The time to kill the bill is passed.

[cali]

last night's vote was the last obstacle. The House dems won't put anything in that will trigger a filibuster from Nelson.

That's simply reality.

[tekisui]

1. Yep. It is time to look at what next.

Start anew pushing for Public Option, Medicare Expansion and Single Payer.

[ixion]

2. wait, just a sec... the IRS is at the door demanding proof of insurance

I'll be right back.

[jefferson_dem]

7. Good'un.

:)

[ixion]

11. thanks...

I wish it weren't in the dark humor category.

[Goldstein1984]

3. Reality may get ugly in 2012

Too many disappointments.

We'll see what the next three years brings.

If I were to cast my 2012 vote today, I wouldn't bother.

[cali]

5. agreed. it may get ugly in 2012.

[jefferson_dem]

8. Ugly will be running in 2012. That is the reality.

Her name might be Palin.

The choice, at that point, will be obvious to all who are sane.

[Goldstein1984]

12. Maybe better is waiting on the other side of worse?

Sometimes I think that slowly watching the democracy erode is the real self-destructive behavior.

Maybe letting the most wacko Republican possible have the Whitehouse is the only way to force people into the streets.

[WeDidIt]

4. Nope, two more procedural hurdles, both requiring 60 votes.

Link to story

<snip>

Two more procedural votes await the Senate, each requiring 60 votes, the first of these set for Tuesday morning. Final passage of the bill requires a simple majority, and that vote could come as late as 7 p.m. on Thursday, Christmas Eve.

<snip>

[backscatter712]

6. Exactly. There's a little room left in the current bill.

With the fix in place, there's no more that can be done with the public option/Medicare buy-in, or with the coathanger amendments, but we can push to increase regulation on insurance companies. Raise the penalties for abusing patients, make "community rating" closer to community rating, that sort of thing.

[pampango]

9. The Senate bill is effectively passed. Negotiations with the House may be a hurdle.

Lots of Democrats in the House don't like the Senate bill and are unlikely to say "Whatever you guys want is fine with us" to the Senate. Any changes (most would be improvements from my perspective) that the House might insist on will difficult to get past the Senate if they stick with the 60-vote rule.

[cali]

10. I doubt highly that the dems in the House will upset the apple cart but

we'll see. n/t