…and on National Health Care Reform
Dems snare 60 votes to move ahead on health care
Democratic leaders secured the last two votes to move ahead on historic health care legislation, clearing the way for a Saturday night showdown on President Barack Obama’s top domestic initiative.
In long-awaited speeches, centrist Sens. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana said they would stand with their party and vote “yes” on the crucial test vote despite deep reservations with elements of the 2,074-page bill to remake the nation’s health care system.
“The truth is this issue is very complex. There is no easy fix and it’s imperative that we build on what’s already working in health care in America,” Lincoln told her Senate colleagues.
Hours earlier, Landrieu had delivered her news. The two represent votes 59 and 60 for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who needs that many in the 100-member Senate to go forward. The Senate’s 40 Republicans are unanimously opposed.
“I’ve decided that there are enough significant reforms and safeguards in this bill to move forward, but much more work needs to be done,” Landrieu said, with the 8 p.m. EST vote looming. read more
Good thing Cap doesn’t have anything better to do than answer the same “tough” questions over and over again.
some candidates don’t give a rat’s patootie about the optics of avoiding a forum. Missing Lincoln was just…telling. Said candidates must think they have this thing in the bag. That’s usually when it bites you in the a$$.
That said, my two most recent diaries offer no opinion about that.
<
p>They are excerpts from two newspaper articles, one covering
a Senate candidate event Friday at the JFK library and the other covering an Senate candidate event Saturday in Lincoln. MA.
Coakley attended neither Friday’ event in Boston nor Saturdays event in Lincoln, MA although she made a commitment to attend the one in Lincoln. At least she called to cancel…minutes before the event started… something about a family thing. Pagliuca had the same reason.