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Snowe: I Won't Let My Party Dictate My Vote on Health Care Reform
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Here's the latest development in the Snowestakes: Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) says that though she'd prefer health care reform legislation to have broader Republican support, she's not going to let her party dictate her vote on the issue.
"Obviously, I'm a Republican, but I'd like to have more Republicans," she told CNBC's John Harwood.
But asked whether having more Republicans is a requirement, she said, pointedly, "no...I'm going to support the right policy."
Yesterday, I noted that Snowe believes her party has changed, leaving her an isolated moderate. And it's sounding more and more like she's resolved herself not to cave to pressure from the right to stand with the GOP in opposition to health care reform.
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The Decider
September 18, 2009 1:33 PM
"I won't let my party dictate..." is a real good thing to point out that you have said later after health reform is defeated. It'll show those Yankee liberals that you're a moderate and that you thought about it carefully before you voted no.
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Lalo35adm
September 18, 2009 1:35 PM in reply to The Decider
Bingo!
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LarsThorwald
September 18, 2009 2:19 PM in reply to The Decider
Precisely.
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willia451
September 18, 2009 2:02 PM
I don't understand why we are still taking about Snowe.
Isn't the Finance Committee going to mark up the bill next week? Once the mark ups are done, then as long as the democrats vote the bill out of committee, its over. Whether or not Snowe votes "Yes" or "No". Then the process of merging the HELP committee and the Finance committee bills can proceed.
Here is Shumer's view:
"There is a view on the part of the chairman and on the part of just about everyone in there to try to come up with a consensus that every Democrat and perhaps Olympia Snowe could support," Schumer said. "And I would say just about everyone in the room thought it was doable."
The bottom line is, the Finance Committee Bill will not be the final word anyway. By FAR!!!
So who cares how Snowe votes in the committee? As long as it gets OUT!!!
Is it supposed to be symbolic? Symbolic of what? That the dems got ONE Republican to vote YES on something?
Whoop de fucking doo!!!!
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lyleleander
September 18, 2009 2:13 PM
Has anybody in the MSM bothered to ask Snowe whether she believes a Senator from Maine deserves to have this much power over one of the largest and most important pieces of legislation that our congress has debated in recent history?
Quick, Olympia, touch up your eyeliner before you sprint off to your fourth puff-piece interview of the day.
All this attention and stroking of your every whim-- It's just such a glamorous life!!!
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Lalo35adm
September 18, 2009 2:16 PM in reply to lyleleander
She wouldn't have this much power if the Democrats weren't such sissies and were a united party.
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LarsThorwald
September 18, 2009 2:20 PM in reply to Lalo35adm
Sadly, true.
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Schmed
September 18, 2009 2:26 PM in reply to lyleleander
Because, apparently, states with reeeeally small populations like Montana, North Dakota, Arizona, and Nebraska are supposed to wield disproportionate legislative power! Why not Maine? Who cares what New York, California, and Illinois think? They're too big to matter.
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wbgonne
September 18, 2009 2:23 PM
I think it would be nice to pick up Snowe since she is generally seen as one of the very few Republicans in Congress with sanity intact. But I wouldn't give up much for her vote. I would absolutely NOT agree to a triggered public option to get her on board. My hunch -- all it is -- is that Obama and the Dems are prepared to offer serious medical malpractice controls as their final olive branch. I could live with that. It may even be a good idea if done in conjunction with the other reforms.
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Rich in NJ
September 18, 2009 3:50 PM
If her vote means no public option, it would be a huge negative.
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Partisancheese
September 18, 2009 6:11 PM in reply to Rich in NJ
fully agree. let's not get too hyped-up on Snowe excitement.
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Partisancheese
September 18, 2009 6:12 PM in reply to Rich in NJ
fully agree. let's not get too hyped-up on Snowe excitement.
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dancesonpedals
September 18, 2009 3:57 PM
Snowe in for Grassley in the 4th quarter. Baucus delayed writing a bill for months so he could satisfy Grassley. Now that it's obvious he'd never sign on, the play gets moved to Snowe. She's a wolf in sheep's clothing. She's a trojan horse. She's Uriah Heap. (sorry, I mix metaphors on Friday afternoons)
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coolsocks
September 18, 2009 4:16 PM
So she admits that she'll support the Repugs:
"I'm going to support the RIGHT policy."
:P
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