Snowe says she would vote to block Reid's health care bill

[bunnysoft]

Source: AP

10-27-09

WASHINGTON — Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe says she would vote with fellow Republicans to block the Democratic health care overhaul if changes are not made to the version Majority Leader Harry Reid outlined this week.

The Democrats will need 60 votes to get the bill past a threatened Republican filibuster, so Snowe's vote would be crucial if Reid loses any of the chamber's 58 Democrats and two independents.

Snowe is the only Republican in Congress who has voted for any of the early Democratic versions in either the Senate or House.

Reid says he has blended two versions in a measure that includes a government-run "public option" to compete with private health insurance plans. States could opt out of the government insurance, but Snowe said Tuesday that's not good enough.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jlMpJGn28kqCcgU-aGcYE_ZHW-ywD9BJK4EG0

[villager]

1. So then the only way we get even a shitty PO is through reconciliation

That's some Congress the insurance companies own...

[humbled_opinion]

23. We wont even get a Shitty one.

The way the cards are stacking it is looking like in order to compromise on getting something passed through our Democratic Leaders will leave out a Public Option and so what exactly does that mean?

We will get a piece of crap legislation that forces us to buy health insurance. Forces us to buy the very thing that many here are rebelling against. Then of course all sides will blame Obama and the Pelosi.

I say forget it. If we can't get a Single Payer, Medicare for all then I'll be damned if I let the government force me to buy health insurance. I guess I will see you in jail.

[quakerboy]

40. Trent Lot gave us the way: Nuclear option

They brought it up first. Now its our turn.

[tekisui]

2. Don't cave to her or lieberman.

Just get it done.

[Alhena]

4. And which Republican Senator's vote can we count on to "get it done"?

Face it: we need Lieberman or Snowe to get to 60. Every single Democrat voting in unison won't get us to 60 without one of them.

[Ruby the Liberal]

10. Where is Collins on this?

[quakerboy]

41. Probably with Snowe

It seems a safe bet.

[defendandprotect]

27. If Lieberman doesn't do this, he should be removed from his chairmanship . . .

he does still have it, doesn't he?

[tekisui]

28. He should lose his chair, be shut out of the caucus, and actively

campaigned against.

[goclark]

3. When I hear the crap these people say ~ I wonder how much $$$ went under

the table for them to say that -- that statement probably will pay for college for her grandchildren.

[Ikonoklast]

19. I fixed it for you...

...that statement probably will buy an entire college for her grandchildren.

These people scoff at a few measly million.

[notadmblnd]

5. let the pukes vote against it

people will only get more angry and remember them next year at election time.Ms. snowe is just looking out for her pocketbook. However, with 70 percent of the people wanting a public option, she should be more worried about her long term earnings.

[dpbrown]

6. Change the rules to allow it to the floor with only 51 votes

Use the nuclear option.

[AndyA]

9. Ding - ding - ding we have a winner folks.

Fuck 'em. Nuke the SOBs. We don't need them. Americans WANT THIS. They will be happy about it and remember which party looks out for them when they go to the polls.

If the Republicans try to block this, I predict we'll pick up seats in both the House and Senate in 2010. If the Dems cave and we wind up with crap, we'll lose seats in both houses.

The answer is obvious to me.

[robinlynne]

13. YES.

[defendandprotect]

29. Make the GOP actually filibuster MEDICARE FOR ALL . .. !!

[Barack_America]

7. She is an enemy of the American people.

No big surprise there.

[GreenPartyVoter]

8. I have called her office and emailed her. It seems like she doesn't care what

her pro-reform constituents want. :grr:

[Ruby the Liberal]

11. There is an ad out there that claims Maine is 58%-29% pro public option

I am surprised that (if accurate), she is ignoring that.

[GreenPartyVoter]

15. There have been rumors that she may finally be retiring. If that is the case she

won't care what we want, she'll do whatever she feels like doing.

[chelsea0011]

18. I'm not surprised. Two of Maine's foremost businesses are fishing and tourism.

Both of these have individuals supplying the economic engines and would have to have their individual selves to supply their own health care, if indeed they can afford it. Single payer plans are costly. i find it hard to believe that many in Maine wouldn't welcome a public option. I see the polls show that. She is out of touch along with Susan Collins who lied today when she said Republicans wanted to work with the bill without the PO. Republicans are on recored as only wanting to scrap the whole thing.

[Bitwit1234]

12. Kick her to the door..

of the committee she is on...after all the democrats can do what the republicans did.

[robinlynne]

14. Could Biden come in and be the 60th vote agianst the filibuster, after they filibuster?

[michreject]

16. No

Only a 50/50 tie breaking vote.

[santamargarita]

17. NEVER have any faith in a Goddamn Republican

They're all fucking snakes!

[IndianaGreen]

20. Snowe is a Party of One

Let them filibuster!

[tomm2thumbs]

21. Snowe and Lieberman can go lip-lock each other

I wouldn't be able to tell them apart.. would be like kissing a mirror

[Hepburn]

22. Fuck you, Snow. n/t

[regnaD kciN]

24. Say hello to the trigger...

:-(

[shraby]

25. And this is news how? She has no inclination to vote

for anything with a public option, period.

[defendandprotect]

26. I think MAINE voters want the public option ... ????

And I think Snowe might be vulnerable on that point?

Has Ted Kennedy's replacement been counted?

Is Byrd able to vote?

[MaineDem]

35. Absolutely!

Maine voters indeed want the public option.

I'm hoping Olympia's moment in the sun is over.

[defendandprotect]

46. Hi Maine Dem . . . I think Jan Hamsher/Firedog is after her then--!!!

They were tracking Repugs re health care where the home state was for it --

and I think they were making some ads or throwing money against her.

Can't recall which, but it's a fight if the people of the state are for single

payer/public option/Medicare for all.

Fingers crossed for all our kids!

And the many being so terribly harmed by this inhumane system we have.

:)

[johnhkennedy]

30. So much for the "bipartisian" Snowe Job.

Just our numbers in the Senate I truly do not understand why Reid bothers to cater to the GOP. Then again I don't expect much of him anyway.

SIGN the PETITION
calling for Torture Prosecutions

http://ANGRYVOTERS.org


.

[Zambero]

33. So the NEXT time history calls...

Snowe won't answer. I wish Dem "Blue Dogs" were half as committed to meaningful health care reform as "moderate" Republicans are against it.

[Cass]

31. No surprise there.

I didn't trust her from the beginning. Republicans have been yanking the democrat's chains.

[tomg]

32. I say let them filibuster. Really, it is

sort of a reverse Mr. Smith Goes to Washington where these assholes have to get up and go on and on about why they oppose real reform. If anything would finally put a stake through the hearts of these ghouls, that would be it. Oh, and televise it and not just on Cspan. So which Republican gets to be thye reverse Claude Raines who finally cracks and tries to blow his brains out screaming "...I haven't got the stomach for this anymore.~"

[Feron]

34. Gee what a surprise. nt

[Endangered Specie]

36. I just hope that Maine doesn't forget this in 2014

[MaineDem]

42. I don't think she's going to run for re-election

Which is why she doesn't care.

[Odin2005]

37. So much for being "moderate".

:eyes:

[BluDemocratGirl]

38. Where's Grayson?

so he can go to the Senate side and tell her and LIEberman that he wants us, the American people, to die quickly? Next, cuss them fools out.

[HughMoran]

39. Make these traitorous backstabbing scumbags filibuster for 6 months if needed

I'd just as soon see these people drop dead anyway, so if they die filibustering, we'll kill 2 birds with one stone.

[Canuckistanian]

43. Her job is done

She was the "bait" in the "bait and switch" manoeuvre.

[Vidar]

44. Oh, just marry Lieberman already.

[Zavulon]

45. She's holding out for a better bill, and I think she should.

She's one of the few Reblucans who actually wants something done, but the version Reid outlined is a hastily-thrown together piece of crap which is specifically designed to help the smarmy little asshole keep his job. The guy has been so wishy-washy on the public option that he hasn't earned anyone's support, he's let us down over and over, and I wouldn't trust that wimpy fuck with a Rubik's cube, much less with a responsibility this big.

I don't want outright garbage passed so that Obama can claim to have kept a campaign promise or that the weaseldick Reid can keep his job - I want a GOOD bill. Reid's isn't.