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Snowe: Slow Things Down If You Want My Vote
Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
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As I noted earlier, the Democrats' self-imposed Christmas deadline to pass health care reform is very much in doubt. But if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid does push the issue, he may lose one key health care swing vote, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME).
"The more they try to, sort of, drive this process in an unrealistic timeframe, the more reluctant I become about whether or not this can be doable in this timeframe that we're talking about," Snowe told reporters today.
Throughout the health care debate, Snowe has often pushed the principals to slow things down. So what might make her less reluctant?
"There's always January," Snowe said. "Frankly, I understand the value of deadlines, but this is getting, I think, unrealistic in terms of where we stand today. I mean you have to start filing cloture votes just to get done by Christmas. That's going to have to happen pretty soon. Like maybe Wednesday."
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Dorn76
December 11, 2009 4:20 PM
I mean, why not February? Or better yet, when the weather gets nicer in March or April? Everyone likes a nice Springtime debate. Then we can wrap this thing up by Summer, unless election season gets in the way, in which case we can just finish up by next Christmas.
What's everyone's rush?! Sheesh!
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acf_ma
December 11, 2009 4:22 PM
The strategy continues. Pretend to be a possible supporter, and drag out the debate over health reform until it can be emasculated or killed. Health reform, NOW!
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Indie Pro
December 11, 2009 4:24 PM
the dream of 60 is only killing HCR and watering down the bill more and more
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condew
December 11, 2009 5:59 PM in reply to Indie Pro
Hey, what do you expect to get for $900 billion and selling young people into slavery to big insurance? Health care?
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Stroszek
December 11, 2009 11:13 PM in reply to condew
Good God, the rhetoric from the far left is getting so f'n stupid...
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Kuyleh
December 11, 2009 4:32 PM
Noone cares.
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ericf
December 11, 2009 4:41 PM
What's the rush? It's not like anyone is dying for lack of insurance. It's not like hospitals are laying of staff despite being overburdened already. Go ahead you self-important prats, er, centrist senators, take your time.
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Moose49
December 11, 2009 4:46 PM
Translation: "I'm not ready to give up the spotlight yet!"
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lousgirl84
December 11, 2009 4:56 PM
Fuck you! You wizen witch.
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Chris Brown
December 11, 2009 4:59 PM
Snowe apparently isn'y having enough time to consult with her "providers" to determine her opinion on the specific aspects of the bill.
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Progressive Party
December 11, 2009 5:00 PM
123 more deaths...everyday fucking day...and who in the Senate gives a shit!
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Kali Star
December 11, 2009 5:04 PM
Call her bluff. Vote, don't vote. Whatever.
Something tells me that Snowe has figured out that voting against the bill places her on the wrong side of history. Hey! Snowe Fairy. You want that in your obit. Fine.
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Silence
December 11, 2009 5:06 PM
The money pot for the 2010 elections is growing rapidly.
These people don't give two sh**s about any of you.....never did. Business is business and it doesn't get any greener than the business of US govt.
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lousgirl84
December 11, 2009 5:14 PM in reply to Silence
So when are you moving out of this country?
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Silence
December 11, 2009 5:30 PM in reply to lousgirl84
I think I'll stay for awhile. It's about to get very interesting.
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Darrius
December 11, 2009 5:06 PM
Why exactly are they making these concessions???? If you move the bill away from what the majority wants, then it should be in return for someone's vote. But apparently the Senate keeps making concessions and now one ever commits their vote in exchange.
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shepherd wong
December 11, 2009 5:10 PM
"...if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid does push the issue, he may lose one key health care swing vote, Sen. Olympia Snowe."
Don't you have to actually, you know, have something before you can "lose" it?
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lousgirl84
December 11, 2009 5:15 PM
Fuck the wizend witch.
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lousgirl84
December 11, 2009 5:16 PM in reply to lousgirl84
Oops wizened - before the spelling police get me.
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Powkat
December 11, 2009 5:27 PM
Sure, Olympia, you're only killing 123 people every day. And they aren't anyone you know, so who cares.
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Walter Mitty
December 11, 2009 5:56 PM
Snowe is not going to vote for it anyways - unless she gets to write the bill completely herself. No opt-out PO, not medicare buy-in it has to be her triggers and only her triggers.
And if Reid gave her that tomorrow she'd vote for it tomorrow. For whatever reason Reid and the White House can't see that she's playing McConnells game, that they're using the bi-partisan goal against them.
How can this possibly be moving too fast considering the original goal was to have the bill on the Presidents desk by August. Of 2009.
Delay, delay, delay and hope Al Qaeda blows something up.
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mikedrevguy
December 11, 2009 7:39 PM in reply to Walter Mitty
we live in a Burger King society - where we all feel we deserve to have it our way. The problem is, when we actually need to work together, but we all feel we need to have it OUR way or else - gosh, how adult and mature to threaten to take our marbles and play elsewhere if we don't get our way.
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condew
December 11, 2009 6:04 PM
But don't you know, Snowes vote is more important to Obama than even getting relelected; more important than all those who got him elected the first time; more important than retainintg control of the Senate in 2010. It's Obama's form of infidelity.
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nova voter
December 11, 2009 11:00 PM in reply to condew
snowe's vote IS important, unfortunately, given joe lieberman's behavior.
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Stroszek
December 11, 2009 11:15 PM in reply to nova voter
Don't try to reason with the new shrieker.
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gizmo
December 11, 2009 6:19 PM
Snowe must be angling for funding to build a $600 million bridge over a swamp in northern Maine or something.
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David Dunham
December 11, 2009 6:32 PM
Snowe comes across in the quoted language as someone who does not speak with any clarity. I guess her thinking is characterized by a lack of clarity too.
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ilovebacon
December 12, 2009 1:54 PM
Snowe wants to slow things down till Robert Byrd passes away. Cynical witch!
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Fitgerald
December 12, 2009 10:40 PM
Both Senators from Maine are risking their seats if they vote no on HCR.
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Angellight
December 14, 2009 5:14 AM
While some want to slow the process down or kill it all together, there are people all over America who are sick and dying, they can't slow things down. There are people who are losing their health care insurance because employers just cannot afford it any more. They don't want the processed slowed down. They don't feel a sense of urgency because it is not happening to them. They are not really connected to the pain of people. They should not be representatives of the people!
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