Reply #13: They don't on Baucus and never did

[TayTay]

They don't on a whole host of people in the Congress and have only some sway over a whole host of others. It has always been that way.
BUT, we do have influence. The health care debate is not going to end with the Return of the Max Baucus Seven (okay, now minus Hatch, but still.)

Political opinion does matter. Negatively, it mattered in the immigration battle. Then again, it is always easier to stop something from happening than to get something TO happen. The system, especially a Senate with a filibuster option in it, is step up that way, by design, from the get-go. (We might want to reconsider doing away with the filibuster rule and go with a simple majority on votes in that august body. Then public opinion would matter even more. But, then the Senate would be more like the House and that is a good and a bad.)

We don't matter much to Max. We do to Teddy Kennedy and Dodd who put out the better bill in HELP. Those bills, along with the ones from the House have to be reconciled. Max will get some concessions, and lose on others.

Then Max will switch to playing to stop. He will go all defense on the portions of the bill he doesn't like. I do wonder if the 3/5ths rule will be invoked on any changes when they go to the floor. That should be interesting. And the end result bill will be not subject to amendment or filibuster. And it is going to be damned hard to vote against that final bill.