.
Fern
@lamh31: I’m guessing this whole exercise was a face-saving exercise for the Stupak crew and won’t change anything.
JGabriel
Wow, Marsh Blackburn is insane. “Freedom DIES a little bit today!”
I love the “little bit” part.
.
batgirl
Probably gave Stupak a useless EO to save face restating the Hyde amendment or something like that.
Anya
@unabogie: Does that mean he got his EO?
TR
@Nicole:
Likely a meaningless executive order announcing that there can be no federal funding for abortions, even though that’s been the law of the land for 33 years now.
He’s going to treat it like a huge win, but it’s about as important as securing an executive order announcing that the world is not, in fact, flat.
Loneoak
Some angry congresscritter lady from TN just told me that all my freedom is going to die today. Maybe I should rethink this thing.
lamh31
My bet is that once Pelosi said she was done dealing, then Stupaks members began to waffle and needed Stupak to “come to Jesus” and do something before they had to jump ship
freelancer
@JGabriel:
Yes. Democracy is boring.
This is gonna be 5-6 hours of Crazy vs. Redundant.
Texas Dem
According to TPM (via MSNBC), Stupak is now a yes on HCR. If that’s true, then it’s game over. See the reaction from the RNC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsx2vdn7gpY
eric
@Nicole: a one way ticket to pollukaville (sp)
mistermix
@JGabriel: Calm down – That was Earl Blumenauer, Democrat from Oregon. I think that’s just part of the “starting up the House” script.
TR
@JGabriel:
You’re just now figuring that out? Check this out.
CaseyL
Yeah, this place and TPM are my go-tos for the latest news.
I don’t think I can sustain the suspense all day and into the evening, but I’m currently glued to CSPAN. I had the sound turned off while they were just answering the phone, and so saw that Stupak had changed to a “yes” vote on the caption crawl. Now I’m listening to the debate, and wondering if there breathes anywhere in the known universe a Republican who is not a lying, sniveling, falsely pious, fear-mongering, bigoted piece of shit.
Mike Kay
@Fern: There wasn’t anything to change. That’s why it was so frustrating. There are NO federal dollars for abortion, and Stuooid Stupak wouldn’t take NO for an answer.
Joseph Nobles
Dissing Sheila Jackson Lee’s braids on a Sunday is the LAST STRAW.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@lamh31: There was a post this a.m. referring to Stupak as “controlling” eight votes. I don’t know if Stupidk has used the word “control”, but if he did, I’m guessing that pissed off his allies. Even if he didn’t, I’d guess they got pretty tired of his acting like he was their capo
Rommie
Yeah, I wouldn’t think Stupak got much more than his pride in return – and like Quark says: Pride and an empty sack is worth the sack.
stevie314159
I’m thinking an open thread live-blogging the firebaggers’ comments as THEY live-blog the HCR debate would be WAY more fun.
JGabriel
@mistermix:
My error. Thanks for the correction, mistermix. And here comes Blumenauer to speak in favor of HIR.
.
Joey Maloney
Proof positive that a Republican can’t speak for even 1 minute without lying.
AhabTRuler
Did dude just compare HCR to the Civil War? Does that count as a Hoekstra?
ETA: And I think Gohmert is gonna cry.
Loneoak
Who is this Blumenauer dude with the bicycle pin? That shit is stylin-n-profilin’.
unabogie
@Anya:
I don’t know the details, just that Stupak is in.
sloan
I don’t get Fox News with my cable package any more. I never used to watch it anyway, but today I’d tune in just to watch the train wreck.
Is it as nuts over there as I’m imagining?
mistermix
Louie Gohmert delivers the most epic concern trolling performance of the year. He’s very concerned for the Stupak block.
freelancer
@AhabTRuler:
I think he did. “You can’t say you weren’t warned.” Ominous.
ETA: Can I call Poe’s law on Poe?
AhabTRuler
@sloan: I rock CSPAN on the computer only, now.
JGabriel
Damn, I was hoping for better insanity from Gohmert, not just concern trolling.
Kind of disappointment, really.
.
mainsailset
a little celebratory video to bring morning smiles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJKythlXAIY
Joseph Nobles
I choose We the European Nanny State! Can that be a Balloon Juice Tag?
Nicole
Thanks, guys- you all make me feel better re: Stupak. Clearly I’m going to be glued to here and CSPAN today.
unabogie
@unabogie:
Actually, some dumb Republican just begged the Stoopak 8 to rethink their yeas because “this executive order” wouldn’t last more than a few days.
So yeah, that’s apparently the deal he got.
Mike The Dealer
CNN reporting Stupak still a no.
jibeaux
@mainsailset:
Have you seen the Rube Goldberg version of that? I could watch that a hundred times.
gelfling545
Could this be the start of the era in which anti choicers realize that you reduce abortions not by making them illegal (we know how well that worked in the past) but by making life in general less burdensome to live. Probably not, but wouldn’t it be grand.
vheidi
post office naming? wtf?
Texas Dem
I love watching Republicans go ape shit when their own tactics are used against them. Sort of like the Wehrmacht watching in astonishment as Patton’s Third Army rolls towards them. “Hey wait a minute. That was OUR idea!”
freelancer
Wait, WTF are they voting on?
ruemara
I won’t crack the champers until the vote is announce. TAKING TOO LONG!.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@JGabriel: Damn, is my bracket already shot? Goehmert turns out to the be the KU of Batshit? Will Devin Nunes be Northern Iowa?
lamh31
@Mike The Dealer:
now Stupidpak telling Dana Bash on CNN that he is still a “no”.
I’m sick of this dude. No or Yes please primary gods nuke his azz come election time!
Robertdsc-iphone
Poe pulls the tyranny card. My eyes roll.
Joey Maloney
Um…what? We’re renaming a post office tonight? For 15 minutes? WTF?
…aaaaaaaand C-SPAN opens the crank lines.
JGabriel
“Nope.”
Nice, Salazar pushing this through, riding roughshod over GOP obstruction.
.
sloan
@AhabTRuler: Good call! I have CNN (mediocre) and MSNBC (slightly less mediocre). And there’s a channel called “Headline News” that always has an angry white trash lawyer lady sucking the marrow from the bones of a murdered child.
I don’t miss Fox except on days like this.
mcc
All right!
A staffer at Congressman Teague’s office just took a very, VERY angry phone call from me in which I promised to support a primary challenger if he was voting against the bill and said something like “I saw he said he was doing this because it was too nice to the insurance companies and didn’t do enough to help people, but I can spend two minutes on google and see that one year ago he opposed the public option, which there’s nothing wrong with that by itself, but if he was going to oppose stuff that would be hard on the insurance companies and then a year later vote against the bill because it’s not harsh enough to the insurance companies, that’s a complete 180 and it’s just not credible, I think this is about abortion or something else, I don’t think anyone’s going to believe his intentions were good.” I hope like hell I wasn’t speaking too quickly to be understood. The staffer was not just very polite but sounded legitimately cheerful when I was done. I don’t know what that meant. Maybe he knew something I didn’t.
Joseph Nobles
C-Span says that these early votes are scheduled to make sure all Congress critters can make it to the Capitol.
ETA: LOL, @pourmecoffee on Twitter says to say goodbye to Grandma if you’re having Sunday lunch with her.
Camchuck
Who will be the first congressman to complain about missing a basketball game?
Violet
Stupak is a yes?! No way! Time to pop the bubbly!
AnotherBruce
@AhabTRuler:
So many stupid things have been said lately, that I have to ask: What’s a Hoekstra?
freelancer
@JGabriel:
That was so dry, it made me chuckle.
“Would the speaker care to explain why he won’t change the rules to let me talk out of my ass and obstruct the inevitable?”
“No. [Go fuck yourself.]”
Quackosaur
Some Republican apparently momentarily hated a certain Columbus, OH post office and/or Clarence Lumpkin.
Veteran, Great War of Yankee Aggression
If there was still a moderate/ liberal wing of the GOP, with people like Kemp, Wiecker, Dole, who were amenable to government helping people, and if there was a unified consensus among Dems to provide for universal healthcare, I would probably be ok with the FDL wing, pushing for a stronger version, or willing to shoot this down from the left.
But the Right has framed this as the Waterloo, the make or break, the defining battle between Progressives and Merkins.
In this case, that framework is what we have to work with, and passing this is the only shot progressives will have for a generation. Seen in that light, even if they give Bart Stupak a private jet and 72 virgins, I would say its worth it- we have immigration reform and financial reform coming up, and a loss today would kill both, and validate the Village wisdom.
Comrade Kevin
@AnotherBruce: A Hoekstra is something you cough up when you have a chest infection.
Moses2317
We cannot take this victory for granted. We’re in the final stretch here and need to keep the heat on the undecideds on health care reform. Below are their D.C., district, and fax #s. I have left off some district numbers that we know the mailboxes are full on.
If you cannot get through on the phone, use this free internet fax service – http://faxzero.com/
Brian Baird – Washington (Vancouver, Olympia) – (202) 225-3536
Fax # – (202) 225-3478
Paul Kanjorski – Pennsylvania (Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Mount Pocono) – 202-225-6511
District # – 570-496-1011 – they were answering this morning
Fax # – 202-225-0764
John Tanner – Tennessee (Union City, Jackson, Millington) – 202-225-4714
District # – (731) 885-7070
Fax # – (202) 225-1765
Earl Pomeroy – North Dakota (Bismarck, Fargo) – (202) 225-2611
Fax # – (202) 226-0893
Kathy Dahlkemper – Pennsylvania (Erie) – (202) 225-5406
Fax # – (202) 225-3103
Lincoln Davis – Tennessee (Columbia, Jamestown, Rockwood) – 202.225.6831
District #s – 931.879.2361
Fax # – 202.226.5172
Mike Michaud – Maine (Bangor, Lewiston, Presque Isle, Waterville) – 202-225-6306
District # – 207-942-6935 – 207-782-3704 – 207-764-1036 – 207-873-5713
Fax # – 202-225-2943
Steve Driehaus – Ohio (Cincinnati) – (202) 225-2216
District # – (513) 684-2723
Fax # – (202) 225-3012
Stephen Lynch – Massachusetts (Brockton, Boston) – 202-225-8273
District # – 617-428-2000 – 508-586-5555
Fax # – 202-225-3984
Rick Boucher – Virginia (Abingdon, Pulaski, Big Stone Gap) – 202-225-3861
District # – 276-628-1145 – 540-980-4310 – 276-523-5450
Fax # – 202-225-0442
Loretta Sanchez – California (Garden Grove) – (202) 225-2965
District # – (714) 621-0102
Fax # – (202) 225-5859
Dan Lipinski – Illinois (LaGrange, Oak Lawn, Chicago’s southwest side) – (202) 225 – 5701
District #s – (312) 886 – 0481 – (708) 352 – 0524 – (708) 424 – 0853
Fax # – (202) 225 – 1012
Joe Donnelly – Indiana (South Bend, LaPorte, Michigan City, Kokomo) – (202) 225-3915
District #s – 574.288.2780 – 574-753-2671 – 219.326.6808 ext. 2414 – 219.873.1408 ext. 354
Fax # – (202) 225-6798
Marion Berry – Arkansas (Jonesboro, Cabot, Mountain Home) – (202) 225-4076
District # – (870) 972-4600 – (501) 843-3043 – (870) 425-3510
Fax # – (202) 225-5602
Jerry Costello – Illinois (Carbondale, Belleville, E. St. Louis, Granite City, Chester) – (202) 225-5661
District #s – (618) 233-8026 – (618) 529-3791 – (618) 826-3043 – (618) 397-8833 – (618) 451-7065 – (618) 937-6402
Fax # – (202) 225-0285
Nick Rahall – West Virginia (Beckley, Bluefield, Huntington, Logan) – (202) 225-3452
District #s – (304) 252-5000 – (304) 325-6222 – (304) 522-6425 – (304) 752-4934
Alan Mollohan – West Virginia (Morgantown, Wheeling, Clarksburg, Parkersburg) – (202) 225-4172
District #s – (304) 623-4422 – (304) 292-3019 – (304) 428-0493 – (304) 232-5390
Fax #s – (202) 225-7564
JGabriel
Hmm, I know there’s only about 70 comments in this thread, so far, but the pauses for these “Whip-in” votes seem like good points to start new threads.
Just a suggestion.
.
Ailuridae
Hoekstroika– A ridiculous statement that greatly minimizes the suffering of one group of people while wildly escalating the suffering of another group of people, when no such comparison exists. Usually for partisan political point scoring. Origin: a “twitter” from Rep. Peter Hoekstra comparing the violent repression of peaceful demonstrators in Iran with Republicans in congress:
Iranian twitter activity similar to what we did in House last year when Republicans were shut down in the House. 8:56 AM Jun 17th from TwitterBerry
demkat620
One full year of debate, townhalls, call ins and phone campaigns and people weren’t allowed to be heard?
WTF Michael Steele? Seriously, this guy has got to be in the top 10 of the stupidest people on the planet.
Joey Maloney
BJ owners, have you noticed that the letter links in the Lexicon are broken?
AkaDad
By passing a bill that makes America a better place, Democrats are clearly committing suicide. Duh.
freelancer
@AnotherBruce:
from the Lexicon:
ETA: Retired Schoolteacher, “IGMFU”
AhabTRuler
Curse you, freelancer!
TR
@jibeaux:
That one’s excellent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w
On the vote, Stupak seems on the fence, but CNN reports that two other holdouts (Baird and Giffords) have announced they’ll vote yes, so that should make it 216.
eemom
is Stupidpak in or inee? Impossible to find a straight answer.
Oh, and fuck him either way.
JGabriel
Joey Maloney:
They work fine for me. Could be your browser, or maybe your load time – I’ve noticed links not working till everything else is loaded at some sites, sometimes.
.
sloan
Programming note for anyone watching from Canada today: CPAC is simulcasting and streaming CSPAN.
freelancer
@AhabTRuler:
The fuck did I do?
mcd410x
Seems Bart may be back to a ‘no’
I’m shocked.
AhabTRuler
Death Panels, w00t! Obamacare!
AnotherBruce
@freelancer:
Oh that one, thanks, I should have checked the lexicon.
Hopefully we can repress the shit out of the Republicans today.
kay
@Mike The Dealer:
He’s not a yes. Dana Bash says they’re drafting the EO. They’re “close to a deal”.
Joseph Nobles
Brian Baird a yes according to Fox’s Major Garrett:
http://twitter.com/MajoratWH/status/10829872861
Anya
Is anyone else listening to these morons on CSPAN or am I in the wrong CSPAN?
Nicole
Props to the CSPAN lady asking the anti-HCR caller, who was complaining about the gov’t running anything how he squared being on Medicare himself with being opposed to the gov’t running healthcare. I just wish, as he then complained about Medicare, why she didn’t follow up with the obvious question, “So why don’t you just purchase private insurance?” Because I would wager $100 I know what his answer would be.
AhabTRuler
@freelancer: You posted the definition of Hoekstra just before I posted the definition of Hoekstra, making me look slow.
Yeehaw, a good ole boy! I been done down here since 1995 and lemme tell yew them revenuers ‘ell chase you good down here in arr-keen-saws!
ETA: Do the protesters know that they aren’t at a baseball game?
licensed to kill time
How long can one remain on tenterhooks until they get infected? I’m seriously tenterhooked.
mcc
What are those people on c-span chanting?
“Fix it?”
“Taxes?”
“Texas?”
Mike The Dealer
@kay
Oh I just want this to be over, how I hate all Stupak and all these weasels not voting with the party on a core issue.
AkaDad
@AhabTRuler:
Next up, FEMA camps!
Joey Maloney
@JGabriel: For me, each letter link looks something like
https://balloon-juice.com/?page_id=28596#G
but when loaded it redirects to a url something like
https://balloon-juice.com/balloon-juice-lexicon-a-h/
and the page anchor is lost.
Just FTR. Mac, Snow Leopard, Safari 4.
freelancer
@Anya:
Yeah, I’m hearing them. This is total DougJ bait.
@mcc:
The baggers outside chanting “Nancy…Nancy…Nancy”, sound like HAL singing Daisy as he is slowly lobotomized and shut down.
mcc
@freelancer: Hahaha
sloan
@sloan: scratch that!
They are rerunning something from March 16 right now. Live later.
The schedule for today (so far):
2 p.m.: The House will debate for one hour the rules of debate for the reconciliation bill and the Senate bill.
3 p.m.: The House will vote to end debate and vote on the rules of the debate.
3:15 p.m.: The House will debate the reconciliation package for two hours.
5:15 p.m.: The House will vote on the reconciliation package.
5:30 p.m.: The House will debate for 15 minutes on a Republican substitute and then vote on the substitute.
6 p.m.: The House will vote on the final reconciliation package.
6:15 p.m.: If the reconciliation bill passes, the House will immediately vote on the Senate bill, without debate.
Violet
@freelancer:
I heard that one. Screw these people. Selfish is too kind a word to describe their attitude. If they don’t like the government help they do receive, they should just give it up. We’ll be happy to have the money back, thank you very much.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
“uncharacteristically”? He’s been in a weird mood of too-cool-for-the-room petulance for a long time, i.e. ‘shit sandwich’ and sneering little remarks about “Mr Hopey Changey”
Royston Vasey
“Forty-two,” said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm.
“The Answer to the Great Question, will HRC be passed in our lifetime.”
Tim F.
@Moses2317: Dude, I doubt that anyone is reading those faxes before tomorrow.
And Another Thing...
@Loneoak: Blumenauer is a nationally known activist for bicycles – funding, policy, highway design, etc. He really does great work.
Martin
@jibeaux: Ok, that was 1000 tons of awesome in a 5 lb sack. Showed it to my kids – they were blown away, as am I. Watch it a few times, think about the timing of the events to the song, the lip synching, the cameraman stepping over things to get the shot, and all of those things having to work all the way through, and how many extra bits they needed to have on hand. How many takes would they need? How many TVs, pianos, etc?
CaseyL
OK, I’m watching the vote count on the motion to suspend the rules and although time has clearly run out, votes keep changing – although the motion looks like it passed with room to spare.
Can someone explain why votes keep changing after time expires? I know that during the Bush years, the GOP would keep the vote open until they got the numbers they wanted, but SFAIK the Dems aren’t doing that, and anyway the vote changes don’t seem to be enough to change the outcome. (In fact, the late votes are adding to the yeas not the nays)
So what’s up with that?
ETA: Looks like it’s a vote about naming a Post Office, which makes even less sense to me. I thought the whole day was going to be about the healthcare vote.
sistermoon
Ohmigod… these people are beyond ignorant
BTW, check out HuffPo -tweets from across the political spectrum. Some real comedy gold coming from the “conservative” side:
jwb
@Nicole: If Stupak got anything, my guess is that it would be a commitment from Obama and Pelosi that they would not support his primary opponent.
debit
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Obama must have pissed on his SUPERTRAIN.
Joseph Nobles
@CaseyL:
This vote is on renaming a post office and is apparently used as the equivalent of a roll call.
Ben S.
Tanner is a no; Giffords a yes (per the GOS)
Martian Buddy
Anne Laurie, thanks for update #2–that made me smile. “And then we’ll see how loyal a hungry dog really is.”
4jkb4ia
If Stupak yes, I am so relieved. I was so nervous, I felt a hollow space in my chest. But I am worried what they gave him.
There is an orange monster. It ate Gonzaga.
leinie
@jwb:
Fine, don’t support his primary opponent – but don’t support him, either. Just sit MI out, ‘kay Madame Speaker and Mr. President?
I really, really hate that fuck. Stupak has surpassed Joe Lieberman as the politician I despise the most, and let me tell you, that took some doing.
Will
Nancy sounded awfully confident at her press conference.
Joey Maloney
Who’s that in the chair? I like him. That was the second “fuck you”.
freelancer
Who the fuck is the current speaker? I’m liking this guy.
“No, get your question right.”
“Dummy, your question is still not formatted correctly.”
“Okay, now that you got it down, nevermind. Your question is shrill, and retarded.”
SIA
@JGabriel: Shrill. Voice like a giant mosquito. I thought she had the worst voice in politics, but you (Or someone) pointed out Palin had her beat. That I concede.
CaseyL
Steve Benen says Brian Baird (D-WA) is now a “yes” vote! That’s fantastic! I’m one of the people who’s been calling his local office since I couldn’t get through to the DC office to try to convince him to be a yes vote.
Now I think I should call and thank him.
4jkb4ia
nytimes.com: Half an hour ago, Stupak NO! But Baird and Kaptur yes.
JenJen
Per the presser on CNN just now, Speaker Pelosi is carrying the gavel used to gavel down the passage of Medicare in 1965, lent to her by Rep. John Dingell, whose father presided then.
joe from Lowell
@Texas Dem:
Then you’re going to love this:
The Republicans are going to vote against the reconciliation bills. There is going to be a vote in each house on eliminating the “Cornhusker Kickback” and the “Louisiana Purchase.” Republicans are going to vote en masse against those bills.
Which means that, this fall, the Democrats are going to launch Rovian attack ads against what the Republicans are insisting will be their greatest electoral strength.
The swift boat attacks didn’t work by convincing anybody that John Kerry was a cowardly traitor. They worked by making it harder for John Kerry to use his military story as part of his campaign. Imagine the debate when a Democrat responds to a Republican’s attacks on the HCR sausage-making, or even preempts them, with an attack on his opponent for voting to retain the sweet heart deals.
mcc
Have to admit, almost hope Stupak’s a no… only because if he’s a yes that implies there’s probably something in that EO that I won’t like.
Anya
@freelancer: T
I was just wondering what that chant reminded me of, thanks.
Snarky Pickles
@JenJen:
I’ll have seconds on the awesome sauce, thank you.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Was Baird (edited) one of the Stupak Stupid Pack? I thought he was using the fiscally repsonsible dodge?
mcc
kay
@Mike The Dealer:
I lost count, so I’m not going to tell you they can pass it without the 8.
I was waiting to hear Pelosi, but all she did was accept the Medicare gavel ( I guess it’s the gavel they used to pass Medicare).
I’m to the point of tea-leaf reading, which means I have to stop.
She said “successful vote” and I seized on that as uncertainty. Of course, it doesn’t mean shit. Had she said “vote” alone I would have interpreted that as uncertainty too. Of course she’s holding a vote.
batgirl
The GOP really is the party of NO. They just voted against Women’s History Month. Carrying on their long tradition of hatred of women.
Anya
A caller just said, she originally supported it but changed her mind because so many people are against it. That woman and people like her are too stupid to live.
GregB
The GOP should be dubbed The Party that Cried Wolf.
Come 2012 and they have no video footage of liberal staffed death camps forcing white Christians to eat arugula and sodomize each other before swearing on the Koran and then getting put up against the wall and clubbed to death with Rahm Emmanuels’ enormous penis(Liberal death camps will outlaw the use of guns)…..then won’t they be looking a tad silly after 4 years of hyper alarmism?
Maybe it’s just me.
Joseph Nobles
The acting Speaker is John Salazar (currently throwing people out of the Gallery for causing a disturbance).
http://www.house.gov/salazar/
Tim F.
@mcc: Where did you get that?
Cain
@mistermix:
Earl is a huge Obot and is as popular as Obama is in Oregon especially with young people. The guy is damn smart and has a lot of charm. He could be presidential material. I believe he turned down an offer to run for Governor earlier this year.
cain
mcc
@Tim F.: Sorry, top headline at TPMDC right now
Ned R.
“Yeah, we kept getting all these calls from angry tea-party assholes and that kinda pissed us off, really.”
(Hi everyone, long time away as an irregular commenter but it’s been busy. Had to be here for this of course.)
LuciaMia
Speaking of FEMA camps, just filled out my census form. Was a little disappointed in the questions. Pretty much boils down to how many people live here and what race do you consider yourself to be. Now how is that enough information to decide who to send away to those government death camps?
scav
FYI, new thread +1 over
jwb
@leinie: I have no idea whether or not Stupak got a deal, but if he’s smart, which it’s not clear that he is, ensuring establishment Democratic support during his primary ought to be the first item of the agreement. Given that he’s still apparently playing coy, I would say he is too stupid to understand how weak his hand is at the moment.
SIA
@AhabTRuler: Poor Gohmert. He is just trying to save us. Don’t break his heart.
demkat620
@JenJen: I love Nance for this.
You go girl!
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Anya: Good Lord. Reminds me of the ‘swing voter’ from 2000 who told CNN she was changing from Gore to Bush, because Gore seemed to think he had all the answers, while Governor Bush is willing to let other people do the thinking.
tammanycall
Roll Call says MSNBC’s reporting is wrong:
Martian Buddy
Oops, sorry Tim: I blame the excess of blood in my caffeine system. Excellent comment.
Corner Stone
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
It seems Atrios didn’t care for the way Democrats negotiated against themselves and the WH cut back room deals with PHRMA, among other quibbles.
Will
What’s up with Lorena Sanchez?
http://www.rollcall.com/news/44440-1.html
me
@batgirl: Most of them just voted against approving the journal from yesterday. How fucking stupid.
batgirl
The fact is too many people really have no clue about what is in this bill. Fox and right-wing media continually lie about it. (Rush “questioned” whether it would outlaw private health care) The news media discuss the horse race and controversy without actually talking about the concrete facts of what is in the bill. The WH and much of Congress have been unable to get easy, short, clear talking points out. And the American people are too lazy and/or too stupid and/or undereducated to try to actually inform themselves.
For a good rundown of what the bill will do year by year see: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1914020220100319
batgirl
@me: Maybe we can use this to our advantage? Say put up a resolution that global warming is a hoax? Their heads might explode.
lamh31
from twitter: @annaedney
“Protesters calling Frank a faggot again today. His partner is with him, recording this time.”
General Egali Tarian Stuck
Beep Beep; all aboard. Destination HCR, USA
Zuzu's Petals
@tammanycall:
From TPM:
LuciaMia
Okay, what’s next? They’re gonna vote against National Sandwich Day?
Freankin’ morons.
Scott de B.
I heard 40 takes, though most of those involved the first 25% of the video. You can see stacks of broken TVs in the background.
SIA
@tammanycall: God what a little prima dona Stupak is. He likes being in this position – everyone paying attention to him at the last minute – or ELSE. My wish is that we pass the bill without him but with all his little followers.
Ailuridae
@Corner Stone:
It would be more interesting if Duncan demonstrated even cursory knowledge of what actually drives health care costs. In hundreds of posts over three years that I have read him they have all been along the same lines as his latest wrong-headed post.
It does not do the important work of sowing the seeds of the insurance industry’s destruction, leaving the skimmers in place, and only takes baby steps towards moving them to the regulated public utility model. It also doesn’t get rid of their anti-trust exemption, leaving the effective monopolies in place. This leaves us open to continued abuses by the industry and fails to do the most important cost-cutting measure, cutting out the paper pushers who serve no useful purpose in the economy.
Provider compensation (in both the forms of doctors and hospitals) is the primary driver of costs. The reason Medicare buy-in is so preferable from a cost perspective to private insurance isn’t because insurance is driving the cost; its because Medicare represents enough patients that doctors have to negotiate down the outrageous rates they charge.
Nicole
Ryan: ZOMG, the mandate to buy health insurance will require 650 new IRS collection agents!
Er- aren’t the Republicans griping that we need to focus on creating new jobs, anyway?
kdp
@JenJen: that is too awesome. Traveling yo brunch with a friend so only have phone 4 updates. Called stark’s office this am. Staffer sound very upbeat.
@batgirl: my neighbour is one of.those opposed cuz it length. And no one knows what is on it. I pointed out that the 2k bill has been up for review for 3 months now.
Rove was too funny this am and plouffe cool beyond words.
Joel
@Corner Stone: It’s amazing to me that owning smoke and tear gas grenades is considered “legal”. But I guess it’s one step below the semi-automatic assault rifle on the shocking scale.
Anya
This sooooo boring. I want unhinged diatribe and all I’m getting is the usual repub crap.
I am going out to spend my socialist money.
Ailuridae
@Nicole:
Government jobs aren’t jobs.
Joel
@mcc: I wonder if it was supportive calls from liberals or thousands of unhinged teabagger rants that made it happen.
I’m guessing both.
Joel
@LuciaMia: The answer is white people in a household greater than 4, silly. Population control, just like those chinese communists.
gnomedad
@GregB:
I’m looking forward to this, too, although the crazies will have some story about how it’s just around the corner.
Edit: Damn Rahm’s pen is; I’m in moderation!