Number of Dem senators calling for public option now up to … 16
posted at 7:50 pm on February 18, 2010 by Allahpundit
I’m going to assume that Reid has already ruled this out categorically and what’s happening now is pure pandering to the left, but two days after writing this post, I still don’t see why this is such an insane gambit. Remember, according to PPP, most of the people who oppose O-Care are already committed to voting against the Dems this fall. They won’t take many more casualties by going to the wall on this and trying to push a public option through.
So, assuming they can manipulate their numbers enough to get CBO to score the public plan as somehow reducing the deficit, why not push?
Senators Barbara Boxer, Jack Reed and Tom Udall have all now signed the letter pushing for a reconcilation vote on the public option, the group organizing the push confirms, bringing the total of Senators now pushing for the vote to roughly a fourth of the Dem caucus.
That means the number of signatories to the letter, which calls on Harry Reid to allow a vote on the public option under reconcilation rules, has more than tripled in two days.
“Going from 0 to 4 to 14 senators on the record in 2 days?” Adam Green, a spokesman for the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, emails. “This is what momentum looks like.”…
What’s interesting here is that the range of Senators now signing the letter goes well beyond those who are conventional liberals or facing tough primary challenges. The ones to watch now: Chuck Schumer and Dick Durbin, neither of whom have taken a position on this.
What’s giving Reid pause here, I assume, is the fact that he’d have to use reconciliation to pass the public option, which may be (a) procedurally impossible and (b) politically explosive. While the Dems have already taken the brunt of the hit by backing O-Care, it could be that there’s a faction of centrists out there that will tolerate them passing a bill, but only if they do it with the standard above-board 60 votes. If they try to do an end-around Scott Brown and the GOP by using reconciliation — which, interestingly, even Evan Bayh now tentatively supports — that might land them in deeper trouble with the public notwithstanding the popularity of the program they’re using reconciliation to pass. If Reid and The One ultimately keep the public option out, I’ll have to assume that’s why. Or am I missing some alternate explanation?
Exit question via Newt Gingrich: Is it time for the GOP to compromise? We hold (most of) the cards, so it’d be on our terms. I think.
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so glad i voted for Cruz
burserker on May 23, 2013 at 7:13 PM
You survived, so be happy.
Geesh, yankees and their whining…
cozmo on May 23, 2013 at 7:16 PM
cozmo on May 23, 2013 at 7:16 PM
I’m not whining. we’re supposed to get hit w/ some major weather this weekend-and for the first time this year…the local weather chick mentioned the potential for…tornadoes.
Awesome!
*crosses fingers.*
annoyinglittletwerp on May 23, 2013 at 7:19 PM
I agree and Romney was selected for Obama’s re-election imo.
bluefox on May 23, 2013 at 7:20 PM
Have you two and any others from Texas seen this?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3022970/posts
bluefox on May 23, 2013 at 7:22 PM
Yeah, you won’t be thinking that if it happens noob. You are in exactly the wrong kind of terrain to want that.
Never seen a tornado, and don’t want to. Grapefruit sized hail was bad enough.
cozmo on May 23, 2013 at 7:22 PM
bluefox on May 23, 2013 at 7:22 PM
I’ve seen it. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
annoyinglittletwerp on May 23, 2013 at 7:30 PM
There are good and bad to those bills.
The one I am most familiar with is the third one. I make it a point to avoid toll roads. I figure when 0bama leaves office and the economy improves, most of the yankees who are clogging up the roads will go back to where they came from.
The rainy day fund is over funded as it is. The reporting of contributors is over rated and I think they should remove the exclusion for labor groups. I think full disclosure is alright, especially when it removes caps.
cozmo on May 23, 2013 at 7:33 PM
Reid: “Will no one rid me of this turbulent senator?”
applebutter on May 23, 2013 at 7:41 PM
I absolutely adore Ted Cruz. He makes me so proud that he’s a member of the Senate. Thank you Texas for sending him there. He is carrying on in the spirit of Ronald Reagan. He eloquently makes his points without resorting to hyperbole and name-calling, something from which McCain and the other Democrats cannot refrain. He is always upbeat and good-humored and he commands respect as a result.
GeorgiaBuckeye on May 23, 2013 at 7:51 PM
Yes! Finally, a national politician that gets it!
JeffPBlues on May 23, 2013 at 7:55 PM
Team Cruz
WhatSlushfund on May 23, 2013 at 8:07 PM
I disagree with that, bluefox. McCain, clearly Left, even outright encouraging voters to support Obama (“my friends, you have nothing to fear from an Obama Presidency”).
Romney, no, my opinion is he really wanted the Presidency, as did Ryan the VPcy. They appear to have been burdened once again with the Progressive goals of the Progressives in the GOP.
Lourdes on May 23, 2013 at 8:14 PM
How old I this POS?Do we have any hope?
redware on May 23, 2013 at 8:28 PM
I wish SC had him instead of Grahamnesty. The latter is a sell-out and a fraud.
Conservchik on May 23, 2013 at 8:36 PM
So true and we’re certainly seeing it from D.C. Glad you had a chance to see that article.
bluefox on May 23, 2013 at 8:39 PM
I get that the Senate is seniority-based and for McCain he abhors first term Senators speaking. Like children they should be seen and not heard. But there comes a point when this isn’t defending the institution and nothing more than a cranky old bastard attacking people he hates. We are at that point. Good for Cruz for poking a stick at the fossil!
Happy Nomad on May 23, 2013 at 8:43 PM
Sounds like you’re on top of things out there. I was concerned with the Senate Bill 346 (SB 346) since it is designed to discourage people from giving to Tea Party groups who wish to replace RINO’s with conservatives. It is a Saul Alinsky device to identify donors so they can be targeted and then discouraged from giving to conservatives.
A commenter on the site said: Looks like SB 346 is sponsored by these two RINO’s:
Sen Kel Selinger (Rino – Amarillo)
Sen Charlie Geren (Rino – Fort Worth)
I would hope that Gov. Perry will veto this or else it becomes law by 5/23/13.
Anytime I see anything that is against or limits the Tea Parties, I suspect Rove & Co:-)
bluefox on May 23, 2013 at 8:46 PM
A good speech and some nice legs.
Sherman1864 on May 23, 2013 at 8:49 PM
I agree. I think the strategy was to be clear in the difference of maker vs. taker, and thought the majority of Americans could easily see where the country would go with 4 more years of communist lite.
He was wrong and rightfully shocked, as I was, that Obama won.
The biggest mistake in our history. Lazy purists and just plain lazy detached people have allowed the republic to burn.
Mimzey on May 23, 2013 at 8:49 PM
That’s true too and makes one wonder why doesn’t it? I can’t recall many R’s from the House or Senate that campaigned for Romney or publically supported him tho. I do recall them criticizing him about Benghazi tho:-)
However, Gingrich campaigned for him:-)
bluefox on May 23, 2013 at 8:50 PM
Do you think Trey Gowdy might run for the Senate against Graham?
bluefox on May 23, 2013 at 8:54 PM
I want to have his baby.
Theworldisnotenough on May 23, 2013 at 9:17 PM
McCain enabled Obama he could not bring himself to call out Obama’s commie roots or his radical past.
He does manage to low dog any and all conservatives in the Republican Party.
Blame him for his sins.
APACHEWHOKNOWS on May 23, 2013 at 9:35 PM
Cruz is giving conservatives a great gift… A slow and painful coronary to the senior Sen from AZ.
katy on May 23, 2013 at 9:35 PM
Just remember that when John McLame calls you “friend,” what he means
is “You stupid-ignorant dumb-a$$ not worthy of my attention.”
shorebird on May 23, 2013 at 9:53 PM
We have to draft Trey Gowdy! If we South Carolinians want to have a shot at getting rid of Lefty Lindsey,Gowdy is the only one who could do it!
redware on May 23, 2013 at 10:05 PM
Bravo. McCain is disgusting.
kunegetikos on May 23, 2013 at 10:09 PM
Johnny McCain or Jimmy Carville…
Which trusts Obama mostest, Hobbitses?
ndanielson on May 23, 2013 at 10:19 PM
Bravo. McCain is disgusting.
kunegetikos on May 23, 2013 at 10:09 PM
Hobbit!
ndanielson on May 23, 2013 at 10:20 PM
McCain’s a spoiled princess who needs to learn to suck it up regrading Cruz, just like his other Senatorial friend with escalating dementia, Harry Reid.
Anti-Control on May 23, 2013 at 10:23 PM
All you do is spout.
alanstern on May 23, 2013 at 10:28 PM
It would be great if Trey Gowdy would primary Graham, but it will not happen. Graham has the SC State Pub. party in his pocket and they are not about to let a congressman primary Lucy Graham. Gowdy would be committing political suicide if he lost the primary. The person to primary Lucy would be Demint. Demint culd beat Lucy in a primary and would have the support of tea parties from across the USA who hate Lucy. Demint also helped others get elected and they owe him. All Demint has to do is to say, Lindsay Graham is not a conservative and SC needs a conservative Sen. to represent their values and to support conservatism, and Lucy is not representing SC voters, he is representing the special interests. SC voters need to put pressure on Demint to primary Lucy.
they lie on May 23, 2013 at 10:39 PM
Excellent post!
Anti-Control on May 23, 2013 at 10:46 PM
It’s reaaly difficult to defeat an incumbent. Romney deserves a lot of credit for trying. Unfortunately Obama’s media support, and the near universal support of the black community made him impossible to defeat.
There were also some notes about very high black turnout in the past election. Given the remarkable 100% turnout in some black precincts in places like Philadelphia which then went 100% for Obama, and the reports of people like the Ohio Democrat who admitted to casting multiple ballots for Obama, one has to wonder how much of a role voter fraud played as well.
talkingpoints on May 23, 2013 at 10:47 PM
So glad Cruz is in the Senate. He and a couple others are slowing down the destruction Reid/Schumer/Durbin/Graham/McCain are orchestrating. It’s nice to see what a “minority of the minority” can do.
It’s be nice to see what the majority of House could do.
ritewhit on May 23, 2013 at 10:50 PM
McCain is an idiot wrapped up in a moron. He is so deluded and a severe lack of common sense. Hopefully some Tea Party Conservative will primary his ass out of the Senate
hamradio on May 23, 2013 at 11:06 PM
Why would the chinless wonder want to silence McLame? They’re on the same (other) side.
The senate is the ultimate Old Boy’s Club, and being senator has got to be the sweetest job in the world. Get elected once and the odds are heavily in your favor that the seat is yours for life. As long as you don’t, you know, make any waves. McConnell doesn’t like the wacko-birds any more than McLame, but with the need to get re-elected coming up he’s doing the traditional “Look-At-Me-I’m-A-Conservative” butching-up that all the GOPe’s seem to do right before elections. Think he likes Rand Paul either?
bofh on May 23, 2013 at 11:14 PM
Romney’s “past” – which he didn’t actively work to discredit early on – also wound up a burden. As did his reaffirming stand on Romneycare. His staff wasn’t the best, either.
Myron Falwell on May 23, 2013 at 11:59 PM
McCain puts the “ick” in maverick.
Wino on May 24, 2013 at 3:39 AM
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