I think the Dems should have NY-23 Owens cast the 218th vote for the House healthcare reform bill

[HughMoran]

In fact, it looks like the Dems may indeed need Owens' vote to put them over the top.

I hope they rub it in just a little :)

[Saturday]

1. Great idea IMO. nt

[Selatius]

2. It would help if the Public Option were strengthened a lot more before that vote is cast.

Otherwise, we're just shooting ourselves in the foot in the long-run as far as providing affordable care to all Americans.

[emulatorloo]

4. Both Medicare and Social Security were expanded after initial passage n/t

[HughMoran]

5. lol

ok :freak:

[Imajika]

3. HAHA !!

Oh that would be so incredibly awsome. Let the tally sit at 217 for awhile and then have Owens cast the last vote in favor ;)

Then Pelosi can make a point of mentioning how this is exactly the point she was making when she said the Democrats did fine from her perspective in these elections. She can so rub salt in the festering wound that is the Palin/Beck NY 23 fiasco if she did that. Oh I so want this to happen now.

[HughMoran]

7. Uh-huh

Exactly what Pelosi should do IMO. What could be more satisfying than claiming that healthcare reform that we've been fighting for for 1/2 century was passed as a result of Republican infighting? :)

[bluestateguy]

6. That would look real nice

But I doubt that will happen.

He is still a freshman in a marginal, swing district. It's best if he just quietly votes yes.

No Democrat who might have a tough race next year wants to have filmed footage from C-SPAN of him/her casting the actual 218th vote used again and again in campaign ads. The best thing to do is just have a member who is in a safe district, who we know will vote yes, hold his/her vote back until they have 217, then pull the trigger.

[1]

8. ummm... you do know owen's stand on hcr don't you?

"Owens took a decidedly moderate line on health care restructuring, saying he does not support a public option available to anyone..."

you might want to read this:

http://www.observer.com/4850/meet-bill-owens-dccc-approved-non-democrat-house

[HughMoran]

10. Ummm, they just showed him sworn in on Olbermann while mentioning that he's commited to voting for

the bill.

Ooops!

[1]

11. i don't know, bud. it doesn't sound like dude is committed to anything...

[HughMoran]

13. So they told a lie on Olberman when they stated he was going to vote for the bill?

Interesting - not sure why they would lie...

[spanone]

9. i'm just amazed at how much has been made over the governorships...NY23 was the big story

[Imajika]

12. Well...

..losing NJ was kinda bad since Obama had been up there as recently as Sunday campaigning for him and it is a pretty blue state. But it's pretty clear Corzine was about as popular as a bad case of diarrhea and losing wasn't exactly shocking. Virginia is...well Virginia. It is still mostly a red state and Deeds was not a very good candidate.

I don't think it is smart to dismiss losing those Governorships as bad as we did, but NY 23 has more real, immediate impact. The Democrats have some tough votes coming up and will need every vote we can get. NY23 gives us one more on many issues.

Sadly, there is a negative to our winning that seat. Had the Palin/Beck candidate won, it would have encouraged all sorts of third party conservative candidates in 2010. They might have learned a lesson from this which is to at least keep the infighting within their primaries.

[HughMoran]

15. I doubt the right-wing "teabagger" crew learned anything

I think that people are so divided and isolated in this country (heck, even DU can't agree on anything any more) that they will simply lick their wounds and try harder next time.

[ChicagoSuz219]

14. Love that idea!! :-) nt