Democrats Get Their 60th Vote On Health Care
Cast by none other than the recently bribed and coerced Senator Ben Nelson himself.
WASHINGTON – Jubilant Democrats locked in Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson as the 60th and decisive vote for historic health care legislation Saturday, putting President Barack Obama’s signature issue firmly on a path for Christmas Eve passage.
At the White House, Obama swiftly welcomed the breakthrough, saying, “After a nearly century-long struggle, we are on the cusp of making health care reform a reality in the United States of America.”
In the Capitol, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid smiled broadly when asked if Nelson’s decision gave him the 60-vote majority necessary to overcome solid Republican opposition. “Seems that way,” he said. The Nevada Democrat agreed to a series of concessions on abortion and other issues demanded by Nelson in daylong talks on Friday, then informed Obama of the agreement in a late night phone call as the president flew home from climate talks in Copenhagen.
So what now?
Well Rep. Stupak in the House is saying the abortion language in this Senate bill is unacceptable, and it was Stupak’s group of pro-life moderate Democrats that gave Pelosi her narrow victory in the House in the first place. And there are some other things in this bill, such as the fact that it’s going to be a budget buster, that may scare off some other House Democrat votes. Plus, House “progressives” are still ticked that there’s no “public option” in the bill, and with groups like NOW and Planned Parenthood as well as people like Howard Dean and Keith Olbermann voicing opposition they’ve got plenty of cover to cast no-votes.
It all comes down to Pelosi’s are-twisting prowess, I guess, and that’s never something to be underestimated.
But this is dangerous ground for the health care bill now. There’s no re-formulating now. If the bill can’t be reconciled in the House there won’t be time to start over again with a new plan before the holidays and before the election year is upon us.
Let’s hope there’s enough dissension in the ranks to kill the bill.
