Baucus unveiling health bill without GOP on board

[babylonsister]

So this whole 'gang of 6' is laughable, and has been an exercise in futility. It doesn't get any clearer than that, yet Baucus is still trying to appease the r/w. Sigh.


Baucus unveiling health bill without GOP on board

By ERICA WERNER
Associated Press Writer


WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. Max Baucus' decision to release his long-awaited health care overhaul bill with no Republicans on board dims the chances for a bipartisan compromise on President Barack Obama's top domestic priority.

The Senate Finance Committee chairman insisted Tuesday that he'll keep negotiating with the three Republicans and two fellow Democrats who've been in closed-door talks with him for months on the bill he was to reveal Wednesday. Baucus, D-Mont., said he hopes that by the time the committee votes on the bill, as early as next week, Republicans will be there.

But for now, despite numerous gestures to Republicans, Baucus has fallen short in his quest to assemble a coalition of senators from both parties behind his proposal. Obama also hoped for bipartisan support behind plans for reshaping the nation's $2.5 trillion health care system to hold down costs and cover the uninsured.

"The door's always open - always hoping that somebody, all six, will be on the bill," Baucus told reporters Tuesday evening after the latest meeting of his so-called Gang of Six senators. "We're just going to keep the door open, keep working, keep discussing."

more...

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_CARE_OVERHAUL?SITE=CONGRA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[Mass]

1. How many Dems are on board? We already know Rockefeller is not,

Wyden and Kerry have large reservations, and I guess Schumer must, as well, even if I have read nothing.

So, who exactly is on board with this proposal?

According to Nate Silver, even Conrad has problems with the bill. http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/09/baucus-compromise-bill-draws.html

[SoFlaJet]

2. Max Baucus isn't long in that leadership position

he will pay

[TheKentuckian]

3. A complete failure. A bill that only 10 or 15 can stomach

Nary a single Republican but so compromised and stacked against the more expensive high population and coastal people that make up our base that only the small state blue dogs can sell the crap to their constituents.

Plus, he delayed the whole works for the same crap he had two months ago and so created the whole town howler movement just for fun, I reckon. Baucus is complete crap and it reflects poorly on The President to allow this nonsense without putting the spurs to Baucus and distancing a bit from him.

Baucus is either incompetent, a buffoon, a traitor, or some mix and match of the list. What a fucking dork!

[JBoy]

4. Pathetic. Baucus puts out, and puts out, and then gets left at the altar.

The GOP? They're just not that into you, Max.