UPDATE: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid just filed for cloture on the motion to proceed to debate on his health care bill. That pretty much seals it. Unless conservative Democrats take a very public stand by voting "no," the bill unveiled yesterday will be the bill the Senate hashes out on the floor.
The Senate will be in session this Saturday evening, ahead of a scheduled 8 pm cloture vote on the motion to proceed to debate historic health care legislation, TPMDC has learned. Assuming Majority Leader Harry Reid has the 60 votes he needs to leap that hurdle, Democrats will likely have to eat up 30 hours before they can hold the actual vote--at a 51-vote threshold--on the motion to proceed itself. Still with me?
Doing some math, that means the bill won't be cleared for debate and amendments and so forth until, at the earliest, 2 am Monday morning. Even if that happens, the bill will likely have to be read aloud (another two day process) so we're still looking at debate in earnest after Thanksgiving recess.
And since nothing says Saturday night like Senate cloture votes on procedural motions, we'll bring you all the action live.

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Cool Blue Reason
November 19, 2009 4:28 PM
That's right, Brian, it will be a crazy night of C-SPAN revelry.
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Parallax857
November 19, 2009 4:45 PM
Ok, let's party like it's two thousand nine! You bring the streamers; I'll bring the pointy hats. But hold the champagne until we get a decent bill on Obama's desk.
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merlot
November 19, 2009 4:50 PM in reply to Parallax857
Yes, holding the champagne is appropriate. However, I'll bring a case of Jack Daniels #7 as I've discovered a few shots of Jack vastly improves C-SPAN's video quality. :)
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BronxInTN
November 19, 2009 4:57 PM
I believe that even Lieberman has said several days ago that he will vote to allow debate to begin on the bill, although he also said then that he was against having a bill with the public option. I tend to think that the potential holdouts will also vote to proceed to debate, if only to give themselves a chance to appear on TV explaining their undecided positions. Cloture on the motion to proceed is a necessary condition for final passage, not a sufficient one.
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Ethan
November 19, 2009 5:04 PM in reply to BronxInTN
Yeah, LIEberman said he will bring it to debate, but will not support cloture for final vote if the bill has a public option.
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rstephen
November 19, 2009 5:30 PM in reply to Ethan
I trust LIEberman about as far as I can throw his hound-dog face. Reid better make it clear that anymore knives in the back will mean that he's back to being just another Republican on the Homeland Security committee.
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impik
November 19, 2009 6:51 PM
Okay, play ball. Let's see who's with us and who's a fucking traitor.
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traitorjoe
November 19, 2009 7:04 PM
Thank God Traitor Joe kept his Homeland Security chairmanship, what a great deal for the Democrats to keep this honest man in the fold.
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Helpful Friend
November 20, 2009 6:37 AM in reply to traitorjoe
Politics at its Best.
Senators Threatened with their Jobs.
Who will give in to the Pressure?
How do I put a Picture on my Post?
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Helpful Friend
November 20, 2009 6:42 AM in reply to Helpful Friend
Got the Picture.
Hope the Senate gets the Picture on a Public Option.
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