The time has come to stop fucking around and use reconciliation

[grantcart]

Lieberman, Nelson and Snowe need to find out exactly how irrelevent they really are.

Use reconciliation and use it often until there is an agreement to reduce cloture to 55 (or better yet 51).

Reid should also note that Reagan taught us how to do it and in the future the Democrats will not protest if the Republicans get 51 votes and want to pass a budget related item either.


As Matt Yglesias notes

Ronald Reagan's groundbreaking tax cuts in 1981 were passed through reconciliation. So was Bill Clinton's 1993 budget. So were George W. Bush's tax cuts. Under Bush, congress even tried to open the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to drilling via reconciliation--they failed because they couldn't get the fifty votes. There'd be nothing unusual about passing significant legislation through reconciliation. Nor would a reconciliation bill necessarily be an "inferior" one. It just might have to have a more limited subject matter.


http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2009/09/baucus-talking-reconciliation-ap-using-gop-jargon.php



More here including Republicans and Palin's attempt to open ANWAR on a budget reconciliation vote.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/02/demystifying-the-medias-t_n_275491.html


On edit graywarrior has a similar thread with a petition to move to reconciliation now here

http://act.boldprogressives.org/cms/sign/porescue/?source=taf

[SIMPLYB1980]

1. I think a lot of people forget this is still an option.

K&R

[BrklynLiberal]

4. One would think that if this is so important to the President, that he or one of his advisors

would remember.

[grantcart]

5. Ironically minutes after your post CNN reports that one of his advisors did just that

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x56123

[SIMPLYB1980]

8. Oh my!

[BrklynLiberal]

9. LOL I guess that phone call I made DID help...

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


or was it YOUR phone call??????

[NYC_SKP]

13. You and BrklynLiberal haz magical powers!

Excellent news!

:toast:

[AspenRose]

2. I concur

[polichick]

3. Must not fit somebody's agenda. Whose, is the question now. nt

[Sebastian Doyle]

6. What would reconciliation really mean though?

Would they pass the shitty insurance corporation bailout with 51 votes, or would they actually pass something worthwhile, like Medicare for all or at LEAST a true public option?

If the 60 vote bullshit is out of the way, then why the Hell NOT go for a better bill?

[rudy23]

7. Exactly---he's just advocating a process, not saying what to push for.

I hope I'm wrong, and would love to see Rahm surprise me here.

To me it looks like another red herring.

[Jackpine Radical]

14. I don't trust Rahm. Not a bit.

He wants to get a health care bill through, but he wants nothing to do with even a public option. You watch what happens.

[grantcart]

10. absolutely go for a better bill

robust public option

medicare buy in

and

single payer by state

[tekisui]

11. Those are great objectives.

I hope Reid et al follow that line of thought.

[janx]

12. Indeed...

Why not? :party: Good point!