Dare them, 60 votes is ridiculous. I agree with James Carville. Make them filibuster, see if that works for the electorate. Oh and while backing the Republicans into a corner over a filibuster, work on your message. Explain the public plan, give some numbers, give people an idea of what will be in the plan, you know sell it. Holy Crap, how much more Keystone Cop can this get anyway?

Regardless of what they do, the corporate-sponsored media will lean critical.

If they pass poor legislation, they provide a legitimate reason for the criticism. That is, they will erode their large base.

If they pass good legislation, Republicans will cry foul. But they will cry foul anyways. Anyone who will listen to these arguments will listen anyways. It does not erode their position any more than it would anyways as the party in power.

So their negotiation position is much stronger than they realize. They simply have to say:

1. We will not pass a bill that only benefits the insurance companies (and big pharma)

2. No legislation is better than a worse system (what Obama should have said in the beginning)

The only way Democrats lose is to pass something that they don't believe in just for the sake of passing something.

the Democrats risk becoming their own worst enemy

Too late - that happened a long time ago. The democrats have proved over and over and over again that they'll cave to any Republican or MSM corporate shill who says "boo". They've lost the reason for being and only care about getting more bucks into their coffers. There's no more party of the people: just the party of the corporate lobbyists.

The dummycrats who keep pushing this Marxist health care plan will end up ruining the party for a long time. So if you dummycraps want to continue your Marxist power grab there will be hell to pay.

2010 will be a very good year for the opposition and Chairman Obama will go down in history as being a WORSE appeaser Jimmy Carter.

Madden is a good, dense writer but veils the truth behind a screen of words.

The Me Generation of politicians doesn't give a damn about anything but themselves, about their personal wealth and power.

If providing health care could make them look Kennedyesque (Jack, not Edward) they'd be all over it. It'd be kinda cool. They could trade that hip prestige for all kinds of votes and favors and cash. Y'know, strike a pose and shit.

But, it's obvious now that these selfish cowards see no prestige-power while once-Kennedyesque Obama himself morphs into a self-interested dork just like Clinton, just like the senators' inner selves.

Given those facts, the Obamacrats will opt for future cash payoffs from industry, thank you very much.

Leadership.

Vacuum.

if glock45 is as big an idiot as his posts suggest, or if he's just a bored troll.

glock, baby, we're gonna ROLL you over in 2010, health care or no health care, and if we lose a few quisling blue dogs in the process, that's ok. We're still gonna own your gooper ass for a long time to come.

Bank on it.

Lordy, I am so fuggin' done with the Democratic party. I mean, why even bother to support them at this point? Might was well vote for a friggin' Republican greedhead - the outcome will be the same.

What's it going to take to get a party that actually represents the (informed) electorate again? The Democrats ain't it.

Absolutely correct. The "need" for 60 votes in the Senate is absolute bullshit.

Harry Reid and the rest of the "60 vote" crowd are giving away 10 votes to the Republicans, for free. The Republicans didn't need 60 votes back when they had the slimmest majority (50 votes + VP tiebreaker). Remember the threat of the "nuclear option" and demands for an "Upperdown Vote"?

The unwillingness to force the issue is giving the Republicans a silent, painless filibuster. Fuck 'em. Force a filibuster, and make them pay the political price for being do-nothing obstructionists.

And force the Blue Dogs to decide if they're part of the majority party or not. They can vote however they wish, but if they choose to filibuster their own party, they shouldn't expect the party to support them in return.

Harry Reid's gross incompetence as Senate majority leader is astounding. It's time to kick his worthless ass to the curb and find a leader who knows how to get results.

In the meantime, progressive and mainstream Democrats need to start donating directly to candidates (including primary challengers) rather then the national committees. I don't want one thin dime going to help reelect Reid or the Blue Dogs.

LMoE

When Obama's Marxist death panels begin sending grand parents, children and those with disabilities to an early grave the corupt-o-crats will be tarred and feathered and run out of town.

It is one thing for the dim-wit-crats to support the killing of innocent babys, but when the Nazi eugenics campaign Chairman Obama will have to start to control costs; euthansing Grand Parents, determining who gets what care and if there is a pay back to the 'glorious party' there will be a revolt like never seen before.

Grand parents put to death by Obama because he has to pay for the illegal's health care will float like a lead balloon. It is in the bill, just read it. The ability to pay back the glorious party and it's dear leader will be the determining factor for the Brownshirted Death Panel.

The Democrats sink if this bill gets passed and the blue dogs know it, you hard left trolls should move to Cnanda to enjoy their wonderful health care system that has thousands of Canadian's flocking to the US for good, quality care.

My, my, don't we have our undies in a bundle! These people we have elected to represent us have probably rarely had to DELIBERATE anything so darned important - maybe the color of their new Lexus? Keep them aware of the fact that if they flinch they will be elected out of office in the future and let them know that taking bribes from special interests is unethical and unwise. KEEP LETTING THEM KNOW HOW MAD YOU ARE!

We liberals and progressives have been out of power so long we seem to have lost our ability to howl at what we will not tolerate. Please don't rant and rave at each other - rant at your elected representatives and senators. Keep It Up and Yes We Can!