No Deal

by: Mike Lux

Thu Jul 30, 2009 at 17:30


Here's Mike Enzi:

We still have several areas where we haven't been able to come to a consensus. No deal is at hand and substantive issues, big and small, remain under discussion and need to be resolved.  We need to keep working together.

I will need to see complete language and a final estimate from the Congressional Budget Office before I can agree to any health care reform bill.

I also need commitments from Senator Reid and Speaker Pelosi, as well as the Administration, that the bipartisan agreements reached in the Finance Committee will survive in a final bill that goes to the President.

With this arrogant and laughably absurd statement (we will only consider exactly what I agree to and no more), Mike Enzi has finally made clear what a lot of us have been saying to Max Baucus all along: the Republicans are never going to deal in good faith, and this idea of a bipartisan bill is not going to happen. Democrats should move quickly now to pass a bill out of committee, and then go to the floor with a Democratic bill, and bone-crunching party discipline should be applied to get us past a filibuster attempt. It is time to move forward with a bill, end of story.  
Mike Lux :: No Deal

Tags: , , , , (All Tags)
Print Friendly View Send As Email
No Deal | 34 comments
Reid (4.00 / 4)
Unfortunately the combination of Harry Reid and "bone-crunching party discipline" in the samre paragraph is laughable.  Were you watching that old TV movie with Randy Quaid playing LBJ, Mike?  Watching the movie is about as close to bone crushing party discipline as Harry Reid can get.
. It is time to move forward with a bill, end of story. (4.00 / 1)
If only we knew what the bill actually was! (4.00 / 2)
But then that's been the problem all along, hasn't it?

I am in earnest -- I will not equivocate -- I will not excuse -- I will not retreat a single inch -- AND I WILL BE HEARD.  
[ Parent ]
Nah (4.00 / 1)
We can just promote a feeling. I mean, that's how Obama got elected--should work again, no?
[ Parent ]
LOL (0.00 / 0)
[ Parent ]
Until you see your Marian walking away, at least (4.00 / 1)

[ Parent ]
That would be logical if (4.00 / 2)
Baucus were acting in good faith.

He supported President Bush's trillion-dollar tax cut that mainly benefitted the wealthy in 2001, fought to add a prescription-drug benefit to Medicare (in language pushed by the Bush administration)

snip

Because of his generally moderate stances and ability to raise huge sums of money,  the liberal Nation has called Baucus "K Street's Favorite Democrat" and the American Prospect dubbed the lawmaker "Bad Max."Klein, Ezra, "The Sleeper of the Senate," The American Prospect, Nov. 6, 2008(1)Klein, Ezra, "The Sleeper of the Senate," The American Prospect, Nov. 6, 2008

http://www.whorunsgov.com/Prof...

I fear he is not.


Of course he's not acting in good faith, never has... (4.00 / 3)
That's his whole schtick. More drama makes for bigger bribes from his friends on K Street. Many in the Senate are masters at this (cough!-- DiFi--  cough!). The push back and forth pushes the money people to spew forth all the more in valuable cash and prizes. It also gives the Presstitutes something content-free to publish. It also helps keep the grassroots in a tizzy. So everyone's coiled like an overwound watch spring.

Damn if it doesn't work so incredibly well!


When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.

-- Frederic Bastiat, "The Law", 1850

[ Parent ]
I find this v. interesting, Mike: (4.00 / 1)
"... as finally made clear what a lot of us have been saying to Max Baucus all along..."

So your feeling is that Baucus is more stupid than he is corrupt?

Baucus's "Gang of 6" (4.00 / 7)
Including himself, Bingaman, Conrad, Enzi, Snowe and Grassley are a laughably undemocratic group to decide the final bill in backroom negotiations (a laughable concept if it wasn't being realistically proposed).

They represent, combined, 2 percent of the population of the country.

Just three of them come from states Obama won. Just one from a Kerry state. None of the Democratic negotiators come from a state that would be considered a blue state in 2005.

Does Enzi think he's king?  

John McCain: Beacuse lobbyists should have more power

Yes!!!!!!!!!!! (4.00 / 2)
Does Enzi think he's king?
[ Parent ]
The problem is not that Baucus comes from a small state (4.00 / 5)
Bernie Sanders comes from a small state.

The problem is that Baucus is owned by the insurance companies.

It's OK to use that talking point now; Pelosi OKed it.

I am in earnest -- I will not equivocate -- I will not excuse -- I will not retreat a single inch -- AND I WILL BE HEARD.  

[ Parent ]
Mike Mansfield was from a small population state (4.00 / 2)
He was majority leader when they passed Medicare.  
[ Parent ]
Good point, as is the point about Sanders (4.00 / 1)
It's not about population size, it's about Who Owns Whom.

That said, Mansfield was rather unique in a lot of positive ways unto himself, regardless of which state from which he came. Ditto for Sanders. I wish there were more "exceptions."

Fact is, huge states with tiny populations foster a level of corruption that is harder to get away with in more media concentrated states. Look at Udall in CO, as well as Bennett. Pretty amazing hubris there, especially given the state they are allegedly "serving."

AZ is so corrupt, that after many years of putting themselves up for sale, the pols there are putting the state capital building up for sale itself. While it seems deeply odd, it's actually perfectly consistent with the way they run government there.  

When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.

-- Frederic Bastiat, "The Law", 1850

[ Parent ]
I hate to tell you this (0.00 / 0)
but Medicare was bipartisan...most of it was drafted by a Republican.  
[ Parent ]
yes, but... (0.00 / 0)
that was back when Republicans placed country before party and were interested in governing and compromising.  Today's GOP is an entirely different beast unrecognizable to those who were around during the drafting of Medicare.
[ Parent ]
So you see why this isn't easy (0.00 / 0)
back then the Democrats had problems within their caucus too, the difference was, they had Republicans to negotiate with.  
[ Parent ]
democraticly elected representatives (0.00 / 0)
from states that make up 2 percent of the population should not be able to make policy without the consultation of the elected representatives from the other states.

Enzi's statement is fundamentally undemocratic. In a democracy laws have a process for getting passed, he wants to subvert that process and subvert democracy. If it was Sanders, Lehey, Dorgan, Whitehouse, Reed and Harkin it wouldn't be any better.

John McCain: Beacuse lobbyists should have more power

[ Parent ]
The Senate is undemocratic (0.00 / 0)
it was designed that way by our founding fathers...purposely...they didn't want the people with ALL the power.  
[ Parent ]
if the diaper shitting Dems LET him be king (0.00 / 0)
then he SHOULD be king.

BTW - at this point you could fire EVERY single Democrat the Senate and I wouldn't give a shit.

rmm

It is too full o' the milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way

[ Parent ]
What price did Baucus pay for enabling the Bush tax cuts? (4.00 / 6)
Baucus conduct in all of this is very reminiscent of his role as Finance Cmte Chair in going off and negotiating with the GOP to pass the Bush tax cuts, leaving the Democratic caucus in the dust.

Daschle told him he would never be forgiven for that.  Did I miss where Baucus paid a price for his self-serving shivving of his own party?

Why the fuck weren't Democrats talking about secret ballots for committee chairs back then?  Am I supposed to believe that this time they really really mean it?

This is all fucking kabuki. I won't believe any of the Democratic posturing unless I see healthcare reform done right and passed, and that includes a public option (Hamsher) and an accessible exchange (Klein).  At this point Obama and Reid will be happy to pass anything and get it off their plate.  Well anything ain't good enough.

You have learned well, Grasshopper... (4.00 / 2)
Yes, that's the whole point for these D-bags.

Get any bill, which doesn't actually benefit those of us that will lose our lives to sociopathic mindset that is the Insurance Industry, declare "Mission Accomplished!" and use that next election cycle to get reelected. Reform! Hoo Rah!

As for the committee chair thing, I wouldn't be so cynical just yet. This is a very new phenomena for Dems, especially in the Senate--in fact, I can't remember this level of insurrection ever occurring in the Senate Dem Caucus. So that's actually pretty damn interesting. In essence, Tom Harkin basically threatened Harry Reid. I would be most interested to see where this goes....... Progressives are threatening a hack reactionary Majority Leader? Um, that's a damn good idea.

But more generally, you're attitude is spot on. Skepticism is more than warranted and always will be.

So perhaps it all is Kabuki. But perhaps this is a kind of Kabuki that can  be latched onto. Some Kabuki is better than others...

When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.

-- Frederic Bastiat, "The Law", 1850

[ Parent ]
from the 'Progressive Backlash Over Health Care "Deal"' post (4.00 / 1)
The agreement Waxman reached with the four Blue Dogs would reduce the bill's cost by trimming eligibility for subsidies available to help the uninsured buy coverage; make it easier for private insurers to compete with a new, government-run "public plan"; and exempt more small businesses from requirements that employers cover their workers.

any idea what those things that "make it easier" are?

Rates (4.00 / 1)
the only real thing changed with the public plan is that it would have negotiated rates instead of Medicare rates which mostly just means doctors would be paid more and thus the public plan wouldn't be quite as cheap.

That's what the Progressive Caucus is stupidly drawing the line in the sand on. What it should really be doing is saying all biz should be able to buy into the public plan, make it a slow transition if they need to. But that should be in the bill. And add Wyden's Free Choice Act so if you are a individual you can opt for the exchange and buy the public plan instead of whatever you employer offers. You'd get a voucher for whatever your employer would have paid for you to help pay for the cost.  

John McCain: Beacuse lobbyists should have more power

[ Parent ]
TPM is reporting that negotiations are off... (4.00 / 1)
That Reid told Baucus that if there's no deal done by August 7th, then the whole thing is off and Reid's taking over...  The thought of Reid taking over makes me gag a bit, and it seems impossible that he'd follow through, but the GOP made its intentions very clear yesterday that they are deliberately sabotaging the bill...

Throw out Enzi, Grassley and replace them with two other republicans... Nelson and Lanrieu.... as Nate Silver said.. those are the people you need to be negotiating with....

REID: Voting against us was never part of our arrangement!
SPECTER: I am altering the deal! Pray I don't alter it any further!
REID: This deal keeps getting worse all the time!

baucus will never deal in good faith either (4.00 / 3)
he's one of the biggest whores in the senate.

Z

And that's an insult to whores! (4.00 / 4)
n/t

I am in earnest -- I will not equivocate -- I will not excuse -- I will not retreat a single inch -- AND I WILL BE HEARD.  
[ Parent ]
That's true (4.00 / 2)
Prostitutes sell themselves often just to survive while these congressional whores like baucus sell OTHER people's LIVES and HEALTH to get filthier rich.

Z

[ Parent ]
at least hookers screw the willing, unlike (4.00 / 3)
us getting screwed whether we like or not.

rmm.  

It is too full o' the milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way

[ Parent ]
Baucus (4.00 / 1)
the Republicans are never going to deal in good faith, and this idea of a bipartisan bill is not going to happen.

is that a bug or a feature?

It's a feature, not a bug. (0.00 / 0)
Just ask Harry Reid.

Or the Obama Administration.

When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.

-- Frederic Bastiat, "The Law", 1850

[ Parent ]
Remind me why NOW NOW NOW, since key features don't kick in 'til 2013? (4.00 / 4)
I mean, it's kind of a bizare pitch for Lux's upcoming midterms, if you think about it:

Elect more Democrats in 2010 because they're bringing you help in 2013!

Although "three more years" has a ring to it; where have I heard it before...  

I am in earnest -- I will not equivocate -- I will not excuse -- I will not retreat a single inch -- AND I WILL BE HEARD.  

it's a ploy that rahm got pushed thru the house ... (4.00 / 1)
... to help obama get re-elected in '12 ("if a republican wins the presidency, he'll repeal it in some way" will be the rallying cry) and also to keep the american people from realizing that the bill that the rahmbama team is helping to coerce thru congress will likely be much more helpful to their insurance company campaign contributors than to us.

Z

[ Parent ]
Yes, you're maths skills seem to be working just fine (0.00 / 0)
Much like Newton, you've discovered the Calculus Of Being Played.

We have to primary corrupt Dems in 2010. As many as possible. That's our only hope going forward.

When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.

-- Frederic Bastiat, "The Law", 1850

[ Parent ]
No Deal | 34 comments
Donate to Open Left







QUICK HITS

Friends of the Earth thanks the OpenLeft community for the ideas you generate and your contributions to the progressive movement.
As an anti-spam measure, there is a 24-hour waiting period after registering before new users can comment.
blog advertising is good for you
blog advertising is good for you
LIBERAL INSTITUTIONS
STATE BLOGS
SEARCH

   

Advanced Search

Home | RSS/XML Feed | Register | Contact

  © OpenLeft 2007-2009, Powered by SoapBlox