I’ve spent most of the day running around getting ready for Christmas tomorrow (my family is coming to visit). I just got the chance to sit down and check the news, and what do I see?
The health care bill passed the Senate, 60 – 39.
The Senate approved sweeping healthcare reform legislation by the narrowest of partisan margins early Christmas Eve morning, placing President Barack Obama closer than ever to signing a longtime Democratic priority into law.
The 60-39 tally split directly along partisan lines, with Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) absent, underscoring not only the great divide between Democrats and Republicans but also the deftness with which Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) at long last united his fractious conference by offering key compromises to centrists but keeping liberals in the fold.
The Senate capped off a nearly monthlong floor debate with its near-record 25th consecutive day in session by holding a vote on Christmas Eve for the first time since debating the Vietnam War in 1963. The debate was marked by procedural gamesmanship and acrimonious partisan exchanges. Nevertheless, the outcome of Thursday’s vote, with Vice President Joe Biden presiding over the Senate, had been assured for days as Democrats put together 60 votes numerous times on procedural matters.
… “This fight isn’t over. In fact, this fight is far from over,” McConnell said before the Senate vote. “My colleagues and I will work to stop this bill from becoming law.”
In the end, Obama and Reid were denied the one Republican who appeared attainable: Sen. Olympia Snowe (Maine). The centrist voted for the healthcare bill approved by the Finance Committee in October and was in constant contact with the president, even within the last several days. Her influence is apparent in components of the legislation despite her vote in opposition — based, she explained, on her view that Democrats were moving too quickly to get the bill off the floor.
First, and thankfully, this bill is not one step away from becoming law. Because there were changes made in the Senate, the bill has to go back to the House. The House can adopt the Senate bill, or they can make their own version. This is why Barack Obama has suddenly stopped focusing on health care so much.
I guess this is no surprise that the bill passed the Senate. The good news is that we didn’t have a single Republican defect to Reid. We’ve had a lot of betrayals from Republican senators (cough, cough, Olympia Snowe) this year, but they held the line on this one. It seems they’re finally listening to their constituents. And while I applaud Mitch McConnell’s spirit of swearing to fight this thing to the end, wasn’t he just saying how he wanted to get this wrapped up early so they could all go home for Christmas?
Also interesting is how the article above says that Reid was able to “unite his fractious conference” with “key compromises”. That’s awfully kind. Reid didn’t unite anything — he bought them off. He bribed them and bought them, pressured them and manipulated them. He certainly didn’t “unite” anything, and seeing as how everyone in the country knows about how he bought off the Democratic senators, I’m pretty sure he didn’t do it deftly.
The other piece of good news is that we now have more time to devote to stopping this piece of trash. There are very few Americans who want to saddle their grandchildren with even more debt and burdens. As this bill ping-pongs back and forth between the House and the Senate, we need to keep speaking up, and loudly. If we do that, we have a prayer for making this thing finally die.
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...RSS feed for comments on this post.
TrackBack URI
One other thing you didn’t mention- they now have NOBODY to blame when the crap hits the fan.
I think we all have to understand the following; all of know someone with cancer, under Obama many cancer patients like my father would not live to see another holiday. As an independant, what gives one party who does believe in a god to act as someone’s god? I guess our representatives won’t be returning any of our phone calls. It would be nice to have them explain what pushed or motivated this vote. How much was given to those reps that were in the middle, tax incentives or more stimulus & grant money for their states. Dirty political machines.
Chris,
Unfortunately, if and when (and I believe it’s a lot closer to when than if) the shit hits the fan, the Democrats will still point fingers at the Republicans for making their “historical” bill watered down. In the Democrats’ view, everything would be teh awesome if they could just ram home single payer without all of the compromises. Just you wait…
Cassy,
I’m pretty sure the House just needs a simple majority vote, so I’m not sure how much of a chance we have of stopping this. To be honest, I’m surprised it’s taken this long to implement.
These so-called “Christian” politicians (and one “observant” Jew) have done everything humanly possible to see to it that the lives of the American people will be held hostage by the big insurance and pharmaceutical companies forever – or until a revolution comes along. Not much is going to change in the meantime – and it will be a very mean time, I assure you. We will continue to die two years younger than they do in Europe. We will continue to have one of the highest infant mortality rates in the industrialized world. Have yourselves a merry little Christmas.
We celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace while waging two senseless wars at such a safe distance from our shores, most of us don’t even bother to pay attention to them. We will continue to throw away our national treasure on the military industrial complex while the well being of our children is gambled away in the plutocracy’s crap game. We are a nation addicted to weapons of war. Let’s face it, that’s never going to change. If tomorrow our armaments industry ceased to be, the entire American economy would implode before sundown. So much hypocrisy. So little space. Santa Claus is coming to town.
“Blessed are the peacemakers.
for they shall be called sons of God.”
Jesus of Nazareth
Oh, and did I mention that I hate Santa Claus? I really do, you know. I say this without any fear of coal in my stocking. You see, I haven’t received a thing from the hideous old freak since 1966. That was the year I spiked his hot cocoa with a generous portion of Old Granddad. Santa, although a rather large person, doesn’t hold his alcohol too well. I found this out the hard way. After leaving our presents under the tree, he took off from the roof or our home and crashed into the Finkle house across the street. Two reindeer were killed. Horrible carnage.
To boil it down to the unpleasant essentials, although I love the story of the nativity and the true meaning of Christmas, I’m beginning to despise the Christmas holiday – but that’s just me. This year I am afflicted with Grinch Syndrome. Or might you call it, “Scrooge Disorder”? The problem is that I am – and always have been – at heart, an angry person. I try to cover up that rage with a facade of silliness, but that’s basically who I am. As Frank Sinatra once sang in the very last recording he made for Columbia Records in 1952, “Don’t try to change me now.”
http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com
Tom Degan