Harry Reid Rebuffs Will of Obama, Says ‘Debate on Health Care’ Will Continue into September


The morning after President Barack Obama (D-IL) pushed back prime time network programming to make his (weak, unpopular, and factually-challenged) case for an immediate overhaul of the health care system, fellow Democrat and Senate Super-Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV) pulled the rug out from under his former incredibly junior colleague, declaring that the Senate would hold the proposed overhaul legislation over the August recess and resume debate on its merits (and the points Senators have had a chance to read) in September.

“This is a complex, difficult issue,” Reid told reporters this morning. His House counterpart, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), disagreed with Reid’s assessment that time to actually read and discuss the multiple health overhaul proposals was in any way a good thing, reiterating her threat to cancel recess in August and keep the House in session if her class Representatives didn’t hurry up and pass the House version of the bill in the next week.

Pelosi also claimed last night that she “ha[s] the votes” to pass the bill (alternately right now and in the next 48 hours). This, of course, begs the question of why she’s so vocally threatening to cancel her class’s the House recess if more Representatives don’t hurry up and support it already.


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Wait for it...

evanm (Diary) Thursday, July 23rd at 2:39PM EST (link)

Will Obama:
A. Throw Harry under the bus.
B. Blame the Republicans.
C. Blame George W. Bush.
D. Pretend he was against getting a bill by August all along.

The Answer is...

erod (Diary) Thursday, July 23rd at 4:27PM EST (link)

all of the above.

 

The Answer is...

erod (Diary) Thursday, July 23rd at 4:27PM EST (link)

all of the above.

 

I thought it was a list

tanstaafl1019 Friday, July 24th at 2:14PM EST (link)

Not multiple choice. I honestly saw the four items and figured he’d go right down the line.

The two highest achievements of the human mind are the twin concepts of “loyalty” and “duty.” Whenever these twin concepts fall into disrepute—get out of there fast! You may possibly save yourself, but it is too late to save that society. It is doomed.

Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors–and miss.

 
 

Reid and Pelosi have not liked sharing power with the Obamanation

olsmithie (Diary) Thursday, July 23rd at 2:44PM EST (link)

So I’m not surprised that even Reid can see the handwriting on the wall.
He and the Princess will carry part of the blame for savaging the economy into the next few election cycles.
They do, however, value re-election more than even their own ego. (I think!?)

Regards

Watch Soros Spend...

farstar99 (Diary) Thursday, July 23rd at 3:34PM EST (link)

Dingy Harry wouldn’t have agreed to this unless there was a fresh wave of nutroot turfing upcoming.

 
 

Reid's timing is almost too good to be true

jonreagan (Diary) Thursday, July 23rd at 2:47PM EST (link)

It doesn’t get much better than this—Obama gets bootstomped the morning after his pathetic press conference, by his own majority leader. I’m trying to figure out what’s going on:
a) The Majority Leader is sick of getting pushed around by Obama’s goons, and this morning’s statement was his push-back. If that’s the case, we’re in for quite a show.
b) Reid has totally lost control of the process in the Senate, and decided to cut a retreat sooner rather than later
c) Reid is sick of hearing Pelosi saying, “we’re waiting for the Senate to act, it’s up to them”, and this was aimed at her.
d) all of the above

In any event, combined with all those Dems getting arrested in NJ—and the market behaving well (relief rally over demise of Obama-care?)—it’s been a great morning.

 

I Think They Gave Up On A Senate Bill a While Ago

Swamp_Yankee (Diary) Thursday, July 23rd at 3:01PM EST (link)

Its the House Bill they want before the break. Probably will aim for a Senate finance committee bi-partisanship agreeements before the recess.

In the fall it will be all about the Senate and C&T and Health Care if the House passes something.

What is suprising is that Harry announced this the day after the presser. That’s deflating even if 3xpected.

 

Waterloo

jimmuy8 (Diary) Thursday, July 23rd at 3:12PM EST (link)

Is even better when you see it coming and it takes a month.

March forward (alone), brave Obama! Your destiny awaits.

Pushing this to September means no more Dr. Disaster prime-time pressers; too much new programing and prime-time sports. That’s why it had to be done by August. Plus, by then, unemployment ought to be over 10%. That’s a real grim milestone, a psychological barrier that resonates. No one is going to care about health care by then, just having a job will be worry enough.

 

Obama will say, like big auto, big banks, big oil, "BIG" congress can be replaced. nt

Common_Cents (Diary) Thursday, July 23rd at 4:34PM EST (link)

I’m surprised there hasn’t been more pushback from congress and the states about the power grab Obama is making. It’s finally starting. I think everyone is surprised that Obama is trying to take much power away from congress with all his executive branch Czars who have no checks and balances from other branches.

Obama=Golfer in Chief, Leading from, behind, the Back Nine.
Leaders don’t create movements. Movements create leaders. Get involved. Your future depends on it.
Govt “invests” YOUR tax money for POLITICAL return rather than economic return.

 

YES! Now Nancy Is Backing Down!

Swamp_Yankee (Diary) Thursday, July 23rd at 5:34PM EST (link)

I didnt expect much from the Senate. But Nancy is backing off the bravado that she displayed yesterday…

Listen to Nancy’s new tune:

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/pelosi-backs-off-insistence-on-recess-health-deadline-2009-07-23.html

 

It's over, Obama has lost

Dave_in_Fla (Diary) Thursday, July 23rd at 8:43PM EST (link)

His only chance to get socialized medicine was to pass it before all of his political capital had expired in August. With the delayed budget report and 2 more months of unemployment numbers to look forward to, the current healthcare and cap & trade bills are now dead.

The only question is will he try to save his presidency by crafting bipartisan legislation like Clinton did, or will he be too arrogant to back off of his thugish tactics and end up making this the shortest presidency of the modern era.

I’m betting on the second option.

“If they were merely incompetent, then at least SOME of their actions would have been to the benefit of the country.” – Joe McCarthy

I Wouldn't Be So Confident

Swamp_Yankee (Diary) Thursday, July 23rd at 8:47PM EST (link)

They could probably get something passed right now if they relented on a few areas. There will be be some bill, probably vasted watered down. The Mass plan has no public plan and just excluded legal aliens.

I think you may see something like the Mass plan pushed in the fall.

I Think They Will Try And Pass a 'Watered Down' HC Bill

IJB Thursday, July 23rd at 9:40PM EST (link)

The problem is:

1) They’re still at least a month away from even trying that.
2) The rest of their agenda goes down the tubes (e.g. Cap ‘n’ Tax, Card Check) while they fiddle with it.
3) This could end up delaying the budget (which, remember, is due by Oct.) which would be very bad for them politically.
4) I bet that, in the end, even a watered down bill either doesn’t pass, or never comes up for a vote.
5) *Nothing* of substance will pass next year.

In short, I think the odds are good Dave is right. I wouldn’t put the odds at 100% yet – but it’s in the 70-80% range that Obama’s agenda is *done*.

Which, incidentally, is really terrible news for Dems running in 2010!
[evil grin]

I'm a Big Proponent of Delay

Swamp_Yankee (Diary) Thursday, July 23rd at 9:45PM EST (link)

They basically have the fall and the spring, before 2010 election get into swing.

Even if they get a health care bill, if it takes months of negotiations, eats up calneder time, resources and will, it will leave card check, C&T and amnesty on the shelf.

The new deficits would suck, but we may be able to deal with that in the long run. We will never get rid of a public option. That is the real cancer in this whole thing. Even the Mass plan can be tweaked and changed and peared down, but once there is a government plan, its good night Irene. That sucker will be around for a century.

 

The % of Zero's agenda passed & Dems re-elected are inversely related,

6eorge Jetson (Diary) Thursday, July 23rd at 10:08PM EST (link)

IMO

If individual Blue Dogs don’t vote for ∅’s agenda, then I would think that most would be able to distance themselves somewhat from ∅ and run mano-a-mano versus their Republican challengers.

While I’d love to see a 1994 Republican take-back, it is critically important that ∅’s agenda never pass in the first place. Once passed, legislation to reverse it would take 66% in both the House & Senate to overcome the veto of an “Affordable Health Choice Act”-favoring Democratic president, and still 60 senate votes to overcome the filibuster when Republicans take back the Oval Office.