As we all know, they never needed the Republicans cooperation since they have a filibuster-proof majority:
Given hardening Republican opposition to Congressional health care proposals, Democrats now say they see little chance of the minority’s cooperation in approving any overhaul, and are increasingly focused on drawing support for a final plan from within their own ranks.
[...]
“The Republican leadership,” Mr. Emanuel said, “has made a strategic decision that defeating President Obama’s health care proposal is more important for their political goals than solving the health insurance problems that Americans face every day.”
[...]
The Democratic shift may not make producing a final bill much easier. The party must still reconcile the views of moderate and conservative Democrats worried about the cost and scope of the legislation with those of more liberal lawmakers determined to win a government-run insurance option to compete with private insurers.
It will be interesting to see if the moderate Democrats in the Senate will cave on the public option because it doesn’t look like the lefties in the House will.
(via)
posted August 19, 2009 at 9:03 am
Bravo for the Democrats showing some spine! The Republicans aren’t going to support anything unless it’s written by the insurance companies.
posted August 19, 2009 at 10:27 am
Both Grassley and Kyl of the GOP have said that they and their colleagues will not support anything the Whitehouse offers for health reform.
So this is not about American citizens lives, but about beating Obama and the Dems. Nice set of politicians the GOP has.
The GOP had 8 years of unfettered power to make changes to healthcare and did nothing. I wonder why that is?
posted August 19, 2009 at 12:15 pm
“little chance of the minority’s cooperation in approving any overhaul”
little chance? more like no chance! as kelly pointed out above, it’s clear that republicans will never support such an initiative. they can come up with any excuse their wild imaginations can offer, but my bet is that there will never be a single republican voice in favor of health care reform.
they have their health-care and their pockets are lined with money from the insurance companies. they are getting paid to do what they do best: obstruct progress at the deadly cost to the poor.