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October 7, 2009

GOP Senators About to Fold on ObamaCare?


Update: Reid's "Brilliant" Two-Step: Get Cloture on a Bill Withouth Public Option, Then Slip In Public Option By Amendment.

Erick Erickson at RedState.com reports:

I am told quite reliably that in a meeting today on Capitol Hill, Republican Senators began to rapidly move toward concessions on health care because they are afraid they cannot hold their members. Some Republicans are now thinking of supporting a government program.

Go to the action center and start calling.

Already, Senate Democrats are looking to pass healthcare by attaching it to unrelated legislation — the back door Brian Darling has repeatedly warned us about.

Republicans are starting to waver on this.

Call now. Tell the GOP to stand firm in opposition to the Democrats’ health care plans.

h/t Ace of Spades HQ
Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., is weighing a plan to bring the final health care bill to the floor without a public option -- making it much easier to get the 60 votes needed to prevent a Republican filibuster -- and then adding the provision later as an amendment.

The public option amendment would be there waiting, but the 60-vote test would technically be on a bill without the government plan. Then moderate Democrats could drop out for the vote on the public option, which requires just 51 votes for passage.

"It's brilliant," said a top Senate Republican aide. "It gets you your votes on cloture for a package that does not include a public option."

Reid has not revealed whether he will use this tactic, but he's considering it.
"We haven't made any decisions yet," his spokesman, Jim Manley, said. "We have different options -- that is one."

Senate aides suggest that after passage in the upper chamber, the Senate bill -- public option included -- could then be sent to the House, allowing the lower chamber to simply pass Reid's legislation instead of taking up its own bill. That route would avoid a protracted and contentious battle to meld two different bills and might allow President Obama and Democrats to achieve their goal of passing health care reform by year's end.

Open-government proponents slammed the tactic, saying it would be a bait-and-switch gambit for the Senate to put forward a bill without a public insurance option, only to slip it in later.

33 comments:

Rotti said...

He's such a despicable schwein

Anonymous said...

Rotti, If the Republicans go quietly, they are just as bad.

Snarky Basterd said...

They ALL need to go...every friggin' one of them.

Anonymous said...

Dave... On a rail with tar and feathers.

Unknown said...

There is a reason I've stopped supporting Republicans. They are not the solution to this country's problems. They are part of the problem.

The Right Guy said...

Yes

Writer X said...

The Dems are desperate and there are plenty of Republicans dumb enough to fall for it. Time to melt the phone lines.

Anonymous said...

Arby, I won't try to argue with you. You make good sense.

Anonymous said...

X, get to dialin'.

Fuzzy Slippers said...

This is awful! I'm with Dr. Dave on this one, if they do this, they ALL need to go. Grrr.

So not only didn't the dems hear us this summer, but now our own party is ignoring us? Unbelievable.

Opus #6 said...

I agree with Arby that there are too many weak-hearted Republicans and RINOs out there. We need to be extra careful who we vote for in 2010. I hope we can find some pro-Constitution candidates to run for either party.

Anonymous said...

Fuzzy, the last thing any of them are worried about is what we think. Where is Ronald Reagan when we need him?

Anonymous said...

Pro-Constitution, Opie?? I can think of very few.

cbullitt said...

Guy Fawkes time.

Teresa said...

These Republican have absolutely no backbones. Such a damn disgrace. If this bill passes, then I agree with comments above, throw em all out.

Anonymous said...

Cbull... Pennies for the Guy are already pouring in.

Anonymous said...

If this legislation (public option) passes, the Republicans have overseen the death of their own party.

LL said...

The scumbag politicians who vote for this bill have to be REMEMBERED. Democrats and Republicans both need to be held accountable.

Anonymous said...

Amen

The Conservative Lady said...

Beware the RINOs...Olympia Snow is at the top of the list.

Mike said...

One last Loony Toons reference, NG; if this malignency is allowed in, be it by vote or by ammendment....

bdeet, bdeet, bdeet, that´s all folks

USA_Admiral said...

The Republicans are worthless. No leadership and no balls. Everyone looking out for their own personal power.

So this is the way we slip in to socialism.

Anonymous said...

This is the Dem secret weapon for 2010. They get Repuglican votes for this socialist garbage, they tar the whole party with the same crappy brush.

If there is no difference in the parties then people go with the status quo and the GOP is finished.

Woodsterman (Odie) said...

I'm too pissed to write anything. F - all of them! The GOP didn't notice 9/12/09 in DC ????

Anonymous said...

Lady,

You'd be amazed how much deeper it gets than them. Snowe wouldn't even try half the stuff she does if she didn't have the unspoken support of the RINOs.

Anonymous said...

LL... It would be nice if that would happen, but people forget. Strong actions must be taken Now!

Anonymous said...

Mike, that's the perfect summation.

Anonymous said...

Admiral... not with a bang, but a whimper.

Anonymous said...

Foutsc. You're right about the Republicans. They're too soft right now to even fight an election.

They're an embarrassment.

Anonymous said...

Woody, they don't even notice they've crapped their own pants in public. None of those politicians care about you.

Rhod said...

With Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham and John McCain standing tall, we have nothing to worry about.

Now, if we could only get David Brooks, Rod Dreher, Christopher Buckley and David Frum in high office, we'd have it made.

Anonymous said...

Rhod, I have a rush of tepid patriotism swirling through me just thinking about it.

Rhod said...

Me too, Nico. It feels like a bowl of fatback gruel in the shorts.