With reconciliation on the table Nancy Pelosi abandons the Blue Dog Democrats

  Blue Dog Democrats and conservative Republicans worked tirelessly with the liberal faction of congress to forge a bipartisan healthcare reform bill. While I still disagree with this legislation at least there was an effort being made to make this bill less intrusive to the American citizens.

  Now that the bill has made it to the floor and will soon be voted on Nancy Pelosi isn’t happy with the contents that were agreed upon with the Blue Dogs and the conservatives so she is going to change the bill before it is ever voted on.

  If Nancy Pelosi has her way most of the concessions that were made in order to gain the votes of the more conservative factions in the house will be abandoned. She is looking to increase the taxes on the rich as well as strengthen the “public option,” two issues that the Blue Dogs and conservative worked so hard on weakening.

  The Blue Dog Democrats and the conservative Republicans negotiated this bill in good faith but it now appears that Nancy Pelosi is not willing to adhere to those negotiations. The Blue Dogs and the conservatives were played for fools. While they negotiated in good faith Nancy Pelosi does not seem willing to give an inch, she did not negotiate in good faith. She knew all along that she would not support the bill that was negotiated and now she is trying to change what was agreed upon.

  While I do not support the bill as constituted, a deal was made and Nancy Pelosi is not willing to honor it. The vote should be held on the bill as it was fairly negotiated. A deal is a deal.

  This is sure to drive away support from the Blue Dogs and conservatives but with Democrats threatening to use reconciliation to pass this bill without any Republican support we have to wonder whether there will be enough opposition to stop it.

  If the Democrats do decide to use reconciliation to pass this bill they surely see no reason to vote on the limitations that were agreed to in conference. If they use reconciliation they might as well go for everything that they can and that means a strong government option.

  So much for the new age of bipartisanship. It is business as usual in Washington.