Should Opponents Of Health Care Bill Hope The Democrats Use The Slaughter Solution? ADDED: Two More Yes Votes

I think the Slaughter Solution is an affront to the Constitution but...if this monstrosity (an affront to freedom) is going to pass should we hope the Democrats use the most noxious means possible to do it?

I'm not optimistic that if the House uses Slaughter that it will be knocked down by the courts but others seem to think it might be. It would be awful to have to hope all of this rides on which side of the bed Anthony Kennedy gets up one day but it's better than nothing.

If it's going to pass, and at the moment I fear it will, then at least we'd have another bite at the apple. I have no faith in the repeal effort (it will be '12 at the earliest, which assumes Obama is defeated and not likely to get 60 votes in the Senate) so the courts maybe out best hope.

There's also the chance to hit Democrats during the midterms with their ugly procedural power grab to 'deem' a bill passed instead of voting on it. I think that will for the most part be lost in the fight over the passage or failure of the bill itself but hey, any weapon in a fight.

The question is, would using Slaughter be enough cover to turn a no into a yes and thus pass the bill when it otherwise would have failed? My guess is no. The votes are the votes at this point. The procedure probably won't change anyone's mind. But it's not possible to know either way for sure.

The Democrats haven't announce they are going to use Slaughter and the Republicans are going to try to gum up the Rules Committee works but I say if they are going to pass this thing, let them make it as ugly as possible.

Related: The Democrats have picked up 2 No to Yes votes today. Gutierrez (who was a yes, who went to no and back to yes now) and Gordon (a 'Blue Dog')

posted by DrewM. at 04:15 PM

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