You know who I could crucify right now?

Max fucking Baucus, who single-handedly delayed the bill for months while he endlessly negotiated with Chuck Grassley.

Had it not been for him, this would have been done in September.

by the repubs to stall the entire thing.

with the lobbyists - as long as they could claim 'bipartisanship', then they had a ready made excuse for not producing a more progressive bill.

Then when Snowe didn't play along, they were stuck there exposed as the lobbyist suck up pigs that they are as well, without benefit of being able to blame the Republicans.

Though one Republican giving a lukewarm (if that) yes, hardly makes it a real bi-partisan bill. He had all the Democrats.

The fact is that the overall structure Baucus constructed IS very close to what was bale to get 60 votes in the Senate. I think it was an effort to produce a bill that most people could tolerate. I think he was very slow to give up that dream, but unlike Reid, he has yet to say that he wishes he would not have done that. A second thing I would fault him for was changing the thresholds on the Cadillac Plan from the $25,000 which the unions had grudging agreed not to fight.

I think Reid could have pushed Baucus to take less time and he could have not tried to work with Snowe as much as he did - but in both cases, I think it was a matter of degree. They did demonstrate good faith in trying to work with the Republicans, but they could have cut it off faster. I think the Democrats would have been so much better had everything been pushed up at least a month. (Especially as there is almost a month lost with the recess.)

For a strategic reason. Who was that? Reid? And what were they hoping for?

(that Dean liked better) had a better chance of being accepted. I also think that the public option was not the only thing stopping Snowe.

and you pick Max Baucus.

Robertson and Limbaugh are irrelevant. Baucus was in the position as a gatekeeper to either allow or discourage substantive change in health care.

His crimes are far greater than the idiocy of some right wing loons.

I can totally agree. The really dangerous ones are the ones who pretend to be on our side.

Unfortunately, the people in Max's state overwhelmingly want him to be right where he is. His seat isn't in jeopardy at all, as sucky as that is.

He and his girl friend ought to be looking at indictments.

really be something to behold. ;-)

I'd settle for replacing him with a better Democrat.

You really think he did that without Obama's blessing? If Obama wasn't living in a fantasy world in which he thought he could have a bipartisan bill, we could have had this wrapped up months ago.

That's why the Democratic Party is not very ambitious to advance liberal values and are so submissive to Republican intimidation.

we'll be nostalgic for Snowe and the triggered option.

.... I'd also throw in John Boehner, Jim Demint, Glen Beck, Rush and that Palin woman.

If THEY had not vowed to jeopardize the health and welfare (seems like there's something in the Constitution about that) of the American people in an effort to "destory" the President, we wouldn't be talking about this right now.

Baucus, Conrad, Landrieu, Bayh, Nelson, Stupak, etc. (and technically Lieberdouche) call themselves "Democrats" and SHOULD be on our side.

.... and the Constitution says its purpose is to (among other things) "promote the general welfare." To FAIL to do so in order to score political points is high treason IMO.

The GOP has NEVER been in lock step against ANY and ALL legislation like they are now .... they do it because they have to .... they have the misfortune of being of the opposite sides of the aisle of one of the greatest political forces we have seen in our lifetimes ... but that still doesn't justify what they are doing.

Is that you Pontius?

They should have drafted a bill during the transition period.

he was merely doing what Rahm Emanuel wanted him to do.
When even Harry Reid had had enough of the Joe Lieberman shenanigans, it was the Rahm team that forced him to give in to Joementum.
There is enough blame to go around ... not just one single person to crucify.
So if you're going to get all bloody about it, don't just stop at Max. I personally would begin with all Republicans. After all, they did and are continuing to do everything that they could/can to obstruct anything meaningful. They are the real villains of this debacle; let's not forget that.

******
Frankly, I prefer to get what we can on the books now, disappointing as it may be for those of us with much higher hopes and aspirations. Republicans will take nothing now as a huge victory and will continue to stall and block ANYTHING that Dems try to do. Why give them ANY encouragement?