Is the Baucus bill picking up steam? Eh, not so much. But it showed a little more signs of life today when self-styled moderates including hypercentrist Joe Lieberman and the most courted Senator in Washington, Olympia Snowe were among a group to praise Baucus's efforts. Yesterday, Snowe seemed to criticize them. So today's slight praise of the bill seemed to add to the feeling that there was something that might get built upon. Of course, it's not enough to appease most Democrats who think the bill is a big sell out to insurance interests. Last night, Keith Olbermann was fairly apoplectic over the bill. Since the measure has no public option and is cheaper than other packages, it's considered a big bust. But maybe there's at least the beginning of a conversation to be had here. Meanwhile, the president held a big rally in College Park, Maryland this morning to tout the bill. But the crowd, filled with Democratic supporters of the president and folks shipped in by health care groups, booed Baucus and one sign lampooned Kanye West: "Thanks Obama and Imma let you finish but Canada had the best health care of all time." Such are the pressures from left and right on the president as he tries to hold all Democrats together and peel off a couple of Republicans.
Still betting that nothing passes or a very stripped down bill that makes Baucus look liberal. But we'll see.
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Sep 17 2009, 4:10 pm







This is silly. Something very much like the Baucus bill (or maybe even just every so slightly more generous in subsidies) will pass. This is just the venting stage, so that liberals can show their base what they care about. As Barney Frank once said, sometimes you need to let the kids run away from home...
Hey Matthew, the Baucus bill is not considered a bust because it's cheaper - where did you get that idea? But yes, the failure to include a public option is a failure. The absence of a public option in the bill is only part of the epic fail that is Baucus and his cowardly, unambitious, bill. Wyden and Rockefeller highlighted a number of reasons why the Baucus bill is a failure - why don't you take a look at what they said?