Will Senate Democrats Strip Baucus Of His Chairmanship?
The Hill reports that some liberal members of the Senate are toying with the idea of stripping Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) of his chairmanship of the Finance Committee. Well..."toying" maybe a bit too strong. But they're not happy. Without naming names, they're nodding toward the idea of creating a referendum system, which would allow caucus members to decide every two years whether particular committee chairmen get to keep their gavels.
Most senators would be in fine shape under such a system--but Baucus hasn't won many friends over the years. He was instrumental in the passage of Bush tax cuts and in Republican Medicare reforms and has provoked the ire of senior Democrats many times in the past. In 2003, The New Republic suggested stripping Baucus of his seniority on the Finance Committee; and in a 2006 article that's been lost to the magazine's archive abyss its editors argued that he should be kicked off the Finance Committee altogether.
Not to suggest that anything like that anything like this is in the works. But in addition to past heresies, Baucus' broken health care process--and the degree to which he's let that process be held hostage by Republicans--hasn't gone unnoticed by many of his peers.
Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
Hell, YEA! this should be their standard practice and it is one that would go a long way of dealing w/ the Senate ways and means of doing business. Also, let's include this same concept w/ the senate leadership positions and move Reid onto other pastures. The fight is out of Reid at a time democrats need a fighter and someone who is tough as nails!
Just think about Mr. LIEberman retains his chair position and fucks us over all the time
July 30, 2009 12:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Baucus Unit
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/7/24/757354/-Baucuss-Bad-News-Week
July 30, 2009 12:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, perhaps the threat of this happening will act like a foot up Mr. Baucus' backside.
I doubt it, though.
July 30, 2009 12:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have my doubts too. A few months ago, he sent surrogates to represent him in townhall meetings in his home state Montana, and they nearly lynched the stooges at every stop because he was on record not to back single payer. As I see it, he still isn't backing it - looking for whatever option is possible so he can say it was out of his hands.
July 30, 2009 1:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Single payer is not and never has been on the table. You are right that Baucus made sure of that but it's never been seriously considered as politically feasible by many. I actually think it's the best plan but let's just be clear what the health care reform is that we're talking about right now is. It is not and will never be single payer. The most we're going to get this go round is the public option.
July 30, 2009 1:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's too bad single payer wasn't on the table right from the beginning. It could have been used as a bargaining chip at this point.
July 30, 2009 4:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow. And here I thought all the good ideas were taken.
Once they have his gavel can we ride him outta town on a rail? I mean, AFTER we tar and feather him of course. Sorry, got ahead of myself there.
But seriously, this idea has many good qualities, the best being it might force the blue dogs to get honest and switch parties. At least the fascists would have a moderate wing again.
No really, this could be fun.
July 30, 2009 12:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Democratic senators are toying with the idea of making their caucus more democratic? What a concept!
My default position is to view this as a strategic leak meant to send signals to Baucus to shape up or get out. However, if anybody is putting forth this idea seriously, I just hope Harry Reid will find the backbone to support it.
July 30, 2009 1:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Harry Reid and "backbone" -- The Original Oxymoron.
July 30, 2009 1:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
If Harry Reid had any balls, he would have done this already.
July 30, 2009 3:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Even if this never happens, hopefully this will put some fear into Baucus.
This said: When the Republicans controlled Congress they had a rule for themselves of putting term limits on committee chairmen. Their implementation seemed sort of stupid (the limit was only six years, and at the end of that six years they'd just shuffle around all the chairmen to different committees based on something that smelled like party patronage) but it always seemed to me like in principle a pretty good idea. The current system seems prone to just locking people in place for decades regardless of merit or no. There ought to be SOME way to reshuffle committee chairs...?
July 30, 2009 1:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Alternatively, why can't the senate proceed with just the HELP bill? Why does it have to go through two committees? Does anyone know enough about Senate procedure to explain why Finance gets such a stranglehold?
July 30, 2009 2:55 PM | Reply | Permalink