So Landrieu was opposing a non-government-funded public option because she wanted more government-funded health care? Gosh golly Mary, you should have said so sooner.

To think a Dem was the one to stop the anti-trust exemption removal. You woulda thought republicans woulda been all over that.

How can you be pro-monopoly and be taken seriously as someone who cares for their constituents (that arent corporations)

That makes no sense.

The anti-trust issue wasn't even on the table until the AHIP sponsored reform report gambit that pissed off the Dems. It was used to push back against AHIP for their underhanded attempt, to tell AHIP not to play there dirty games.

If it was so important an issue it would have been an issue before then. If it get Nelson's vote, then I'm fine with the trade.

Actually a fairly good sign.

How many truly ideological Senators are there? Very few.

For the rest, its all about getting the goodies. And how do you get the goodies? By declaring "doubts" about a bill that 1) you know will pass; and 2) you know will pass narrowly.

These Senators know that Reid wants their votes. They also know that Reid has enough votes lined up that if they actually oppose the bill they will be put in an awkward position.

So they express "doubts", get Reid's attention, get some graft, and then toe-the-line.

Like it or not, it's how the game is played.

So if the Blue Dogs are lining up to get paid off it is because they think the bill has a chance of passing.

I actually think the opposite thing happened in the House. Why was the vote so close? Because it wasn't. That is, Pelosi knew she had the votes so she "released" a few members so they could vote no for others reasons. For instance, do you think Kucinich would have voted "no" if his vote would have tanked the bill? No way.

In the Senate, the Democrats know that Reid needs 100% of the caucus -- that gives them enormous leverage . . . to get the goodies.

I say let the pigs eat at the trough -- then make sure the bill that comes out of reconciliation is good.

All of this compromising to get enough votes for a super-majority in the Senate would be uneccessary if the spineless Democrats would use reconciliation.

Enough already of the country being held hostage to an undemocratic, extra-constituional parlimentary rule.

Reid decided not to include a measure ending anti-trust exemptions for the insurance industry.

hilarious

Everyone here is bitching about it, but almost no one knows anything about the nature of these exemptions. The White House has straddled the fence on it. (Big surprise!) No real effort has been put into framing what the exemptions mean and what the benefits would be of repealing them. However, once upon a time both Trent Lott and Mary Landrieu supported repeal. Hmmm...I wonder what could have caused that rift in the time-space continuum...

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-03-07-insurance_N.htm