Florida GOP Senate Primary Put Into Perspective

Great quote on the GOP senate primary.

"I expect a scorched earth, smoking, radioactive wasteland, a postapocalypic Mad Max hellscape. That's what I expect,"

That would be par for the course with repubs.

Possibilities Around The Filibuster

TPM has an interesting piece about how to get around the filibuster, which is possible.

The way is for the president of the senate, Biden, to declare that the rules don't work and for the majority to put aside all rules and everything gets passed by majority vote. This has been referred to as the "Nuclear Option"

Can they do this? Yes, will the do it? No

"If the Dems really wanted to, they could go through this process anytime they wanted.The problem is political."

Obama Leading On Health Care

Well, it only took about 9 months but the President is finally showing leadership on the HCB. He released his version of the bill and it mainly follows what the senate put out. There are some things in there to entice moderate repubs but mostly a dem bill.

Will it get them the votes? I don't think so but the repubs find themselves in a unique position. If they do filibuster the only way the White House can counter is with reconciliation. With that being the only option, there is no way dems are going to let health care die.

The problem is that if reconciliation is a definite possibility, I think some dems will be pissed off if the public option is not in the reconciliation bill. I will be pissed off.

Obama, The Populist

Obama, seeing the writing on the wall for November is adding some populist parts to the HCB.

"President Barack Obama will propose giving U.S. officials the power to limit rate hikes by health insurance companies - part of a new health care overhaul plan he will unveil Monday in a last-ditch bid to salvage his signature issue. "

It is a good idea but a bit too coincidental with the recent health care rate hikes out in California. This type of stuff never hurts, as long as it doesn't seem obvious.

Drug Companies' Strangle Hold Of California

Looks like Pharmaceutical companies have a tight grip on California's Governor.

"After months of public input and consultation with experts, the state's pharmacy board appeared to be poised to adopt strict new requirements for prescription drug labels last month.

But that changed when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger placed a drugstore industry executive on the board a day before the vote.

CVS/Pharmacy official Deborah Veale provided the vote that killed a plan to require large type on drug labels and instructions and to make oral translation of them available for all non-English speakers. "

Nothing is more frustrating that seeing good legislation that protects consumers and helps people lose to big corporations. Schwarzenegger comes out for the stimulus winning props from dems and then goes and sides with big pharma. This man is all over the place.

Pelosi Not Taking Anymore Republican Crap

Nancy Pelosi is taking the fight directly to the repubs. It seems that there has been some "hypocrisy" on the part of repubs. It turns out that repubs, who voted no on the stimulus bill, are taking credit for the money going back to their districts coming from the stimulus.

"In a rare rebuke from the speaker, Pelosi is taking direct aim at individual Republicans, hinting at hypocrisy in their opposition to the stimulus package the saying it provided hundreds of thousands of their constituents tax cuts."

Well, it's about time. The dems message has been horrible and they need to find something to chip away at the repubs message of the bill being a waste of money. The repubs have been united and the dems fragmented on how to get things done. Repubs obstruct and dems legislate. Does the public know this? No. That is the problem. The message has been hijacked and the dems are to blame. Take the fight to the doorstep of every republican hypocrite.

Dems Should Do What They Want

A new poll out suggests that the dems should do whatever they damn well please.

"The poll's top-line finds 37% of Americans saying they definitely will not vote Democratic for Congress this fall, 34% will definitely vote for the Dems, and the remainder are up for grabs. The poll shows that 50% oppose the health care bill, with 39% for it -- thanks to a 94%-1% opposition among the people who won't vote Democratic."

What does all this mean? People who don't support the health care won't vote dem anyway. So, who cares. The way it looks, the dems are going to lose at least 5 senate seats. They won't have this majority again for quite some time. Dems need to just pass the public option in reconciliation. They need to get some testicles and do what they think is right. People respond to it. It will be better for dems come november.