But, as Texas Fred points out — and I agree — the Fix is Already “In” and these are, frankly, the Last Hours of Sanity in the United States.
How is the Fix “In,” you might ask? In broad daylight, as ABC News Jonathan Karl writes:
On page 432 of the Reid bill, there is a section increasing federal Medicaid subsidies for “certain states recovering from a major disaster.”
The section spends two pages defining which “states” would qualify, saying, among other things, that it would be states that “during the preceding 7 fiscal years” have been declared a “major disaster area.”
I am told the section applies to exactly one state: Louisiana, the home of moderate Democrat Mary Landrieu, who has been playing hard to get on the health care bill.
In other words, the bill spends two pages describing would could be written with a single world: Louisiana. (This may also help explain why the bill is long.)
Senator Harry Reid, who drafted the bill, cannot pass it without the support of Louisiana’s Mary Landrieu.
How much does it cost? According to the Congressional Budget Office: $100 million.
The payoffs, the BRIBES, are written into the bill itself. It’s that easy.
Many people mistakenly believe the vote tonight will simply be about “passage” of HR 3590. It’s more complicated and insidious than that. The vote tonight will likely be about a “motion to invoke cloture.”
What is cloture? I wrote about this tactic here, on the 15th. Literally, it is “A parliamentary procedure by which debate is ended and an immediate vote is taken on the matter under discussion. Also called closure.”
Cloture is a way to end debate or filibuster, essentially having the ability to ramroad ObamaKare through the Senate. This could potentially do away with conferences, etc. It is very much a “nuclear option” and could have serious ramifications for those voting so. Cloture — “Rule 22” in the Senate — is quite the high risk/high gain move.
Instead of an original 2/3rds vote, in 1975 the US Senate reduced the number of votes needed to invoke cloture to three-fifths (60) of Senate membership.
That is another reason why the number “60” is so important in terms of Senatorial power. Wield a constant 60+ votes and you can pretty much have your way in the US Senate.
How do you get your 60+ votes? The Demorats just write their bribes into the bill itself.
Even prior to the vote, the “gag orders” were in effect. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell spoke, above, on the Senate floor decrying reports that a senator asked the Dept. of Health and Human Services to investigate a health insurance company that dared to warn its customers about potential Medicare cuts under Democrat health care legislation.
This is just the First Strike, ladies and gentlemen. But it’s a huge strike and it’s Going Nuclear right off the bat. This is, I believe, one of the most important posts I’ve ever written.
And so it came to pass that Landrieu walked onto the Senate floor midafternoon Saturday to announce her aye vote — and to trumpet the financial “fix” she had arranged for Louisiana. “I am not going to be defensive,” she declared. “And it’s not a $100 million fix. It’s a $300 million fix.”
OK, so it goes to open floor debate, and then, maybe passes…
After 2010, if the GOP can take the House and Senate back, can’t this thing be repealed? I know Obama would veto, but then it goes back for a vote on his veto and voila, it’s gone…
And no matter how it goes, the complexion of the House AND Senate needs to change drastically in 2010…
TF: it needs to change drastically, yes, but in just the past elections the GOP did acquire some governorships, but lost two senate seats. I wish I could be more confident. If the Senate pulls the votes and whacks in cloture, that could actually seal debate and force a vote. Time, they know, is the real monster here. The more the bill is examined, the more of a bastard it’s revealed to be. I’m just not so confident the Dems can’t pull this off.
And, of course, if the door is kicked and forced open on this, everyone and their brother will walk amnesty, CapNTax, card check, etc., right on through.
BZ
BZ,
We’re screwed. This monstrosity will pass and it will because the congress will be like their constituents, pass it and we’ll worry about it later.
The sad thing is people are OK with it because it makes them feel good. Those poor people without health care will now be covered, even though that’s not true.
We’re screwed.
I remember when I blogged this last year about how all the marches and demonstrations weren’t going to do a damn thing, I recieved emails and comments on my blog that I was just being a doom and gloomer.
I have seen the path that this country was headed down from day one, and I knew and continue to know that nothing will be allowed to stop them now that the socialists have the bit in their teeth.
TexasFred, I would perhaps be more positive if I could name one socialist program that was ever phased out/revoked when the opposition took office. There isn’t one. Also, if I actually thought that we’d seen the last of rigged elections that too would make me feel better, but I fear that this last election taught the enemies of liberty a LOT about how to do business and not get caught.
No, I fear that it will take drastic actions on the part of the states or on the part of the people themselves to right what is being done.
Here in Northwest Oklahoma, I and a few others have begun active recruiting for a local militia. I hope that the conservative states will remember that they have rights that have not been used since before the war of northern agression, but they are still rights. Nullification is one such. The other is secession. Either or both need to be used.
The Feds won’t like it, and they will move to stop any state that attempts to use these rights, and that is where local and state civilian militias will be more needed now than they have been since the early 1800’s.
Yes folks, the good ol’ 60-Vote-Senate, steamrolling things through.
Hey, when the GOP was in “power,” I don’t recall them being much being strong enough to PULL a consistent 60.
BZ
pray for fillibusters, BZ.
And thanks for coming by tho I haven’t felt much like visiting anybody this last five weeks. God bless..xxx z
Z, yeah, I know. Thanks for taking the time to visit!
BZ
After the Louisiana purchase, with $300 million of your money and mine, I believe anything is possible.
I also do not see even a rout in 2010 substantially rectifying anything. Until the GOP gets the message that this is about Socialism and beyond, and begins to believe it in their gut, we will not accomplish much.
Greywolfe: interesting comment. I’m also an Okie:-)