Healthcare reform is dead. As in expired. As in dodo like dead.

[cali]

at least for the next few years, then repukes will have their turn. they'll pass horrendous shit. You think this was written by the corporations? Just wait till they really write it.

the political reality (this is not a judgment on the worth of the legislation itself) is that dems come out of this terribly weakened. they are now impotent on matters relating to health care.

all over, kids.

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama says his health care overhaul has "run into a bit of a buzz saw" and acknowledges the process is looking ugly. Nonetheless he says he'll keep working to finish sweeping legislation.

In comments prepared for a town hall meeting in Ohio Friday, Obama said that the GOP victory in Tuesday's Senate election in Massachusetts has thrown Washington into something of a frenzy. Republican Scott Brown's victory denied Democrats the 60-vote filibuster-proof majority needed to advance the health care bill.

Obama also said the health effort ran into a buzz saw of partisan politics and special interest opposition.

But Obama said he had no illusions that overhauling the health care system would be easy. And, added, "I am not going to walk away just because it's hard."

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut is suggesting that Democrats take a month or more off from working on health care legislation to regroup in the wake of Tuesday's election loss in Massachusetts.

His comments are the latest sign that Republican Scott Brown's Senate victory has thrown President Barack Obama and Democrats completely off-track in their quest to remake the nation's health care system.

Dodd led the Senate's health committee as it passed sweeping legislation last year.

Just a week ago the legislation appeared on the cusp of completion. Now that Democrats have lost their filibuster-proof Senate majority there's no clear path forward. Dodd told reporters Friday that Obama and Democrats should "maybe take a breather for a month, six weeks" and work on other issues.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/22/AR2010012200678_pf.html

[Beetwasher]

1. Bullshit, Dodd's A Senator, The Action Is In The House Now

Dodd's opinion is meaningless.

I'll take Pelosi and Nadler who actually have sway on what happens from this point forward:

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) issued the following statement on the current status of health care reform in the U.S. Congress:
"As Speaker Pelosi has said, the House of Representatives does not have the votes to pass the Senate health care bill alone. It is clear that the great majority of the House Democratic Caucus - right, left and center - is unwilling to pass the Senate bill as it stands. But we must not let this fact, or the election results in Massachusetts, cause us to abandon comprehensive health care reform.

"We must instead negotiate an agreement with the Senate to pass a few key changes to the Senate bill through the reconciliation process so that both Houses can pass a comprehensive bill. We can then take various popular insurance reforms that cannot be passed through the reconciliation process - dealing with such subjects as pre-existing conditions, rescissions and annual and lifetime benefits - put them in a separate bill, and see if the Republicans dare to filibuster them. The alternatives - giving up on comprehensive reform or attempting to only pass small pieces separately - are either unacceptable or impractical.

"Though the process of crafting and passing health care legislation has been frustrating and disappointing for many of us, we still have a rare opportunity to enact true reform, and we must not give up."

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/01/nadler_speaks.php#more?ref=fpblg

[cali]

4. not bullshit. the Senate is clearly not going to

negotiate an agreement with the house.

[Beetwasher]

6. We'll See, Maybe That's Clear To You, But It It's Not Clear To The People That Actually Matter

Like Pelosi and Nadler.

[cali]

8. It's pretty clear to Chris Dodd and Barack Obama.

[Beetwasher]

9. Nope, I See Obama Saying He's Not Giving Up On It

Where do you see differently?

[cali]

12. "ran into a buzzsaw...."

that says it all, no matter his weak protestation about not giving up, and that's not the only message that they're backing away that the WH has sent in recent days.

And how can Pelosi do anything with a hostile dem caucus in the Senate?

[Beetwasher]

14. Ran Into A Buzzsaw Means He's Giving Up?? Since When???

He's descrbing the situation. Where does he say he's giving up?

"I am not going to walk away just because it's hard."

[cali]

16. I think you need to learn to read between the lines.

I'm wrong on my few predictions occasionally- but not too often. I don't make a political prediction unless the signs are pretty damned clear.

[Beetwasher]

17. "I am not going to walk away just because it's hard."

Who needs to read between the lines? He says right there he's not giving up.

Personally I'm not making any predictions because the situaton is way to chaotic and fluid right now. I have no clue what's going to happen and neither do you.

You could be right, but it's not even close to being clear.

[Ganja Ninja]

2. "ran into a buzz saw of partisan politics"

and that was in his own party.:wtf:

[Florida Blue]

3. I heard today

Democrats, Harry Reid, et al. Are courting Brown as the swing vote. That is so freakin stupid. This guy is the Thug's new star. He will either keynote the 2012 convention, or give the nominating speech for DeMint. He is already the front runner for the 2016 nomination.

[cali]

7. oh please let the pukes nominate DeMented

that aside, Brown isn't stupid. he knows if he wants to get re-elected he can't cozy up to much the far right insane fucks like DeMented, and don't forget, he voted for "Romneycare".

[KamaAina]

26. Say what?

So far as I can tell, Sen. Centerfold's entire platform consisted of being the 41st vote against HCR.

Well, that, and driving a truck on Wall Street, and fixing guys up with his daughters. :eyes:

[CJCRANE]

5. Back in the summer a pundit on Fox News

said the Republican base should put all their energy for the next 60 days into blocking healthcare reform, that it was make or break.

Turns out that's what they did, and the pundit was right.

[elocs]

11. Yes, the GOP strategy of blocking HCR and stretching out the process has worked perfectly

for them. You know, even as a minority the Republicans know how to get their agenda accomplished. Too bad that as a majority the Democrats cannot do the same.

[timeforpeace]

22. You give them too much credit. They haven't even been in the discussions.

[LeftinOH]

10. Dodos can't be re-intruduced *ever*. HCR can --and will. n/t

[cali]

13. OK, fair point

but it ain't gonna be happening anytime soon.

[Maru Kitteh]

15. I'd put my money on the Dodo making a comeback first.

It's over.

[closeupready]

18. True, and I blame Obama first and foremost.

He never should have handed his responsibility to guide it through to Pelosi and Reid.

[cali]

19. I agree with that.

though there's plenty of blame for others.

[closeupready]

20. Yes, agree, blame lies with other parties as well.

n/t

[MadHound]

21. Whoomp, there it is.

That sound you here is the latest cave of the Democrats. Handing them a super majority in the Senate and a large majority in the House, along with the WH, and the best that they could come up with are these two atrocious bills currently sitting in conference. Fail, badly.

Now they've lost one (count it, 1) senator and they're throwing their hands up in the air and saying that despite large majorities in both houses of Congress, and control of the White House, they can't get anything done at all now on health care. Utter fail.

Excuse me, but let me reiterate this fact for both you and our so called representatives in D.C.: YOU HAVE THE MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE, YOU HAVE THE MAJORITY IN THE SENATE, YOU CONTROL THE WHITE HOUSE! NOW GODDAMNIT, GO OUT AND DO SOMETHING GOOD FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. GROW A SPINE AND FIGHT LIKE THE MAJORITY PARTY YOU ARE!

And what's worse isn't the fact that these Dems are utterly useless, spineless wimps who couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper sack, but they're actually doing harm to this country. I'm beyond disgusted with the Dems, and unless they start acting like the majority party soon, they will be abandoned by myself and millions of others who feel as I do.

[leftstreet]

25. +1 (If only we had the majority!!!!1111)

The Message Discipiners have been out in force since Brown took MA.

Waah, waah....we can't do anything now.

:banghead:

[timeforpeace]

23. repukes won't ever do a health care plan, so there won't be another corp written one.

[TheKentuckian]

24. Been dead in this form for a month and probably since summer

the rest of the time has been an exercise in coping with acceptance.

Larry O'Donnell was the whole way and only optimism allowed the facts to be ignored.