Health care win

[anigbrowl]

Now that the bill has passed the senate, it has to be reconciled with the house version. And reconciliation takes only 51 votes. All the folks who complain that the GOP was able to pass bills by reconciliation with only 51 votes...well, this is now the exact same situation. This is the stage where we get some of the things we really wanted that were already in the house version, because we are no longer dependent on votes from Joe Lieberman of (insert your least favorite Dem senator here).

It was worth the compromises in the bill just passed, because passing that bill was a requirement for the reconciliation process to go ahead. This civics lesson has been brought to you by the letters O and R and the number 51.

[FreakinDJ]

1. Like the 1994 NAFTA Win - Dems will be CRUSHED in 2010/2012

Wake up and smell the RATpubliCONs

[still_one]

2. Really? So Democrats are going to lose their majority in the house and senate, any bets?

no way.

but you made me laugh

[FreakinDJ]

4. #1 Little Boy Whistling in the Dark

ain't Life Grand being so Naive

[still_one]

15. So you believe we will lose 50+ seats in the house and 20+ seats in the Senate?

Is that what I am hearing from you?

I don't know who is whistling in the dark, or has no idea about the political system in this country

[sendero]

8. We'll see pal.

... because unless this stink goes away from this very unpopular bill, it will absolutely have a negative political consequence.

The midterms are losers for the party in power if things are going pretty good. With the economy and now this, you think there won't be an accounting at the polls?

We'll see.

[still_one]

14. Since I don't know you, can' t say if I'm your pal or not, but please tell me how we

are going to lose more than 50 seats in the house and more than 20 seats in the Senate?

[luckyleftyme2]

6. here's my answer junior

Date: Thu, 24 Dec 2009
From: President Barack Obama
Subject: A historic moment

Friend --

Although it's Christmas Eve, I wanted to share some exciting news: The Senate just passed a historic health reform bill.

In all the back and forth, it's easy to lose sight of what this incredible breakthrough really means. But consider this: This Christmas, there are millions of Americans without health insurance who risk losing everything if they get sick.

There are mothers and fathers who wonder how they'll provide for their children because an illness has wiped out their savings. There are small business owners who worry that they'll have to lay off a long-time employee because the cost of insurance is rapidly rising.

If we finish the job, all this can change. We will have beaten back the special interests who have for so long perpetuated the status quo. We will have enacted the most important piece of social policy since the Social Security Act in the 1930s, and the most important health reform since Medicare in the 1960s.

In Decembers to come, millions more will have access to affordable coverage. Parents will have the security and stability of knowing their insurance can't be revoked at a moment's notice. And the skyrocketing costs plaguing our small businesses will be brought under control.

When you make calls, write letters, organize, this is the change you're making -- a better life for your family and for men and women in every state.

There is still more to do before I can sign reform into law -- a last round of negotiations and final votes in the Senate and the House -- and I'm counting on your help every step of the way. But for now, I hope that as you celebrate this holiday season, you remember that the work you are doing is making our union more perfect, one step at a time. For that, I am grateful to you.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays,

President Barack Obama
take this to the bank-2010 will see the democrats stronger than ever! because the nay boys have been exposed to the country!

[FreakinDJ]

10. "I got your JUNIOR Hangin"

Wake Up and Smell the RATpubliCONs - your just foolishly polishing a turd

United States House of Representatives elections, 1994

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
United States House of Representatives elections, 1994

All 435 seats to the United States House of Representatives
November 8, 1994 Majority party Minority party

Leader Newt Gingrich Tom Foley
Party Republican Democratic
Leader's seat Georgia-6th Washington-5th (defeated)
Last election 176 seats 258 seats
Seats won 230 204
Seat change +54 -54
Percentage 47.8% 44.0%
Swing +5.1% -5.9%

Incumbent Speaker Tom Foley Democratic
Speaker-elect Newt Gingrich Republican

The U.S. House election, 1994 was an election for the United States House of Representatives on November 8, 1994, in the middle of President Bill Clinton's first term. As a result of a 54-seat swing in membership from Democrats to Republicans, the Republican Party gained a majority of seats in the House for the first time since 1954.

The Democratic Party had run the House for all but 4 of the preceding 72 years and had been plagued by a series of scandals. The Republican Party, united behind Newt Gingrich's Contract with America, which promised floor votes on various popular and institutional reforms, was able to capitalize on the perception that the House leadership was corrupt, as well as the dissatisfaction of conservative and many independent voters with President Clinton's actions (including a failed attempt at universal health care and gun control measures).

In a historic election, House Speaker Tom Foley (D-Washington) was defeated for re-election in his district, becoming the first Speaker of the House to fail to win re-election since the era of the American Civil War. Other major upsets included the defeat of powerful long-serving Representatives such as Ways and Means Chairman Dan Rostenkowski (D-Illinois) and Judiciary Chairman Jack Brooks (D-Texas). In all, 34 incumbents (all Democrats) were defeated, though several of them (like David Price of North Carolina, Ted Strickland of Ohio, and Jay Inslee of Washington) regained seats in later elections; Maria Cantwell of Washington won a U.S. Senate race in 2000. Republicans also won some seats that were left open by retiring Democrats. Democrats won four Republican-held seats where the incumbents were stepping down (Maine, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island). Democrats who were elected in this situation included current Rhode Island congressman and Kennedy family member Patrick J. Kennedy and current Maine governor John Baldacci. No Republican incumbent lost his or her seat in 1994.

Minority whip Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia), re-elected in the Republican landslide, became Speaker (previous Minority Leader Robert H. Michel having retired). Former Majority Leader Dick Gephardt (D-Missouri) became minority leader. The new Republican leadership in the House promised to bring a dozen legislative proposals to a vote in the first 100 days of the session, although the Senate did not always follow suit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections,_1994

[still_one]

16. The Democrats will win them, but it appears it will be in spite of you /nt

[Edweird]

3. Insurance company win. Health care? Not so much.

Given that the winners in all of this are the very reason 'reform' was needed in the first place.

[Echo In Light]

7. What a co-inkydink, eh?

[Winterblues]

5. Not exactly true

For the two bills to be reconciled does not come to a vote, it is done in conference. After one bill is created it then gets voted upon in the House where Majority rules but in the Senate before the Bill can come to the floor for a vote it has to be placed "on the table" which can be filibustered. It is at this stage we need to be careful we don't lose anyone. After it is placed on the table then it only takes a Majority vote to pass.

[MrCoffee]

9. What is your expectation based on?

I would really like to know why you think the reconciled version of the bill would be so much closer to the House version than the Senate version.

I've seen this point raised before, and I wish I had the confidence to believe that the House version will prevail...but I don't.

[anigbrowl]

11. arm-twisting, frankly.

I do not think the bill just passed is even perfect or all that great. I have a bunch of problems with it. but I am also aware that any major legislative reform has to go through a large number of procedural hurdles before becoming law. Our whole legislative system is built to generate this kind of political tug'o'war.

[MrCoffee]

12. So you believe the House will twist harder?

I understand the legislative process, I just think the Senate has more leverage on this one.

[anigbrowl]

13. I do, not least because of the midterms

It's going to take most of the year for people to feel economically comfortable even if the upward trend in employment continues. Politicans who are up for re-election need something to bring people to the polls. I'd write more but I laid out most of my thinking in the OP - basically here I'm stating my hunch rather than an evidentiary argument.