Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid threatened on Tuesday to use a procedural maneuver to steamroll opponents of health care reform, even as a Senate panel began delicate negotiations over a package that could have the best chance at passing.
The Nevada Democrat, who has issued similar threats before, spoke as the Senate Finance Committee began debate over Chairman Max Baucus' reform plan. Reid threatened to use a budgetary tool called reconciliation -- also known as the "nuclear option" -- that would allow Democrats to pass key parts of the legislation with a simple majority, as opposed to the 60 votes needed to avoid a Republican filibuster.
"If we can't work this out to do something within the committee structure, then we'll be forced to do the reconciliation," Reid said, adding that he views that as a "last resort."
My read (excuse the pun) is that Harry, facing doom in his own struggle to retain his seat is so desperate to change the landscape of America in his image that he is willing to pull the pin on this legislative grenade and run in to the 2010 election cycle holding in his hand. With the shallow victory of a piece of legislation that is hated by the electorate pushed through his chamber he will pray (or whatever Libs do when faced with failure) that he squeaks by with enough votes to stay on the Government tit for another six year term. Failing that he will be immortalized in the minds of fellow travelers as the man who saved the Republic from its selfish self. What crap.
Let us hope there is enough collective spine in the upper chamber of our Congress to thwart this weasel and his desperation end game politics. It is clear that even thought they have enough votes in theory to defeat a filibuster the bottom dwellers are beginning to realize that the jig is up.
The rest of Hapless Harry's sad story is here.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment