Reid to Baucus: Stop Chasing GOP Votes on Health Care

[Faygo Kid]

Source: Roll Call

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Tuesday ordered Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) to drop a proposal to tax health benefits and stop chasing Republican votes on a massive health care reform bill.

Reid, whose leadership is considered crucial if President Barack Obama is to deliver on his promise of enacting health care reform this year, offered the directive to Baucus through an intermediary after consulting with Senate Democratic leaders during Tuesday morning’s regularly scheduled leadership meeting. Baucus was meeting with Finance ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) Tuesday afternoon to relay the information.

According to Democratic sources, Reid told Baucus that taxing health benefits and failing to include a strong government-run insurance option of some sort in his bill would cost 10 to 15 Democratic votes; Reid told Baucus it wasn’t worth securing the support of Grassley and at best a few additional Republicans.

By Tuesday afternoon, the Finance Committee began looking at ways other than taxing health benefits to deliver a health care overhaul that costs less than $1 trillion and is deficit-neutral, as Baucus wants. . .

Read more: http://www.rollcall.com/news/36546-1.html

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Finally, some realism. Maybe things will get moving now, including the public option.

[Vincardog]

1. This faux worry about cost is laughable. Everyone knows the single payer option is the cheapest.

[nyc 4 Biden]

12. You're making too much sense.

While the public option will surely cover more Americans than our current system, single payer would cover everyone AND be vastly less expensive.

[Vincardog]

38. Cover everybody cost less and help AmeriKKKan buZiness it sounds like the CONservatives would be

lining up to back it.

[annabanana]

2. Reid is showing something?.. a little resolve?. . a little leadership?

Wouldn't that be nice!

[Massacure]

3. Reid is a vote counter. He doesn't act for anything he knows will lose.

[abq e streeter]

4. Wow, Reid, and leadership...in the same sentence! and is it possible? actually showing some?

[rpannier]

14. Usually when you see Reid and leadership in the same sentence the words

'a lack of' are between 'Reid shows' and 'leadership'

[Festivito]

5. He's not after GOP votes, he's after campaign money.

GOP votes is just to hide that it's campaign money driving our health care choices, not our representatives, democracy and certainly not US.

[regnaD kciN]

6. But...but...but...

...I thought Obama, Reid, and Emmanuel had all agreed to betray progressives by dumping the public option and enriching insurance companies at the expense of average Americans! It must be true, because I read it on DU!

:sarcasm:

[No Elephants]

31. Zzzzzzzzz.

[harry_pothead]

7. Wow nice!

Go Reid. You know what, the past is the past. If he shows strong leadership now, I approve.

[DailyGrind51]

8. Did Reid get an injection of testosterone or something?

You go, Harry!!!:thumbsup: :kick:

[rocktivity]

11. I think it was more like a dose of Franken-cillin.

With 60 votes (or 51 at worst), Reid now has his concealed carry license. He doesn't have to be nice to the Rethugs anymore, LOL!

:headbang:
rocktivity

[mvd]

16. If that's what it took, then..

I'll give credit where credit is due. Already we have reached out to the Repukes far more than they would have to us.

[izquierdista]

19. I say keep reaching out

But with a red hot poker. :evilgrin:

[No Elephants]

33. Could be 45 at worst, not 51. Too many Blue Dogs!

[No Elephants]

32. Please see Reply #30.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

9. Baucus can pay my latest health care bill

[high density]

10. A standing ovation for Reid today

The stars must've been aligned. The tax thing is just so Repukes can complain about Democrats raising taxes again.

[No Elephants]

34. Maybe the stars aligned. Maybe 3 out of 4 Americans aligned.--and are speaking up.

Lord, I hope so.

[pattmarty]

13. You know, Baucus heading up healthcare would have been like..............

................putting Strom Thurmond in charge of the Civil Rights Act. If Fox showed a picture of Baucus (R) on the TV, I really couldn't argue that. We all know this "public option" is only a bone thrown to us (the base) to keep us happy. They know we want single payer and they made up this "public option" bullshit just to keep us on board. Well for me anyway, if they don't include a STRONG Medicare type of "public option", I am done with politics in this country. I am 62 yo now and won't be around for that much longer anyway, but I feel for my kids and all the other people in this country that will have to deal with these ass holes and their rhetoric of bullshit.

[subcomhd]

17. like putting Strom Thurmond in charge of the Civil Rights Act. RFLMAO

That was very good.

But Obama was never for single payer. He said it repeatedly during the campaign. It was the one issue on which I really thought Hillary was better. But I think the public option is much much more than a bone. It will be the most progressive legislation since the Great Society and it will make a big difference in the lives of the working class.

[pattmarty]

18. If we get it. IF. Than was my main point I guess, so far Obama doesn't............

..........seem very aggressive in pushing hard for his "agenda". I understand compromise, but since inauguration he has had both houses and high popularity, he should be and should have been tougher.

[tinrobot]

15. Sounds like the public option is actually a possibility.

[Fearless]

20. Has he finally located his balls? Or is this a fluke?

Time will tell...

[No Elephants]

35. Please see Reply #30.

[Fearless]

37. Well...

Contrary to the sexist and or otherwise pro-testicle statement you seem to believe I'm making. Seriously now, that's not the case. It is what we call a metaphor. He is a man. So I don't believe finding one's own testicles could be literally impossible. And, in terms of the common discourse, it is not disparaging those who don't have testicles as it doesn't imply that one NEEDS testicles to have courage. Just that it would be one, metaphorical form, in which they could be encapsulated.

Anyone who believes that he literally had to locate any part of his body for the sole source of human courage are seeing my words not for my meaning (and the generally accepted meaning for that matter) but for the meaning that they impose on them based on the notions of political correctness and pseudo-equality which I neither endear myself too or regard as relevant.

To nitpick further... There are many stereotypes of exclusion in the English lexicon, if taken literally. Far be it from me to suggest that one might want to remove these statements from our vocabulary. Far be it from me to suggest that your own screen name can be much more easily seen as exclusionary, if not blatantly so, of half of our population. Yet my statement is clearly sexist and discrimination against rethugs doesn't really count. Even if roughly half of them don't have testicles either.

Cheers,
Fearless.

[depakid]

21. "it wasn’t worth securing the support of Grassley."

It surely isn't- and after his last set of out of touch, foot in mouth type statements, the knucklehead may well not be re-elected.

[dccrossman]

22. 'BOUT DAMN TIME

Course I don't know that I'd call it leadership to call Baucus and tell him the obvious. I think this is more about forcing Baucus to stop screwing with Grassley and get a damn bill out of committee. Nothing will really move forward until that happens and their bill can start to be slammed up against the bill out of the HELP committee.

[Blasphemer]

23. I'm finally a *little* bit hopeful

I was worried that the ConservaDems were holding Health Care Reform hostage but it's good to know that there are enough Dems standing firm to at least neutralize them.

[Yavin4]

24. The Senate Dems Should Put The Republicans A Little Room With A TV

Turn on Faux News and lock them in there. They are irrelevant, completely irrelevant to the nation's legislative priorities.

[bvar22]

25. Keep pushing.

This fight isn't over.
Our voices are being heard.
There IS a "line in the sand".

[No Elephants]

36. That is what I emailed the WH, both Senators and my Rep yesterday. My strong

preference is single payer. My line in the sand is strong public option, with emphasis on "strong." I will not cross that line to vote.

They know. Let's see what they do. Otherwise, I'm definitely going Green, and not only in the Al Gore way.


The majority of bankruptcies over health care--and 3 out of 4 of the health care bankrupts had medical insurance. Not acceptable to me (even though I personally already have fabulous health insurance--something I almost feel guilty about at this point).

[DonCoquixote]

26. He finally grew a pair?

This is why we have to keep up the PRESSURE, because even the densest of craniums respond. All the same, we need to let Reid know his career is on Death Row, and the only appeal will come in the form of STRONG, CLEAR, DIRECT ACTION that tilts leftward, even and especially to the left of the White House.

[No Elephants]

30. Testicles = Exclusive Source of Courage. Riiiiiight.

[DonCoquixote]

39. It's a metaphor

Frankly there are many ladies whose behaviour shows courage, who could be said to have "cojones",and sadly, many Males who do not (Reid being among them)

[TankLV]

27. well knock me over with a feather...I'm SHOCKED - TRUELY!!!

will wonders never cease...

they must have read the "tea leaves" - and not from the fucking tea baggers...

[grillo7]

28. Reid gets a spine! Kick............

[No Elephants]

29. Say it loudly and often. Get Baucus's constituents riled up enuff to swarm all over him.

Come on, Harry. Don't wimp out after this.

[Dr Fate]

40. Reid is allowed to order other DEM Senators around? Cool. Who knew?

n/t