Why does it have to be done in one year??

[kentuck]

I know the conventional wisdom is that healthcare reform has to be done before 2010 because that is an election year. Try as I might, I cannot understand that reasoning? I really don't care if it take 5 years. Just get it done right.

I know they thought they had 60 votes to stop debate but they were delusional. They never had 60 votes. Even if there were 70 Democrats in the Senate, the Repubs would find a way to coax at least 11 of them to the other side. That was a false belief from the beginning.

Why are they so stuck on 60 votes? We never hear "60 votes" mentioned when the Republicans are in power. Is that the handicap that the Democrats have agreed to work under? Repubs only need 51 votes and Democrats need 60 votes? If they want to filibuster, make them do it the old-fashioned way. Stand on the floor and defend your position. Stop playing games in the media with the 60th vote nonsense. It's about hard work and sacrifice. How much is it worth to you?

[Jamastiene]

1. They are beating this bill to fit and painting it to match

the campaign slogans they plan on using in the midterms. "We passed a HISTORIC health care reform bill and insured 40 million Americans who were previously uninsured. See how we work for the people?"

That's why.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

2. For the last time, they aren't going to change the filibuster rules.

[David Zephyr]

3. Obama should have spent his first year on new job creation and taxing the top 1%.

He fucked up. Big time.

[kentuck]

5. In hindsight...

I would tend to agree. He was trying to keep a campaign promise. He would probably have been crucified if he had not proposed healthcare. But I agree, he should have tackled other problems.

[Johonny]

8. He thinks he did

His head of the FED is Time man of the year for saving the banking industry. He created a stimulus package that shows it saved jobs. He tabled the tax cuts for the top 1 % after 2010 and he cut most peoples taxes. I think he did about as much as he planed to do in one year.

[JuniperLea]

9. "for saving the banking industry"

This reminds me of "Angel of Death" stories wherein a nurse puts a patient in mortal danger in order to "save" them at the last possible moment and be heralded as a hero.

[treestar]

4. They Republicans need 60 votes too

they must get them from the conservative Democrats.

There aren't any liberal Republicans any more.

[Johonny]

6. It's been what 60+ years

I think the plan was to pass something this year to show they were serious about passing health care legislation. If they are serious about further reforming of the legislation as time passes well it makes sense to pass it early in the presidency so you have to time to actually reform it later. Next year the legislative focus will be on things they think will have broad public appeal to help election campaigns. So I imagine a lot of economic bills are going to be the focus. They want Republicans defending big business and banks all next year.

As for not hearing about 60 votes... what do you think all that these people deserve up and down votes crap was during the Bush presidency?

[Orsino]

7. It needs to have been done decades ago.

To someone with no coverage who might get some, it could be worth everything.

It really is a crisis for some Americans. What's lacking is an even remotely similar sense of urgency in most of the rest of us.