Breaking: Democratic Supermajority Passes Universal Healthcare with Reconciliation!

[onehandle]

Remember our 'Supermajority?'

Imagine what Republicans would have done with a Supermajority.

[emulatorloo]

1. We didn't have a Supermajority in the Senate.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. We didn't have any leadership on the whole health care reform issue, either.

Imagine if someone in power someplace had decided to lead instead of sitting on his hands waiting for others to do something.

[xchrom]

5. Indeed. Nt

[onehandle]

6. Pelosi: Health Care Reform Can't Pass Without Public Option

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/11/pelosi-health-care-reform_n_214303.html

[JoePhilly]

7. Sure, Obama was going to lead Den Nelson and the other blue dogs to water,

and make them drink.

Keep dreaming.
Do you know which Senate Democrats voted FOR Medicare part D. For reference, here are their names.

Breaux (D-LA)
Carper (D-DE)
Conrad (D-ND)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Miller (D-GA)
Nelson (D-NE)
Wyden (D-OR)

Take a look at these names, and do 2 things, (1) think of which of these folks was still in office during Obama's first 2 years and then (2) explain how Obama was going to "lead" them to where you think we needed to go.

Let's take Ben Nelson. He had to be BRIBED just to get him to agree to vote for ANY HCR at all.

You might now be wondering who voted AGAINST Medicare part D.

Here is the full list. There are only 4 Republicans on the list below.

Akaka (D-HI)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Chafee (R-RI)
Clinton (D-NY)
Corzine (D-NJ)
Daschle (D-SD)
Dayton (D-MN)
Dodd (D-CT)
Durbin (D-IL)
Edwards (D-NC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Feingold (D-WI)
Graham (D-FL)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Harkin (D-IA)
Hollings (D-SC)
Inouye (D-HI)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)

The bill passed 54-44. You may be asking why didn't the Dems filabuster. Because the 4 Republicans who voted no would have switched sides, leaving the Dems with only 40 votes to prevent cloture when you need 41.

But wait ... there is a name not on the lists above. One you might expect to see.

Joe Lieberman!!! He did not vote NO or YES. When it was clear that the GOP had 54 votes for it, and that the Dems were not going to be able to filabuster without him,, he simply did not vote at all. The dems were never going to get the 41 votes they needed for a filibuster.

During HCR (and every other part of the Obama administration so far), even when we had 60 dems, we RARELY had enough loyal dems to prevent a 41 vote filabuster. All the GOP needed was 1 bluedog, or Leiberman. That's it. Any ONE of them.

Go look at those names again. This is actually how it works. Its not about Obama "forcing" blue dogs to change, they aren't changing.

If this isn't enough for you ... go back and find out which Dems voted with the Republicans to pass Graham-Leach-Biley. Don't be surprised when you see the same names pop up.

[Scuba]

10. Please list which of those guys you don't think....

... the Justice Department had enough dirt on to make them go along.

[JoePhilly]

18. You're joking right? Obama should have had the DOJ BLACKMAIL Senators?

:rofl:

[Scuba]

19. Why not? They're extorting the American People. n/t

[JoePhilly]

23. Remind me not to ask you for legal advice. nt

[Scuba]

24. C'mon. You think that doesn't go on in Congress EVERY DAY?

No one from Philly could be that naive.

[JoePhilly]

27. Recommending that the President use the DOJ to black mail Senators

is one of the stupidest suggestions one could make.

I could be wrong, but I seem to recall you recently posting what you think the President's platform should be. I think you've posted it a few times actually.

Next time you post it, you really should add "Politicize the DOJ and use it to blackmail senators to get them to vote how we want them to vote."

[Scuba]

32. So you would take a knife to a gunfight?

[Stinky The Clown]

14. Nice deflection

Imagine if Obama had actually engaged them instead of them doing things the way they wanted to. Imagine if he put his own staff in the room and said "this is what we want."

Obama NEVER articulated what he wanted. Never. High rhetoric, sure, but never any specifics.

Sorry, but he did NOT lead. He followed.

[JoePhilly]

17. Reality is not a deflection.

If you want legislation to pass, you have to find the votes.

[olegramps]

29. Agreed, it is a major problem.

I believe that it is time that those Democrats who choose to not support the party be cut off from any funding or support by the party until they agree to support the party platform. Perhaps, some would regard this as unrealistic until you see the disciple of the Republican Party. The party can choose to continue to lose or make some drastic changes.

[emulatorloo]

8. Well then try to elect a Senate supermajority in 2012. P.S. Pelosi did a great job. n/t

We really need to take back the House and get a SOLID majority in the Senate.

Rather than addressing that on DU, I mostly read threads about how I am going to stay home and I will not GOTV. 2012 is not all about Obama.

HOUSE AND SENATE

[Buzz Clik]

9. We had enough to do a lot more than we did. The Dems in Congress are weak.

[Scuba]

11. The Dems in Congress are not weak. They're complicit. n/t

[Buzz Clik]

12. Interesting. I see your point.

[Cleita]

2. Salt in the wounds. Keep rubbing.

:-(

[Fearless]

3. Close to what they're doing actually. n/t

[Arkana]

13. Did you ever pay attention to the people in the so-called "supermajority"

or did you just assume they were all Bernie Sanders clones?

[high density]

15. Look at what the teaparty can do with 14% of the House

They have more clout than POTUS.

[young but wise]

21. What have the done?

The bills their passing in the House are not becoming law.

[high density]

22. They are controlling the debate

And their clout will become even more influential with the urgent need to raise the debt ceiling.

[BklnDem75]

25. They control nothing

The corporate controlled media is looking out for their own interests. They know which side butters their bread. As long as they control the spotlight, there is no controlling the debate.

[high density]

26. The media brings the microphone to the teabaggers and they talk into it

The teabaggers are controlling the debate.

[BklnDem75]

30. You got it twisted.

It's the media, not the teabaggers. Without that microphone, there is no message. Without that microphone, we don't get our message out either. It doesn't matter who gets the message out first, the talking heads frame the debate.

[Stoic]

16. Excuse me while I weep. n/t

[BklnDem75]

20. Are you a conservative?

Because if you're referring to the 2009/2010 Senate, conservatives had the super majority. Bashing only works when you take the Blue Dogs out of the equation.

[onehandle]

31. Yeah, I excused our Senate and White House for that reason at the time as well.

Only the House led by Speaker Pelosi was ready to lead.

It's just an observation.

Again, imagine what the GOP would have done with that power.

[Keith Bee]

28. "We're proud to welcome our new States of the Union.....

...Mexico, Alberta, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia....."