Now Harry Reid won't say whether he supports a public option!

[Better Believe It]

Harry Reid promises committee bill by recess
By ALEX ISENSTADT
July 28, 2009

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid vowed today that the Senate Finance Committee would wrap up its work on the health care reform bill before the end of next week.

The Finance Committee has yet to finish its work on the bill, which will have to be merged with a bill that has already been passed in the Senate HELP Committee. The Finance Committee remains hung up on how to pay for the package, but the panel negotiators have been moving toward dropping the public option for insurance.

Reid today was vague on whether he supported the public option, the most controversial and expensive aspect of President Barack Obama’s health care push. Opponents of the public option have suggested that a compromise take place that would remove the public plan from the package.

“What I think should be in the bill is something that I will vote for according to my conscience when we get this bill to the floor,” Reid told reporters today. “But I have a responsibility to get a bill to the Senate floor that will get 60 votes that we can proceed toward.”

“That’s my No. 1 responsibility,” Reid continued, “and there are times I have to set aside my personal preferences for the good of the Senate and I think the country.”


Harry Reid won't say whether he supports a public option.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/25519.html#ixzz0McJe8wPj

[RandomThoughts]

1. I think that is the wrong answer.

But I have a responsibility to get a bill to the Senate floor that will get 60 votes that we can proceed toward

His responsibility is not to get a bill that can get passed, it is to get a good bill and try and get it passed.

By his logic, passing a bad crap bill would fit within his responsibility.


I understand it might be semantics but his quote, if it is his quote, is logically incorrect.

There are possibilities of getting a good bill later with merging of House bill. But eventually it is not about getting a bill passed, but about getting a good bill passed.

[yourout]

2. Amen...doing nothing would be better then a bill without a public option.

[Better Believe It]

4. More bull shit from Senator Reid. He needs 51 votes, not 60.

What Democratic Senators are going to call him on that?

[wroberts189]

16. Exactly...Maybe he is hoping to overide an Obama veto?

He does not need 60 votes.

[FatDave]

19. Thirded.

60 for cloture, 51 to pass. He's the fucking majority leader, why does he constantly seem to be trying to make things easier for republicans?

Harry's up for re-election in 2010, BTW.

[YewNork]

21. A veto override would require 2/3 of the Senate or 67 votes, no? Plus 2/3 of the house.

[wroberts189]

22. Thanks for that clarification.. nt

[donheld]

3. "I will vote for according to my conscience"

Now we all know he sold that long ago.

[Better Believe It]

6. Senator Reid's "conscience"

Cobwebs

[donheld]

12. More like

[CalGator]

20. a clearer photo of it

If it can make him money, he's for it.

[PSPS]

5. "I have a responsibility to get a bill to the Senate floor that will get 60 votes"

“What I think should be in the bill is something that I will vote for according to my conscience when we get this bill to the floor,” Reid told reporters today. “But I have a responsibility to get a bill to the Senate floor that will get 60 votes that we can proceed toward.”

Sorry, but 50 + 1 is all you really need. This "we need 60" crap might have flown when you were in the minority but not today. Use the "nuclear" option if you have to. Nothing introduced by the democrats will ever garner any GOP votes anyway, so why this charade?

Why is Reid majority leader? Why is he even a senator? I guess his high lifestyle financed by his medical "contributors" has something to do with it. Reid is an obstructionist. He's blocking the will of the people.

[Better Believe It]

7. A handful of Republican Senators will only vote for legislation that is doomed to fail

and it will be called a Democratic and Obama administration bill in the 2010 and 2012 elections.

[Vidar]

8. Corrupt, spineless coward.

[bkkyosemite]

9. His friggin voice mail box is full yea I bet it's full.

[bkkyosemite]

10. and there are times I have to set aside my personal preferences for the good of the Senate and

and I think the country"

To hell with the good of the Senate Reid. You creep tomorrow I will call you.

[masuki bance]

15. "..they should understand that principles are in the eye of the beholder.”

..“I think I am an expert on getting things passed,” Reid told the Sun. “And before anyone gets too high and mighty about principles, they should understand that principles are in the eye of the beholder.”...

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/jul/05/reid-has-his-60-probably-not-legislative-lock

[bkkyosemite]

11. We need to get to an org that has money and tell them we want to take to the streets all over

this country now!

[bkkyosemite]

13. "public option, the most controversial and expensive aspect of President Barack Obama’s health

care push"

There's that word again "controversial" that is what Obama used today to describe Public Option at the AARP Town Hall. I thought that's the first time he has used that word and now in this article.

WE ARE BEING SET UP!

[bkkyosemite]

14. I wonder if there is some blackmailing going on in DC for the change of change on PO

[niceypoo]

17. Timid, submissive, milquetoast

He sinks everything, every time.

Time for the nuclear option

[Faryn Balyncd]

18. Reid should switch parties. . . . . . .He would then guarantee the GOP's defeat (instead of ours).