Obama Supports Fixing Senate Bill with Reconciliation (Ball is now in Reid's Court)

[berni_mccoy]

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/health-care/white-house-privately-signaling-support-for-house-passing-senate-bill-with-fix-aides-say/

White House aides have privately told Dem Congressional aides that the White House supports the House passing the Senate health reform bill with a reconciliation fix, something that could give a bit more momentum to that approach, according to two Congressional staffers familiar with the discussions.

Obama and the White House have not publicly stated a preference on how they’d like Congressional Dems to proceed. But White House aides have privately made it clear to the Dem leadership that they support the approach many Dems are coalescing behind: The House passing the Senate bill, with fixes made by the Senate via reconciliation, the sources say.

“In staff level discussions, the White House has made it clear that it supports making changes to the Senate bill through reconciliation because that is the only way to pass comprehensive health care reform,” one of the Dem Congressional aides familiar with ongoing talks tells me.

“They support this strategy,” a second Democratic aide familiar with the talks says, referring to the White House. “The alternatives are so bad they’re not worth asking about.”

It's now on Harry Reid and the Democratic Senators. If they don't do this, there will be terrible consequences come fall.

[iceman66]

1. Unfortunately Reid will probably wimp out

like he has on every important issue since 2006.

[berni_mccoy]

3. Someone needs to show him poll numbers in NV

[groundloop]

2. C'mon Harry, grow a pair. Do what's right

He surely can't believe that caving and doing nothing will help his reelection chances can he? Maybe he's who President Obama was addressing in his speech to the DNC this morning when he said you can either do what's good politics, or you can do what's right for America.

I certainly hope this can come together, it certainly looks like the last chance for anything positive to happen with health care. If they were to do it very soon and start touting the benefits I've gotta believe many of the Democratic Congress members up for reelection would be helped greatly.

[berni_mccoy]

4. I believe Obama is pushing him hard on this.

[dragonlady]

6. Do any of them understand

that what is right for America IS good politics? :shrug:

[stillwaiting]

7. They surely understand that. The thing is they don't have the objectives we think they do.

They are actors, and it is their job to pretend they want to do things for the people.

They will use any and all excuses to not do things for the people, but to continue serving their corporate masters.

They do a very GOOD job at playing the "too weak and don't have a spine" role. This allows us to find justification for
their continuing disgraceful behavior at EVER fighting for what they supposedly believe, and it also allows an explanation
(albeit a ludicrous one) when the Democrats don't effectively fight back at Republican obstructionism and bald faced lies.
Most of DU could fight back against the Repubs better than the Dems do, and yes they certainly have the ability to do so
with much better effectiveness and consequence. They are playing their role beautifully.

In addition, they do a FANTASTIC job at striving to reach a "bipartisan" approach to governance. This absolutely
ensures that they will NEVER pass legislation that actually helps the majority of Americans. If Republican buy-in is
required whenever Democrats have control (but NEVER required when Repubs have control), the middle class, working class, and poor
are royally screwed in America. Of course, the wealthy elite makes out splendidly this way regardless of who's in control
and the divide between the wealthy and the rest of us will continue to grow even more obscene should the "party of the people" govern
in this manner.

No one will be able to convince me that the Democratic actors in Congress and the White House are on our side. They NEVER fight
openly and effectively for us (except for a pretty speech here or there). In fact, they fight against us much more vocally and frequently than they do their supposed enemies
(truly their "friends across the aisle").

I'm reaching the point where I truly believe that ALL of my time and money should be spent on changing the system of government instead of
fighting for Democrats. NO corporate influence on elections, public funding of elections, paper ballots, term limits. I truly
don't believe anything else matters at this point. In the short run we would suffer set-backs. In the longer term we would win, and win
big.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

5. Harry is getting a high speed train and Yucca Mountain scratched...he's getting plenty

of support in what ever he's doing....

Meanwhile, I thought you didn't like articles with "privately" revealed info.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

8. Well, is THAT enough leadership for Senate Dems?

Or do they need a clearer indication of what to do? :eyes:

[deaniac21]

9. I'm guessing some of them will want to be reelected so the vote

total would never reach 50.

[berni_mccoy]

10. Then the Democratic Senators aren't listening to their constituents if they believe that.

[Skidmore]

11. The President needs to put the screws to Harry and

support his replacement by Franken. Seniority be damned and full speed ahead. Reid is drag now...dead wood.

[mzmolly]

12. Reid got 60 votes for the original bill.

I'm thinking he can get 50 for reconciliation.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

13. I don't trust Harry Reid.

Reid is facing a difficult re-election campaign which creates a conflict of interest in his aggressively
pursuing health care reform. NV. has a large military and retirement community that oppose Health care
reform because they've got theirs and could care less about what the rest of us need.