Is President Snowe Threatening To Veto The Public Option?

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Other Politics
Posted on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 12:25:18 PM EST
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Brian Beutler:

I asked Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) for her thoughts on a public option compromise that would allow states to opt out of a national government insurance program, and her answer could slow down the proposal's considerable momentum. "I don't support that," Snowe said.

Asked further whether she would participate in a filibuster on a bill with a public option, she went almost all the way. "I've said, I'm against a public option...yes...it would be difficult" to support allowing the bill to proceed to a vote.

Now what? If I was playing the Dem hand, I would start talking about reconciliation in response to this. To wit "if Republicans do not want to grab a mop on health care reform, then we will do what we have to do to fix it ourselves."

Speaking for me only

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Is President Snowe Threatening To Veto The Public Option? | 29 comments (29 topical)

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Maybe she'll filibuster, but Ben Nelson (5.00 / 2) (#2)
by andgarden on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 12:33:32 PM EST

is already on board. Assuming he's the hardest D get, she's basically irrelevant again. She should start thinking of another way to get her pound of flesh.

There's always Joe Lieberman (none / 0) (#3)
by magster on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 12:34:36 PM EST

for Snowe to rely on.


: For a guy who claimed to put (none / 0) (#5)
by andgarden on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 12:35:54 PM EST

principle over politics, he sure seems to act on spite pretty often.
I think he'll fall in line at the end.

She was very clear about this the day (none / 0) (#26)
by Inspector Gadget on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 03:20:04 PM EST

she voted for the Senate Finance Committee bill. She said if there is a public option in the final bill, she will vote NAY.


BTW, it's very important (5.00 / 1) (#4)
by andgarden on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 12:34:54 PM EST

to take the essential cloture vote BEFORE 11/3. We don't want Virginia (and god forbid, NJ), getting in the way.

Although waiting for the CBO's final (none / 0) (#7)
by oculus on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 12:37:08 PM EST

analysis seems like a good idea too.


No it doesn't (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by andgarden on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 12:37:59 PM EST

The impact of an election far outshines a CBO report.


But, since the non-final was favorable (none / 0) (#9)
by oculus on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 12:39:28 PM EST

to a bill w/a public option, wouldn't that be a good pressure point for rounding up the requisite no. of votes?


Yes votes today can become no votes tomorrow (5.00 / 1) (#11)
by andgarden on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 12:42:38 PM EST

If she has the votes, she should not delay. This will be a HARDER vote after the election (McDonnell is going to win big, and the beltway media will notice).


Deeds non-support for public option (5.00 / 1) (#12)
by magster on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 12:51:11 PM EST

should be shouted from the rooftops by Dems as the primary example of why Dems hate him and sat on their rumps on election day.


You know the "response" will be (none / 0) (#16)
by andgarden on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 12:55:08 PM EST

that he lost "even though" he moved right.

A loss is a loss, and trying to explain it away is a losing proposition. Just pass healthcare ASAP!


Not really (5.00 / 1) (#18)
by Big Tent Democrat on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 12:59:14 PM EST

The uproar has been huge and when the exit polls show DEMS not showing up for Deeds, it is going to be a hard spin.


: I'm not expecting an exit poll (5.00 / 1) (#21)
by andgarden on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 01:03:26 PM EST

I don't think there was one in 2005.
In any case, I expect the bloviators to confuse what actually happened with their preferred narrative.

Not if Corzine wins and Deeds loses (5.00 / 1) (#15)
by Big Tent Democrat on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 12:54:25 PM EST

: That's what I predict (none / 0) (#17)
by andgarden on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 12:55:57 PM EST

but I think Virginia will figure larger.
In any case, the reaction is a little unpredictable, so don't wait.

: Plus NY contest (none / 0) (#27)
by christinep on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 03:28:01 PM EST

Add the NY 23rd to the NJ gubernatorial contest. (A btw to anyone remotely expecting a cloture vote by 11/3...take a look at today's date.)

Good one: grab a mop. (5.00 / 1) (#6)
by oculus on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 12:36:07 PM EST

Let's see, candidate Obama sd. he would support a filibuster against FISA revise. Maybe he doesn't think Snowe is serious.

I'm old enough to remember when (5.00 / 3) (#13)
by Big Tent Democrat on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 12:53:46 PM EST

Ezra Kelin and Matt Yglesias said they would rather deal with Snowe than Ben Nelson on health care reform.

The list of bad calls by the Beltway Bloggers is getting embarrassing.

: Yup, I was hearing that one last week too (none / 0) (#14)
by andgarden on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 12:54:18 PM EST

A laugh riot.

Talk about reconciliation, not adding triggers (5.00 / 3) (#19)
by ruffian on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 12:59:54 PM EST

and also tell her, and the RepubliDems, they are not going to be players in other things coming down the pike. It will be a long term in the wilderness.

Time to make these people feel some pain.

Tell them if they don't vote for (5.00 / 2) (#20)
by oculus on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 01:01:55 PM EST

Dem HCR and it passes, their testoterone will decrease.


: I'm feeling particularly vindictive today (5.00 / 2) (#22)
by ruffian on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 01:05:58 PM EST

Just sick of these people running the show.

This is just ridiculous. (5.00 / 4) (#24)
by Anne on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 01:16:01 PM EST

And it's giving me a headache.

Is there no one willing to step up and lead the Democrats? Where the hell is Dick Durbin - isn't he the majority whip? Why is there not even a token attempt at focus and cohesion here?

Olympia Snowe, Ben Nelson - jesus. The freakin' stumpy tail is wagging the big bruiser dog, who apparently is unaware that he has teeth, for crying out loud, and a big bark to go with it, and is just paralyzed with fear and indecision.

Enough already.

The Democrats are incapable of understanding that to Republicans, "bipartisan" means "give us everything we want," and they're doing it again.

Again.

What we need is more wasabi, and all the Dems seems to be able to muster up is f**king Cream of Wheat.

Arrrrgh.

Impeach President Snowe (5.00 / 1) (#25)
by Faust on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 01:17:01 PM EST

President Snowe rules supreme (none / 0) (#1)
by MO Blue on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 12:33:02 PM EST

The worse bill evah (SnoweCare) is better than offending Snowe. :-)

She cannot filibuster (none / 0) (#10)
by BobTinKY on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 12:41:15 PM EST

unless a Democrat supports her.

Now would be a good time to organize a recall campaign in Maine. Anyoen know what the law is up there?

thanks for making this election (none / 0) (#23)
by cpinva on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 01:13:46 PM EST

more difficult for me than it already is. my choices boil down to:

mcconnel: wants to ensure no woman is treated like a full human being, and is committed to filling as many jail cells as he possibly can.

deeds: isn't comfy with ensuring that all va residents have access to good health care. why? couldn't tell ya. neither, i expect, can he.

another election where i hold my nose, as i walk into the voting booth.

Mebbe. President Snowe (none / 0) (#28)
by TeresaInSnow2 on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 07:02:27 PM EST

can do anything she wants. After all, she is presidents. And presidents ARE the law... ;-).

"President Snowe" is a scapegoat (none / 0) (#29)
by diogenes on Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 08:21:15 PM EST

There will be sixty Democratic senators when this issue comes up for a vote. If they can't pass whatever bill they want then it is a failure of Obama, Reid, and Pelosi to manage their own caucus.