It’s official, and it’s historic.
Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., who had led a group of anti-abortion lawmakers in opposing the bill, has just announced that he will vote “yes” on Health Care Reform legislation.
Stupak’s “yes” vote will probably bring additional yes votes from other anti-abortion legislators and ensure that Democrats finally have (more than) the votes they need to pass Health Care Reform in the House, and that millions of Americans may finally get the health care they need.
Still waiting to exhale…
Thanks for tracking DdW.
It has been a pleasure, shannonlee–and that's an understatement.
Hopefully, when you get up in the morning (in Germany), it will be also here in America a “new day,” no matter how late into our night.
Sleep well…
I'm staying up for this one
and a little basketball….
Looks like it will pass. Congrats to DdW and other Democrats, I believe your motives are good although I disagree with the specifics of the bill.
DG:
Knowing your position on HCR, those are very kind and gracious words. They are really appreciated.
Thanks
Dorian
The tracking threads on this site are the least silly of the current hype and hysteria. Thanks, Dorian.
The “progress” of vote securing has been broadcast nation-wide all this weekened. I didn't think it was going to require Stupak to give in, though obviously it would help and be a big psychological boost. (The size of that boost is revealing: Stupak is a bigger, more important “opposition” than the GOP has been!)
When the “aye” count (prospective, probably hyped, but it's what we were given) peaked at 217 for a while yesterday, that settled it for many of us, I believe. Stupak “falling” (as opposition) really is a clincher. All the possible lineup of Dems and Dem interests behind passage seems to be falling into place currently.
(It's not just like football but like lining up chess pieces on a file [column] to punch through the enemy back rank.)
About now the GOP must be feeling material-wise like Albert Speer, not in 1944, but in springtime 1945.
I am sorry, DLS.
You have been all over the place on this issue–and on so many other–, and it is very difficult for me to get through to your real message and intentions.
It may be because I have to wade through a morass of insults, innuendo, and belittling comments to get to your “real message.”
It may be because your words and thoughts are so intellectual and perceptive that they fly right over my average brain.
But regardless, half or more of the time, I really don't understand where you are going. As a courtesy to you, I will chalk it up to my lack of intellect. So, please forgive me for not taking you up on your comments.
“You have been all over the place on this issue”
There is much to note about this legislation, the vote, who's lining up behind it, the current Herd hype, the obscession with abortion, the mischaracterizing of the opposition, the consequences, what the Dems will do next (dependent on getting past the GOP opposition)…self-explanatory.
Rather than get all worked up about all the political in-fighting, back-stabbing and mystifying machinations, I decided to spend my time doing something much more productive and ultimately more satisfying: Curling up and petting the cat.
Gotta get my priorities straight, y'know?
About now the GOP must be feeling material-wise like Albert Speer, not in 1944, but in springtime 1945.
DLS speaking as one guy who's been called a RINO to another, the GOP is getting exactly what they deserve. Their mismanagement of the war and government in general left them with no power other than to obstruct. That's just not enough.
The GOP will gain some seats primarily because of the Democrat's own ability to self-destruct, so I don't see the GOP learning any lessons from this.
“Their mismanagement of the war and government in general left them with no power other than to obstruct. That's just not enough.”
They're pathetic, Da Goat. I made a football-play description illustrating not only the Dems (the full team recruited, locomotive with battering ram attached reach to punch, smash, or just shove through the opposition) but the GOP (a paper bull elephant holding a STOP sign). No contest.
I caught Obama's appearance before the Dems last night on C-SPAN. Obama's routine was poor, as if his TelePrompter was broken or he had nothing planned — he was wooden and even kept using the same hand and arm gestures time after time. Mediocre — very well, they can just gloat, anyway. Then the Republicans came on. Strike one, they only wanted the media there for a short time, before kicking them out to discuss last-ditch tactics to try to stop the Dems (probably instead, worrying about having no Plan B the rest of the year and mutually whining about it). John Boehner was then on and I simply turned C-SPANoff after just a few minutes; he was uninspiring.
I believe the Dems are going to resume their misconduct of the previous year (rushing to pass bad, partisan legislation as fast as they can). I have no respect for that, and I hope they get punished. The thing is, the GOP is so bad, that that may even encourage the Dems to run rampant even more, because they probably won't be punished, for who wants to vote for the Republicans right now?
(You'll note this is consistent in that I've said all along I don't believe November will be another 1994.)
As to the rest of the year, the only question will be how much the GOP still relies on the filibuster simply to stop or slow as much legislation as possible. Note that much of libs' and Dems' joy, hype, and hysteria for this legislation that so many of them hated until yesterday (along with the Dems in the Congress) isn't about this legislation per se (though they're coming to their senses in seeing an incrementalist victory for federal health care) but because the Dems are
a) recovering somewhat and resuming legislative progress; and
b) most importantly, they're breaking through the GOP opposition (the “wall”).
“no power other than to obstruct. That's just not enough”
Not tonight. Legislation has passed.
The question is, aside from what the Dems will now do (run rampant?), is that all the GOP will now do from now until November, filibuster, sabotage, debate, offer numerous throw-away amendments, and just obstruct?