The problem for Democrats was that they believed their own press releases.

They thought they had the mandate to do whatever they wanted and the sheeple would follow with adoration in their eyes..

"Oh how the mighty have fallen"
-Guinan, STAR TREK The Next Generation

Michale.....

That's been my take on this Kabuki Theater tonight.

Obama can't say, "We want a bi-partisan approach" and then turn around and ram his own CrapCare plan thru using parliamentary maneuvering. Regardless of how "legal" or ethical said maneuvering is.

When one gets down to it, President Obama lied when he said he was going to do this latest iteration of CrapCare in a bi-partisanship fashion..

Hmmmmmm

Wasn't there a huge outcry from the Left over Bush's alleged lying?? I could have sworn their was...

I guess it's not the lies that bother the Left. It's who tells them... :D

Michale.....

Besides, for me this is a perfect example of sound Republican plans for November.

Pretty hard to make the "Party of No" tag stick when you get Republicans voting on your bills. Had there been too many Republican votes it would have seemed like a climb-down and almost a tacit admission that their earlier votes were obstructionism and they'd been caught at it. This way they shake off the tag.

Democrats should take the "smallball" lesson and apply it to CrapCare.

Actually if there were a lesson from this it's not just that, but also that jobs was probably the right place to start. Had the focus been on unemployment last year there's a good chance Mass would've stayed blue. And there might have been sufficient political capital to push through healthcare reform more easily.

I'm glad they didn't, of course, but I'm just saying it wasn't smart tactics.

Strange how the Republicans were praising reconciliation to the skies at the same time, hmmm? The wheel turns, the parties change, but the game remains the same.

It's not strange at all. It's all part of "the game" as you well know ;-)

Reconciliation exists for a reason. It doesn't matter who uses it, it's a legitimate way to pass legislation under the US Constitution.

What is noteworthy, however, is all the talk of "bipartisanship" when the reconciliation process would be tantamount to an admission that there was never really any genuine intent to pass a truly bipartisan bill, but to push through their bill however they could. Nothing wrong with that, of course, just be straight.

If the Democrats had simply said "Screw bipartisanship, we're passing what we think is best, and we've been given a mandate by the American people to do just that" then I think people would have a lot more respect for them.

This approach, of pushing "bipartisanship" on one front and reconciliation on the other is what seems to be causing the issue for some people. Maybe they think it smells fishy?

Speaking of hockey ... are you seeing what I'm seeing!!!

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/02/24/michael-d-tanner-reconciliation-obama-health-care-democrats-senate-house/

As is clear to the totally politically agnostic, Democrats are really stepping on their wee-wees this time around..

Michale.....

That's my point..

Democrats are no different than Republicans.

That's always been my point.. :D

Michale......

You are entitled to one "You hoser!" (in Bob and Doug MacKenzie voice) at my expense. Mea culpa, eh?

:-)

Michale -

Strange how the Republicans were praising reconciliation to the skies at the same time, hmmm? The wheel turns, the parties change, but the game remains the same.

:-)

-CW

Sounds like the "nuclear option".. :D

Iddn't it simple amazing how much Democrats **HATED** reconciliation when it was used by Republicans??

http://www.breitbart.tv/obama-dems-in-2005-51-vote-nuclear-option-is-arrogant-power-grab-against-the-founders-intent/

Democrats couldn't say enough about how "evil" and "insidious" and "arrogant" that reconciliation was.

Now, it's their flavor of the month... :D

Michale.....

There is a hockey term, the "neutral zone trap", for teams that play for one goal victories and avoid shootouts with more freewheeling, high scoring squads. I'm miffed you seem to have forgotten you have more than one Canadian fan.

If there's a hockey metaphor for this, I'm sure I don't know what it is.

Besides, it's NEVER too early for a baseball metaphor ... if you know what I mean, and I'm sure that you do!

You get better results if you quit trying to swing for the fence..

Michale.....

Liz?

-CW

I must admit, I am tempted here to make a remark about the Oakland A's...

...but I will refrain from doing so. It is awfully early, after all...

:-)

-CW