So you really think Lieberman landrieu and Nelson want to "improve" the bill?

[dkf]

Bwahahahaha. Please don't make me laugh. You arent getting improvements to this bill. All you have is reconciliation and now Obama is saying a public option isn't a big deal and he didn't campaign on it.

Jokes on you.

[LastNaturalist]

1. I believe Ben Nelson has genuine concern with the bill.

Lieberman, no. Landrieu, no.

[dkf]

2. Well you need all of them and Mr wellpoint Evan Bayh

[RaleighNCDUer]

4. Yes, I believe he is genuinely concerned that his paymasters are

going to be held accountable.

Nelson & Lieberman are both thralls of the insurance industry. Landrieu is just an idiot.

[dkf]

5. Hey maybe we can pay Louisiana's medicaid for eternity too!

[LastNaturalist]

6. Nelson is from NEBRASKA.

We western Democrats are naturally more pragmatic than you coastal liberals.

[RaleighNCDUer]

10. I come from a long line of Prairie Populists, from Iowa, Kansas and Colorado.

I lived in Lincoln for years. I know about 'western Democrats' - and I know that Nelson is an insurance industry shill. There is NOTHING pragmatic about enriching that industry through direct government intervention, while ignoring single-payer which would cover everybody (not leaving 30 million in the cold) while costing less.

William Jennings Bryan would be ashamed of you and the good Senator from Mutual of Omaha.

[Ozymanithrax]

3. Makes no difference if they will vote with 57 Democrats who do to beat a fillibuster...

Lieberman enjoys the power...
Landrieu wants to cover her ass in a state that is not friendly to progessive ideas.
Nelson wants what Landrieu wants...to cover his ass.

[JamesA1102]

7. I think you nailed it NT

[dkf]

8. Nelson can't be bought off anymore

He already regrets his Medicaid charity deal.

Oh but maybe you can give him a military base or two

[Ozymanithrax]

11. I don't own any military bases.

Curioiulsy, he can not remove it from the bill all that easy at this time.

[Scarsdale Vibe]

9. The only balancing act left is a CBO score under 900B.

Moving up the implementation date will increase the 10-year cost as would giving every state the Nebraska deal on Medicaid. There are going to be a lot of tweaks to the revenue streams in order to move the bill in the House direction on many fronts during conference, but unless there is a big symbolic issue for Lieberman or Nelson to preen about I expect the bill to be improved in conference without much fanfare.