Why are Dems still scrambling to line up votes for HCR tomorrow?

[rhombus]

At this late hour?

The country gave the Democrats a huge majority in the House in 2008 and a mandate for change, and yet Speaker Pelosi is having trouble getting to 218 votes to pass this watered down bill? A quote I read somewhere said that 'Democrats are just honest Republicans by any other name'. The system is ruled by moneyed interests. A sad commentary on the huge influence of money in our political system.

When you have 2008 netroots darling Larry Kissell (R-NC) who the progressive blogosphere helped put in office say he's a no vote on health care reform, you know something is terribly wrong.

[Bitwit1234]

1. Some republican

on MSNBC earlier who talked like he had a mouth full of crap was running on and on about democrats being scared because the lost the two governor spots. It look like the crap was going to run out of his mouth any minute. I don't understand why a governor who does not make laws for the US, does not vote on laws for the US and has no influence even on any bill would be so much more important than two representatives who do get to vote and help make our laws.

And also there was a headline that said Obama lost in New Jersey. It was very informative, because I did not know Obama was running for governor. I thought if you were president of the US than you would not be able to run for governor at the same time. But you learn something new from republicans every day.

[Cha]

7. Too bad the republicons have the corporatemedia

as their base..they would have been DONE a long time ago without them.

[Garam_Masala]

11. But..I thought we have the absolute majority in congress?

SO why are the minority repugs the main cause for lack of a strong public option?
We could pass any bill we want...the voters said so loudly in 2008.

[timeforpeace]

21. The answer is it's the Dems who don't want it, at least not more than 218 of them, and not close to

that in reality. This is gonna go badly.

[Cha]

23. Why don't you talk to

the fucking blue dogs?..ask them.

[xchrom]

2. beats me. nt

[Aramchek]

3. they aren't. it will pass. don't worry.

[AlinPA]

5. Didn't Hoyer say they were putting off the vote until next week because they don't have the votes?

Or did he change that?

[Aramchek]

8. 'some people' said that but then Hoyer's office denied it

'some people' don't want the bill to pass so they make up shit

'some people' are going to be awfully pissed tomorrow when the House votes and we get one step closer to making History

[msongs]

4. lol lack of strong leadership at high levels nt

[TheWebHead]

6. because the massive shift of independents on Tuesday

and a 10.2% unemployment rate. The proposed tax increases to pay for a $1.1 trillion health bill is a very difficult sell in this jobless environment.

[salguine]

9. Money doesn't have a "huge influence on our system". Money owns it outright.

[ej510]

10. Lobbyist are working overtime tonight.

[AlinPA]

12. A lot of brown envelopes under the table to a lot of "undecided" Democrats.

[Imajika]

13. It will pass...

They are just working out who has to vote for it to reach 218 and who gets a pass.

The remaining undecideds feel that a vote in favor hurts them in their districts. We may or may not disagree, but that is what they think. Pelosi and Hoyer are just working out who casts "Yes" votes and what they will get in return for doing so.

Everyone has some problem with the bill, and to win legislative victories this sort of wheeling and dealing is often necessary.

[AlinPA]

14. And, I know it sounds cynical, but there is a lot of cash floating around from lobbyists

that is being divided up. Some people may want more than their share.

[Imajika]

22. Indeed..

I think a part of the problem is that this bill is so far from what the final product will look like once it is through reconciliation, that a lot of the DINOs and Conservadems feel like they'd be walking the plank for nothing. Some of these congresscritters can't stomach things like the tax on the rich which is in the House bill, but they could go for the versions working their way through the Senate. So some would be fine with the final product since we know it will end up watered down to the lowest common denominator, but find it difficult to vote for the current House version.

And yeah, a lot of them are jockeying for an extra share of the rivers of cash the lobbyists are tossing around.

edited for spelling

[DCBob]

15. Yes, I believe that is exactly what is happening.

This bill is going to pass.

[BlueIdaho]

16. My gutless wonder of a congresscritter Walt Minnick gets a pass

From the leadership - but not from me. I'm finished with that worthless sack of shit. I can't wait till he starts trolling for money back here at home, I'm sending him a box of bricks postage due.

[ej510]

17. Follow the money!

[Egnever]

18. one need only read this site to see why

If we were to take a vote on DU I bet we would have trouble passing it.

[bertman]

19. Anthony Weiner said on the Rachel show tonight that it is going to be real close, but he

thinks it's going to pass.

Maybe the Progressive Caucus is actually going to stand up and tell the DINO's to stick it up their asses. If so, it would be the first time the Liberal Wing of the party actually did anything that might be construed as requiring backbone.

Tell Pelosi and company that watered-down POS isn't worth passing!!

That's why, rhombus. At least in my opinion.

[Thrill]

20. This has been a problem since Ronald Regan. Too many Republicans

that call themselves Democrats. This is what happened in the Clinton yrs. They fuck up real Democratic agendas

[Phx_Dem]

24. I'm not defending Blue Dogs because I don't agree with them, but

they were elected in conservative states by conservatives Dems. Just because Dems were overwhelmingly elected, doesn't make them all liberals.

Again, I don't agree with Blue Dogs and I'm pissed at them for being assholes, but facts are facts, and the fact is not all Democrats are liberal. As much Bill Mahr likes to think we can just "push it through" because Dems are in charge, that kind of ignorance ignores reality.

I guess we could borrow the teabag strategy and primary all of them. Of course, then we'd end up just like the teabaggers -- handing our seats over to the. Primarying Blue Dogs with more liberal Dems won't work because those states rarely or never elect liberals. Blue Dog Dems are assholes, but they're our assholes and they're far better than any Republican.