So, it looks like the health bill's going to be pulled and passed piecemeal, like some folks wanted

[bigtree]

. . . to do in the first place.

I really didn't like muscling everything together in one omnibus bill, because of the predictable garbage that gets stuffed in to move the massive package along. So many folks here argued in favor of provisions in the legislation (like preventing insurance bans for pre-existing conditions), despite admitting that other parts were wrongheaded and harmful.

I think the Senate (and even the House) went too far to appease conservatives who really have no interest in advancing 'health reform', and now there's an opportunity to line legislators up behind the provisions they've already voted for. The president is (tepidly) encouraging legislators to "coalesce around those elements of the package that people agree on".

Many questions . . . What to leave in, what to leave out? Do these individual elements go back to committee? Where does all of this get hammered out? Who does the negotiating?

One thing . . . we never had a 'supermajority' in the Senate to pass health care reform - or anything significantly partisan. Now we'll see if our legislators intend to just be mere caretakers of their seats or if they intend to use their majority to actually fight to accomplish their promises.

[BOSSHOG]

1. I can't believe a 59-41 majority

means absolutely nothing in a democratic republic. Fuck Bipartisanship. The land of the free thrives on partisanship. There was no partisanship in Communist Russia or China.

[uponit7771]

2. ReThugs haven't had that kind of majority sinse 1923 and they ram EVERYTHING through

[Cronus Protagonist]

3. +1

you hit the nail on the head!

[BrklynLiberal]

4. You got it backwards.. It is a 41-59 majority.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7525779

[BOSSHOG]

5. Thanks for the correction

Just like when Saddam Hussein used to win all his elections with 114% of the vote. Conservative logic. Like glen becks +/- formula.