I'm wondering about a trigger. Is the trigger out the window as well? But don't count on any republicans to vote on the final bill, except for Olympia Snowe and perhaps Susan Collins.
I think the democrats paid an inordinate amount of attention to the public option and now they're having too many troubles putting together the other pieces of the healthcare bill. They got caught up in politics and they got distracted by the tea partiers, and I, for one, am disappointed by that. But at the very least we'll have a start to healthcare reform and people will benefit, just not as many.
Right around now, Obama is meeting with the democrats as the tea partiers rally against the bill:
Tea partiers led by Laura Ingraham, Tom Coburn and Jim DeMint are rallying against healthcare: Right around now, Obama is meeting with the democrats as the tea partiers rally against the bill:
"President Obama will tell senators that that they've come much farther than any previous reform effort, and that the lion's share of the work is behind us," said Dan Pfeiffer, White House communications director. "He'll underscore that now is the time to come together and finish shaping legislation that will garner 60 votes and pass the Senate in short order."
"He will make it clear that the American people should not have to wait another decade or more for legislation," Pfeiffer said.
"I think what we need to hear from the president is how we get the unity in our caucus for 60 votes. We don't want a pep talk," liberal Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., told reporters Tuesday. "We want to see a president who will be committed to some of the concerns that many of us have without a public option — do you really have accountability on private insurance." MSNBC
The White House meeting coincides with a Capitol Hill rally planned by conservative activists opposed to the bill, with speakers including talk radio host Laura Ingraham and Republican Sens. Tom Coburn and Jim DeMint.
Opponents are stepping up their criticism as Senate Democratic leaders push hard to finish the bill. To that end the Democratic leadership indicated Monday night following a senators-only meeting that it was prepared to jettison an expansion of Medicare, initially proposed as a backup to the government option. MSNBC
