Anonymous sources say they really don't know what's going on

[ProSense]

More on Triggers in Senate, Reid and Progressive Dems Need to Step Up

And now from Greg Sargent, the Senate is whipping the trigger, and it's getting traction.

According to a plugged in Senate Democratic aide, Senate leadership aides are also counting Senate votes for the trigger, because they want to know which version of the public option can get through the Senate.

And in a development that may upset progressives, this aide says, the trigger is actually closer to getting 60 votes in the Senate right now — it’s two or three votes away — than the opt-out option is. (One complicating factor here: Senator Jay Rockefeller has said he won’t vote for the trigger.)

The Senate leadership, the aide says, is counting up support for all the options — the trigger, the opt-out, and even the opt-in, where states would decide whether to have a public option.

This doesn’t necessarily mean, by the way, that there’s a real chance that Harry Reid will go with the trigger in the end — the aide says he just wants to know how many votes there are for every option. (emphasis mine)

Among uber-cautious Senate moderates, it's not surprising that the trigger would appeal. They're great on making threats that maybe they'll take strong action without ever really taking that strong action. But they, and Harry Reid, need to know that a triggered public option, particulalry Snowe's which sets a ridiculously high trigger point, isn't a public option, and it won't be accepted as such by anyone.

Sherrod Brown and his 30 fellow Senators who cosigned a letter to leadership demanding a public option need to stand with Rockefeller in opposing the trigger. While Reid is doing his vote counting, he needs to know how many votes won't be there for a trigger.

Good grief

:rofl:

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

1. Hooray for Jay "Senator Jay Rockefeller has said he won’t vote for the trigger"

I don't mind compromises, even substantial compromises.

But a trigger is a slap in the national face... if the objective is to NOT do something why not just appoint a blue-ribbon commission?

[thunder rising]

2. They had no story so they made one up.

[fujiyama]

3. I'm really afraid we're going to be stuck with the trigger

The administration seems to be behind it too.

Reid won't make a decision and it doesn't even matter what his preference is. In the end he'll capitulate to the "moderates" and the administration seems to be willing to sell the house to get Snowe on board. The trigger is a great way to say "we did something" without doing anything. Obama seems to be more interested in just getting something passed than the actual contents of the bill at this point.

The senate version of this bill will suck. I'm a pessimist though and I'm not expecting anything.

[babylonsister]

11. What source convinced you we'll be stuck with the trigger? I'm so

confused myself. Who is saying what, are they valid, I'm not convinced of anything.

[hvn_nbr_2]

4. Anonymous sources: "I don't even know who the hell I am." nt

[SidneyCarton]

5. +10000 K&R

Anonymous sources claim that the President is in favor and opposed to the Public Option, a Martian from Scranton, and a Hindu Mullah intent on bringing the glories of Sikhism to our nation.

Give me a break, while we're rumormongering, Glenn Beck is actually the King of Siam, who moonlights as a psychopath to blow off steam.

[annabanana]

6. BEST OP title in weeks!. .

[Whisp]

7. heehee. priceless. and so true.

[Tom Rinaldo]

8. I agree, there's no way for us to know who knows anything

All I suggest is that now is an excellent time for those of us who care strongly about the details of health care reform to contact their elected Representatives, Congressional Democratic Leadership, AND the President to respectfully inform them all of our views on it. I think passing on our views about how acceptable a "trigger" type compromise would be might be helpful. That seems to be a hot topic of discussion right about now.

[Cha]

9. Anonymous Sources

Strike Again!:nuke:

[vaberella]

10. Anon seems to be running the world. Inject Illuminaty conspiracy here. n/t

[annabanana]

12. kicking just for giggles. . . n/t

[Mass]

13. So call your senators and tell them to say NO to trigger. Rockefeller is doing the right thing.

It is all that matters. The rumors are just smokescreens.

[Mz Pip]

14. The trigger was pulled ages ago

which is why we don't need it now. The insurance company had years to clean up its act, offer reasonably priced health care to the uninsured and people with pre-existing conditions. They didn't do it.

It's just a damn stalling tactic that the insurance company would be more willing to go along with to delay reform until another Republican Administration comes around.

[Mass]

15. There is an easy way for Reid to calm the rumor. State the Public Option will be in the bill

without trigger.

Good grief. Could the man be any more indecisive. He has more than half of his caucus asking him to do that (probably as much as 80 %). What is he waiting for?

Reid, be a leader. Say you will put it in the bill and call on the Democratic supporters to make clear to their senators you want it.