Reality check on Snowe supporting the Baucus bill...

[Pab Sungenis]

The fact that a Republican is backing this bill is evidence of just how bad a bill it is.

[pnwmom]

1. Repeat: all we needed was for ANY bill to get out of the Finance Committee.

This is just the beginning.

[Pab Sungenis]

3. So now Reid gets to advance the provisions in this bill

and kill the real reform in the Kennedy bill.

Health reform is dead.

[pnwmom]

4. Health reform is very much alive. n/t

[regnaD kciN]

6. But we didn't need that !!!

There's no requirement that a health-care bill go through Senate Finance. If they had failed, it would simply have been put together from the other four bills already passed.

And I disagree that "this is just the beginning." I'd say that it's more like the end -- of any bill other than Baucus's insurance-industry wet-dream. Now, any attempts to make the bill more consumer-friendly, or more in line with the other four, will be batted away with "this is the only way to get a 'bipartisan' bill that can get 60 cloture votes." Now, it will be those wanting to amend the Baucus bill who will be painted as "obstructionists to health-care reform." The pressure (from the congressional Democratic leadership, and possibly even the White House) to fall in line behind Baucus's monstrosity as-is will become overwhelming.

If my prediction is right, by the end of the week, you'll see congressional Democratic objections to the Baucus bill begin to fall by the wayside, with the conventional wisdom becoming "this may not be a perfect bill, but it's the only one we're going to get through, so get in line or else."

[debbierlus]

9. THANK YOU

Exactly.

However, I don't think the Congress will cave so quickly to a bill with no public option. I am not saying they won't. I am saying it will play out much longer.

This bill is a travesty. It is an insult to the American people and a gift to the corporate profiteers who wrote it.

[Pab Sungenis]

14. But if the House won't stand for the provisions of this bill

once they're "merged" with the Kennedy bill, then there will be no reform.

If we'd stopped this bill here and now, we might have had a fighting chance.

[bdamomma]

18. but didn't Obama say if no public option he will not sign it??

[debbierlus]

21. He has said he is OPEN to options besides it

[yodermon]

16. I thought per senate rules, the Finance committee had to vote out a bill

i'm so confused.
I'm at least hoping the progressive caucus stands firm in the House.

[Pab Sungenis]

20. Right, and it takes 60 votes to get anything passed.

They're taking little rules and conflating them into things they were never supposed to be.

Harry Reid can move the HELP bill even if Finance votes theirs down. They're two separate bills, not the same one. Baucus' bill originated in his committee and Kennedy's in his. It's not the same bill, so both don't need to sign off.

[Cleita]

22. You stated exactly what is going to happen.

We have to slap our reps into shape if this is how things start going down. It isn't over until the fat lady sings and we need to keep that fat lady off stage until we get what we need.

[librechik]

2. I don't care. Get that thing out of committee so we can get on w the real business

of passing a bill for the people. I'm sick of everyone focusing on the Finance committee like we're dogs and they have a pocket of treats. Forget those assholes and give me Harkin!

[Ruby the Liberal]

24. Harkin gave the responsibility to Dodd

I am so glad this POS passed. Now we can move on and present the Democratic position as opposed to a full floor debate.

[asdjrocky]

5. It's clearly black and white now.

They don't give a shit about us.

Fuck the Senate.

[Fire1]

7. Cenk said it best. They're bitches for corporate america. n/t

[asdjrocky]

10. Exactly.

While there may be two or three Senators I admire the rest are a bunch of Corporate owned whores.

It's not my fault that others can't see that.

[Cleita]

8. Stop making so much sense.

Even Thom Hartmann is saying it should pass committee even though it's a mostly worthless bill. What's wrong with him? I usually love Thom but not on this.

[SIMPLYB1980]

11. I can't wait to say....

Thank God it passed!

[Stinky The Clown]

12. Careful. The Apologist Brigade will be on you like stink on shit.

[Pab Sungenis]

15. They already are.

Over in my "obituary" thread.

[ProSense]

19. Luckily,

the flawed-logic brigade is on the case:

A single-payer amendment offered by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), which would allow states to set up single-payer systems, passed 27-19 with 13 Republican votes last month during the Education and Labor Committee markup of healthcare reform.

[LynneSin]

13. Seriously, Olympia Snowe? She's hardly a role model for the current republican party

She's in that same group of republicans that included former republicans like Arlen Specter and Jim Jeffords. Not sure why she hasn't just left the party since clearly she's hardly a part of it anymore. Snowe is also pro-choice and pro-enviroment.

Now if you had someone like Sam Brownback, Tom Coburn or Orrin Hatch support this bill then I'd be concerned.

[ProSense]

17. You're right

A single-payer amendment offered by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), which would allow states to set up single-payer systems, passed 27-19 with 13 Republican votes last month during the Education and Labor Committee markup of healthcare reform.

[shagsak]

23. Snowe voted yes

final tally:
14 yes
9 no