A real gem from the Observer’s favorite totalitarian Leftist

According to Ezra Klein writing in the Washington Post:

Today's televised session between Barack Obama and the Senate Democrats wasn't encouraging to those of us hoping the Democrats are spending their time worrying about how to pass the health care bill. There were questions on the deficit, on jobs, on partisanship, on energy and on judicial nominees.  No one bothered to ask about health-care reform.  The closest was New York's Kirsten Gillibrand, who asked about health care for 9/11 responders.  It felt, for a moment, like we were back in the Bush years.  Want to talk health care? Add 9/11 to the sentence.

To Obama's credit, he valiantly twisted questions on things like jobs and partisanship into opportunities to talk about health-care reform.  He reminded Democrats that they have the second-largest majority since the 1970s. He mentioned the Village Voice's mocking headline, "Scott Brown Wins Mass. Race, Giving GOP 41-59 Majority in the Senate." Democrats laughed at that.  Obama didn't. "Think about it," he said sternly.

If we don't pass this, he told the assembled Democrats, "I don't know what differentiates us from the other guys." It's nice to believe good things, but no one keeps their home, or pays for their doctor visit, because Democrats believe good things.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/02/obama_if_democrats_dont_pass_h.html

According to TPMDC:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says there are no procedural hurdles facing the Senate if it wants to take the necessary steps to make sure health care reform passes.   "Don't even ask us to consider passing the Senate bill until the other legislation has passed both houses so that we're sure that it has happened, and that we know that what we would be voting for would be as effected by a reconciliation bill or whatever parliamentary initiative they have at their disposable," Pelosi said on a conference call this afternoon.  Senate aides have complained that her plan presents them with a big parliamentary difficulty.  Pelosi says that's simply not true.  "No. It is not an obstacle to this path forward."  "There's a certain degree of pressure on the House...pass [the Senate] bill and then we'll pass yours, and this or that," Pelosi added. "But that's not going to happen.  And we want to be very clear on that."

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/pelosi-senate-can-and-must-act-first-on-health-care-reform.php?ref=fpa

In terms of procedure, Reid said the Senate cannot pass a reconciliation bill before the House does because revenue measures must start in the House.  "We can't go first," Reid said. "I don't know how procedurally we can start reconciliation."  But Reid acknowledged that there is consideration of the House passing the reconciliation bill first,followed by the Senate. The House could then pass the comprehensive Senate bill.  "That seems like a strong possibility," Reid said.  Agreement between the House and Senate on the order of the bills would help ease passage.House Democrats have insisted that they will not pass the Senate bill before changes are made.

http://www.politico.com/livepulse/0210/Reid_Senate_cant_pass_reconciliation_first_decision_hopefully_by_next_week.html

According to The Hill:

As it turns out, Senate Democrats may not be able to force health care legislation through the chamber on a simple majority vote.

Republicans say they have found a loophole in the budget reconciliation process that could allow them to offer an indefinite number of amendments.

Though it has never been done, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) says he’s prepared to test the Senate’s stamina to block the Democrats from using the process to expedite changes to the health care bill.

Experts on Senate procedural rules,from both parties, note that such a filibuster is possible. While reconciliation rules limit debate to 20 hours, senators lack similiar constraints on amendments and could conceivably continue offering them until 60 members agree to cut the process off.

Another option for Democrats would be to seek a ruling by the parliamentarian that Republicans are simply filing amendments to stall the process.  But such a ruling could taint the final healthcare vote and backfire for Democrats in November.

Or  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) could use a tactic similar to the so-called nuclear option to quash the GOP tactics.

If those options failed, and Reid couldn’t convince a single Republican to vote with his 59-member conference, Democrats might be forced to consider withdrawing the health care bill.

A Democratic leadership aide confirmed to The Hill that the options outlined in this article are correct.

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/79423-gop-finds-loophole-in-reconciliation-ploy

"I anticipate making a decision just as soon as the way forward is clear," a laughing Hoyer told the assembled reporters at his weekly press briefing.  When someone reminded the majority leader that he told the same group last week that he expected a decision by the end of this week, Hoyer flashed his Cheshire grin and asked, "Did I say that?" Yes, sir, the reporter replied. "I was in error," Hoyer said before breaking into another laugh.  Instead, this week, the majority leader left things opaque, saying, "We're going to continue to pursue this in the best way we know how, and we're trying to figure out the best way."

http://www.politico.com/livepulse/0210/Hoyer_walks_back_weekend_prediction.html