Nightmare Scenario: Progressive Senate Ds Vote Against HCR, Rs Rush In With Yes Votes To Pass It

[stopbush]

Could that happen?

The bill as it stands is a gift to the insurance companies. It includes no real reforms and steals money from the poor. It's a R wet dream.

Could it happen that the progressives in the Senate vote against it, but that it passes with maybe 80 votes because the Rs really want it passed? Sure, they'd prefer that it pass as a D bill so they can campaign against its horrors, but at the end of the day, they will need to do the bidding of their corporate masters who would love nothing more than having this bill become law.

Comments?

[lapfog_1]

1. Been predicting this here for two or 3 days now.

I suspect that the Repukes have at least 3 votes lined up to counteract any filibuster vote by the left.

If Bernie or Burris vote to filibuster, I expect two or more "safe" republicans will switch and vote for cloture.

They hope not to have to do this, but I suspect they are perfectly prepared to do it and that they have some sort of bullshit cover story to paper this over.

The insurance industry wants this bill the way it is right now. They know that if it passes, they avoided 90 percent of what they wanted to avoid and they got nearly 100 % of what they wanted and that this won't be revisited for 20 years.
That's locks them in to their gangster profits.

[David Zephyr]

10. As have I.

This bill is a Republican/Corporation wet dream.

[DJ13]

2. If the Dems can push it through without the GOP why would they vote for it?

Passing the bill, even if it actually helps the GOP's corporate constituents, is a perfect vehicle to drum up negative feelings in average voters towards the Democrats by the 2010 midterms.

This will be a gift.

[Laelth]

4. The R's won't vote for it if the D's can get it done without them.

But that's not the hypothetical posed by the OP. The OP asks what will happen if there are not enough D's to pass the bill. Will the R's step in to make sure it passes?

I think they will.

:dem:

-Laelth

[Laelth]

3. Absolutely, that could happen.

The health insurance companies really, really want this bill to pass, and they're not above paying Republicans to get it done.

:dem:

-Laelth

[no_hypocrisy]

5. With Lieberman casting the deciding vote, I betcha!

[JHB]

6. Pass a bill that forces people to buy insurance without cost controls?

I'm inclined to say "let them", but I'm sure the stalwart leaders of our party will find a way to take all the flak for it instead of their honored collegues across the aisle.





and just so there's no confusion: :sarcasm:

[FLAprogressive]

7. Yeah right. They're gonna be against ANY HCR. even this shitty bill

[stopbush]

8. But theres no "R" in this HCR, is there?

[FLAprogressive]

9. no, but they don't care. they've made it their 2010 position to oppose a health care bill

[stopbush]

12. Not really. They say they have their own plans for how to fix things,

not that they've provided any details.

[haele]

16. There's too many unemployable in this country cutting into "free market" profit margins -

Better squeeze those people to death - get rid of them - as they are worthless anyway, and keep those who are marginally profitable to employ under so much stress that they would be happy to take whatever crumbs are necessary to keep the money machine running.

I've heard too many authoritarian cretins proudly proclaim there were too many people in this country sucking off the government tit, and we'd all be better if they and their spawn just went away. There are some right-wing "economists" who have put out amongst themselves that the US can right itself financially if it just gets rid of about 10 million "residents" that are cluttering up the budget using social programs (because the "illegals" can be deported without collecting any benefit from the money they put into taxes...). That's their ultimate plan for "fixing things".

Those of the Fascist/Pseudo-Christian bent really don't see "other people" as human beings. If you don't belong to their tribe, you're going to Hell anyway, so why should you be cluttering up their nice vision of Amerikkka? And yes, there are Senators and Congressmen who do believe that, voted in by their fellow travelers and "true believers" who confuse hypocritical lip-service to Ghod and Jesus while acting as if they were worshiping Moloch the devourer as being a good Christian.
I'm talking to you guys - Nelson, Brownback, Colburn, Ensign...and all you other willfully ignorant, sanctimonious sociopaths who use Jesus as an excuse for greed and maliciousness.

I have no pretensions - there are those in government, as in business, who care less about the average Americans - even those who were raised as average Americans - than they would about a stray dog. To them, we are disposable, our only value is in how much we can create a profit for them. If they could make points with their masters by fucking over those without power, they will do so without hesitation or second thought. Why should they care if amongst their constituancy, children are orphaned, parents lose children, husbands or wives lose a beloved spouse, or if families go bankrupt and homeless? It doesn't personally affect them...

Haele

[Pushed To The Left]

11. Won't happen. The Republicans don't want any HCR bill, no matter how conservative, to pass

Any Republican who voted for any version of the bill would feel the wrath of the teabaggers and RW talk radio.

[laughingliberal]

13. They can, likely, rustle up 1 Republican vote. At the remote edges, 2

If we have 2 refusing to vote for cloture it won't get to the floor for a vote.

[11 Bravo]

14. Not going to happen. As week and disappointing as this bill is, it's STILL ...

more than the Repugs want to give to the American people. Somewhere in the bill, there may be a few nickels that would go the the public insterad of the insurance companies. No self-respecting Repug could ever be in favor of such a thing.

[ellenfl]

15. signing statement? veto? eom