Now rethugs want a supermajority (75-80 votes) requirement for health care reform

They get more ridiculous daily.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_08/019575.php


'BIPARTISAN' GOALPOSTS ARE ON THE MOVE.... You might think that legislation with Democratic votes and Republican votes is "bipartisan." Throw in some independents, and we might even have "tripartisan."

But when it comes to health care reform, the bar is apparently on the move. It started about a month ago when Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said he thinks reform ought to get 80 votes in the Senate.

Apparently, this is starting to catch on.



There are a few angles to keep in mind here. First, it's fascinating to hear partisan Republicans suggest it's incumbent on Democrats to aim for 80-vote majorities on major pieces of legislation. Funny, Hatch, Grassley, and Enzi didn't feel this way when they were in charge.

Second, I can't help but wonder if Hatch, Grassley, and Enzi, among others, believe that when push comes to shove, and reform heads to the House and Senate floors, a few Republicans -- Snowe in the Senate, Coh in the House -- will break ranks and vote with Democrats. This sounds like pre-emptive spin: "It was a bipartisan majority, but it wasn't really a bipartisan majority based on our standards, so this doesn't count."

And third, aiming for 75 or 80 votes is obviously ridiculous. Republicans don't support health care reform. They never have. Grassley says he's likely to vote against his own compromise; Kyl says the party won't accept a bill no matter how many concessions Dems make; Voinovich says half the GOP caucus opposes reform for purely partisan reasons; Inhofe says Republicans have to look at reform while keeping the 2010 midterms in mind; and DeMint wants to make reform the president's "Waterloo," so he can "break" Obama.

I don't blame Republicans for trying to move the goalposts here, but where, pray tell, are Dems supposed to find these other 20 votes in a Republican caucus with two relative moderates?

—Steve Benen

:kick: They had their turn.

Next he'll want unanimity.

All we hear from the liberal media is that the Democrats are in disarray, in a panic, hopelessly divided, not in control of the debate etc etc etc.

Under those conditions if I were a repub I would just keep my mouth shut and let the disorganized hopelessly divided Dems kill reform within their own caucus.

Yet here they are, attempting to change the ground rules so the Dems Can't get the votes to pass a bill at all.

What do they know that the liberal media are not telling us?

Why do they hate Americans?

Someone break it to them they're not in charge.

"Want in one hand and shit in the other and see which one gets full first"

:rofl:

If a majority Congressional vote was good enough for George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, it's good enough for me.

Or does Mr. Hatch think he's more important than Mr. Jefferson? Coming from the party that supported Free Speech Zones, I wouldn't be suprised.

Nothing else matters....

Oh, and chairs around on the deck of the Titanic.

That's why The People elected Democrats. Weak as they are, they're the only party that actually gets anything done. Sometimes.

Is what they are.. they just keep getting more and more stupid every day!

How undemocratic.

Which some of us did nearly two months ago...

:headbang:
rocktivity

:-)

They don't get to demand rule changes.

And, as we've always heard - elections have consequences.