Comments on: Public Option: This had BETTER not be true

By: David C

David C — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:16:52 +0000

I’ll agree with yoyo. Since the House version almost certainly will have a public option, it’s unlikely that a public option will not make it into the reconciled bill. Since you can’t add amendments to a bill after the reconciliation process, it’s much more difficult to filibuster whatever emerges. But if they get Snowe’s vote, it lessens the power of other centrist Democrats and takes pressure off them.

As far as why Rockefeller would do this, maybe to make Obama appear more pragmatic to moderate conservatives? Also, this might slightly reduce Snowe’s standing among Maine voters, who are supportive of the public option.

By: Karlos

Karlos — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:01:11 +0000

My only doubt in all of this is why Rockefeller would come out and say what he said. It just doesn’t make sense. What would prompt him to say this? He’s trying to downplay the importance of Snowe’s vote, but why now and why not handle this internally? Strange.

By: yoyo

yoyo — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:41:57 +0000

well i can’t imagine a worse outcome than a 59-40 vote.

i have trouble imagining that an improved public option won’t get put into the reconciled budget before the decade is out

By: MaryL

MaryL — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:05:54 +0000

BREATHE. Dan Pfeiffer flatly denies this. I am getting so damned tired of the repeated hyperventilation over the latest unsourced scare story.

By: Dennis

Dennis — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:07:21 +0000

Why does the Senate do what Obama wants rather than what they want?

Because they have forgotten that the Legislative branch is a coequal branch of the government. I blame eight years of Republican sycophancy to Bush fils for this.

In my mind, Rahm Emmanuel and Kathleen Sibelius have less than no business in the Conference committee that’s going to decide what we’re going to get for health insurance reform. Please note that I’m calling it health insurance reform rather than health care reform. Health care reform hasn’t been on the table at all.

By: Henry

Henry — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:50:40 +0000

One more question: Why should the Senate do what Obama wants rather than what they want? Have they forgotten that he works for a different branch of the government? Or are they emulating the Republicans in Congress, who blindly did Bush’s bidding?

By: Henry

Henry — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:11:46 +0000

If this is true, then I don’t understand Obama’s motivation. If he gets one Republican vote, that hardly makes it a bipartisan bill — even apart from the fact that it would be one Republican vote for a weakened bill. What good would Snowe’s vote do for Obama?