August 22, 2009
Tom Daschle: Screwing the public may be the only way.

Posted at 1:02 pm, in: Health Care
Tags: Barack Obama, Filibuster, Tom Daschel

Tom Daschle says the budget process may be the only for Dems to pass health care:

Following a morning meeting with President Barack Obama, former Sen. Tom Daschle told POLITICO that passing a health care bill through the filibuster-proof budget process could be the Democrats’ key to success.

“That’s not the best way, but that could be the only way,” said the Senate’s former top Democrat who has an expertise in the arcane rules of the upper chamber.

In a sign that the tactic is under consideration in the White House, Daschle said “that came up” in the meeting with Obama but wouldn’t say how the president viewed it.

“I’ll let him speak for himself,” said Daschle, who was Obama’s first choice for Health and Human Services secretary before tax problems dogged his nomination earlier this year.

Top Republicans have vowed to do battle with Democrats if they choose to pass a health care bill through the budget reconciliation process, which cannot be filibustered in the Senate. Since only a simple majority is needed for passage, rather than 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, the tactic would substantially reduce the power of Republicans and a handful of moderate Senate Democrats to stop the bill.

Democrats say they don’t prefer going that route. But they certainly have the option because Congress approved provisions in the $3.5 trillion budget blueprint this spring that instruct policy-writing committees to find a certain amount of deficit savings; Democrats have signaled they may pass a health care bill to do that.

This means, if they can’t get enough votes to pass this bill that the American public has pretty clearly stated it does not want, they are going to work it in during the budgeting process in a move that can’t be blocked by pesky votes or filibusters. Attention America: you will get this bill whether you like it or not. The Democrats think that you’re all morons and they know what’s best for you, even if you don’t.

Look, most of us dislike both parties. Let’s say that we all vote out all incumbents as soon as we get the chance and try to start fresh. If the new ones don’t work, we’ll vote them out. And, eventually, maybe the system will improve when people realize they can’t make a career out of abusing the power we give them.