Depends On The Definition Of Coup
by sarabeth at 6:00 am on November 20th, 2009 in Democrats, Depends on the Definition of, Health CareRoll Call reports that our Harry has scored a major political victory:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Thursday afternoon set the procedural wheels in motion for a crucial vote on a major health care reform bill Saturday night at 8 p.m. and scored a coup by apparently persuading Republicans to abandon their plans to have the entire 2,074-page bill read aloud on the Senate floor.
Republicans were all set to incarnate their healthcare obstructionism by acting like a bunch of petulant five-year-olds, probably under the full frontal glare of the mainstream news media. Americans, who are already pretty pissed off at Republicans for opposing healthcare reform for partisan political reasons (without offering any meaningful plan of their own), stood to become even more disgusted at Republican tomfoolery. Harry Reid comes riding up on a white charger, and saves Republicans from themselves, just to avoid a delay of two or three days in scheduling key votes on the bill. And that makes him a hero, that counts as a Democratic coup?
*** Update, 7:15 a.m. ***
Just thought I should support the statement above that Americans are pissed off at Republicans’ non-constructive opposition to healthcare reform. Question 9 in a Washington Post poll conducted this week asked:
Do you think leaders of the Republican Party are mainly (presenting alternatives to Obama’s proposals), or mainly (criticizing Obama’s proposals without presenting alternatives)?
61% of respondents said that Republicans were engaging in empty criticism; 31% felt that they were presenting alternatives.
sarabeth wrote:
And this Harry Reid who can now brook no delay in putting this bill through the Senate’s open-kitchen sausage-making factory is, of course, the same Harry Reid who sat with his hands firmly on his brain case while Max Baucus played his “Look, Ma, I’m negotiating with Republicans even though they won’t negotiate with me” games for weeks and weeks.
Posted 21 Nov 2009 at 5:32 am ¶