To all of the opponents of ObamaCare and its kissing cousin RHINOCare, which is best exemplified by the bill Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (MT) just released, CONGRATULATIONS. It looks like the message got through, and all Republican Senators now oppose the healthcare fall-back option of the Obama Administration—an individual mandate—and will not support the Baucus Bill. Which means, it looks like the Democrats will not have the 60 votes required to shut off debate and pass a bill.
This does not mean, however, that opponents of ObamaCare and RHINOCare are yet out of the woods. Indeed, there is a chance that the Obama Administration is so desperate to avoid a political defeat on healthcare that it will offer enough concessions to entice a couple of Senators in the Republican Gang of Six (GOPGOS) to defect in the name of a “bipartisan compromise.” Remember, four of the GOPGOS (Alexander, Bennett, Crapo and Graham) actually support some form of individual mandate as evidenced by their co-sponsorship of the Wyden-Bennett Bill (S. 391). Moreover, both Finance Committee Members Olympia Snowe and Chuck Grassley are on record supporting some version of an individual mandate.
Based upon statements by Senator Snowe and Senator Grassley, there is now good reason to trust that they will remain opposed to any bill that emerges from the Finance Committee but the last thing opponents of RHINOCare should do is take their eyes off them. Both Senators have intimated they are willing to continue talking to Chairman Baucus and other Finance Committee Members in search of a “bipartisan compromise” they can live with. So, it would be wise to follow Ronald Reagan’s advise to TRUST BUT VERIFY.
The battle now turns to preventing the Senate from jamming ObamaCare down the throats of the American People under Reconciliation. The end game is underway and the momentum is swinging toward the opponents of ObamaCare. Or to mix metaphors, ObamaCare opponents are on the green, and all they have to do is sink the putt. Can anybody here play this game? After Saturday’s impressive demonstration on the National Mall there is no doubt the grass-roots movement for freedom, privacy and limited government can hit a very long drive and knows how to chip onto the green. The question remains: Can they putt? Let’s hope so.
Blog Comments