Over at HuffPost, former LaborSec Robert Reich makes a cogent argument for how Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) voting against the Baucus bill gives life to the more progressive bills coming out of the House.
As counterpoint, in his interview with Ezra Klein this morning in The Washington Post, Sen. Jay Rockefeller points out that Snowe is being "hammered" by her Republican colleagues and that he hopes she holds up to put the "bi" in bipartisan.
The question becomes: Should we be helping with the hammering?
Reich gives two scenarios:
Scenario One: If Olympia Snowe votes in favor of Max Baucus's plan -- which is favored by the medical-industrial complex because it dramatically increases their customer base without a public option that squeezes their profits -- the Baucus plan will be the bill that goes to the Senate floor. Why? Because her vote will give enough political cover to waivering Dems Ben Nelson, Mary Landrieu, Jim Webb, and Evan Bayh to gain their support for the Baucus plan. Which means the White House and the Democratic leadership in the Senate will have a good chance to get the 60 votes they need when the bill goes to the Senate floor in a few weeks.
Scenario Two: If Snowe decides not to sign on, history moves in a very different direction. Most importantly, the Senate Dems know they won't possibly have 60 votes they need. So they'll have to say goodbye to bipartisanship -- perhaps even farewell to Nelson, Landrieu, Webb, and Bayh -- and bundle healthcare reform into a "reconciliation" bill that can pass with 51. This new goal post strengthens the hand of Senate progressives on the Finance Committee, like Rockefeller. It also gives more weight to the version of health care reported out by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension committee -- which includes a public insurance option, employer mandate, and more generous subisidies to the poor and lower middle class. Hence, the bill that goes to the Senate floor is much more progressive, and the final Senate's vote (with 51 votes) better reflects the values of the Democratic base.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/... for more details regarding the political chess involved.
Meanwhile, Sen. Rockefeller in the Klein interview says:
Klein:How do they do this to Snowe?
Rockefeller: They bring the hammer down on her, and I'm not going to say how. She's very strong, and she represents a very rural state that has gone blue. So I don't know what she's going to do, and I'll respect her whatever she does. But we need her vote, as Republicans filibuster every single amendment or item we bring out. We don't have 60 members right now. This is where Olympia becomes very important.
So, what do you think about Reich's logic? Might we be better off hoping and working for Snowe to remain resolutely partisan regarding the Baucus bill?