reconciliation is the only avenue left.

[cleveramerican]

forget pulling it apart and keeping some parts and discarding others.
there would be too much disagreement over this or that provision.

It would take months and we can't bear another six months of this.

Speaker Pelosi said plainly she hasn't the votes to pass the senate version.


The leadership should start moving towards a reconciliation vote right now, right now!


if we hesitate at this moment. We will lose it all and end up with nothing.

And it will be our fault.

[JoePhilly]

1. YUP ... we need to grow a pair!!

[slackmaster]

2. You forgot one other "avenue"

The Zero Option.

Drop it. Do nothing.

[cleveramerican]

3. that would be a disaster

for the president, for the party, and for the country.

[slackmaster]

4. As opposed to the current situation?

It looks like pretty much of a disaster to me now.

[cleveramerican]

5. I admit reconciliation is a bit of a hail mary play

but I still think it can be done.

if it fails we can always walk away saying we tried everything

[leveymg]

6. Reconciliation, yes. Senate Bill, no, no, no . . .

If the House passes the Senate Bill, most of the Democratic members might as well just leave Washington today, because they aren't going to be voted back again.

The Senate Bill is poison, and frankly, even if they have the best of intentions, I'm not sure the Democrats can or will "fix the Bill." After Obama signs it, we're stuck with it, which virtually guarantees we'll lose our majorities in November.

There is an alternative - do a series of straight up or downs on separate Bills in the House to get the HCR Bill we want. Send 'em over and have Biden Reconcile the Senate Bill. Could be all done in six weeks, if the will to survive were there.

[cleveramerican]

7. no way could they work out separate bills under the gun like this

its would take months not weeks.

[leveymg]

8. They already passed most of it. The House Bill is pretty close.

Once there's a House Bill with no poison pills, Biden could issue an Instruction to a single Senate Committee to report back with a Reconciled Senate Bill in 2 weeks.

For a readable 4 page summary, see, http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/publications/AHCAA-SUMMARY-102909.pdf It's got a public option, expands medicare/medicaid and lifts the antitrust exemption. A drug re-importation measure would need to be added by a separate amendment.

It could be done, but Obama, Biden, Pelosi and Reid would need to work together to do it. They'd also have to threaten Democratic obstructionists with the guillotine.

[cleveramerican]

9. have you seen any evidence of the will to do that?

Obama has dropped it completely apparently.

If he is not willing to carry the ball(and it looks like he's not).... there is only 1 avenue left

[leveymg]

10. If he doesn't lead Reconciliation of a decent HCR Bill, then, he too will go down in flames.

We've gotta hope he has some political survival instincts left.

[Aramchek]

11. right, after the House passes the Senate Bill

[Honeycombe8]

12. Tweety and Reid say Reconciliation can't be used for that purpose.

It can only be used for budgetary things, or modifying things to a lesser degree. Can't be used to pass big bills and such.

Me, I don't know. How do we know who to believe, anymore?

[leveymg]

13. "Budget item" is an elastic term. VP decides - the opposition needs 60 votes to carry an objection

to an item in reconciliation. The Parliamentarian's role is merely advisory.