Specter: Dems have 60 cloture votes for public option

[ProSense]

Specter: Dems have 60 cloture votes for public option

By Jordan Fabian

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) on Thursday said that Democrats have 60 votes for cloture on a healthcare bill with a national public health insurance option.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has grappled with the inclusion of the public option in the final, merged legislation he is drafting alongside top Senate Democrats and White House leaders.

"We have 60 votes without Sen. Snowe to invoke cloture," Specter told MSNBC this evening. "I hope we have her but we may be able to do it without her."

Specter said the senators on the fence about the public option may vote for cloture to bring the bill to a floor vote, then vote against the legislation.

"Very frequently a senator will vote for cloture but against the bill," he said.

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[Parker CA]

1. Sounds exactly like what I've been hearing on the DU. Nice!

""Very frequently a senator will vote for cloture but against the bill," he said."

[Engineer4Obama]

2. It is so weird to have Specter to the left of a bunch of our lifetime dems on this issue

[slay]

4. Yes very strange but if he's going to do the right thing and stand up for health care

then bravo to him. Remains to be seen how strong a Dem he would be for the future - this was quite a shocking, but pleasant surprise.

[Arkana]

8. But don't you see? We should crush him like a bug because he used

to be a Republican. Screw the fact that he's been more liberal on this issue than a lot of so-called "Democrats", he needs to be destroyed.

[Juche]

9. He is only on the left because Sestak scares him

When Specter was being pressured on the right by Toomey he voted dem about 14% of the time. When there is no pressure he votes dem about 55% of the time. Now that Sestak is pressuring him from the left he votes dem about 90% of the time.

Point being, after the 2010 elections Specter will go back to being a republican since the pressure will be off. You can ignore that fact if you want, but it is what it is.

[Hippo_Tron]

11. Not weird in the least bit

Politicians vote in a manner that best improves their prospects of being re-elected. Specter is being challenged by Sestak from the left and thus he is sprinting to the left to fight off this challenge.

[bertman]

3. I NEVER thought I'd see the day that Arlen Sphincter would be speaking for Democrats.

Still creeps me out. That old Republican asshole might finally do something good.

[Beetwasher]

5. We Can Thank Sestak For This!

[Demoiselle]

7. Exactly, Beetwasher. nt

[Aramchek]

6. Obama wins! We Win!!

Suck it Repukes! (Even though they win, too, in this step forward)

[Vidar]

10. I hope it's true.