First, the Democrats threatened to use budget reconciliation to push through their beloved health care legislation, that way in the Senate the 60 vote requirement to pull the bill out of debate would not be necessary, and a simple majority of 51 votes would suffice.
The public outcry, and the Senate parliamentarian's final word on the issue (that said they could not use reconciliation), forced the Democrats to rethink their strategy.
Without reconciliation, the only way the Democrats figured they could get their health care bill through would be to get the House of Representatives to approve the Senate Bill as is (since, with Scott Brown's win, and a loss of their super majority as a result, the Democrats are unlikely to get anything else - aside from that idiotic jobs bill - through the Senate).
Problem.
The Democrats in the House of Representatives are an interesting bunch of misfits. Less of them, by percentage as compared to the U.S. Senate Democrats, are party-first radicals. Some are far left radicals who want the whole enchilada now, without compromise.
The pro-life Democrats are upset because of a government-paid-abortion provision in the Senate bill. The Marxist liberal progressives (those three words courtesy of the Department of Redundancy Department) have been siding with the likes of Howard Dean, and Dennis "UFO" Kucinich and their proclamation that the Senate bill does not go far enough - in other words, it isn't nearly liberal enough without the public option, and single-payer insanity promised by Obama's hints during his presidential campaign.
Of course, Nancy Pelosi could start (and may already have) bribing those wayward Democrats like Reid did in the Senate (you know. . . Cornhusker Kickback for Ben Nelson, and the Louisiana Purchase for Mary Landrieu).
People didn't appreciate such corruption, though.
Then Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (appropriate name for what she wants to do to the Constitution) came up with a perfect plan for the sleezy leftists (after all, sleeze and corruption is their specialty). What if, she proposed, the Democrats could get the Senate bill passed without a vote? That way they would be sure to pass the legislation, and the Democrats could go home during Easter Break and honestly tell their angry constituents that they did not vote in favor of the Health Care legislation.
Pelosi approved of the madness.
But, the American People does not.
What to do, what to do?
While announcing there will be a vote next week (lie or truth? You can never tell with the Democrats), promising the fence sitters that the bill will be amended by reconciliation to satisfy the concerns "after" the bill becomes law (we promise, we'll change it, now sign your life away here, here, and here), and saying that the Slaughter Solution of "deeming" the bill passed without a vote is just fine because the Republicans have done it before (I found no record of that, but if the GOP did pull this B.S., it was unconstitutional then as it is now - per Article I, Section 7, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution), the Democrats seem certain they will get this Health Care monstrosity passed before Easter Break.
The outcry against the Slaughter Solution (self-extraction, self-execution) remains, however, so the Democrats are fast realizing they may have to vote on the bill after all.
While once again promising the pro-life Democrats a change later on, after the bill is passed (remember, Democrats can be easily bought, even Pro-Life ones, just ask Ben Nelson), Pelosi and gang realized something had to be done to convince radical left crazies like Dennis Kucinich to vote "yes" for the watered-down, compromised, hardly unversal health as they promised Senate bill.
Time to bring in the big gun, and his teleprompters.
President Obama invited Kucinich on board Air Force One (for a nice low flight over New York City - or maybe Obama told Kucinich they were going on a ride in a UFO). Kucinich, in less than an hour with the annointed one, and his silver tongue, decided to change his vote to a "yes."
The change Obama had hoped!
What could Obama have said to persuade Kucinich to change his vote?
I am guessing the conversation went a little along the lines of, "Look, Dennis, we are all liberals here, but maybe you haven't realized that pushing honest socialism hasn't been working. We are going to have to get the public option and a single-payer system into place through the back door. Remember, we have a provision that requires private insurers to cover pre-existing conditions, and no private company will survive the onslaught once the people realize that the fine for not having insurance is less than the cost of a policy.
"No one will have insurance until they need it, and when they apply the insurance companies won't be able to legally deny their application, and will have to pony out millions, if not billions, on pre-existing conditions placed in their laps at the last possible moment. Then, once the private industry is destroyed, the government option will be the only option, and then we can have whatever your little Marxist heart desires. With a little patience we will have the public option, single-payer, death panels, or whatever else you want.
"Cigarette? Beer?"
Socialism is like a virus. All it takes is just a little of it to be injected into the free market system, and it won't be long before it completely destroys the Capitalist System, and creates a ruling class that will dictate your every more.
Such is how liberty dies.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Democrats Consider New Moves for Health Bill - New York Times
Dennis Kucinich, staunch critic from the left, to vote for Obama's health care bill -- reluctantly - New York Daily News
Rushing health reform could be a death wish - Washington Post
Democrats show their true colors in push for health reform - Washington Post
Democrats Inch Toward Securing Votes for Health Bill - New York Times
States’ Rights Is Rallying Cry of Resistance for Lawmakers - New York Times
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