White House To Reid: Cut A Deal With Lieberman

[grassfed]

The White House is encouraging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to cut a deal with Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and eliminate the proposed Medicare expansion in the health reform bill, according to an official close to the negotiations.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/14/white-house-to-reid-cut-a_n_391408.html

[DrToast]

1. According to Politico

[grassfed]

2. NO expansion of Medicare

The White House is encouraging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to cut a deal with Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), which would mean eliminating the proposed Medicare expansion in the health reform bill, according to an official close to the negotiations.

But Reid is described as so frustrated with Lieberman that he is not ready to sacrifice a key element of the health care bill, and first wants to see the Congressional Budget Office cost analysis of the Medicare buy-in. The analysis is expected early this week.

"There is a weariness and a lot of frustration that one person is holding up the will of 59 others," the official said. “There is still too much anger and confusion at one particular senator’s reversal.”

Lieberman threw health care reform into doubt Sunday when he told Reid that he would filibuster the bill if it allowed Americans ages 55 to 64 to purchase coverage in Medicare. His comments on CBS’s “Face the Nation” set off a series of private meetings Sunday between the Senate leadership and top White House aides, including Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who encouraged Reid to cut the deal with Lieberman, the official said. The White House declined to comment.

Reid has called a special Democratic caucus meeting for 5:30 p.m. Monday.

If they still hope to pass a bill by Christmas – which is still a top consideration at the moment — Democrats have only limited options:

• Reach an agreement with Lieberman, which would mean stripping out the provisions that have kept progressives on board. This will likely cause problems on the left – maybe even defections – unless the White House steps in to persuade senators such as Russ Feingold of Wisconsin and Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30572.html

[LisaM]

3. I hate Joe Lieberman

and I would really like to know what his problem is.

[Phx_Dem]

25. x 2

He needs to lose his committee chairs and be told in no uncertain terms to go fuck himself.

[Botany]

4. If they do this it will be the end for Obama.

"If we’re able to stop Obama on this it will be his Waterloo. It will break him," Sen. Jim Demint (R) S.C.


I feel so good now about getting up @ 4:30 AM on election day 2008 and getting to bed @ 11:00 PM after working
as one of Obama's legal observers at a poll in inner city Columbus, OH. :sarcasm:

[mkultra]

11. clearly this will be his little big horn as well.

im so so afraid. if he loses this battle, we should all vote nader.

[BeyondGeography]

12. I guess you'll be a poll watcher for Nader next time just cuz Lieberman's an asshole

Fine foxhole matey you are.

[Name removed]

14. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[fugop]

5. So says Politico

Nuff said.

[grassfed]

17. Kos and TPM with independent confirmation

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/12/14/814081/-Politico:-White-House-Pressuring-Reid-to-Cut-Deal-with-Lieberman

[sui generis]

6. I'd like some mexican salsa please.

But please don't use any tomatos, onions, or cilantro.

:eyes:

What the hell? Obama, you had me at hell no. What's left?

Oh I get it this is the supersecret santa plan. Ummm. I think I lost my decoder ring. Can one of Obama's high priests please explain this latest stupidity from the executive office?

[Lord Helmet]

7. lulz -- Politico via Huffington Post

[grassfed]

18. + Kos, TPM

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/12/14/814081/-Politico:-White-House-Pressuring-Reid-to-Cut-Deal-with-Lieberman

[Lord Helmet]

20. - the flat-out denial by the White House

LINK

[grassfed]

21. whew, for a min there I suspected the WH of doubletalk and floating trial balloons

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/12/14/814081/-Politico:-White-House-Pressuring-Reid-to-Cut-Deal-with-Lieberman

[Lord Helmet]

23. I believe the horse's mouth over blog chatter any day.

[Phx_Dem]

26. Ditto. Especially HuffingtonReport and Politico.

[grassfed]

22. TPM White House Pressures Reid To Cut A Deal With Lieberman

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/white-house-pressures-reid-to-cut-a-deal-with-lieberman.php?ref=fpa

[Lord Helmet]

24. White House denies rampant blog chatter.

LINK

“The report is inaccurate. The White House is not pushing Senator Reid in any direction. We are working hand in hand with the Senate Leadership to work through the various issues and pass health reform as soon as possible.”

[Connie_Corleone]

8. This is from Politico, so I take it with a grain of salt....

BUT, if this turns out to be true, the White House is wrong to tell Reid to cut a deal with Lieberman.

Lieberman will never vote for this bill, no matter what. The time for negotiating and cutting "deals" is over.

We're at the last resort of reconciliation at this point. Reconciliation sucks, but I don't see any other way of getting this done without stripping out any type of public option (medicare buy-in).

One fucking senator shouldn't stop health care reform for the country!!

FUCK LIEBERMAN!

[Scarsdale Vibe]

16. We could have gone with Snowe's trigger and strengthened the rest of the bill.

The conservaDems would have been effectively neutered as none of them would have the deciding vote. The "tactically inept" (read Progressive) wing of the Democratic party just had to step in and make the public option their holy grail, their shining line dividing good from evil. If this bill fails the public option zealots will be somewhat culpable for the resulting tens of thousands of deaths that could have been averted by expanding coverage and insurance regulation.

[zulchzulu]

9. If the story emanates from Bluffington Hoax, I trust it like I trust a rat

They will say that the "source" would not identify where they got the story. Bluffington Hoax want to get clickthroughs and make shit up daily for $$$...

[Botany]

10. Huff post got it from Politico

n/t

[Tom Rinaldo]

13. And they are not ALWAYS wrong

The prudent thing for those of us who feel this would be unacceptable to do would be to treat this as a potential "trial baloon" and let our feelings about that be known NOW.

It doesn't even have to be framed as criticism of Obama, obviously HCR is at a crossroads with Lieberman blocking the way. One possible course of action is to give in to him and it would be naive of us to pretned that no one could possibly be considering that course. The entire Democratic leadership damn well better be weighing the backlash that will follow if they kiss Lieberman's ass on this one.

[Blue-Jay]

15. White House already denied

[grassfed]

19. not gibbs