...during which party leaders will reportedly go through bill "section by section and answer every question members have."

Starting with 'What's in it for me?"

The long-time liberal Democrat who represents the district I live and vote in in So.Cal. has said in a recent interview that he considers himself a Blue Dog Democrat on the health reform issue. That's about as quick a conversion as I've seen in years- and a hopeful one for rational (ie non-liberal) people.

"A good health care bill has already passed the House Ways and Means Committee and the Energy and Commerce Committee. The legislation hasn't progressed to the floor yet because it has not yet passed the Energy and Commerce Committee."

Hmmm, does the Energy and Commerce Committee have a doppelganger that allows it to both pass and not pass a bill simultaneously? Just wondering. :8

short-changes hospitals and physicians in their rural districts

hmmmmmmmmmmmm -- no, i caint believe that one... sorry, you goddam blue dogs gotta do better than that...

What total insanity!!!! No one even knows what health care means. It has to do with human beings, people, not some number on a sheet of paper or a bunch of ones and zeros on a computer chip. People are dying and suffering with diseases and injuries and have to worry if they can get treated on a timely basis, by a competent medical provider. As it stands now,the treatment of their condition is not a function of health care, but a decision of an employee of a for-profit insurance company and hospital. Most of those decision-makers are not medical personnel and are not qualified to classify a medical condition as critical or routine.

When are the families and friends of mal-served Americans going to swarm upon the imbeciles of greed and take them to the wall! Until their livelihoods are directly threatened, they will not respond.

Hmmm, does the Energy and Commerce Committee have a doppelganger that allows it to both pass and not pass a bill simultaneously...

Quantum parliamentary procedure. The committee chair must be named Schrödinger.

Republicans are not going to vote for any health care reform.

Blue dogs are not going to vote for any REAL health care reform.

Lets stop watering down our bills for these jerk offs and pass the best legislation we can ram through by any means necessary.

I didn't realize that by-passing the committee was an option, but if that's what it takes, then do it.

I still think that if those blue dogs can't do the job they were elected to do, then their committee appointments should be terminated and someone who will do the job put in their place. They deserve no quarter.

This is all about the negotiations. Blue Dogs believe they have a choke point to force concessions and House leadership is threatening to bypass the committee entirely. I certainly hope health insurance reform isn't completely at the mercy of a few grubby pols wanting to ratchet up the reimbursement rates for rural doctors.

This vote will define the Dems future. If they fail to pass a clean, bold reform bill, they don't deserve to govern and they will lose the Dem base, possibly permanently. If they are able to pass a clean bill that significantly improves health care delivery in this nation, they will maintain political power for a generation and can have several more bites at the reimbursement apple.

I still have faith that the Blue Dogs aren't so stupid. I believe they will eventually fall in line.

Imagine if 18,000 people a year died due to terrorism. Would the Republicans and most of the Democrats be arguing over money? Ordinarily you would think the answer would be no.

However, also imagine that Osama bin Laden had purchased the same amount of political influence as the insurance industry. Based on the current behavior of the GOP, Max Baucus, Harry Reid and Joe Lieberman then the answer would - apparently- be yes.

A person who dies because the airplane they are riding on gets flown into a skyscraper is no more dead than a person who dies from lack of health care because Max Baucus is cashing big checks from the insurance and pharmaceutical industry.

Lets not blame the True Dems if the health care bill does not pass. Look at who is truly stoping the bill, the Blue Dogs. They are nothing more then DINOs. They are the noes that need to be voted out.

Hopefully, Nancy Pelosi will take note of the Blue Dogs on the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Maybe some of them will have to be moved to another committee in the future to ensure that good legislation gets passed

Let's have some consequences for Democrats who obstruct progress

Time to twist arms.....
... BUT it's also time for Obama to outline his require3ments for Health Care Reform

This feels like the primary season just before the Philadelphia debate
Obama FINALLY STEPPED UP and defeated Hillary
STEP UP, OBAMA !!

You know, there are people who would pay to see a blue dog with ruffled feathers. We could put it next to the two-headed chicken, go on the State Fair circuit and make a bundle!