Comments on: 218

By: Brett Bellmore

Brett Bellmore — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:11:18 +0000

Tentatively, yeah.

By: Barry

Barry — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:45:10 +0000

Brett, are you going to acknowledge that you have been proven wrong on this point?

By: Michael Drake

Michael Drake — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:05:44 +0000

"A death throe, w/ an ‘e,’ is typically a transitory thing" Brett was probably using the alternative measure.

By: Anonymous37

Anonymous37 — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:06:50 +0000

Sorry about that, Mark. But I think that Cao would have voted yes because of the demographics of his district even if his vote was the one to pass the bill.

By: K

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:57:43 +0000

A death throe, w/ an ‘e,’ is typically a transitory thing, & I think what Brett Bellmore is alarmed about went on for a very long time. (I grant he may have been upset all those many years.) Anyway, long or short, I think it’s a bit flamboyant to call House passage, w/ or w/o floor amendments, the death throes of democracy.

By: Mark Kleiman

Mark Kleiman — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:44:36 +0000

Anonymous, I didn’t forget about Cao. The original post went up when the 218th “Yes” vote was recorded. All were Democrats. Cao came in at the end. I don’t know whether his vote would have been available if required to put the bill over the top.

By: Brett

Brett — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:39:02 +0000

That’s half the battle. Now it goes to the Senate, where the negotiations, filibustering, and all manner of shenanigans and modifications will occur.

By: Anonymous37

Anonymous37 — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:54:25 +0000

“Two hundred eighteen Representatives, all of them Democrats”

You forgot about Cao.

By: Henry

Henry — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:30:03 +0000

No, it’s where they put people awaiting capital punishment.

By: MaryL

MaryL — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:50:20 +0000

What’s a death throw? A comforter with the Jolly Roger on it?

By: Henry

Henry — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:41:26 +0000

Two hundred and fifteen representatives think that the consequences of the bill will be worse than 45,000 people dying each year from lack of adequate health insurance. Amazing. (Or did they have a motive other than preventing something worse than 45,000 deaths per year for voting against the bill?)

By: Michael Drake

Michael Drake — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:59:03 +0000

Here’s the link again: http://mediamatters.org/research/200911060016

By: Michael Drake

Michael Drake — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:58:11 +0000

Re the claim about Pelosi’s “violating her pledge”: “Pelosi’s office posted both the text of the bill and the “manager’s amendment” — which The Sunlight Foundation called an “extra final version of legislation” — 72 hours in advance.” (http://mediamatters.org/research/200911060016)

By: Brett Bellmore

Brett Bellmore — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:18:00 +0000

And to get it done, she had to violate her pledge to let people see what was in the bill before it was voted on. YOU may think this sort of thing is a triumph of democracy, I think it’s the death throws.

By: Quiddity

Quiddity — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:46:21 +0000

Man, it’s been a long slog and it’s not over yet. I’m still not sure how this will end.