Last night — this morning — while most of us slept the Senate voted to stop reading amendments aloud in the Senate Chamber, to stop showing posters made by Senate aides, to stop the endless prattle about everything under the sun. The Republican senators are not so happy about the end of the circus. Delaying the vote was the last strategy to prevent health care reform from happening.
While this move is hailed by some as a victory, I must remind everyone that the split was right along party lines. The vote isn’t the endgame. It is the first step. Between now and Christmas Eve senators can change their minds, get sick, or any number of other catastrophes that could kill the bill.
Between now and the vote we can only hope, for those who still are enthusiastic about the health care deformed bill, that no one goes rogue. Of course, there is little to trade away. The Democrats found themselves fighting a revolt within the party that forced them to give the key to the health care store to a favored few. Among those who benefited from hostage taking are Senator Ben Nelson and Senator Joe Lieberman.
Even if the Senate bill finally passes, and it probably will, the Senate version of health care reform and the version offered up by the House will have to be reconciled. There are major differences in the two versions of health care reform. But, for now we know that the House has proffered up a bill and the Senate is almost ready to do the same.
It will be interesting to see how the reconciliation goes and if, by chance, the President will have the opportunity to claim a health care victory in the State of the Union address. That is still hanging in the balance — by a thread.
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