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Colorado senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet are joining with their Governor, Bill Ritter, in asking for an up or down vote on the public option. The public option has majority support in the Senate, but likely lacks to 60 votes needed to add it as a stand-alone amendment to a bill without it. By the same token, if Reid put the public option in the merged bill, it would also take 60 votes to remove it.
The Colorado contingent’s open letter to “all United States Senators” demonstrates the increasing scrutiny being given some very important but little understood procedural issues. They are not asking their conservative colleagues to support a public option, only to not “hold it hostage with the threat of the filibuster.” Interestingly, the letter makes no reference to Republicans, making it clear that this is directed primarily to wavering Democratic senators.
The two senators claim the public option is in real danger from the “quiet threat of a filibuster,” which is oddly similar language to what Jane calls the “silent filibuster,” a closely related issue.
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Good move by Udall and Bennet. I’d like to see about fifty other senators join in their call.
I would prefer to have the PO added to Reid’s mark. Anything could happen on the floor. And if they open up the UC rules to allowing up or down votes, other amendments could demand the same treatment. The process could get much messier and definitely a lot slower.
And why didn’t Mark Udall sign the petition for the public option? Can we trust this guy?
Encouraging.
From what I can glean, these two senators are prudent, methodical types.
It is amazing how a real primary challenge has got Bennet on the right path.
“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” Thomas Jefferson
Bennet has been a PO supporter for some time, and signed the earlier letter to Reid. He also responds to constitutent email, sometimes with actual issue related content. Udall has been pretty cagey, and seemed to be reading from the Obama playbook until now. I’ve gotten no responses from him on HCR, torture, banksters, etc. He seems allergic to any progressive point of view. My read would be that grassroots support for a public option is becoming a tangible factor (Bennet is up this term, and has a primary opponent. Udall has four more years). Also, as noted, the longer this drags on the more voters understand the process.
I’m so proud.
Maybe it is time for Senators to “Take The Pledge” No vote on a bill that does not include the robust public option. 1st object to the unanimous consent to bring a bill to the floor without a public option. That would require a vote of 60 to overcome the objection. You don’t need a whole lot of Senators to keep a bill without the public option from ever reaching the floor.
Jane, Can we whip this?
Just how willing are you to lay down your life for your cause? Or are you just another fuckin’ chickenhawk who wants others to lay down their lives for your cause?
You got no better quote than some lame ass teabagger?
http://www.pollster.com/polls/co/10-co-sen-dempr.php
That’s a lot of undecided likely voters. Bennet can’t afford to blow it on a high profile issue like health care reform. Every incumbent, every cycle should face a primary challenge.
Hey Frederic
Either go away
or go all the way
J Airplane
“silent filibuster”
Meaning the Lieberman Filibuster?
Quoeth the Great Troll of Stamford: “But if I decide in the end the bill that is about to leave the Senate is gonna do more harm than good, then I won’t vote for cloture at that point.”
I wonder where that quote was when the real tyrannts were running things, shitting on the real Constitution like it was some piece of worthless trash.
Dumbasses can give a quote, but don’t have a fucking clue about what the quote actually means.
Never get off the fuckin’ boat.
Absolutely, goddamn right.
Unless you’re willing to go all the way.
Capt Willard, Apocalypse Now
OT for Raven….excuse me, Dr. Raven:
How’d that “unit” issue thingie from a few weeks ago work out?
Thought it was Jay “Chef” Hicks.
I do believe these motherfuckers thought Jefferson was a traitor when Shrub was in office.
The chef was runnin’ around repeating, “Never get off the boat, never get off the boat.” Willard, in that dialogue where we hear what he’s thinking, responds with my quote. Herr was really good writing that “hear what he’s thinking” dialogue for the film.
In the spirit of encouraging others to follow up when necessary, it was nothin. As if often the case, according to the Mayo Clinic, blood sometimes shows up. Might have been horsin the Harley I almost dropped, might have been a small stone but I guess it don’t matter. The biggest problem is that they rule out infection and stones in the early procedures and then you get to wait 2 weeks for the look see in the bladder where cancer would show up. The procedure itself was just a little uncomfortable, nothing really to worry about. . .for me at least,
thx mon
Indeed, I used some of his stuff from Dispatches in my dissertation. . .along with the Airplane!
Jefferson Airplane? :)
With these nimrods it wouldn’t surprise me.
The End
Love that rotor wash
Good to hear. Have had a few issues myself in that region relating to jogging and hydration. Red urine can be a bit disconcerting.
And OT for SD: weather-wise, the best Octobers I ever spent were the two at Belvoir.
Yea, since I am strictly a swimmer now I got to rule that out.
newbies don’t make moves like this unless another more senior senator who wishes to remain behind the scenes puts ‘em up to it
who ?
That sound still sends chills up my spine. McDill has a few old Hueys they fly around. I can hear ‘em long before anybody else.
Here’s a better clip, 2 parter.
Some may want to join Blue Texan’s regularly scheduled post already in progress: “Matt Lewis Wants to Ride Sarah Palin”
Little early in the day for porn, ain’t it?
We’re on the flight path from Dobbins and a NG chopper outfit, 130′s everyday. I guess the Huey’s are going out to pasture and the blackhawks just sound different. I’m also 3 blocks from the Navy Supply School so we get reville, retreat and taps for another couple of years until the brac kicks in.
LOL,
My Zed post was along those same lines.
Must be something about being old men??? *g*
Somebody at work the other day was bemoaning the fact that young guys aren’t payin’ attention when they drive or do anything else, for that matter. I said that at that age all they’re thinkin’ about is puttin’ their dick in a warm wet place.
Back to the cesspool.
I notice the chickenhawk teabagger was a hit and run, as usual. Just another chickenshit chickenhawk.
Namaste
That would be great if they really took it for a robust PO, defined as everybody eligible, tied to Medicare rates, and operational by the fall of 2010. If they need to make it revenue neutral, bring marginal tax rates back up to where they were just after Reagan’s tax “reform.”
I think that both senators were also encouraged by a group of County Democrats back in September. I’m not sure if any other counties or groups followed suit, but the Broomfield County Democrats set a good example:
Exactly. None of them has been especially progressive on Democratic issues–quite the contrary. To see a turnaround like this is heartening.
However, I think we need to reiterate what we do and do not consider a public option. Otherwise, we are likely to get something else that is public and an option in name only.