Reconciliation. Stop letting these grandstanders hold the Democratic Caucus hostage.

There's a political version of the 'uncanny valley' effect where opposition to something popular has continuing, positive effects for a politician in 'maverickyness' and 'integritude', right up until you're the vote blocking the passage of motherhood and apple pie, at which case you look like a moron, and a stubborn moron to boot.

Lincoln, Landrieu and Co. are playing chicken. They're right up to the edge of the political version of the 'uncanny valley'. I'm not sure they are smart enough to calculate exactly where it is.

Honestly, I support ANY bill. Why? When Social Security was first passed, 2/3 of black Americans were left out. FDR wasn't happy, but he knew that he had to get something passed--he knew that eventually the crappy parts could, and would, be amended. The point is to get it rolling. At this point, I'd take anything. If we miss this chance, we may never get another. Pragmatism is your best way toward progress.

Just did some brief research on Arkansan's views on HCR. Seems they do want a debate on HCR, but don't want Gov't run HC. Kind of explains Blanche's position. I have to wonder how the polls were phrased. Being a very rural, conservative state, regardless of BL's Dem designation, I would guess that there are a large number of Beckies and Rushers in the general population.

When you come from a poor state like AK or LA and you willfully vote to send poor kids off to war but you deny poor families healthcare because you have been bought by corporate power what are you?

Stupid hicks? Oops, not very PC of me...

Blanche Lincoln must actually believe she can win reelection by killing the health care bill. Sad times, these are.

So, what is the answer? Is reconciliation an option? I don't see the House going without a public option. I mean, it barely passed the House. Those who oppose it would have opposed it without a public option, too. They object to generally helping out their fellow citizen. SO, if Blanche cannot bring herself to vote for a public option, we need to get rid of the filibuster. There is no way that people should have that much influence. If fifty nine senators vote for a major piece of legislation, the bill should pass.

Every bill deserves an up or down vote. Period.

The message is clear. They are not democrats and have no party loyalty. The highest order of Obama's agenda was health care reform. The way to address these three punks from a party need is that they recieve no campaign funds, stripped of their committee assignments and left to their own for re-election. Support of the three is not in the party's or country interests.

The argument that they are better than a republican holding their seat is naive foolish beliefs because what is evident is stopping reform today and playing right into the GOP plans for 2010 and 2012.

Blanche is going to lose re-election, no matter what she does. If she is smart, she will do the right thing for her party and hope she gets appointed to another position.

Yes, it's time to put Blanche out to pasture. The sad fact, however, is that she will have already done her damage. Going forward, our task is to clear out the last remaining Rethuglians in the Blue northeast. We MUST win the 2010 Senate race in NH, we MUST get Sestak elected as the new Democratic Senator in PA, and we MUST eliminate Snowe and Collins.

She's got priorities you know. Protecting wealth for the rich kids is more important than thousands of American lives. Of course she loved padding the pockets of wealthy investors back in 2001 with the Bush tax cuts that were passed through reconciliation.

Think Progress reported in April 2009
Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) have a $250 billion proposal to cut estate taxes for the children of multi-millionaires even more than George W. Bush already did, and it’s attracting a disturbing amount of support.

Their $250 billion proposal would raise the estate tax exemption from $7 million to $10 million per-couple and lower the top rate from 45% to 35%.

While opponents of the estate tax claim rolling it back protects small farms and businesses, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities points out that “only 0.2 percent of the additional cost of the proposal, relative to [the Obama proposal], would go toward tax cuts for small businesses and farms.”

The rest of the cost, approximately $249.5 billion, would go to the inheritors of estates worth over $7 million. Paris Hilton, get excited.

Let’s make one thing clear: the estate tax affects a vanishingly small number of American families. Under President Barack Obama’s budget, over 99.7% of people who pass away wouldn’t pay a dime.

Apparently, however, this isn’t enough for some Senators, who would gut revenues needed for investments in health care, education and energy in order to reward the inheritors of massive estates with $249.5 billion.

While this so called democrat piece of fuck Blanche Lincoln filibusters healthcare thousand more in her state go without healthcare and even some of them will die. All so Ms Lincoln can try to keep her job. This vermin never stood up to Bush on anything including the war in Iraq and torture but now all of sudden she stands on principle about healthcare. How many healthcare industry dollars did it take to fill her war chest to do that? But in reality like all democrats her vote is based on her being scared to death of republican attack ads come next electron

no she won't. she is bluffing, just like liberman. reid will sweeten the coifers for her and she will go along with it.

The damage has already been done for seniors. Those little medicare deals Obama made with hospitals and insurance companies have made Medicare Advantage costs skyrocket. An example: hospital costs for days 1-6 for granny in 2009 - $150/day; the same costs in 2010 - $255/day. I wager that people will be, at best, very disappointed and more likely pretty angry when they see how much this so-called reform bill will cost them.

Dear Sen. Lincoln,

Thank you for confirming that you are owned by the health insurance industry. Please make sure that this information is on an engraved tag attached to your collar so you may be returned to your owners in the event you become lost.