Steele: Reid Has a 20-Seat Majority, So Why Can't He Pass the 'Daggone,' 'Whacked Out' Bill?

[mathews114]

he has a good point. the repulicans keep filibustering everytime. Even though obama has the majority. the minority have the power. which makes no sense

[sillycandie007]

steele wil be replaced with a good old boy

dont forget GOP IS FOR WHITES ONLY

[cocobear33]

i find it funny the dems want to blame the right for the hold up on health care but yet they have the majority , the right can't stop nothing seeing how they have the majority

[DillonX]

Steele will be replaced.

The GOP made a huge mistake putting him up.

[asphyxiafeeling]

Steele was actually doing alright here. Pleasantly surprised.

[MooseOfReason]

Steele makes a good point. Why shouldn't the Republicans hold up the bill if none or barely any of their amendments are being added to the bill?

[afrikannus77]

What have they purposed that was worth even considering. Please don't say tort reform.

[MooseOfReason]

The restrictions on purchasing insurance across state lines?

Like, being able to buy Florida oranges if you're all the way in North Dakota?

[afrikannus77]

The Dems don't wat to go at it alone because they want cover for the watered down bill. If they pass it without repubs, then they will be solely at fault when everyone realizes the truth about the bill. If it's Dems and Repubs, then when we become angry they can just point the finger back and forth without taking any real blame just like Iraq and Afghanistan. They both cover each other as usual and nothing gets done.

[Taboda]

Jesus, someone make this joker go on Rachel Maddow try to spit lies...

[Philinspaces]

The bill is watered down into an insurance companies wet dream. Everyone will be required to buy insurance and will be stuck with the companies we have now. That's reform? That's business as usual. Dems or Reps they both want to screw the pooch.

[GretchenDawntreader]

If the GOP wasn't in full fillibuster mode, 100% blocking every single thing, it would be passed by now. If the GOP and their Insurance donors hadn't orchestrated a circus of disinformation since summertime, scaring old people, making shit up, disrupting civic forums, it would be passed by now.

Dems are in disarray, but Steele saying "It ain't us, why you looking at us" is laughable.

And they screamed how unfair fillibustering was when they held power.

[robinvan1983]

well there is a truth... they don't need 60 votes to pass the bill... Bush never needed that either... the whole 51 votes is apparently not good enough for the dems.

[terpis]

Good on Harry Reid for ignoring the "Morning Joe" shitheels.

[terpis]

The Senate is a 21st century institutional failure machine...and the Dems are the ones who desperately need 'purity tests' and purges. Really, what kind of a "party of the left" is it that includes caucus-buddy Joe Lieberman, Ben Nelson, Evan Bayh, Kent Conrad.

We need more than two parties in this consumerism-crazed society...one whaer these people can fuck off to a 'Christian Democrat' party that can stab progressives honestly from the front and not constantly in the back.

[LeGioNoFZioN]

you won't have any majorities with that approach. we have too many parties in Canada and other than recent conservative wins over the liberals, the liberal party is considered the default ruling party, which makes them weak and unresponsive the the masses. be careful what you wish for .......

[terpis]

Well sure, it's no magic bullet...big, dumb centrist parties will always suck up most of the oxygen anywhere there's a glut of "low information voters".

"Oh, but ain't that America"

Also, Canada shares alot of our history of 'red scare' lefty union-busting. That's a big deal.

Another thing: Canada shares our '1st past the post' method of vote-counting... an anti-popular trick & elite hedge against big change.

Proportional representation--that's the ticket.

/watch?v=mtbfG_eKlZg

[LeGioNoFZioN]

proportional representation involves, at least as it is proposed in Canada, to grow the government exponentially. I'll stick to the evils of first past the post at the expense of growing a large governemtn we can't afford as is. I prefer quality health care over my candidate gettign a seat to join a chorus of idiots debate things they barely comprehend. If we went with proportional representation, our health care could surely suffer.

[terpis]

Meh.

An "exponential" (?) rise in deeper and better popular representation would be a tragedy.

It's just this reflexive--Pavlovian--"gummint­"-phobia that'll make spoilers and fools of an otherwise potentially very potent (& not a little bit libertarian) "Tea Party" 3rd party movement.

Facts is facts.

[LeGioNoFZioN]

I am aware of the problems with first past the post, when the Fairvote campaign started here in Canada a few years ago I initially signed up. but the practicality of it is another issue altogether. Unless you can keep the size of elected government to current or only sightly larger levels then I refuse simply because we do not have the money to fuck around with. Proportional repsresentation isn't a bad idea, but its execution needs to be better than current proposals.

[MISSBEBEBLUE]

Steele is a pathetic douchbag.

[jtilak]

and the republicans have 40 seats. they can and are obstructing.

[route99]

The Republican Party is like a guy who slashes your tires and then says, 'drive me across the country'. And when you only get a quarter of the way he starts to scream, 'What's the hold up?!'

I'll just be waiting for Steele to complain about the lack of bipartisanism when the bill passes on party lines. I can see his reaction now:

MSNBC: "But Mr. Steele you just said the Democrats should pass the bill with 60 votes."

Steele: "Blargh! Death panels!"

[kurtkobain1234]

I agree, it is simply ridiculous to blame the democrats for not passing the bill. If the bill doesn't pass, it'll have been because of FORTY republicans and one or two democrats (or rather independents).

[PersonalJesus348]

That's letting them off too easy.

[Richardgwm]

So Steele is saying that the Republicans are irrelevant?

I agree with Steele on one thing.

[route99]

That's what happens when you have one party as a wholly owned subsidiary of Pharma and the Insurance Co's (Republicans) and one party that's only partially owned (Democrats).

Obstructionist is the perfect tag for the GOP. The party that when they drafted their own HC Bill refused to even address pre-existing conditions. What does Reid have to work with?

And all the screaming about death panels & socialism, or memos on how to kill the bill. That's not obstruction either I guess.Right Mike?

[gmcbuses]

He cannot get it passed because of idiots on the Senate, like Lieberman I Conneticut. The I stands for idiot. There has to be a public option for people that cannot qualify for medicaid, and cannot afford private health insurance. All those idiots did is keep the status quo. There has to be a non profit driven public option. Reason for a lot of people upset is because of high unemployment. Reason for that is because everything is being made in China! Free trade with China has to be watered down