Senator Ben Nelson to OPPOSE public health care!?

[jocapo]

60 votes? Yeah, right! Fat lot of good that does us when we have to trust this bunch of elected officials to do what's right for the people instead of their big money contributers. It doesn't matter if the democrats have 60 votes because they are working for big business NOT the American people. They carried water for the mortgage bankers and killed the foreclosure relief bill and now they will do the same thing for the insurance companies.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/01/ben-nelson-plans-to-oppos_n_194907.html

[lapfog_1]

1. Depends... all he has to do is vote to end debate...

Along with all the other Democrats (including Specter AND Al Frankin) plus the two independents.

At that point, we need 50 votes to pass the legislation. He can vote against it if he wants, and use that fact to exact more money from his corporate masters.

Of course, we need ALL of Dems, the two independents, the newly minted Democrat Specter AND Al Frankin to do this.

[JustinL]

2. we may not need 60 votes

From the Washington Post:

The Democratically controlled Congress yesterday easily approved a $3.4 trillion spending plan, setting the stage for President Obama to pursue the first major overhaul of the nation's health-care system in a generation along with other far-reaching domestic initiatives.

...

Lawmakers also agreed to use a powerful procedural tool known as reconciliation to advance the president's proposal to expand health coverage for the uninsured -- a move that ensures Republicans would not be able to filibuster the legislation. Unlike in 1993, when then-President Bill Clinton unveiled a universal coverage plan that went nowhere on Capitol Hill, Obama has a strong mandate for change from both chambers of Congress and a mid-October deadline for key congressional committees to send legislation to the full House and Senate.

[smiley_glad_hands]

3. Obama has the reconcilliation card to use. eom

[LiberalAndProud]

4. Yep, once again he fails to represent me.

Every.fucking.time.

[madrchsod]

5. oh no! now the democrats want to kill us!

[justgamma]

6. Reality check.

If Dems want to get anything major done, we have to have 80 freakin' Senators.