Comments on: Baucus' Bill Not Bipartisan, But Panmedia

By: Osborne Ink

Osborne Ink — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:46:21 +0000

Chris, I'm glad to see someone else recognizing the "marathon" length of this legislative fight. In fact, given the realities you discuss in this post, I would call it an Ironman triathlon.

By: Chris Weigant

Chris Weigant — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 06:27:35 +0000

nypoet22 - It's a turf war thing. The committees overlap in responsibility. Baucus' committee is the "Finance" committee (gotta pay for the thing), while Kennedy's is the "Health, Education, something something" committee (I forget, but it comes out as "HELP" -- maybe "Labor and Pensions"?). So they both get a piece of it. The House has three committees which get to take a bite of it, but Pelosi got them together beforehand and got them to send a single piece of legislation through all three -- a stunning piece of arm-twisting by the Speaker, if truth be known (House chairmen are just as fiercely protective of their turf usually as the Senate folks). It didn't completely work, I think two committees approved the same bill (the notorious HR3200, I think), and one slightly-different bill came out of the third committee. So to be honest, I think there will only be four bills. Both House and Senate committee chairmen are very protective of their turf, which is why multiple committees have responsibility for a bill that is this sweeping in scope. In other words: you put the pig in here and the sausage comes out over here... so to speak... I'm kind of astonished that more people can't keep their eyes on the prize, but that's our 24-hour news cycle for you. It's like hearing reports every ten seconds on a marathon race. Because this gets rather dull, the media like to whip up a daily frenzy to make today's incremental movement sound like some sort of battle royale. Call it a "royale with cheese" if you will... Heh heh. But thanks for the kind words! -CW

By: Yeah right

Yeah right — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:55:56 +0000

I think Michale is right. I hate to say it though. The Democrates should have listen to Newt along long time ago. The only real way to deal with Health cares is to errode the system. Much like the Republicans did abortion. Much like the gays are doing to marriage. The Democrates have went after a sweeping bill that would change the system and no Republican will support it because it is too much change at one time. They dont understand the gradualness of the whole process and they dont like change ie, conservative. The Independants and Blue Dems are the only way to get this bill pushed through. So I would like to remind them that if they don't, they will be out of power.

See they got elected to do something and their ratings are poor not because they doing something but because they are doing the same thing the Republicans did when they were impowered. People look down on people who stand idlely by while everything goes to crap. I guess that is why so many have jumped on the Wilson bandwagon. And I guess this is also why Baucus has found himself in the limelights. Wheather it is true movement he and gang represent movement.

By: nypoet22

nypoet22 — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 03:15:50 +0000

chris, it's funny that in all this time during the health care debate, your column is the only one i know of that has explained what's actually going on with any modicum of precision or detail. i'm kind-of curious what the point is of having the same piece of legislation come out of five committees at once. is there any method to the madness, or is it just madness like the rest?

By: Michale

Michale — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:40:36 +0000

DunselCare is in it's final death throes...

You heard it here first.

Michale.....