A Holdout (Landrieu) Will Support Democrats’ Health Bill

[Syrinx]

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats moved to the brink of a crucial preliminary victory on major health care legislation as Senator Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana, one of two last holdouts, announced on Saturday afternoon that she would vote in favor of bringing the bill to the floor for weeks of full debate.

Ms. Landrieu’s remarks, shortly before 1 p.m., came as Democrats made a forceful case for legislation to revamp the nation’s health care system, condemning the practices of insurers and decrying the plight of the uninsured in a parade of floor speeches aimed at cementing party unity ahead of a first crucial vote.

“I have decided there are enough significant reforms and safeguards in this bill to move forward, but much more work needs to be done.” said Ms. Landrieu, whose decision left Senator Blanche Lincoln, Democrat of Arkansas, as the only member of the Democratic caucus yet to commit to support opening formal debate.

She said that her vote on Saturday should not be construed as an indication of how she might ultimately vote on the bill. “It is a vote to move forward to continue the good, and essential, and important and imperative work that is underway,” Ms. Landrieu said.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/22/health/policy/22health.html?_r=1&emc=na

[Zoeisright]

1. Sounds like someone finally got through her thick skull.

About time you started voting like a Democrat, Ms. Landrieu.

[marshall]

3. Money well spent

Hopefully it's all downhill from here.

[stray cat]

6. A 100 million dollar bribe seems to help her thought processes

[glinda]

10. that is right

[Lurks Often]

18. ugh

the actual amount seems to be $300 million. And if a Republican had accepted a $300 million dollar bone for a vote, we'd be screaming our heads off.

[peacetalksforall]

9. Thick is right.

[jkshaw]

2. A grandstand to beat all grandstands

[xxqqqzme]

4. She who was too busy

to visit the free clinic held in New Orleans.

She makes me sick!

[wisteria]

5. This was a difficult decision for her to make. She risked her senate seat in making this decision.

The Repub wolves will likely paint her position and spin her as badly as they can. I am please she stepped up to the plate and made a difficult but thoughful decision.

[bluestateguy]

11. She's up in 2014

Only the hard core teabaggers will still care by then, and they weren't voting for her anyway.

[DatManFromNawlins]

14. False.

This will be a huge issue in Louisiana. Many conservatives were willing to vote for Mary (despite, in their minds, that she's a leftist) because she works so hard on getting money for re-building after Katrina and wetlands protection and restoration. I doubt they will be willing to overlook this. I would not be at all surprised if the state of Louisiana is represented by two Republicans come 2014.

And the $300M or so that she could potentially get from this is a drop in the bucket. Add 2 0's to that number and then people might blink. As it is, there's a pending class action lawsuit with up to 100,000 plaintiffs against the Army Corps of Engineers that might rack up hundreds of billions of dollars against that particular organization.

[Iowa]

12. Risking a Senate seat to serve one's country and constituents is a minimum requirement of the job...

Praising this turd for serving the interests of the corps (at the expense of the people), and then caving at the last minute, doesn't pass muster. And it sure as hell wasn't "thoughtful" or "stepping up to the plate". Such praise should be reserved for the likes of Dennis Kucinich or Alan Grayson. There's no credit to be given here... doing so sets the bar FAR too low. This country will remain in the shitter until voters demand more of their representatives. And this particular Senator, in this specific instance, is barely one step ahead of tar and feathers.

[wisteria]

16. She represents the people of her state first and the people there are opposed to this.

And, it just isn't a seat, with it goes the ability to do more for the state she loves. Kuchinich doesn't risk his seat by voting as he does, I believe his seat is safe. I stand by my comments. She took more of a risk voting yes today than Kuchinich ever would voting his own opinion.

[earcandle]

7. Go Girl! Stand up for your party.

[Hawkeye-X]

8. I understand that Lincoln is going to vote YES

per some unnamed source.

So that REALLY leaves the only egomaniac to deal with. Joe I. Lieberman.

What a disgusting person.

Hawkeye-X

[Dogmudgeon]

13. Mary Landrieu lives with Katrina. Every. Single. Day.

$100 million will only BEGIN the job which has gone neglected for too long.

I don't understand why there has been such a dog pile on Landrieu and Lincoln, who have some very dicy local circumstances to work through. It's Baucus and Nelson we should be flogging.

--d!
Vive La Landrieu! Vive Nouvelle Orleans!

[ThisThreadIsSatire]

15. Headline here, as in NY Times, is misleading...

to equate vote to allow debate with 'support' is entirely, and irresponsibly as well as dangerously, inaccurate...

[classysassy]

17. Another fraud

Those crooks or clowns,what ever you want to call the people that lie and pretend to represent the voters,but we all know they accept political contributions from the crooks that continue to screw the public,big business continue to bribe those elected officials and we the people continue returning them to congress,SHAME,SHAME,ON US,we need to rid this country of those criminals.