WP: Republicans work to split Democrats, block health-care bill

[Writer]

"Divide and conquer" is in full swing. This is food for thought.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/09/AR2010030903135.html

As Republicans work to prevent a health-care bill from reaching President Obama, they are scrambling to exploit divisions between Democrats in the House and Senate.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned House Democrats that they would be taking a colossal risk if they approve the Senate's version of health-care legislation before the Senate had acted to remove some of the bill's most contentious provisions. Now that Democrats have lost their Senate supermajority, some variation of this delicate two-step process is the only way a health-care bill can become law.

"House Democrats will have to decide whether they want to trust the Senate to fix their political problems," McConnell said. He listed a series of perks that Senate Democrats won for Nebraska, Louisiana, Florida and labor unions that House members are insisting be removed through a separate "fixes" bill under special budget reconciliation rules.

More at link.

[ShortnFiery]

1. Bullshit! The Corporate Democrats are leading the charge to DESTROY our party as

well as transfer MORE wealth to the Insurance Cartels and Big Pharma.

The GOP and liberal democrats are against this bill but for VERY DIFFERENT REASONS.

[nevergiveup]

5. If the bill goes down it will not make any difference what their reasons were.

100% of Republicans and a very limited number of liberal Democrats will have collaborated in killing the first major health care reform bill in years.

[tularetom]

2. Not that they have to work very hard to accomplish that

The Democrats are perfectly capable of splitting themselves.

[Lord Helmet]

3. Kucinich is their huckleberry.

[NJmaverick]

4. This makes a lot of sense and is very hard to deny.

[DrToast]

6. Surely Mitch McConnell has their best interests at heart

[FrenchieCat]

7. Yep....Republicans don't want this bill!

They will die if it goes through!

Let's do it then!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

8. But I thought the Repubs secretly WANT this bill!

Or something like that. I'm confused!!!! :crazy: ;-)

[FrenchieCat]

10. Me too then!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

9. Is it working?

Even Stupak may be starting to "come around" a bit on his anti-abortion jihad. An increasing number of Dems in the Senate are even warming up to the PO via reconciliation. It sounds more like we're coming together than falling apart.....so far. The shriller and crazier the Repubs get, the more I'm convinced that we're going to win this one!!!

[Supersedeas]

11. Does Richard Burr have Kay Hagan and Blanche Lincoln by the collar?

[paulk]

12. I know plenty of Democrats

who oppose this bill or are at least sitting on the fence still -

and it has nothing at all to do with "Republicans".

you are suggesting (albeit indirectly) that opposition to this bill is somehow agreeing with the Republican position on health care - or, at the least, is being influenced by the Republican position.

which is disingenuous, imo.