tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3801227671293876432.post7514142637995079220..comments2023-12-22T04:37:54.991+00:00Comments on Obama London: After Massachusetts: Where are we, and where do we go from here?Obama Londonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02652619223311941390noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3801227671293876432.post-50607464195493673192010-01-25T23:32:17.639+00:002010-01-25T23:32:17.639+00:00I have already written to my representative, Luís ...I have already written to my representative, Luís Gutiérrez, to ask him to hold his nose and pass the Senate bill in the House. I also asked him to do what he can through reconciliation to amend that bill toward being more progressive after it becomes law.<br /><br />If the House is not to pass the bill*, then I say that we should fight to get any conference committee proposal through both houses. I am reminded of the Democrats' experience in the healthcare battle of 1994. They let the mere threat of a Republican filibuster stop them from pushing ahead, meaning that the GOP won without any effort or sacrifice. The fact that the Republicans got what they wanted without a real battle didn't lessen the conservative crusade; rather, it provided it with increased electoral momentum.<br /><br />If the GOP is going to obstruct the Democratic agenda, then I say that we should make them all vote against cloture dozens of times during the day and night. The media narrative right now is that the Democrats are pushing their wild agenda on a sceptical minority. We need to force the Republicans to show that the reality is that they are overriding the will of 59% of the Senate.<br /><br />*And, for the record, I do not think that there is much to gain from not passing the Senate bill into law now. I expect that anything coming from conference committee will require as much nose-holding as the Senate bill. My point about how to proceed if the Senate bill isn't passed is that quitters don't frame the future debate.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16134996122745293900noreply@blogger.com