I think Harry Reid has a Republican up his sleeve

[WeDidIt]

Reid wouldn't go for the Opt-out PO if he didn't ahve the votes.

I betcha there's a Republican who will vote for the bill he's presenting. Maybe Susan Collins or one of the others.

ETA: I'm talking about for a cloture vote. The Republican would ultimately end up voting against the bill, but wouldn't filibuster.

[ind_thinker2]

1. I donot think so, he thinks McLiber can be persuaded

No reps other than snowe(???) will vote.

[Parker CA]

2. The problem to consider is that if LIEberman goes with the pukes, Nelson and Landrieu have a much

easier time defecting from the Dem vote. LIEberman wins the asshole of the year award for this move.

[Sebastian Doyle]

8. Doesn't he win that award every year though?

He spent all of last year campaigning for McCain, for fucks sake. Then there was the scam he pulled in 2006, which was only possible because CT has fucked up election laws.

[Parker CA]

11. Pehaps "decade" would be more apt. ;)

[Clio the Leo]

3. I think Lieberman, Nelson, Lincoln and others.....

.... are using their swing votes as a bargaining chip ......... for something.

[Parker CA]

4. Very possible. LIEberman has thrown his attempt out there first though, so he likely assumes

there is something big to gain from this. Absolutely pathetic. The Dems should promise him what he wants then strip it all away after the bill is signed. Fug him.

[valerief]

5. I still wish I understood the "value" of a Republican voting for the bill.

One can say it's "political value" but in what way? I don't understand it.

That means, the guns running the show want to serve the insurance companies.

[WeDidIt]

6. 1 Republican = 1 Lieberman n/t

[dflprincess]

9. Because even the hint of bipartisanship is apparently more important

than a bill that is real reform.

And, Reid, etal think "bipartisanship" will fool the public into thinking they actually did something for us, not just something to preserve the insurance companies. The sad thing is, it appears they may be right about that.

[valerief]

13. But what is the value of bipartisanship? We know it has no value to us.

Does a single republicant vote have value to the dem party? How? Or does it have value to a dem congress critter? How? Or is it an illogical excuse to protect the insurance companies? A feature with no value.

[dflprincess]

15. The insurance companies have no value for us

nor does bipartisanship (at least not on this issue).

But, sadly, they are of great value to members of Congress both Democrat and Republican. Very few of them are willing to put our interests ahead of those big campaign "contributions" the insurance companies give them, not to mention the possiblity of a very lucarative career as a lobbyist when the member leaves Congress.

They're just playing a game with this bipartisan crap to justify selling us out.

[valerief]

17. How does bipartisanship benefit congress critters? I don't think it does.

I think it's what I said before, just an illogical excuse so they can serve the insurance companies.

[dflprincess]

22. I think we pretty much agree on that

we're just describing it a bit differently. And I do think they use the "bipartinship" talk as a cover and that's how it benfits them.

But, the bottom line is, we're screwed.

[Clio the Leo]

20. You're thinking like a Democrat.....

.... problem is, we do not make up the entire electorate. Placating ONLY your base doesn't benefit any elected official.

We've got to show moderates and independents that the Democratic party offers the best solutions or they'll run back to the GOP like they always do.

[valerief]

23. Single payer is the best solution. Pretending it isn't doesn't make it so. nt

[Clio the Leo]

27. And pretending that you could snap your fingers and get a single payer bill through Congress....

... doesn't make it so either.

[Clio the Leo]

21. *

[Clio the Leo]

12. At least Senator Snowe was TRYING to do something helpful...

.... rather than blatantly trying to stall the process as Lieberman just cited as his reasing for voting against cloture.

[valerief]

14. Helpful for whom? If it were us, she'd be clamoring for single payer! nt

[Clio the Leo]

19. Getting a bill to the floor. NT

[valerief]

26. But why would she want to do that? If she cared about Americans, she wouldn't be

1) a republican
2) against single payer or real public option

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

29. If things go sideways and the bill turns into a disaster,

they can turn around and say "Hey, it couldn't have been that bad - members of your party voted for it too." Basically, it's covering their ass if things go horribly wrong. Unfortunately, it never quite works out in practice as it does in theory.

[damntexdem]

7. Not a vote for the bill, rather a vote for cloture.

Could be. I hope so.

[WeDidIt]

10. That's what I meant

Who cares about the floor vote. We've got that nailed. All I care about is cloture.

[fauxnewsSUCKKKS]

16. we will all be suprised in the end! watch!

[valerief]

18. Only single payer will surprise--and delight--me! nt

[Teaser]

25. we're being "surprised in the end" right now

.

[donco6]

28. dude -

wake the fuck up.

[jaysunb]

24. I think there may be several

Lugar and Voinovich immediately come to mind...not to mention Snowe & Collins. :shrug:

[backscatter712]

30. Hope so, but Reid's blown floor votes before.

That invertebrate has shown a long and consistent history of not being able to get his shit together.