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Senator Harry Reid is trying to craft a compromise among Democrats. AP Photo Manuel Balce Ceneta
Right or wrong most of the momentous decisions of Washington are not made on the floor of Congress or in public gatherings but instead behind closed doors. This is where the infamous image of laws being crafted behind smoke-filled rooms came from as Senators and Representatives often make compromises in private that they would not make in public. As the saying goes there are two things in life that you do not really want to see being made; sausage and laws.
After all the town halls, Presidential speeches, and debates on the floor of the House and Senate what is probably the most important debate of all is going on right now and no one can watch it. The Senate Democrats are having their own private meetings in which they try to find a compromise that all sixty of them can agree upon. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) is behind the charge to find something workable for all sides. The problem for him is that the more liberal Senators like Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) are demanding a public option while the conservative Democrats like Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) refuse to vote for any public at all. Losing just one of these Senators leaves Reid without the sixty votes he needs for cloture to proceed to a vote.
So in reality health care reform will likely live or die this weekend and none of us will really see how. If both factions of the Democrat party refuse to compromise than Reid will be left without the sixty votes he needs leading to a delay in a vote until next year. Most people think it will be impossible to pass health care reform next year as the 2010 midterms politicize everything. The alternative is for some grand compromise to be reached along the lines of a triggered public option.
Why are these meetings held in private? Because quite honestly there is no way a deal could get done otherwise. If such debate went on in public every special interest lobby would be pressuring their chosen Senators not to compromise at every turn. The insurance lobby would pressure people like Senator Lincoln to not accept any kind of public option if she hinted at compromise. In addition liberal groups like Moveon.org would pressure the liberal Democrats to not accept any weakening of the public option. In private meetings the Democrats can air out their differences and potentially make concessions without the lobbyist, and yes their constituents watching.
So enjoy watching college football or your other means of entertainment this weekend. Also know that while you are watching that the most important game of all is not being played in public.
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Comments
The picture accompanying this article says it all.
As too your 'Conclusion'.... "Why are these meetings held in Private?"....You are a Central Bankers/Central Planners dream!
They wish 'no one' could watch, but we're paying very close attention and they will be punished at the ballot box, I hope to it was worth it to them....
I wonder if Al Franken is wearing the diaper from his days portraying Stuart Smalley as a failed comedian in that picture?
You can tell that Chris Dodd is distracted by the little devil sitting on his left shoulder over his personal scheming, scamming, and fleecing the American taxpayer in that photo also.
Did you know the criminal guidelines for Obamacare are in the book “Stand Up Straight: How Progressives Can Win,” written before Obama was even elected? Who wrote the book? Robert Creamer, a convicted felon. He says he wrote the book inspired by Saul Alinsky.
The guidelines for Obamacare are in this book! He suggests that a bogus health crisis be created! He suggests – point by point -- the lies, manipulation, intimidation, and coercion we have witnessed from Obama and his accomplices to force us to swallow the Obamacare scam!
This convicted felon, Robert Creamer, was among the “distinguished” guests at the dinner party where the Salahis were declared “intruders.”
We will be forced to pay billions just to cover BRIBES!
To get the House to pass the Obamacare scam, Obama and his accomplices lied, manipulated, intimidated, coerced and BRIBED (at our expense) Big Pharma, the AARP, the AMA, “Catholics” like Cao, insurance companies, etc.
To get the Senate to pass the scam, Obama and his accomplices have perfected the lies, the manipulation, and the intimidation. And they are BRIBING (at our expense) additional organizations and people like Mary Landrieu. How many more billions will Mary Landrieu want this time?
We (and our children and grandchildren) will be forced to pay billions for bribes alone. Obama and his accomplices have BRIBED (at our expense) everyone who can be bribed to advance their criminal SCAM.
And how many additional billions will we have to pay so Obama/Reid can bribe the rest of those who PRETEND to represent us but are just looking to empower and enrich themselves at our expense?
Kill the bill!
WOW Antonio Sosa what a great couple of posts!!
I had not heard of Robert Creamer, but I know know.
The Entire SENATE is acting like an offshoot of the Mafia. We don't need amendments we need to have Conservative Senators STOP THIS BILL!!! They can Start by reading it on the Floor of the Senate. They can start by saying NO!!! ALL republican senators should be doing this , and those Democratic Senators that call themselves moderate. Stop this financial socialistic war against us.
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