Lieberman to Vote No on Compromise Plan?
On what was a rather mundane Sunday Circuit this week, one of the only highlights of the day’s programming was Senator Joe Lieberman’s efforts to continue to confuse those on both sides of the aisle with his position on the new Senate healthcare compromise. For weeks he has been proudly stating that he would not vote for cloture on any bill that contained a Public Option, but when Senate Majority Leader Reid offered a “compromise” bill which would not carry the controversial government entity, Lieberman was thought to have move into the camp with the Dems. After appearing on CBS’s Face the Nation yesterday, it appears that his mind is less than made up at this point… and he may be bringing Senator Ben Nelson along with him.
The real truth here is that Lieberman is doing exactly what anyone with half a brain could have predicted him doing weeks ago. He is simply milking the system for all that its worth. He can play both sides from now until the bill comes to a vote on the floor and face little to no political ramifications whatsoever, because he is technically aligned with no one. Senator Ben Nelson appears to have caught on to Lieberman’s clever little rouse and is wanting to join in the game as well. The difference between Nelson and Liberman however, is that Nelson actually has something that he wants at the end of the day – funding for abortions or abortion-related services to be prohibited in the language of the bill. Lieberman on the other hand appears to just enjoy the spotlight of being the “swing vote.”
He told Face the Nation that real healthcare reform could have 60 votes tomorrow if it only stripped the three major obstacles to its passage – the public option, the “class action” proposal, and the Medicare “Buy-in.” I am not sure that Lieberman can guarantee those votes, but he may in fact be correct.
The problem for Lieberman and for Americans that really want to see legitimate healthcare “reform” is that Democrats don’t really want it. They would rather walk away blaming Republicans with nothing than settling for a watered down version of a single payer system. They were willing to concede and settle for the public option for a while when it appeared to be their own choice, but settling for simple reform will simply never be on the table.
On the same program, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell defended his positions in light of recent comments made by conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh saying that he believed his caucus was intact and is taking the right course of action. For once, I find myself in disagreement with both of them. First of all, McConnell is crazy if he thinks his caucus is even mildly intact, because Snowe and Collins are chomping at the bit to run to the other side and his course of action has been rather lacking if not indiscernible to date. In regards to Rush’s suggestion that McConnell slow or kill this thing through the legislative process, I am in disagreement as well. I think what Republicans really need to do here is change the focus of the debate. They need to tell Americans the truth – Democrats don’t want healthcare reform – they want a healthcare takeover. You may say, they’ve been doing that for months, but have they? Scare tactics and big rhetoric go on deaf ears to most Americans. Telling them precisely what Joe Lieberman said Sunday is the message that will resonate with Americans. If Democrats want REFORM tomorrow, they can have it… and Republicans will vote for it. Tell Americans that if Democrats want to rekindle the debate after the new year for the expansion of these “government” / “non-governmental” programs then sobeit, but in the mean time, lets put pen to paper and pass legitimate reform today.
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He will “vote no” right up until they read his name and ask him for his vote. Mark my word.
[...] meeting with Senate Democrats was seen by most as merely a reaction to comments made this weekend by Senator Joe Lieberman who has become the swing vote on this issue. While (Independent) Lieberman still caucuses with [...]
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