As The Hours Tick Down-"Don't Talk About Healthcare"

[Annie]

Kind of makes one think that Politico memo was onto something:

Dems waste time in House as vote search goes on | Washington Examiner

Dems waste time in House as vote search goes on

By: Byron York
Chief Political Correspondent
03/19/10 4:04 PM EDT

House Democrats say they will hold a vote on their national health care plan Sunday afternoon. But what are they actually doing between now and then? Behind the scenes, they're begging, offering bribes, threatening punishments, etc. But on the House floor, where lawmakers conduct their public business, the Democratic leadership is engaged in a days-long time-wasting effort to keep the House in session until the party can come up with enough votes to pass Obamacare.

For example, Friday afternoon -- a time when the House would normally have adjourned and lawmakers gone home -- the House considered H.Res. 1040, "Honoring the life and accomplishments of [novelist] Donald Harrington for his contributions to literature in the United States." The Democratic leadership allotted 40 minutes of debate to the subject, which is just a bit less than will be given to national health care. (For a summary of House proceedings, see here.)

Before the Harrington matter, the House considered H.Con.Res 244, "Expressing support for the designation of March 20 as a National Day of Recognition for Long-Term Care Physicians." Democrats gave that one 40 minutes, too. And before that weighty matter, the House dealt with H.Res. 1027, "Recognizing the 50th anniversary of the historic dive to the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, the deepest point in the world's oceans, on January 23, 1960."

Pressing matters all. But wait -- there's more. Before Harrington, long-term care doctors, and the Marianas Trench, the House dealt with H.Res. 1133, "Recognizing the extraordinary number of African-Americans who have overcome significant obstacles to enhance innovation and competitiveness in the field of science in the United States."

Throughout it all, Republicans have had the temerity to change the subject to health care, ignoring the time-fillers with which the Democratic leadership had filled the schedule. That left some Democrats very unhappy. Minnesota Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison, for example, said during what was supposed to be the Donald Harrington time, "The fact is, we're honoring a great American novelist, but we have to divert that important conversation & heip the Republican caucus wants to go toe-to-toe on health care." California Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier also chided her GOP colleagues, saying, "While we are trying to recognize the life and work of a great American novelist, we find ourselves drifting into a discussion of health care."

Imagine that! Not only do House Democrats not want to cast a vote explicitly for their national health care plan -- they don't want to talk about it, either.

 

[rightwinger]

Just got another Democrat to switch his vote...


Looking GOOD for Passing Healthcare!

 

[rightwinger]

We now open the floor to Republican reaction to the Healthcare Bill passing

 

[Xenophon]

Let us now open the floor to the reprecussions of this vote.

 

[Tom Clancy]

yeah! another Bill we can't afford!

Awesome.

 

[saveliberty]

Wonder how many Democrats are just saying they will vote yes to stop the Pelosi badgering? Do the Democrats have a plan to stop the vote if they have defectors? There must be some obscure rule they will invoke before disaster befalls them.

 

[Yurt]

right winger is such a tool

there will be democrats who also do not want this bill passed, there will also be millions of americans, republicans, democrats, independents who also will not like that this bill will pass

but who cares, it is such a great bill for america that the dems are too scared to put their name on the vote. and the hacks, like obama, don't care "now" about silly "procedural" rules.....

you guys will get your victory, but it will be shameful and set an extreme new low in american politics. don't be surprised when the repubs get back in power and the pull the same crap. don't whine, just take it like you expect everyone else to take it now.

 

[Big Black Dog]

Wonder if China will loan us enough money to pay for this bill? We can pass anything we want to pass in our Congress but if China won't lend us the money it's DOA.

 

[Xenophon]

right winger is such a tool

there will be democrats who also do not want this bill passed, there will also be millions of americans, republicans, democrats, independents who also will not like that this bill will pass

but who cares, it is such a great bill for america that the dems are too scared to put their name on the vote. and the hacks, like obama, don't care "now" about silly "procedural" rules.....

you guys will get your victory, but it will be shameful and set an extreme new low in american politics. don't be surprised when the repubs get back in power and the pull the same crap. don't whine, just take it like you expect everyone else to take it now.

Its a dead certaincy the GoP will do the same thing to repeal the bill the Dems did to pass it.

That is the thing about destroying the structure of procedure, once you unleash it anything goes, it becomes what is good for the goose is good for the gander.

 

[saveliberty]

With 37 possible challenges to its Constitutionality, I would expect at least three different cases will reach the Supreme Court on differing grounds. We only need one to win.

It is also unlikely that all the new converts will stay that way at vote time. I expect the defectors will claim independent status and join the Republican caucus. Who knows, the Dems could lose the majority BEFORE the November elections.