In an article from yesterday's Washington Post that describes the increasing support among Senate Democrats to use reconciliation to pass health-care reform, is this from Arlen Specter:
But Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.), a moderate Republican, warned that adopting reconciliation would be "a colossal mistake." Democrats remain two votes short of a filibuster-proof 60-vote majority in the Senate, and Specter is a key swing vote.
"There are those of us on this side of the aisle who have cooperated" Specter said. "I think it fair to say that to misuse the reconciliation process would be a very strong blow against bipartisanship and cooperation. Obviously, it would impede future activity by the Obama administration in reaching across the aisle to get necessary Republican votes."
Well, this is quite the conundrum, isn't it? Democrats can either water down the bill to get Arlen Specter's grudging approval and call it bipartisanship ... or they can enact actual health-care reform. What to do, what to do ...