House health care bill has nowhere to go in Senate (AP)

[underpants]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON – The glow from a health care triumph faded quickly for President Barack Obama on Sunday as Democrats realized the bill they fought so hard to pass in the House has nowhere to go in the Senate.

The problem is that the Senate won't run with it. The government health insurance plan included in the House bill is unacceptable to a few Democratic moderates who hold the balance of power in the Senate.

If a government plan is part of the deal, "as a matter of conscience, I will not allow this bill to come to a final vote," said Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Connecticut independent whose vote Democrats need to overcome GOP filibusters.

"The House bill is dead on arrival in the Senate," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said dismissively.

Lieberman said he opposes the public plan because it could become a huge and costly entitlement program. "I believe the debt can break America and send us into a recession that's worse than the one we're fighting our way out of today," he said.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_health_care_overhaul

[Taverner]

1. Simple solution: schedule the vote for a day when Lieberman is visiting family

As a Jew I have no problem scheduling the vote right during Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur or some other high holiday...


:evilgrin:

[renate]

19. I think that's a good idea, seriously

Harry Reid needs to take off those damn velvet gloves.

It'd be a sneaky and kind of weaselish move, but Lieberman is such a turd that he would deserve it.

[laconicsax]

24. The High Holidays have already come and gone this year.

Saturday morning/afternoon would probably be fine.

[Taverner]

27. True, he is Orthodox

Which means no firing up computers, lights or bong hits


:evilgrin:

[Kahuna]

29. 1/2 a DUzy? Honorable mention for the, "bong hits."

:D

[Odin2005]

34. LOL!

[wordpix]

42. bwahahaha - and an excellent idea - there's Hanukah coming up

:toast:

[ChicagoSuz219]

28. That won't bring us to 60... duh

[niceypoo]

36. Ram it through at 3 AM

like the GOP did with medicare plan Z or whatever it was called.

[rhett o rick]

47. How does that help to get 60 votes? nt

[robinlynne]

50. great idea. first, let's take him down from those committees right now!

immediately. do not pass go.strip him of his office and participation on any committee. He is taking the place of real Democrats on committees!

[endless october]

2. let the fuckers vote it down then.

and then counter with single payer and keep sending it to them until they pass it.

enough compromise.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. The Senate hates the poor

[Lucky Luciano]

12. This video about sums it up (22 seconds video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYqF_BtIwAU

[WCGreen]

59. Worse than hate...

They are indifferent, treating those who are poor to be the causulties of capitalism, the people who are undeserving, people to be held in contempt if they are held in consideration at all...

[Rosa Luxemburg]

63. how many Democratic Party senators hate the poor?

[closeupready]

67. They're all millionaires, and many of THEM multi-millionaires. Why should they care

about the poor? Let them eat cake.

[harmonicon]

52. you said it!

The real problem with this bill is that it is such a fucking compromise from real reform, that it's somewhere between next to pointless and harmful. I hope some senator has the guts to at least point out that this bill is already compromised too much in the wrong direction and starts working to make changes that would help the people.

[earcandle]

4. So how do we remove senators? We, the people?

[Drunken Irishman]

6. Elections.

And Lieberman isn't up for another three years.

[rhett o rick]

48. It is very difficult to replace a Senator. As the DEmocrats in CT know full well. nt

[Xipe Totec]

5. Lieberman is neither a Democrat nor a moderate n/t

[Drunken Irishman]

7. Or human.

[Xipe Totec]

8. I was only clarifying the points that are still under debate n/t

[FrenchieCat]

9. Media whores GOP cohorts are starting really early on this.....

They couldn't even give the victory one day.

Guess they are becoming desperate!

[Igel]

15. "Victory" is when a bill is passed

and it's known that the prez will sign it, or when it passes with a sufficient majority to override any veto so it doesn't matter whether or not the prez will sign it.

Think of it as taking an oral exam. You've answered a difficult question and the committee has nodded it's approval. Yippee. You're still there, uncomfortable, sweating, with the committee in front of you and additional questions ahead of you.

You may whisper "Yes!" to yourself, even clench your fist in victory behind your back, but it's best not to get too carried away. You haven't passed the test. It's just now you have a moment's pause--if the committee decides to pause--before you have to focus for the next question, the next hurdle.

What's bad is when you celebrate and forget that there's another question. Or that the next question might well be even harder, and if you don't pass that hurdle it really doesn't matter how the previous questions went.

[FrenchieCat]

21. I'm ready for the next fight.....

because yes, you are correct.

We ain't there yet.

[pattmarty]

45. I don't know exactly how you want to count this, but I count the................

................Senate vote (the bill they "finally" vote on AFTER amendments), then to House/Senate conciliation, then back to BOTH houses for the final votes, then to Obama to sign into law. So, what's that, 4 hurdles, right?




Edit to fix stupid spelling errors.

[bluestateguy]

10. About the umpteenth time this has been posted

Typical CW MSM rubbish.

[DavidDvorkin]

11. Says the AP, quoting Graham

Well, that settles it.

[Kahuna]

30. Right. That headline is intended to mislead. nt

[provis99]

13. who cares if the Senate votes this shitty bill down?

Actually, I'd prefer it. Maybe then we can start again with a real health insurance reform bill, rather than a pro-industry bill like this abomination that just got passed.

[BlueDemKev]

40. Oh sure....

....you think if this health care bill gets driven off a cliff, the Democrats will then, in an election year, suddently start all over again and pass a single-payer health care bill? :eyes:

[pampango]

68. It's the "republican senators to the rescue" theory of progressive health care reform.

One does have to wonder how things get better any time soon, if the insurance industry with the republicans, blue dogs, and Lieberman defeat Obama. Some may hope that repubs lose even more seats in the house and senate in 2010, so that more progressive health care reform can be considered in 2011. That's a real long term gamble.

[Faygo Kid]

14. It ain't over til it's over. And it ain't over. By a long shot.

This will get done, purists here notwithstanding. It might be an ugly bill, but it will provide health care, and be looked on as important as Social Security or Medicare. Eventually. It will also blow the GOP out of the water in 2010.

Long way from perfect, but Dems don't march in lockstep like the party of Rush. Over time, that means we win, and they self-destruct.

[high density]

16. How many times now has the AP declared the public option dead?

Seems like it's a weekly thing for the last three months or so.

[Aramchek]

17. another week, another declaration that HCR is done for

yet our progress continues unabated

[Cass]

18. 76% of Americans back a public option.

Graham and Lieberman need to get over themselves.

[Mr. Sparkle]

20. At the very least we have the Nuclear option and reconciliation.

Me thinks the AP is jumping the gun on this one!

[BootinUp]

22. The Senate is such a joke. Needs some serious

reform of rules imho.

[Capn Sunshine]

25. The whole Senate thing has outlived its intent

YOu've got two guys from Rhode Island with the same weight as two from Ohio. We have congresspeople from California whose district's population is larger than the entire state of Wyoming.

It would be one thing if they did the people's business but they are just a club of imperial fucks.

[Turborama]

31. Time for Proportional Representation

A voting system that's http://www.worldpolicy.org/projects/globalrights/democracy/abcs.html">used by most of the world’s major democracies.

[Blue_Tires]

56. thanks for this

will send it to a couple of friends...

[wordpix]

44. I'm with you +1

[Yupster]

66. Actually there's no reason for there to be a senate

The original idea was that the senate would be the voice of the states in Washington. That's why the Constitution had senators chosen by state legislatures.

Once the 17th Amendment (16th?) made the election of senators direct, then they really just became a windier version of the House.

It would save a lot of money to just get rid of the senate altogether.

[truthisfreedom]

23. The media loves conflict.

It's all they can run with. Fuck 'em. The Senate isn't under Lieberman's control.

[wackywaggin]

26. demand a Cut off on health care coverage for all elected officials

[many a good man]

32. Is there a way to avoid a filibuster in the Senate?

Is there some magical way to form this bill so it doesn't require a 3/5 cloture vote?

[tinrobot]

33. Nuclear Option

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_option

I say we use it.

[rury]

38. I think we will go nuclear

I remember both President Obama and Rahm Emanuel saying a few months ago that they would prefer not to use reconciliation to pass health insurance reform, but will if they have to.
It looks like Leiberman, the Conservadems and their Rethuglican cronies are going to leave them no choice...so let's do it, Barack!!

[BlueDemKev]

39. That is a definitely the last resort....

....but if that's what it takes to get health care reform enacted (50 yrs after it should have been!), then NUCLEAR it is!!!!

:nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke:::nuke:::nuke:::nuke:::nuke:::nuke:::nuke:::nuke:::nuke:::nuke:::nuke::

[otohara]

35. Joe Has Never Been Wrong

about anything - we must listen to him, he is so fucking wise.

Why I remember when he wrote in the Wall St. Journal - that the road to victory in Iraq was through Damascus, and he wanted to take out Syria.



Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) writes today in the Wall Street Journal that the U.S. “road to victory” in Iraq goes through Damascus, and urges Congress to “send a clear and unambiguous message to the Syrian regime“:

The United States is at last making significant progress against al Qaeda in Iraq–but the road to victory now requires cutting off al Qaeda’s road to Iraq through Damascus. <...>

It is therefore time to demand that the Syrian regime stop playing travel agent for al Qaeda in Iraq.

When Congress reconvenes next month, we should set aside whatever differences divide us on Iraq and send a clear and unambiguous message to the Syrian regime, as we did last month to the Iranian regime, that the transit of al Qaeda suicide bombers through Syria on their way to Iraq is completely unacceptable, and it must stop.

Lieberman’s approach to confronting terror in the Middle East has only produced more violence and chaos. Shortly after the Iraq invasion — a move that Lieberman championed — he claimed the war would bolster the U.S. ability to take on Syria:

With victory in Iraq all but certain, U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman said Tuesday the United States should use what he called “very aggressive diplomacy” to handle Syria and other countries suspected of harboring terrorists.

“I certainly hope military action won’t be necessary against Syria,” Lieberman said. “I would guess that it will not be, and part of the reason it will not be is because we were willing to use our power in Iraq and made a very strong point there.” http://thinkprogress.org/2007/08/20/lieberman-syria-iraq/

[2Design]

37. cut off congress health plan until we citizens have the same n/t

[rhett o rick]

51. Let me get this straight. You want us to ask Congress to suspend their own health care

to teach themselves a lesson?

[unkachuck]

41. "I believe the debt can break America..."

....that's not fair, traitor joe....wall street casinos and greedy bankers often 'break America', but we can't? We are America, traitor joe, and you will be removed from office next time around....

"...I will not allow this bill to come to a final vote,"

....traitor joe, you shouldn't be a Senate mens room attendant yet alone a chairman of a committee....something is fundamentally broken in the Democratic Party....

[wordpix]

43. "I will not allow this bill to come to a final vote"---Lieberman, you are going down in CT

in 2010, I can tell you that. I'll be out there knocking on doors for your Dem opponent, and this quote will be front and center.

And what makes this asshat think he can control the entire Senate? The Dems should knock his ass down a notch. :grr:

[RBInMaine]

46. First, this is corporate media SHIT ! Next, if LIEberman does it, make him talk until his tonsils

fuckng explode. Make the fucker stand up all night until his fucking balls fall off and he pisses himself soaking wet. Make all the PUKES do that. They want to filibuster, keep them up day and fucking night talking to no one.

[rhett o rick]

49. IT IS WELL PAST TIME FOR THE NUCLEAR OPTION. Why are we not talking about this? nt

[Mithreal]

57. Agreed, and will continue to be ignored.

Too many corporate whores in our party and as MM says, no offense to sex workers.

[Lorien]

53. "Moderate" Democrats? No, they are hardcore Right Wing whores for

the Insurance cartels.

[laughingliberal]

54. Any sick Republican senators in states with Democratic governors?

It could happen. Not likely, but it could.

[regnaD kciN]

55. Tautology: The Senate isn't going to vote on the House bill!

They'll pass a bill of their own, and the two will be reconciled.

DUH! :banghead:

[bamacrat]

58. Seems like the House represents us and the Senate represents the businesses in America.

Maybe Im late to the table recognizing that but it is so blatant and disgusting. Hope Lieberman gets his ass thrown out.

[rhett o rick]

65. The Senate was designed to represent the rich and the House was supposed to represent

the people. But most HOR members are wealthy and bought and paid for by CorpAmerica, so they no longer represent the people. The Health Care bill was passed by 3 votes. Almost one half of HOR reps voted against health care for the people.

[vaberella]

60. AP also told me that there was no PO and that there might be a trigger.

I'll wait on this.

[THale2]

61. I live in Las Vegas

Reid better find somewhere for the bill to go or no vote from me

[olegramps]

62. It is time to bring back caning in the Senate.

[Vinca]

64. Holy Joe sez the public option would be an entitlement, even

though it will be an insurance program that people pay premiums to. Better to sign on with big insurance so the government can put giant subsidy checks in the pockets of billionaires. I bet Joe's got tattoos all over his body: BC/BS, Aetna, Cigna and United Health.

[dmosh42]

69. A strategic move would be to announce that Senators from...

the 'progrssive' states might have to re-consider votes on Agricultural, military bases, etc., or issues important to the 'Red State' gang. But that would be too much to hope for. They all are paid off!

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

70. If they screw this up and we get nothing or next to nothing

I will join any Party/Movement that has as its tenets:

Single Payer Healthcare
Campaign Finance reform
End to War
Civil Rights for All

This could be inside or outside the Democratic Party, I really don't care.