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Momentum for Government Plan Stopped by Joe-Mentum

By Philip Klein on 10.27.09 @ 2:13PM

Yesterday, I wrote that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was taking a huge gamble by presenting health care legislation that included a government plan. Today, his bill hit a major roadblock when Sen. Joe Lieberman declared that he would outright support a filibuster of the proposal.

"I've told Sen. Reid that if the bill stays as it is now I will vote against cloture," Lieberman said, according to the Politico.

Without Lieberman's support, Reid won't have the backing of 60 Senators he needs to bring legislation to the floor for a vote. In addition, Lieberman's stance will take the pressure off Democrats opposed to the government plan, but torn over whether to support their party's leadership or represent their constituents. Those Senators include Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas. If the bill doesn't have the 60 votes anyway, why would these red state Senators support a bill and risk a major backlash at home?

Over the past week, the main health care story has been about the resurgence of the so-called "public option." But this news should take some air out of that particular balloon.

Either Reid knows something that we don't, or he just made another colossal blunder counting votes. Last week when he thought he could get 27 Republicans to support a $247 billion "doc fix" bill, but ended up losing 13 Democrats instead.

View all comments (8) | Leave a comment

Roger Sullivan| 10.27.09 @ 2:38PM

Is it possible Reid and the democratic leardership know the bill would fail anyway, so decided to reinsert the public option to please the left and turn the whole thing into an election issue next fall (the Republicans are the party of 'no')?

Tim| 10.27.09 @ 4:39PM

It certainly speaks volumes that they can't manage this even with huge majorities in both houses. If it is gonna fail, they might as well set up Republicans for blame and keep their libs happy.

democratsarefascists| 10.27.09 @ 4:40PM

The thought had occurred to me as well but, if true, what a colossal miscalculation of popular sentiment.

It would mean they are as clueless and out-of-touch with the country as the so-called news media.

Which, of course, they are.

Don L| 10.27.09 @ 4:37PM

GOP would win most battles being the party of "no." It could be the best campaign motto ever.

democratsarefascists| 10.27.09 @ 4:44PM

It's all in how it's marketed.

The Party of "No"

"No, you can't have my country."
"No, you can't take our jobs."
"No, you can't have more of my hard-earned income."
"No, you can't have control over every aspect of my life."

"Vote 'No' in November and Save America."