YO: Reid Says He Has The Votes

[WilliamPitt]

Sen. Reid: We Have the Votes to Pass Stimulus Bill
2/5/2009 2:04 PM ET

Leading Senate Democrats said Thursday that they believe they have the votes to move forward on a roughly $900 billion bill designed to stimulate the economy.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he thinks he can muster the 60 votes necessary to cut off debate on the measure and close down a threatened Republican filibuster of the proposal.

Reid said the crucial test vote on cloture could come later in the day.

"Every Senator who goes to the floor, Democrat or Republican, talks about the need for an economic stimulus," Reid said.

He said he believes Senators are "very close" to coming up with a proposal that would mollify at least a few moderate Republicans and keep the entire Democratic caucus united, but rejected calls from some quarters for a complete rewrite of the measure.

"Our number one goal is to pass this bill," Reid said. "They cannot hold the president of the United States hostage. If they want to work constructively, we will work with them. The president has instructed me to work with them if it's going to help the legislation."

He added, "If they think they're going to rewrite the bill, Barack Obama is going to walk away."

However, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the vice chairman of the Democratic caucus in the Senate, acknowledged that the measure would fall far short of the broad bipartisan support that Obama had hoped to muster.

The rest: http://www.rttnews.com/ArticleView.aspx?Id=846206

[villager]

1. Note to Schumer: Who gives a fuck? Get the thing *passed*...

...and thus, establish early the GOP won't be able to kneecap this administration in the starting blocks, as they did to Clinton...

[Joanne98]

2. I don't even care anymore. Everything I wanted is gone.

Replaced with tax cuts for the rich and outsourcing. It's a Republican bill now.

[Ganja Ninja]

4. I hear ya.

It's hard to get excited over this after the way the Dem's in congress loaded it up with the GOP's wish list.

[tsuki]

8. Yep. Help for us is gone. nt

[AndyA]

3. About the Republicans in Congress:

F*CK 'EM!

They will bicker, squabble, lie, do whatever they can do and allow America to fall further into a deep economic coma. They created this mess, and they have NO CLUE how to get us out of it.

Shut them out, Dems. FUCK 'EM ALL!

[backscatter712]

5. CLOTURE THEIR ASSES!!!

It's not gonna be a perfect stimulus bill. In fact, it will be far from adequate. That's our shit-sausage making machine known as Congress. But it is something. But it does look like Obama's drumbeat is working, and the Rethugs are being forced to cave.

/me crosses his fingers.

[Cleita]

6. Thanks Will. A bout of the flu was making me feel really blue about

the politics happening around me. This gives me a little hope.

[MzNov]

7. Harry has ca ca

if one of his backstabbing BFF repukes whispers "filibuster". Then Spineless Harry pees his pants and we all have to call the Waaaaaambulance again.

:CYNICISM: :grr:

[spanone]

9. let's hope so... and who cares about 'broad bipartisan support' ?