What legislation? His secret negotiations with the Only Six Senators Whose Ideas Matter have yet to yield a single damn line of proposed legislation as far as I can tell.

But, yeah, as if we needed any further confirmation the walls are closing in on the Gang of Six, I'd say we just got it.

I think it's totally reasonable to have an understanding of what kind of bill we need to be able to put together to get through the Senate.

What's that, you say? We have 60 Democrats in the Senate, and 2 Maine Republicans who still deliberate using reason? Huh.

It seems to me that the first thing we need to do is get some comment from all of our Senators - who would be voting against cloture on a bill like this? I think it's certainly worth seeing where everybody stands as far as an up-or-down vote goes, but the real question, especially now, is seeing explicitly from Dem Senators where they stand on allowing their own party to hold votes in the Senate.

The fact that the Republicans are seemingly changing the goalline now tells me that they're worried the Dems might get a party line vote of 60, or be able to peel off the necessary number of Republicans for cloture. When you have Grassley, Enzi and what's his face spouting off about wanting 75-80 votes to be truly bi-partisan it tells me they're worried.

Republicans need 51 when they're i the majority, but Democrats need 80? WTF? Of course the Dems will probably play by those rules now. I can hear Reid now...

Considering a likely challenge...Grasping at straws (men).

C

the dems conservatives, first names are expletives,
BLANKIN Baucus, BLANKIN Bayh,
BLANKIN Nelsons, Ben and Bill,
there's not one iota of health reform
they wouldn't BLANKIN kill.

So he is one of the most powerful Senators but his support for the publicoption must remain a hidden desire while his doppleganger Chuck Grassley is out there pumping out the the torch and pitchfork crowd with lies and hyperbole?

Gee, Senator Baucus, why can't yo speak of your love for the public option publicly if Grassley can speak so loudly his delusions and falsehoods?

Either Baucus is bullshitting the Dems back home or he doesn't understand that he can advocate for policies, not just toss cold water on them.

Baloney.

But whether he truly supports a public option or not, the aide says that the bill the Finance Committee eventually unveils will represent "what he thinks can pass the Senate."

Can you imagine a statement like this coming from a Republican Finance Committee chairman? When Republicans are in power they start with what they want first, then if they can't get the votes, they threaten, cajole, and finally negotiate. With Democrats, they start with the assumption that they won't get the votes they need, and propose watered-down legislation which they have to negotiate down further, since Republicans will oppose it anyway.

I don't want a public option, i want single payer. Any plan that involves insurance companies is a loss cause. You pay the government by payroll taxes and you go to any doctor, any hospital, no copays, no preexisting conditions, no denials. Single payer would make the US health system the best in the world. America could be the leader again in something.

http://www.hr676.org/