Those who thought the eviscerated health care bill finally had the votes to clear the magical bipartisan 60 vote hurdle need think again. President Snowe says no:
SCHIEFFER: Let me ask you this. It's my understanding that, even after Leader Reid announced that he had the 60th vote, the 60 votes he needs, you met again with President Obama. What was -- what was that about?
SNOWE: Correct. The president, you know, and I have -- have worked together on this issue. And I applaud him for, you know, his knowledge, his grasp of the issue. It's his major and highest domestic initiative, on this issue, and he wants to get it done this year, and encouraging me to support the legislation.
And as I indicated to him, I'll continue to work through, our House and Senate conference, but the legislation that is pending -- this process denies us the ability to thoroughly and carefully and deliberately evaluate what is at stake. I mean, we're talking about reordering $33 trillion over the next 10 years.
SCHIEFFER: Well, do you -- was the reason for this meeting -- was he asking you to vote for this thing when it comes out of conference? Is that what it was?
SNOWE: No, it was the pending legislation.
SCHIEFFER: But you told him you couldn't?
SNOWE: That I had -- yes, that I had problems, because the process is denying me and others, for that matter, the opportunity to amend it, on a big bill.
Why Christmas? There's no magic deadline. This "beat the clock" is really overruling legislative sanity.
And anyone who thought the bill would be improved in conference also needs think again.
Kent Conrad:
It is very clear that the bill, the final bill, to pass in the United States Senate is going to be -- have to be very close to the bill that has been negotiated here. Otherwise you will not get 60 votes in the United States Senate.
And Emperor Nelson:
Mr. Nelson, at a news conference, described the components of his agreement with Senate leaders as crucial to his continuing support. And he warned that he would vote against the bill if House and Senate negotiators make changes he does not support.
Mr. Nelson was careful to say that his warning was not a threat, just the facts of a complex situation. And he indicated that he had assurances of something that most assuredly cannot be found in any civics textbook: "a limited conference between the Senate and the House."...
"Without in any way intending to be threatening, to be more in the mode of promising," Mr. Nelson said, "let me be clear, this cloture vote is based on the full understanding that there will be a limited conference between the Senate and House. If there are material changes in that conference report different from this bill that adversely affect the agreement, I reserve the right to vote against the next cloture vote. Let me repeat it. I reserve the right to vote against the next cloture vote if there are material changes to this agreement in the conference report. And I will vote against it, if that is the case."
The only thing being reformed, right now, is the meaning of the word "reform."