The Democrats are all whining about the insurance industry report in their pre-vote speeches.
Lincoln is trying to have it both ways of course – she’s voting for the Baucus Bill today but makes no promises about voting for the final bill as it ends up on the Senate floor. So whether you Arkansans are fer it or agin it, she shares your view and you should vote to re-elect her next year. (*bk rolls eyes*)
Have you noticed that the Democratic line has changed from needing to insure X million uninsured to saying that this bill insures 94% of people, which SOUNDS a lot better. Grassley is all over this, getting the CBO guy to admit that tens of millions are left uninsured and/or underinsured by this bill. I thought I heard him say 25M would be left uninsured, which is more than half of even the highest value of X that was ever bandied about – 47 or 48M. But perhaps I caught it wrong and he was talking about underinsured.
Hatch and Cornyn have focused on how CBO could do premium analysis – i.e. of this weekend’s health insurance industry report – if they were given time to do so. They are griping that CBO should be allowed to do that before the committee votes. Fat chance!
It was on C-SPAN for a while but it’s on C-SPAN 3 right now. We’ll see later today if Snowe has caved or not. I’ve got to run to a teleconference so I won’t get to hear what she has to say shortly.
UPDATE: See comment below re Snowe.
Dan McLaughlin
Moe Lane
Neil Stevens
Steve Maley
I did barely get to catch Snowe - she's voting YES
bk (Diary) Tuesday, October 13th at 12:59PM EST (link)Lots of praise for everyone who worked on it. We all recognize there’s a problem and the status quo is no good. Blah Blah Blah.
But then she goes on to make it sound like this is being rushed before moving on to bashing insurance companies. Then expresses concerns about government and restates opposition to any public option. Stresses that affordability is the key for her.
I think Baucus is giving her all the time she wants instead of cutting her off like he’s doing to everyone else (on both sides).
Bottom line: She will vote yes today. She says she’s voting yes in order to continue the process. Not really saying anything much different than Blanche Lincoln. Says she won’t vote for cloture on the final floor bill unless CBO has fully scored it.
Will Snowe's yes mean she won't get top seat on Commerce Committee?
newsentinel (Diary) Tuesday, October 13th at 1:20PM EST (link)Kay Bailey Hutchinson is set to leave the Senate in October/November and pursue her ambitions to be the next governor of Texas. Snowe is set to take Hutchinson’s seat on the Senate Commerce Committee. Will Snowe’s fellow Republicans reward her with that seat even though she voted yes on the healthcare bill in the Baucus committee? Snowe’s yes vote gives Democrats the cover they need to claim it is a bi-partisan bill, as outrageous is their claim is.
Isn’t it time for Snowe to pay a price for “quisling” voting characteriestics? Get a backbone, Republicans. Buck the seniority system and send a message to Olympia Snowe!
Given the history of Republican leadership
bk (Diary) Tuesday, October 13th at 1:21PM EST (link)I think we know the answer to that question.
Maybe not. Instead, Snowe will recieve the honorary Vapor Letter D behind her R, courtesy of Obama.
Rod_Patrick (Diary) Tuesday, October 13th at 2:35PM EST (link)Oslo will also award Snowe with a Centennial Nobel Piss Pri’c'e for Health Craze.
A horse's head in her bed? Snowe should pay some price for her yes
newsentinel (Diary) Tuesday, October 13th at 2:58PM EST (link)If Republicans give Snowe the top seat on the Commerce Committee now occupied by Kay Bailey Hutchinson, everyone who votes for Snowe to get that seat should find a horse’s head in their bed. Conservative Republicans ought to fire a warning shot fired across the bow of Republican senators who are letting Snowe get away with it– again and again and again.