Reply #13: I absolutely believe that the Repubs want HCR to pass so they have it as a club [View All]

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

to beat Democrats with in the next General election. Since they were never going to vote for anything anyway, the Dems could have constructed anything they wanted. They watered down and watered down and watered down to get Snowe and Lieberman who didn't budge anyway. So they watered down and got a crappy bill that will make an even stouter club to bash them with in 2010.

Once it became clear that they were being bi-partisan all by themselves, they should have withdrawn and crafted a far better and stronger bill. If you're going to get hit over the head with your own legislation, at least make it good enough to withstand some scrutiny! The Dems caved on almost every single thing they said they stood for. They ARE taxing the middle class, they are forcing private for profit insurance down people's throats without a public option as a choice, they haven't removed the most egregious problems of anti-trust, rescission, prior conditions, age bias, affordability, caps, drug negotiation, generics left out in cold, etc. etc. etc.

They will go down in 2010 because they devised the crappiest bill imaginable all by themselves.

I think the Republicans want the bill to pass so much that they will authorize someone to cross the aisle to make it happen if Coakley loses - it will probably be Snowe at the last minute or some Repub who is going to retire or lose anyway.

So I agree the Republicans want it to pass, I disagree that a better bill with a public option was undoable.