I will now pause five seconds while you either pick your jaw up off the floor, put your eyes back in their sockets or get back into the chair you fell out of.
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< whistles >
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Ok then…..
YES, I am serious.
This is a landmark occasion, a CongDem Leader actually doing something right, and needs to be marked and noted and praised by even the most cynical and rabid tree hugging closet Naderite Marxist Anarchists among the Fringe Left.
Fighting Harry Reid has actually begun to ….fight.
Sure, sure, he is only doing the no brainer, incredibly obvious right thing by, as Roll Call put it…
….asking the 60-member Democratic caucus to “stick together” on procedural votes that would allow the chamber to begin or end debate on legislation. Sixty votes are needed to close debate, or invoke cloture, on a measure and avoid a filibuster.
The message to Democrats, Durbin said, is: “Don’t let the Republicans filibuster us into failure. We want to succeed, and to succeed we need to stick together.”
snip
With 60 caucus members, Senate Democratic leaders are now under increased pressure to deliver big legislative wins on health care and climate change, largely because Republicans theoretically can no longer use the filibuster rules to prevent Democrats from passing major pieces of the agenda.
But wait that’s not all! He also
“ordered Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) to drop a proposal to tax health benefits and stop chasing Republican votes on a massive health care reform bill.“
According to Democratic sources, Reid told Baucus that taxing health benefits and failing to include a strong government-run insurance option of some sort in his bill would cost 10 to 15 Democratic votes; Reid told Baucus it wasn’t worth securing the support of Grassley and at best a few additional Republicans. …“This was discussed in the weekly Democratic leadership meeting,” one Democratic source confirmed Tuesday afternoon. “These concerns were relayed to [Baucus] later on.” … “The longer Baucus takes, the trickier it gets,” the senior Democratic Senate aide said.
So yeah…..what it comes down to, considering the CongDems now have a filibuster proof majority against anything that comes along besides, well….CongDems….
And considering the fact that NO one in the Party of No (besides, perhaps, the Gentle ladies from Maine, bless their Republican hearts) is gonna vote for any even vaguely adequate health care reform anyway, let alone a Public Option….
This is the no brainer, incredibly obvious right thing to do.
But….
When was the last time a CongDem Leader even came close to actually doing the no brainer, incredibly obvious right thing to do???
My memory doesn’t go back that far!
And as long as I am blowing some minds and going against my image as an “Obama Hating Political Arsonist Pootie Hater who is only out to cause trouble and bring down the Democratic party and defeat Health Care singlehandedly…..”
Let me go ahead and praise President Obama for either giving him the go ahead to stop courting Repubs, or as is more likely, lighting a fire under Harry’s vastly equivocating ass. As had become apparent, the CongDems had become the biggest obstacle to the Public Option and thus Obama’s signature issue and he had to do SOMETHING to kick them out of their Bush Years Hangover! Good Job Barack!
And let’s not forget the Progressive Caucus for drawing the line in the sand on the public option and even having the nerve to stand up to Rahmbo!
Heck, while I am in an expansive mood I will even go so far as to speculate that perhaps…..just perhaps, mind you….the CongDems are even starting to come out of the combination of fear induced coma and Stockholm Syndrome love affair with all things Republican!
Don’t get me wrong! I am not giving out any Ponies to these guys yet, the proof is, as they say, in the legislative sausage mill. But when your milquetoast, kicked too many times, hides under the car guard dog…..FINALLY….starts barking at the bad guys, it is only smart to throw him a bone to reward him and encourage his future good behavior.
So yeah, even though it is stated as a bit of a left-handed compliment after I have been kicked too many times, lol…..Good job Harry!
I never thought I would get to write that sentence!
Update! from Roll Call, courtesy of Geekesque:
Reid Reassures Finance Panel Republicans
On Tuesday, Reid warned Baucus that the price of gaining Republican support for a health care bill could be too high for many Democrats. Reid strongly urged Baucus to draft a bill with policy components more acceptable to Democrats.
However, the comments of Grassley, Enzi and Snowe following their meeting with Reid [today] suggested the Majority Leader’s tone might have shifted. Reid’s office was not immediately available for comment.
So.
Harry’s new spine lasted exactly until he looked his first Republican in the eye and then he cringed, flinched and backtracked. Just like the spineless cur he has been since becoming Majority The Spineless Leader of a Spineless Congress. Sorry for getting your hopes up folks! It WAS nice thinking we had a real Leader for once though wasn’t it….if only for a few minutes?
Oh well, I tried!
Never mind.
Screw You Harry!
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(Sorry… just my cynical, rabid tree hugging closet Naderite Marxist Anarchist fringi-ness coming out – couldn’t hep myseff)
seemingly more concerned about keeping their GOP’er buddies happy and continuing to vote their Repub-lite agendas than they are about the needs of their constituents:
These two
republicansalleged “Democrats” have voted with the republicans so often, it’s hard to tell exactly why they or anyone else thinks they’re Democrats. Reid’s got a battle ahead of him with theGOP DogsBlue Dogs. I’d like to see him and other Dems start telling the blue dogs it’s time to act like part of the Dem caucus, or the Dem Party will support primarying them out of office next election–and make the remainder of their terms very unpleasant in the meantime.oh my.
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well. good on youse. Im in the opposite mode today, unfortunately, as Ive been trying to watch this subcommittee noise re military commissions.
I had a strange thought a little bit ago. Really, me. lol. With all thats going on, there’s lots, I wonder if Obama even KNOWS this DOD guy Jeh Johnson is saying the things he’s been saying. Maybe we need to tell him, with some loud yelling. I dunno.
And while we’re at it, can we tell him to lose Rahm already?
sheesh.
well, carry on. Forgive me for pooping the Harry Finally Grew a Pair Party! D’you think congress will get some momentum now? and move forward more in this direction?
We need to get both of your feet back on the ground.
I heard about this on NPR this morning. At first I thought it was an auditory hallucination that Harry Reid was pushing unity among the democrats. Then I heard some barking Blue Dogs whining and howling about how they have to make individual choices even on procedural votes. Isn’t that wonderful how individualistic they are?
So I’m not congratulating Harry Reid until I actually see a vote for cloture with 60 Dem votes for the measure. I’ve heard more than enough BS from him before with no discernible results. When he has a first, successful 60 roll call, then, and only then will I begin to applaud.
You are so easily impressed. Sheesh.
OK. I just woke up, sitting here with coffee, rubbing eyes, trying make sure I read this right. WOW. He really did say that. That alone is impressive. Now, he just needs to find his intestines and enforce it.
And, OMG, buhdy, ceiling cat!? I need more coffee.
Just curious, didn’t he do some time as the Nevada Gaming Commissioner?
Rub elbows with a lot of unsavory types in that role and hs just can’t be THAT big of a pussy can he?
Someone should investigate this fixer.
Just my two cents
EE
at DK