Praying Lieberman Does Not Alter This Deal Any Further

Peter Suderman | December 15, 2009

In response to Joe Lieberman's concerns and pressure from the White House to negotiate a deal quickly, Senate Democrats have dropped the Medicare buy-in that they'd negotiated in exchange for dropping the public option. Progressives had long pushed the line that the most liberal legislators might refuse to vote for a bill without a public option or some significant concession to replace it, but at least in the Senate, this was never very convincing: Liberals were almost certain to favor any sort expansion of insurance, meaning moderates always held the power. Now, hated as he is by ardent liberals, Lieberman basically holds the option to make or break health care — or change the deal to suit his whims. In other words, right now, Senate health care negotiations bear a close resemblance to this:

Hat tip to Patterico's Karl for the reference.

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Fist of Etiquette|12.15.09 @ 11:12AM|#

With no Republican defectors, each and every other senator has the power to alter or kill the deal. I can't believe they haven't realized it yet.

(Or they have, and the concessions they're getting for their votes aren't the kind you brag about to constituents.)

¢|12.15.09 @ 11:43AM|#

With no Republican defectors,

There are two available. Inventing a deal that half-satisfies them both or wins Lieberman back along with Snowe might be the holdup.

The anti-Lieberman journalistic wave that's been authorized for today suggests they're shooting for a Republican-defector deal. These concessions to cranky Joe aren't for him. He's only to blame for them.

|12.15.09 @ 10:51AM|#

Look for Obama to lean heavy on the black caucus to support an optionless bill. Even with them on board, there might be enough hard lefties in the house to kill it.

Johnny Longtorso|12.15.09 @ 10:54AM|#

We live in a world where Glenn Beck's paranoid rantings are (much) more accurate than the evening news, and I'm cheering on Joe Lieberman.

I'm betting my 401K on the Detroit Lions next year.

|12.15.09 @ 11:19AM|#

Aynone else who'd rather live under The Emperor's/Vader's oppressive rule, or is it just me?

bmp1701|12.15.09 @ 11:23AM|#

Hey, at least they seemed to be able to keep a balanced budget. And the starcruisers were on time.

Johnny Longtorso|12.15.09 @ 11:23AM|#

Palpatine seemed to allow privately owned FTL ships, blasters, artificial intelligence, etc.

|12.15.09 @ 11:27AM|#

But there was plenty of smuggling going on that wasn't connected to the Rebellion. Indicates that there were products illegal enough and desired enough for the smuggling premium to be worth it.

Sounds oppressive to me.

SKR|12.15.09 @ 11:29AM|#

or onerous taxation

bmp1701|12.15.09 @ 11:37AM|#

However, you could always move to Tatooine, which was an anarchist paradise. Nothing except a fat crime lord living far off in the desert.

|12.15.09 @ 12:32PM|#

I met him in a swamp down in Degoba, where it babbles all the time like a giant, carbonated soda...S-O-D-A. soda...I saw the little runt sitting there on a log; I asked him his name and in a raspy voice he said Yoda...Y-O-D-A. Yoda...

|12.15.09 @ 12:49PM|#

Not true. There were storm troopers in Mos Eisley before R2D2 and C3PO went missing. It was a far strung outpost, but not beyond the grasp of the Empre.

|12.15.09 @ 1:24PM|#

The dude had a Death Star! Why would he care if people had a few blasters?

|12.15.09 @ 5:27PM|#

Hey, zero unemployment. As long as you don't mind wearing white.

|12.15.09 @ 12:15PM|#

But they all want Lieberman to take the fall for it.

Joe_D|12.15.09 @ 11:15AM|#

Huh, I read that as "*Paying* Lieberman Does Not Alter This Deal Any Further"... so he's above bribes.

What do you call a text mondegreen?

|12.15.09 @ 11:16AM|#

I'm not riding a f***n unicycle.

eb|12.15.09 @ 11:37AM|#

while we're drawing lieberman anologies... http://totallylookslike.com/20.....lieberman/

travis|12.15.09 @ 12:21PM|#

give this man a job I think he gets it

|12.15.09 @ 11:44AM|#

I suspect that clip is a fairly accurate depiction of the Ascended One's little get-together with the FatCats.

Mike M.|12.15.09 @ 11:54AM|#

It looks as though Reid has caved and Lieberman got what he wanted, and a deal may officially be done.

|12.16.09 @ 1:48AM|#

Actually, ANY Senate Democrat has the power to alter the deal in any way he or she wants.

They just have to have the balls / ovaries to fucking walk away if they don't get what they want.

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