Reid just announced a motion to proceed on the Abestos Bill.

[Mass]

How many votes do the Motion to Proceed need for the bill to go on the floor?

At least, they are trying to stop that horror.

[Idioteque]

1. 50 votes to proceed, but 60 votes for cloture

Reid said that he will not object to the motion to proceed and any filibuster will take place during consideration of the bill itself.

[Mass]

2. He just said that he was calling his colleagues to vote NO to the motion

to proceed.

Does anybody know if there is a chance they have the vote to stop that now?

[iconoclastNYC]

3. We need to call it the Save Halliburton Bill.

Dick Cheney bought that company knowing full well he could ram this legislation thru Congress. Evil bastard.

[papau]

4. Why are against a bill that is funded by the ins.co's, ends 20 yrs of wait

costs the government nothing, and which still provides for a right to lawsuit outside of the bill?

This is one I do not understand. The plaintiffs bar has expanded this so as to cover just about every America for about $3000 - less the $1,000 they would get - so the only ones getting hurt are the lawyers who do not get fees on the first $140 billion paid.

Is the Democratic Party now a cover for a $45 billion fee grab by the lawyers?

If my math is wrong please tell me. But I do not see how we help the sick folks by a filibuster, and I do not see how the lawyers are owed anything like $45 billion.

[Mass]

5. Specter on the floor now is accusing Reid of slander.

because Reid said that the bill was written by lobbyists.

[papau]

6. Good grief - it was written by lobbyists - indeed by folks I know - it is

still a good bill.

Although I have not read the final wording and am curious to see if they just made it fair to the lawyers re the first $140 B of payout, or if they really screwed the lawyers. If the later, I can see the Democratic Party demanding amendments to make it fair to the lawyers.