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Key Blue Dog Backs Conrad: There Aren't Enough Votes For Public Option In Senate
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House Blue Dog Jim Cooper (D-TN) says the math just isn't there for the public option.
"It's really not an ideological question; it's a question of how you pass a bill," he explained. "We don't have 60 Democratic votes in the Senate."
According to The Hill, "Cooper pointed to the prolonged absences of Sens. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), arguing that Senate Democrats were two votes short of forcing through any legislation past a filibuster, and would need to draw in at least two Republicans to support the final outcome."
That echoes the concerns of Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), who's a leading proponent of creating member-owned health care co-operatives instead of a public option. Kennedy's has been battling brain cancer for over a year, and hasn't been seen in public for months. But Byrd returned to the Senate on the eve of August recess to cast an affirmative vote on the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
Cooper and Conrad may or may not be right about the public option's prospects in the Senate. But equally worrying are the co-ops' prospects in the House, where scores of progressives have vowed to oppose legislation that doesn't include a government run plan.
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FightTheFascism
August 19, 2009 12:48 PM
If 60 Dems can agree to not support a filibuster, then we only need 51 Dems to vote for the bill with a public option.
- FTF
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LuxVeritas
August 19, 2009 1:16 PM in reply to FightTheFascism
Exactly
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JohnMcCSF
August 19, 2009 12:49 PM
Cooper needs to worry about his position in the House
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Steve LaBonne
August 19, 2009 12:50 PM
Well you know, Jim and Kent, you could solve that little problem by getting your heads out of your asses and voting yourselves for what your party's voters want. Imagine that.
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ogliberal
August 19, 2009 12:53 PM
I agree the reconciliation route is mess and less than perfect so getting to 60 is definitely preferred. If I'm not mistaken, Byrd made it in for the Sotomayor vote. I have to think he could make it for an HC vote as well. As for Kennedy, well, I don't know what his current health status is but if there's a public option in the plan, my guess is that he'd move heaven and earth to be there. That's 60. Unless, of course, there are some Dems who would actually vote against cloture. Kent, Ben, Mary....I'm looking at you.
Is there any chance - any - that the Dems could get one of the ladies from Maine on board with a public option so that they'd only need Byrd (who, even if he is home in WV isn't that far way...not as far away as Kennedy) to get to 60?
I think Cooper is saying this because he knows there aren't enough votes in the House to pass a bill without a public option. He's trying to deflect attention away from the weakness of the Blue Dogs in the House on this point.
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Steve LaBonne
August 19, 2009 12:55 PM in reply to ogliberal
Exactly. It's a cloud of blue (dog) squid ink. "Don't look at those progressives over there who actually hold the high cards, look at me!"
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Tom Wells
August 19, 2009 12:56 PM
Then I guess no bill passes. The Progressive Caucus will not back down.
Conrad can shill all he wants, but he is going to have big problems.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/8/19/769344/-Unions-to-Dems:-Public-Option-Must-Be-Part-of-Bill
The unions will bring some blue dogs to heel.
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shooter242
August 19, 2009 1:23 PM
So why aren't Kennedy and Byrd just given some pills and written off, as Obama suggests. At least then you could have replacement elections and functioning representation.
The irony of healthcare being held up by exceptions to a public health scenario, is just delicious.
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ogliberal
August 19, 2009 1:27 PM in reply to shooter242
You are so fucking funny! Hi-larious! Just like he killed his grandmother when he went to visit her in the hospital just before the election, right. He probably euthanized his mom as well so he could tell personal stories about how she struggled with her insurance company in her last days. You are so right - we Dems are so hellbent on providing affordable healthcare to everybody that we'll actually kill people in order to achieve that goal. You caught us. Excellent work, Sherlock.
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LuxVeritas
August 19, 2009 1:24 PM
Holy crap, when did Kennedy and Byrd die???
Last I checked they were still able to show up for votes if needed, unless we have misplaced them somehow.
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ogliberal
August 19, 2009 1:28 PM in reply to LuxVeritas
Like I said, I believe Byrd made it for the Sotomayor vote (the final tally added up to 100) and he in no way needed to be there for that one. And are we to believe that Ted wouldn't find a way to make it down for a vote on a bill that includes the public option, as long as he is still living and not in a coma?
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Napoleon
August 19, 2009 1:42 PM
Everyone should keep Jim Cooper's history in mind:
http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=4004
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Redshift
August 19, 2009 2:12 PM
What a surprise, an opponent of real health care reform claims that real health care reform can't possibly pass the Senate. Considering that the Blue Dogs claim to be concerned about costs to explain their opposition to all of the measures likely to control costs, why exactly should anyone believe them about anything?
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nova voter
August 19, 2009 2:56 PM
the whole interview was great, but start watching this at around 5:30. this guy has it right.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/32466786#32466786
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PorkBelly
August 19, 2009 4:45 PM
Byrd made it in for the Sotomayor vote & my guess is that Kennedy would be brought in to the Senate on life support if it meant passing a plan with a public option.
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