So now the filibuster begins?

[kentuck]

The 60 votes was needed to keep the debate going. Once the debate begins, they can ask that the bill be read in its entirety. They can propose numerous amendments. There are many ways to slow down the process, even if they cannot stop it.

Bring out the cots. I suspect we may see a "real" filibuster! The Republicans are ranting about what a mess it is. They are scheduled to vote on ending the debate at 8:00 pm. Then the fun begins...

[Taverner]

1. WILL Lieberman read from 'Atlas Shrugged'?

Or will he choose 'The Fountainhead' instead?

[Orrex]

2. Maybe he'll just masturbate on the senate floor

I mean, that's what he does any other time.

[madinmaryland]

4. Uhm. I think Holy Joe will be going rogue. At least the British version

of going rogue.

[kentuck]

5. Joe is going to vote to let the debate continue, right?

He doesn't have to vote for the bill. I assume he has promised Reid he would give him his vote tonight?

[AndyA]

15. He wishes he could masturbate. Viagra doesn't work for everyone, as Joe has discovered.

We all feel sorry for him. Really. We do. :eyes: ;)

[kentuck]

3. Good question!

I think Tom Harkin and Dick Durbin are ready to keep them up for a few days. Sleep deprivation will do miracles for the Republicans. We will see just how much they are willing to sacrifice for the insurance companies. They appear to be in shock, at the moment...

[rhett o rick]

11. Neither, the words are too big. Maybe Palin's book has words he understands. nt

[Taverner]

25. Lieberman is no dummy

He knows his shit

His shit just happens to be insane Evangelical Sympathy...

[notesdev]

6. "they can ask that the bill be read in its entirety"

Yikes! 2074 pages read in their entirety? If they have the right to demand that, it could be months before closure.

[GoCubsGo]

7. If they want to filibuster, now's the time.

Keep it going right over the Thanksgiving holiday. I double-dog dare you! Idiots. You think Harry Reid had that in mind when he called for the vote this weekend?

[kentuck]

8. The Tower of Babel crashed and landed on the floor of the US Senate...

And Nimrod Hatch is the leader of the babblers...

[Nikki Stone1]

9. Triptophan and the filibuster?

You can throw away the Ambien this weekend. :)

[kentuck]

10. We may see a fistfight ?!

This is gonna be fun to watch. :-)

I suppose the first Amendment the Repubs might want to add is the tort reform to limit lawsuits?

[rgbecker]

12. UH, I think the vote tonight is to start the debate. Reid has the votes.

The report is Harry has the 60 votes needed to get the bill on the floor. There will be lots of talk while Harry rounds up 60 votes to stop the debate and vote on the bill. Its stopping the debate, which probably won't be until Harry thinks he has the 60, that will be hard. Then the filibustering starts. I supposed if he doesn't ever get the vote commitment, he won't bring it to a vote....Or maybe he will, just so we can all see who doesn't want to help their neighbors get the care they need. The guess is it will be awhile to allow us to email, and harass people like Lieberman and Lincoln to get them to show how "Liberal" they are.

[kentuck]

13. The vote is scheduled to happen at 8 pm tonight..

isn't it? Then they start debate on the real bill.

[tritsofme]

14. Tonight we have a cloture vote on the motion to proceed.

The bill will still face another 60 vote test to end debate and bring it to an up or down vote on the floor.

[kentuck]

16. I see...

So they can talk about it for days, and then when they ask for the same 60 Senators to bring it to the floor for an "up or down vote", they can vote against it at that time and all the debate was for naught?

[tritsofme]

17. Pretty much.

This vote tonight is usually passed by unanimous consent, it usually non-controversial and does not face a 60 vote test.

The motion to proceed just allows the bill to be debated on the floor, where it will be amended, and be subject to other Republican delaying tactics.

At the end of this process Reid will file a cloture motion to end debate, and if he has 60 votes the bill goes to the floor for an up or down vote. Lieberman has threatened to oppose cloture at this point in the process. Under current Senate practice, if Reid doesn't have the 60 votes the bill is effectively blocked, Reid would have to explore passing a bill under reconciliation rules.

[kentuck]

18. I thought they were going to have a roll call vote at 8:00 pm...

to continue with the debate? If that happens, then the bill is debated, amendments added, phonebook read, etc? If that is not so, what happens after 8:00 pm tonight?

I think Harken has a plan to bring the bill up as soon as the Repubs slip off the floor to get a wink or two?

[tritsofme]

20. They will have the roll call vote on the motion to proceed tonight.

Then the bill is debated ect ect, then it faces another 60 vote test to end debate and move to an up or down vote.

Sorry if I confused.

[kentuck]

22. Ok?

Sixty votes to begin the debate and 60 votes to end the debate. Then they can vote on the bill?

[rgbecker]

23. That's it. God's speed, Harry!

[roakes10190]

19. filibuster

It is my understanding that Coburn gave up his idea of having the entire bill read in exchange for the last two days of debate with sides alternating.

[BadgerKid]

21. Will be on C-SPAN2

http://cspan.org/Watch/C-SPAN2.aspx

[quaker bill]

24. Filibuster begins

when they "call the question". (call for a vote on the bill). The filibuster is used to prevent a vote on the bill by having an unending debate. In the interim debate will proceed, when it stops, nobody knows. Debate proceeds in an orderly fashion until time to "call the question", then all bets are off.