They could have used reconciliation all along to ram through : a good, bad or indifferent bill

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

IF they go that route, why shouldn't they at the very least, ram through a GOOD bill?

One that forbids:

prior conditions, rescissions and lifetime AND annual caps IMMEDIATELY

AND one that contains:

Pharma negotiation at all levels

Medicare buy-in at reasonable subsidized rates


WHY would anyone use budget reconciliation to push through a crappy bill? Reconciliation means the gloves are off. THERE IS NO COMPROMISE. Watch them to see if they will compromise when they don't need to.

The answer will be YES THEY WILL. They are negotiating with themselves to protect the 2 entrenched industries - Pharma and insurance.

When we get the crappiest of crappy bills through reconciliation - ask yourself ----- WHY?

[msongs]

1. the illusion of power n doing something is sometimes valuable tho wasted on this lot nt

[yourout]

2. My understanding is they can only Reconcile budget related bills so the mandates would not...

be possible.

But they could ram through an exceptionally strong public option that would have the same effect.
Insurance companies would have to follow the public plans lead or shed customers at a rapid speed.

[Clio the Leo]

3. They cant do Rocky's insurance regulations through reconciliation....

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/12/the_unintended_consequences_of.html

[Blasphemer]

4. Very interesting isn't it?

Water it down in the name of compromise (wasn't "bipartisanship" the original refrain?) only to use the very method that could have been used to get a GOOD bill through? Now, common sense would tell you that if you negotiate a deal and the deal falls through, you go back to the drawing board. You got nothing out of the negotiations so you DON'T keep the terms of the negotiated deal. So, apparently, they must have gotten something out of this deal making if they are intent on sticking to the terms DESPITE the fact that the deal fell through. If they use reconciliation to pass a watered down bill then they are not negotiating in the interests of the public, they are negotiating for the Death Insurance industry (let's face it, they don't give a shit about anyone's health). If they intend on mandating me after such traitorous behavior, they are going to spend a lot of time and money trying to squeeze money out of me that they are NEVER going to get.

[mkultra]

5. but Obama is a spineless liar corporatist republican pig

worse than Bush. he wouldn't if he could.

[emulatorloo]

7. Obama is not in congress. Joe Lieberman and Ben Nelson are though.

[emulatorloo]

6. Wyden said you can't do insurance reform with reconciliation process, Fed budget only

So none of those reforms would happen under reconciliation

Apparently can only deal with federal budgetary issues only, not private insurance

No link, Rachel Maddow show last night, probably on her website.