NYT - "Health care proposal needs to attract at least one Republican for passage" 60 Is The New 50?

[TomCADem]

Am I missing something? Do we really need at least one Republican to support the bill due to Ted Kennedy's death?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32887919/ns/politics-the_new_york_times/

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WASHINGTON - The unveiling of a compromise health care proposal has Senate Democrats pondering a daunting mathematical challenge: how to keep all 59 Democrats united and attract at least one Republican to pass an overhaul measure.

As many lawmakers on Wednesday got their first detailed look at a Finance Committee plan that was months in the making, senators immediately began exploring whether the plan — when combined with elements of another, more liberal one — could win enough senators to reach that magic procedural number of 60.

“We have to meld a couple of things together and see where we are,” said Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut. “I wouldn’t say today with absolute certainty that you could get to 60, but it would be just as foolish to say you can’t get there either. This is the Senate.”

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[DCKit]

1. Yes. And 80 is the new 60. You haven't been listening. n/t

[BlooInBloo]

3. That was a serious lol moment when the republican dude said that.

[wroberts189]

9. Let me help others not as tuned in understand with a link...

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/08/20/superfilibuster/


GOP Senators Call For New 75-80 Vote Superfilibuster Standard On Health Reform

Speaking on Fox News last night, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) claimed that health care reform should not happen because it doesn’t enjoy “bipartisan” support, adding that a bill cannot be bipartisan unless it garners “somewhere between 75 and 80 votes.” Watch it:

[wroberts189]

2. MSM crap... they can pass this on majority vote the same way bush 2 got his way. nt

[iceman66]

5. Exactly.

The media (and their sponsors) really, really do not want health care reform to happen!

[napi21]

4. So what's been happening in Mass. to temp. replace Kennedy?

A week or so ago all the media was talking about the Ma. assembpy meeting to select a temp. replacement, and now I hear NOTHING!

[pnwmom]

6. Just go to google news and you can find lots of articles.

They're still working on it.

[FVZA_Colonel]

7. Well, if a thread that was just posted is accurate, Michael Dukakis might be named to fill his seat.

If so, then we wouldn't need to worry anymore.

[majority]

8. repukes

man, i wonder?

[Better Believe It]

10. They keep pushing the big lie. 51 votes are needed to pass anything in the Senate, not 60

[debbierlus]

11. They NEED to keep this myth alive, so the dems have cover for the sell-out to corporations

The bipartisanship argument is nothing more then a flimsy cover for the democrats to cave to special interests.

The problem for them now, they don't NEED the Republicans to get legislation passed.

They need them for a shield.

SHAME ON THEM

[Proud Liberal Dem]

12. Even if HCR passes without a single Republican vote

President Obama and the Democrats can legitimately argue that it is still bipartisan because a majority of people, including a slight majority of REPUBLICANS, support health care reform WITH a Public Option as is being proposed by President Obama. I don't really care whether or not we get any CONGRESSIONAL Republicans to vote for HCR. Public opinion is on our side here. All we really need is a little less timidity by Congressional Democrats and a lot of luck to make it through the Congressional Republican *blockade*.