Congress didn't pass anything important today

[LoZoccolo]

is a shit statement

[polpilot]

1. We won!!! ...and the Repubs & Friends got a check!!

[Wardoc]

16. We "won", and the insurance industry is going to get a lot of paychecks.

[BlueCaliDem]

2. They don't have a clue so they unrec out of frustration. Poor babies. eom

[lamp_shade]

4. A lot of malcontents feeling wounded today.

[BlueCaliDem]

7. So many that it's almost as if they're cheering for more repubs in Government!

I mean, honestly, the GNOOO!P did such a fabulous job in the past twelve years, bringing such delights like two unfunded wars, soaring corporate fraud, skyrocketing unemployment - I mean, lets give them another decade!

Americans are so stupid at times.

[T Wolf]

3. You are correct. Congress set in cement control of YOUR health and medical care in

the hands of private corps who exist to prevent you from getting what you paid for. This will be the state of health "care" in this country for the foreseeable future.

That is pretty significant.

Oh yeah - killing Democratic prospects for 2010 and 2012 is a bonus.

[BlueCaliDem]

6. Just an FYI, the bill still needs to be reconciled, thus your panic is premature

It goes to conference now. It isn't signed by the President, so it isn't a done deal "as is" by any measure.

No need to get out that crystal ball and predict the end of the world for Democrats in 2010 and 2012 by saying the prospects are "killed" - that's for the repugs to do.

[T Wolf]

9. Obama will sign any piece of "HCR" that hits his desk. There will be NO improvements

from a Democratic POV in reconciliation.

It IS what it is and it is worse than nothing. The few crumbs are more than negated by the anti-person, pro-corp aspects.

Ex - no limit on their profits.

[BlueCaliDem]

10. If and WHEN this happens, I'll have something to whine about

but unless you're clairvoyant in excess of Nostradamus and Cacey, I'll withhold judgment.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but once it's out of conference, there is only a 51 vote necessary to pass it and send it to the President's desk, yes?

Why wouldn't the P.O. be put in and the mandates taken out? President Obama has already said he'll work closely with the House from this moment forward.

Also, n this case, can the President being an expert on the Constitution do line-item vetoes in favor of the American people?

In other words, it ain't over until the President signs it so best to keep cool since I'm pretty sure he's well aware of the anger out here.

[Statistical]

11. Being a constitutional scholar wouldn't he know the line item veto was declared unconstitutional

by the Supreme Court in Clinton v. City of New York?

[BlueCaliDem]

13. It didn't stop Bush and his were not in favor of the American people.

When it comes down to laws, things need to be written in stone and expanded upon.

The law, as they say, is to the "T". It can still be "bent", so since I'm not familiar with that case you're citing, I wouldn't be able to give you an answer even IF it's a non-lawyer's opinion.

[Statistical]

15. When did bush use a line item Veto?

The entire bill that granted the President a line item veto has been found unconstitutional since 1998 (it lasted less than 2 years). If President Obama were to attempt a line item veto he would be acting outside the law and no different then declaring himself President for life. "Could" he do it. Sure he can do virtually anything. Would it have any power? no. Would Supreme Court imediately find entire HCR bill unconstitutional? In an instant. Would there then be motions to impeach him? Surely.

Ruling of Supreme Court of United State in Clinton v. NYC (1998)
The President's unilateral striking of portions of legislation passed by Congress pursuant to the Line Item Veto Act of 1996 was without legal force, because the U.S. Constitution did not authorize the President to enact federal law of which both houses of Congress had not previously approved the text.

There is no line item veto power for the President (or at least no legal one). Unless you are advocating Obama be a tyrant because he is "our tyrant" there will be no line item veto in HCR. It will either be vetoed in full or signed in full by Obama.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_Item_Veto_Act_of_1996

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_v._City_of_New_York

[BlueCaliDem]

18. Oops. I meant signing statements, which are a version of a line item veto

My apologies for getting the terminology wrong.

And Bush used signing statements to the extreme.

That's why the law is written in such long, boring language (legalese). It has to be precise or things written can be circumvented using other terminology, but getting the same result.

Once again, my sincerest apologies for the confusion.

[Statistical]

19. No problem. Personally I believe Bush use of signing statements cirumvents seperation of powers.

[Raineyb]

12. Has this bill been improved from the time they started this?

Or has it been progressively worse with a fig leaf of improvement included to get slightly more left of "center" Senators to sign on?

Ignore (recent) history at your peril.

[BlueCaliDem]

14. There are 60 Dem senators, but a solid 6 "conservaDems". That's

still gives the Democrats three more over a majority. If it comes to a tie there's still VP Biden.

You're right. 100% without a doubt, you're right, it's gotten progressively worse, not better, as the bill snailed its way through Congress, but look at the opposition and consider how hard it was to get this through.

It was pretty much guaranteed, though. With corporate media touting only repub talking points and reporting from the GOP perspective without holding them accountable for their lies and misrepresentations of any part of the bill, it is still unbelievable that this bill came through and that it wasn't, as ALL repubs and some Progressives want, "killed".

President Obama, as I've written in my post before this one, has said he'll be working closely with Dems on this bill. If it still comes out like this, and he signs it into law, then I'll be angry and have my blood pressure go up.

Until that time, I'll just wait and see.

[Electric Monk]

5. Eh fights Republicans and doesn't afraid of anything

Now THAT's a shit statement.

[Forkboy]

8. LOL

That was a funny thread. :)

[SoCalDem]

17. until it's signed, sealed & delivered, it;s just a plan..not a deal n/t

All the back-slapping & high-fiveing is just like an Indy Driver having a press conference to brag about his victory...on lap #498