Pelosi: 'Once we kick through this door,' more reform will follow

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

f you have any doubt that the Democratic leadership of the House views passing the current health care reform bill as the beginning, not the end, of the process of creating a national government health care system, just note what Speaker Nancy Pelosi told a group of bloggers on Monday.

"My biggest fight has been between those who wanted to do something incremental and those who wanted to do something comprehensive," Pelosi said, according to an account by Washington Post reform advocate Ezra Klein. "We won that fight, and once we kick through this door, there'll be more legislation to follow."

But since the current bill is unpopular, and Pelosi at the moment does not have enough Democratic, much less Republican, votes to pass it, the door she will be kicking through is the back door.

Pelosi told the bloggers she favors using the "self-executing rule" strategy in which the House would pass the Senate health care bill without going on the record as specifically voting for it. "I like it," Pelosi said of the scheme, "because people don't have to vote on the Senate bill."

The strategy of passing the Senate bill while avoiding a direct vote, writes Klein, "is all about plausible deniability for House members who don't want to vote for the Senate bill."

In a particularly Alice-in-Wonderland moment, Pelosi argued that the debate over health care reform can begin after the bill is passed.

"Pelosi said passing the bill would allow Dems to undertake a 'debate' with Republicans over 'what is the balanced role that government should have,'" writes another pro-reform blogger at the Post, Greg Sargent. According to Sargent, Pelosi explained, "We have to take it to the American people, to say, this is the choice that you have. This is the vision that they have for your health and well being, and this is the vision that we have."

Again, in Pelosi's scenario, that debate would occur after the bill is passed.

Finally, Pelosi downplayed statements from her own team that she does not yet have the votes to pass the national health care measure. On "Meet the Press" Sunday, Democratic Whip Rep. James Clyburn said, "No, we don't have them as of this morning."

Meeting with the bloggers, Pelosi said, "The reason [Clyburn] said that is we don’t have a bill yet."

In the end, the Speaker declared, "I have no intention of not passing this bill."

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Pelosi-Once-we-kick-through-this-door-more-reform-will-follow-87741467.html#ixzz0ikBDYQNq

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Good. It's an imperfect bill and should not be the end of the process. It's a long overdue step in the right direction. And as we all know, every long journey starts with the first step. They better keep working on making the heal care system work. It surely isn't working as it is.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Good. It's an imperfect bill and should not be the end of the process. It's a long overdue step in the right direction. And as we all know, every long journey starts with the first step. They better keep working on making the heal care system work. It surely isn't working as it is.

Quite correct. Next weekend they will vote on the reeducation camps...oops! That already passed today. Welcome to the UPSA*!

*United Progressive States of America

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Quite correct.

Yes it is. I'm going to ignore the panic driven irrational portion of your post. Try to get some rest.

[Mark&Gladys 0]

Quite correct. Next weekend they will vote on the reeducation camps...oops! That already passed today. Welcome to the UPSA*!

*United Progressive States of America

The most terrifying 9 words in the English language: I'm from the government and I'm here to help. Ronald Reagan. They have now been changed to: I have no intention of not passing this bill. Nancy Pelosi

The USA desperately needs health care reform - but this bill is NOT it. We need real leadership in WDC and real change that stimulates jobs, includes tort reform and encourages free enterprise. We don't need more bureaucracy, centralized socialized health care and higher taxes. Pelosi is an embarrassment to the US legislative process and Obama and company are out of control and in way over their heads - even the Democratic party is waking to that reality.

Another Ronald Reagan quote: The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would steal them away. The Obama administration is composed of 90+% academics and bureaucrats - by far the largest percentage in history. Is anyone surprised by that? God help us for the next 3 years - we're going to need it.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

The USA desperately needs health care reform - but this bill is NOT it.

Which bill IS it, then?

[Pooky 3,792]

Which bill IS it, then?

They haven't even got close to the right Bill, yet.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

They haven't even got close to the right Bill, yet.

Which one?

[Pooky 3,792]

Which one?

You're smarter than that.

Anyone who thinks that incremental change to this sham of a Bill is going to happen, after the mess that we are currently faced with taking as long as it has, needing as many shady deals as it has just to get close to having enough votes in a party with such a majority and with the public so against the Bill that might get passed tomorrow, is smoking crack.

The Democrat leadership will try to make everyone believe this is the first step, when they know that this is very likely the last, for a very long time. November will see to that.

[natty bumppo 297]

"Arbeit macht frei"

[JimandChristy 1,689]

The USA desperately needs health care reform - but this bill is NOT it.

Well the health care industry in this country for the past 40 yrs has constantly been tinkered with, minor changes made hoping it would provide better quality care. Problem is now the care system is so broke just tinkering with it is no longer feasible (Which the Republicans want to do). It needs a major overall, right from the bottom up, which is what this debate has been all about. The whole legislative process has been going on for over a year, the bill you have right now is the best bill you are going to get. It is not a perfect bill but this is partially down to political reasons rather than health care reasons.

The Republicans were invited to the table, made far more amendments to the bill than the Dems and still weren't happy. Not once did they try to compromise, the dems did, they allowed buying across state lines, they dropped the public option etc etc. I don't think they even had any intention of trying to fix the system in the first place but rather score political points in trying to regain power. They were in power from 2000-2008 but where was their ideas of overhauling the health care system then? All of a sudden they seem to care or did they ever?

Edited March 21, 2010 by JimandChristy

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

"Arbeit macht frei"

So does blind obedience.

Dog, can we get a translation into German... or Austrian? I know some iron-workers that can make us a sign.

[JimandChristy 1,689]

Just to add above, what you also got to remember about this bill is that it is virtually bipartisan, probably 80-85% of what is inside this bill both Republicans and Democrats totally agree on. It is just the 15-20% they don't agree on because both parties want their own way of doing things. Personally since the Dems are the party in power they should get to call the shots and the Republicans would get to call the shots if they were in power it works both ways, not a perfect bill by all means but I think it is the best you are going to get. No Republican is going to vote for it because they don't like what is in the 15-20%, despite agreeing on the majority of the bill's content?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

"Arbeit macht frei"

Ignorance is Bliss should be your slogan.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

You're smarter than that.

Anyone who thinks that incremental change to this sham of a Bill is going to happen, after the mess that we are currently faced with taking as long as it has, needing as many shady deals as it has just to get close to having enough votes in a party with such a majority and with the public so against the Bill that might get passed tomorrow, is smoking crack.

The Democrat leadership will try to make everyone believe this is the first step, when they know that this is very likely the last, for a very long time. November will see to that.

So, you're essentially admitting that the other side of the isle doesn't have anything of substance to offer to tackle the problem. How stupid do you think the American people are to put people w/o effective solutions on the wheel?