Durbin’s Office: If House Passes Public Option, We’ll Whip For It In Senate

[kpete]

Source: The Plum Line

Posted at 03/12/2010, 10:35 AM EST
Durbin’s Office: If House Passes Public Option, We’ll Whip For It In Senate

Okay, at a certain point talking about the public option seems akin to spending too much time in a rabbit’s warren: There are plenty of reasons to believe that it just isn’t going to happen this time around.

But this is nonetheless a very interesting development: Senator Dick Durbin’s office is now saying that if House Dems pass a public option as part of their reconciliation fix, he will whip for it in the Senate.

Durbin has been taking a bunch of heat from the left since he said the other day that if a public option amendment is inserted in the reconciliation fix, Senate Dem leaders may be forced to urge Dems to vote against it in order to ensure passage of the overall bill.

But Durbin’s spokesman, Joe Shoemaker, emails to clarify:

*****Sen. Durbin and the rest of the Senate Leadership will be aggressively whipping FOR the public option if it is included in the reconciliation bill the House sends over.

Read more: http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/health-care/durbins-office-if-house-passes-public-option-well-whip-for-it-in-senate/

[aquart]

1. Uh huh.

So that's the word from the House of Lords, is it?

[glowing]

2. They passed in their version the first time...

How much are our premiums going to rise next year after they charge us for paying off our congress members?

[GOTV]

3. I guess Pelosi is letting him off the hook...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4304199

[No Elephants]

4. OK. It seems Durbin flipped on this bc Pelosi does not have the votes in the House for a PO.

40 Senators sign a letter that is never going to amount to anything, anyway, so they can keep favor with voth Big Health and their voters.

Then news comes out that Durbin is whipping against the PO.

Then he says, though, that he'll whip for it, if it comes out of the House.

Then Pelosi says the House does not have the votes for a PO anymore. (Massa, crazy though he may be, said, with him gone, they can pass health care "reform," no matter what.)

Turn off your cell phones, please--and do enjoy the show.

[w4rma]

7. 51 Senators

http://whipcongress.com/

[defendandprotect]

5. MEDICARE FOR ALL -- NOW . .. !!!

[GeorgeGist]

6. Durbin lies ... again.

the House passed a public option, and Durbin didn't do shit.