Why can't we just pass the bill and THEN use reconcilation to expand the non-profit exchange and MC?

[phleshdef]

Lets face it. THERE IS NO REALISTIC PATH TO 60 VOTES for the good stuff that we all want. Thats not Harry Reid's fault (and I'm not a huge Reid fan) and thats not Barack Obama's fault. If its anyone's fault, its America's fault as a whole for not electing more progressive Senate sooner.

I know, I know, Obama "NEEDS TO LEAD" ,(whatever the hell that actually means has yet to be defined by anything more than a bunch of vague, intangible nothing).

The President and the majority leader can publically call people out, make threats, try to twist arms, etc. At the end of the day, I still don't see how that gets us 60 votes. I'm not even sure Lieberman plans on running to keep his seat in 2012 and Snowe doesn't want to end up being primaried out by her own party. There is no way that I can see that actually gets us past the filibuster and on to a final vote.

At the same time, reconciliation may get us some of those good things that we really, really want... but we only get budgetary items and that ends up leaving out a lot of other good things, like banning pre-existing condition and gender discrimination (2 parts of the bill that are just as important to me as a public option is, personally).

I think the best way forward is to pass the damn thing and then use reconciliation after the fact to expand upon the non-profit exchange in such a way that turns it into a true public option and to expand Medicare in such a way that allows more participation. This is the only plan forward that I can see that is:

A. Accomplishable
and
B. Good enough to salvage this thing

We should start pushing this idea to our progressive Senators (I'm starting with my Senator, Sherrod Brown, today).

Thoughts?

[Kitsune]

1. Do you seriously expect them to do that? It'd be admitting failure.

And they want to sell this shitpile of a bill as a grand success for America.

[phleshdef]

3. I fail to see how that would be an admittance of failure, if anything it shows testicular fortitude.

[uponit7771]

6. I think the person is saying that the are no rational reason why we should NOT do what you're sayin

...just that someone would lose face or some stupid shit.

This thing could be over tommorrow, there's been tons of post even on some conservative blogs about that very step

[Jennicut]

2. Because it makes perfect sense? Ezra Klein thinks they should do exactly this.

Does anyone have any brains left in DC?

[uponit7771]

4. That's too logical, Pass regulations through joint houses & price controls via reconciliation would

...make too many people happy and then continue progress.

[MNDemNY]

5. "this thing" is of no value to this country.

Only to the industry. Not worth the effort. If this passes , nothing will be done to change it, that is a pipe dream THIS IS THE BILL THAT THIS PRESIDENT WANTED ALL ALONG. Get that through your head. Shit sell-out bill. Must be killed, there is no rescue of this turd.

[uponit7771]

7. Come on, did you even read the OP?! If we pass regulation via both houses and price controls via ...

...reconciliation there's no fight and Lieberman can't justify why he's pissing on things now.

[MNDemNY]

8. That will not be done. The White House will fight it hard.

[uponit7771]

12. I've seen no evidence of that on the OTHER hand though I've not seen Reids kneck being stepped on...

...either

[phleshdef]

9. Just ignore him, he doesn't read anything, just knee jerk reacts and plasters his posts with smileys

Par for the course.

[uponit7771]

11. Thx

[MNDemNY]

16. 'cmon, you know damn well that the White House has said they will NOT support the use of

reconciliation. Don't act dumb.

[uponit7771]

18. Link and quote?! TIA

[MNDemNY]

19. .

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/12/14/white-house-senate-dems-divided-over-reconciliation/

[phleshdef]

20. Thats related to the BILL and has nothing to do with my idea whatsoever.

[MNDemNY]

22. You are falsly assuming that the leadership, including Obama have any desire to "change " this dog.

It is the bill Obama wanted all along.

[phleshdef]

25. LOL, this guy tells me I'm falsely assuming something as he falsely assumes something.

This is why I stopped taking your horse shit posts serious.

[MNDemNY]

29. My assumpsion is not false. Obama's actions and inactions prove it.

[uponit7771]

10. "...bunch of vague, intangible nothing..." AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lapfog_1]

13. And suppose they don't

and we have to live with your "step 1.".

Not a risk I'm willing to take.

[uponit7771]

17. I don't think Obama will break that campaign promise, he'll have a conservative congress for the...

...next 4 years to deal with if that happens...that's NOT something that'll be smart.

[lapfog_1]

21. Which one?

To pass something called HCR?

Yes, he is on track to keep this promise. It just won't be anything that we recognize as HCR.

Or Public Option?

He has already indicated that this is not a deal breaker for him.

[uponit7771]

23. Price controls within HCR, he outlined that price controls was a provision and what Dean is sayin

...is we have mandates but no price controls (IINM) and that is what people are in arms about.

The price controls can be passed via reconciliation...

[lapfog_1]

26. I don't think so.

if by cost controls you mean regulations on health insurance industry.

Reconciliation is a lot more limited than many here think. We could cut the subsidy that is paid to the industry, but we can't change how much they charge. What happens after that is anyone's guess.

[HillGal]

14. I want to know what this thing is going to cost. It was reported that

a family of four would be paying $15,000 per year for health insurance based on a salary of $80,000, that's outrageous, I don't want something like this to pass if the costs for the average american are going to be higher then they are right now.

[uponit7771]

15. Pass cost controls via reconciliation and that would all be a moot point no?

[uponit7771]

24. **********WHY ARE PEOPLE UNRECING THIS??!?!************

[jenmito]

27. Some people automatically unrec anything that's not a negative, Obama-bashing thread.

[andym]

28. This is a very good idea

There's one problem. Will they do it? If they are going to do it, they can't broadcast it because Lieberman would make them promise not to. But if they are not going to do it, then they won't broadcast it either.