Let the Republicans yap and yap and yap and yap until they turn blue in the face. If there was anything that could make them even less popular, it would be them grinding the government to a halt in the midst of a very serious economic situation.

I agree that is what should happen. Unfortunately it would first require that the Democratic Leadership develop a spine.

Looks to me like you guys missed the point. You can't call a person's bluff if you yourself aren't sitting on a good hand. Reid isn't certain he has the hand -- he's not certain he has the vote. He calls their bluff and loses, he loses big.

trapdoor:

Looks to me like you guys missed the point. You can't call a person's bluff if you yourself aren't sitting on a good hand. Reid isn't certain he has the hand -- he's not certain he has the vote. He calls their bluff and loses, he loses big.

That's overstating the case. Even if he has to cave to the senators who were bought by the insurance industry and remove the public option from the Senate Bill, it can be put back in during reconciliation and there's nothing the GOP can do about it (except throw more tantrum protests).

Let the Repub "No!" party do their thing, get fully on the record with their obstructionism. As far as the Dem centrists (sic) are concerned, get them on the record as well. In Indiana, Ellsworth (8th) and Evan "I'm Not My Father By a Long Shot" Bayh need to stand up and be counted or pull a "full Joe."

MarcusAurelius:

trapdoor:

Looks to me like you guys missed the point. You can't call a person's bluff if you yourself aren't sitting on a good hand. Reid isn't certain he has the hand -- he's not certain he has the vote. He calls their bluff and loses, he loses big.

That's overstating the case. Even if he has to cave to the senators who were bought by the insurance industry and remove the public option from the Senate Bill, it can be put back in during reconciliation and there's nothing the GOP can do about it (except throw more tantrum protests).

Of course there's something they can do about it. A reconciled bill still faces a vote, and hence faces a filibuster. Whether or not they'll do that is an open question, but that it is an option is not.

Is there any scenario other than total capitulation to the Republican’s “No!” strategy that avoids a filibuster? Get the Repubs and the Brutus Joes and (possibly) Evan the Uncrowned Drug Czar on the record against the public’s health. Let them stand with the Red state Republicans who will not support progressive health care in any form. This will make it all that easier to purge or isolate them from power in the party down the road.

This will make it all that easier to purge or isolate them from power in the party down the road.

You talk big sluggo. All your arrogance will not change the situation. The only thing that will be purged is the Dem socialist party in 2010. It is starting with New Jersey, Virginia, and new york this November. All you socialists need to go to Canada or to hell as far as i am concerned.

Nice stream of hate there.

You represent everything that the Republican party has become.

. Not hate! Just trying to be a matchmaker between socialist people here and socialist countries where they might be happier. i think Toronto Steve would sound better than Phil Steve

Odd that all you true Conservatives gave a free pass to Republicans when they created the largest increase in social spending since the Great Society. You still voted loyally Republican in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008. There was one or two words said, but I do not recall Conservatives abandoning The Party. Do you?

It was a case of accept the prescription drug plan and its concomitant expenditures, or vote for the party that would have put both prescription drugs and socialized medicine in place. It was Hobson's choice -- and there was less threat to individual rights from one party than from the other.

As for the snearing reference to "the Party" which I assume was an attempt to associate Republicans with either Nazism or Communism -- Democrats hew to party lines, too. It's and equal opportunity snear.

It was Hobson's choice

The standard Republican response for everything: That Democrats are worse. However I have never been personally better off than when we had a Democratic President. Somehow when Republicans are president the country goes into the toilet (“for our own good”, of course).

Naturally the Republicans who put America in the hole never seem to suffer the consequences themselves for their actions. It is always “someone else” who pays.

You will still vote 100% Republican in 2010, 2012 and every election into the future, no matter what (unless, of course the RNC gives orders to drop the candidate that the Republican electorate chose for an election and vote for the candidate they handpicked to impose on your Congressional district: As happened today in New York State).

Naturally, you focus on the one win, in one district, in New York, and not the two statewide wins by Republicans in a traditionally Democrat state, New Jersy, and in a swing state Virginia (the latter being much more scary to people who face reelection in 2010).