Now that they were given the free shot by rapublicans to add public option back in,

[branders seine]

the 40-something, plus more, Senatorial champions of what Americans really want jumped at the chance today. Didn't they?

They did at least bring an amendment to a floor vote to add public option to the bill since it was going back to the House anyway. Didn't they? Surely all that rhetoric about how they really wanted what the people want, but just didn't want to foul up the process, and all those signatures on Bennett's letter were sincere commitments to the principle of bringing real cost containment to an out-of-control industry. Weren't they? They weren't just making a popular but empty promise they thought they'd never have to keep. Were they?

I mean Pelosi has been saying for weeks now that she had enough votes to pass public option.

So why did the Democrats in Congres (AGAIN!) fail to deliver? They could have done it today with 50 votes plus Biden. It couldn't be that the fix was in. Could it?

[juajen]

1. I'd vote for the fix, if I were allowed to vote. NT

[elocs]

2. I think they did it just to piss you off.

Oh Damn! How can I be worth anything? They could have made me a pony!

[branders seine]

4. Maybe they could have made you a pony.

I'm already a pony.

[FLyellowdog]

3. No.

[boppers]

5. Procedural FAIL.

Adding in the public option is too big a measure for reconciliation.

Law-making does not work the way you want it to.

[branders seine]

6. can you please cite the rule that makes this "too big for reconciliation"?

Over 40 Senators signed a promise--Bennett's letter--to do *exactly* that. They pledged to reinsert the public option into the bill using reconciliation. Surely you remember this. It was in all the papsers JUST LAST FUCKING WEEK! They reneged on this promise for the specific and reasonable-sounding reason that the Senate Democrats did not want to change anything in the bill so that it would not have to go back to the House. Then, just today, the points of order required that it go back to the House anyway, opening a perfect opportunity for these 41 Senators, and perhaps others to at least vote on a public option amendment.

You are just making shit up.

[boppers]

8. 2 U.S.C. § 644, aka the Byrd Rule

A 60-member majority is required to overturn any single member's objection to extraneous legislation being inserted.

Read up:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconciliation_(United_States_Congress)

[Tom Rinaldo]

10. Except it's not extraneous

It is far more relevent than the Student loan legislation that got tacked on. It was actually part of one of the two original bills that needed to be reconcilded. And it cuts the federal deficit more than any other aspect of the HCR legislation that was reconsiled.

[boppers]

11. Your fight is not with me.

You'd have to convince the presiding officer, and senate parliamentarian.

This is a "kill the bill" move.

[PolNewf]

7. You are asking for backlash

if you try to put a public option in now. You need to wait at least few months for the Republican inspired sky-is-falling fear to wear off. I would wait a year. Exchanges won't be up and running until 2014 anyway, you have time.

[onenote]

9. identify the 216 votes in the House for a PO version

The PO version that passed the House last weekend attracted 219 votes. Included in that number were five representatives who voted against the PO version in November. There is little reason to think that those reps would support a PO version now.
If you've got a whip count that shows I'm wrong, I'd be interested in seeing it.

[CTLawGuy]

12. we have 2010 and 2012

if we can get public option supporting democrats in, we can get a public option. It'll just take organization.

[MarjorieG]

13. Harkin and Sanders planning on second reconciliation, PO amendment.

Sanders given that future promise if postponed. Now that the big bill is law, and everyone realizes the cost controls necessary. Maybe even GOP will start to engage. Certainly hard to kill any Medicare to 55 attempt as new 'public defenders' of Medicare (if you forget Paul Ryan's new ideas).

Interesting opportunities ahead.