The Rachel Maddow Show: Bayh Won't Filibuster Health Reform Debate
By Heather Friday Oct 30, 2009 8:00am
From The Rachel Maddow Show Oct. 29, 2009. Rachel reports that Evan Bayh is now walking back from his comments made on CBS News and has released this statement:
Senator Bayh will support moving forward to a health care debate on the Senate floor, where he will work hard to address his concerns and craft affordable legislation that reduces the deficit and lowers health care costs for Indiana families and small businesses.
Maddow: In other words according to his office's statement today Sen. Bayh is now promising to allow the bill to come to the floor, but would he still like Lieberman filibuster the final vote with Republicans? Would he block a majority vote on the final bill and force his party to get sixty votes to pass health reform instead of fifty? Well, exclusively this afternoon Sen. Bayh told us this.
He told us that his position on health reform is not the same as Sen. Lieberman. Sen. Bayh told us it is extraordinarily unlikely that he would filibuster health reform. He said there is nothing in the bill he is aware of now that would cause him to vote to filibuster and he said that he currently "can't think of a set of circumstances under which he would vote against cloture.
What does this mean? It means that it's been a very big 24 hours for health reform. Sen. Bayh's statement as of 24 hours ago indicated that he had walked through the door that Joe Lieberman had opened--that he was willing to go even further than Joe Lieberman—not only willing to filibuster the final bill on health reform, but to filibuster any debate as well, both of those perceived threats from Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana have been walked way back. Which means that Joe Lieberman stands alone—Joe Lonely.
And round and round we go. Lieberman needs to be stripped of his chairmanship and as I said in my post yesterday, if Joe Lieberman wants to filibuster his own caucus, break out the cot and the diapers Joe.
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The bus went over the cliff three years ago. We're just trying to have a softer landing.
If you can't spell "bus" correctly, maybe you shouldn't get to come up with catchy names for your interpretations of bills.
about 8 years ago?
was the coma refreshing?
Bayh's wife is on the board of Wellpoint. LIEberman's wife is a lobbyist for Big Pharma. This is some kind of sick joke.
No. It's called crony capitalism married to Mickey Mouse government.
how many shares of Wellpoint stock Mrs. Bayh sold yesterday.
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ir?s=WLP
Looks like she does not own any shares of the company right now. Which is odd for someone on the board..
I'd say that in any normal circumstance, Bayh wouldn't give a crap about his vote, but with the heat (although still not enough heat) that is being directed at the health insurance companies, it's just his sort of position with a wife on the WellPoint board that could bring a ton of bricks on his head unless he's fairly careful.
Remember, Indiana went with Obama this year. First democrat president to win that state in decades.
Lie-berman will fold like a house of cards.
He doesn't have the nads to really make any kind of an unpopular stand. Few politicians do.
The man bucked his entire party (and all that's decent) to stump for McCain/Palin, and seems to take positive delight in angering the Democratic Party who he thinks rejected him. My bet is he works with his enablers in the GOP to block reform.
Reid finally threatens to pull his chairmanship and seniority.
Joe will fall in line IMMEDIATELY at that point.
The only reason Joe should have those positions is b/c he is in lockstep with the Dems. The moment he casts a vote elsewhere, or filibusters, they should be gone.
Then poor Joe can only cry and whine on Sunday TV, powerless and unre-electable.
Both sides want to drag it out with the ups and downs driving donations. . .
It is always about the $$$$$
These two and their criminal conduct is so offensive why doesn't everybody see the criminal conflict of interest with their positions on HEALTH CARE? $1,000,000 dollars a month for their CONFLICT OF INTEREST...AND NOBODY IS PRESSING CHARGES? The trickery is obvious. Two American Senators, on the take, on the senate floor, obviously flaunting the apathy. Not arresting all four of these crooks is criminal also. How do I go about pressing charges that will work? THIS IS OFFENSIVE!
Although we seldom see meaningful investigations into politicians.
Then if they do investigate - I'd expect a strongly worded letter or heaven forbid - a senatorial censure.
Actual prosecutions - not bloody likely
no, dems will not be able to convince jolten joe to return thru the door.
he supported mccain/palin n/t
As much as I hate to say it, we should be applauding Joe for standing up against this bill: 1,500 pages of insurance industry protections. The house bill is even worse, 2,000 pages, and the public option is called a high-risk pool, with no stated premiums.
Traitor Joe is dead wrong, as usual, but in this case his action is beneficial. People are so desperate for insurance reform that they think that ANYTHING this corrupt congress passes will be an improvement. I don't think so.
HR 676. 27 pages, universal health care.
"that's what i'm talkin' about!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh_9QhRzJEs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHNY4juwbeg
He's a republican... DUMP HIM!!!
How much money from the pharma companies do think its worth to JJL- (Guess what the second J is for) to be the most important vote in delaying this decision? This man's entire 2 year mission has been nothing less than a calculated lobbyist-money-making self promoting scheme. JJL is the biggest crook in the Senate,
Remember the cartoon where Sylvester goes to hell and the cat devil gives him one last chance to be nice to all those mice and birds. And you just know it’s not going to happen. It’s the same story with Lieberman. If you didn’t see this coming, there is something wrong with you.
We can always count on him to suck.
Democrats Win Super-Super-Majorities; Lieberman Keeps Chairmanship
by Liberal Media
In election results that stunned the centrist personalities on FOX News, the Democrat Party gained seats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate on Tuesday. Analysts attribute the results to the public's frustration with the Democrats' inability to achieve real health care reform in the face of Republican opposition, which was strong despite the party's minority status. Nevertheless, most Democrats remain confident in the obstructionism of the other side.
"Oh no, we won't have to do anything," said Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN), "The Republicans are very good at the job we need them to do, so I'm not really worried."
Asked whether the Senate's new 77-seat Democratic majority would alter any seniority or leadership positions, especially that of the controversial chairmanship awarded to Joe Lieberman (D?-CT) Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said, "No, I don't think so. I trust Joe, and he's a fantastic legislator. He won't be harming our caucus in any way, and he'll keep his chairmanship."
In response to concerns that Sen. Lieberman might convince newer Senators to join him in propping up Republican filibusters in order to reach the necessary 40-vote threshold, Reid retorted, "I don't think he'll do anything like that. But if he does, I can take away his chairmanship." Reid then strove mightily to repress his own laughter.
In a rare moment of candor, Lieberman himself said, "You don't seem to understand. You could give the Democrats 100% of the seats in both chambers, and we'd just bring in mirrors, and debate with ourselves. And we'd lose that debate," adding, "Print that and I'll deny having said it."
Referring to her new 324-seat majority, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) commented, "It is wonderful isn't it? But I do admit, it's going to be hard to keep making excuses."
Asked whether his now-shrunken caucus worried him, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) said, "Please. That very question is unamerican, and I'll be working on a bill to have you imprisoned for asking it. It'll be the Free Speech Protection Act of 2010. And it'll pass, believe me. All I have to do is cry."
"..if Joe Lieberman wants to filibuster his own caucus, break out the cot and the diapers Joe."
Please.PUH-LEASE let it happen.
Force this sniveling prick to filibuster so his own constituents can get a nice long look at the real Joe-Mentum.
Ya, call the bluff obviously, but ya i want to see it!
Joe is playing "what, me worry?" with his soul. He may wear that smile all the way to hell if he's not careful.
Joe LIEberman is following the path of least resistance. Is the path of least resistance for joe LIEberman going to be the people or the lobbyists this time? That is the question.
Starting with - what will Joe LIEberman's path of least resistance be tomorrow? will he be pushed harder by lobbyists or by the good people.
letter to ms maddow: i thought earlier this week you (with guest Glenn Greenwald of Salon et al) not just alluded to activities on the part of the industry in play here by the most very eminent honorable right mr bayh, or more specifically his wife, as regards her various board/director/stock/compensation background in health care and THE OBVIOUS CONFLICT OF INTEREST of mr bayh. as i recall, the outrage was palpable.
stopping short of outright corruption charges, why cannot anyone raise the issue directly on the floor of either body, that player after player after player in the great lie that says universal access to single payer care WILL NEVER HAPPEN maintains vested interests in preventing THEIR PIMPS the health lobby from getting knicked by us, the great unwashed
i demand the same plan my elected representatives have and i agree to pay the same they do: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING
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