WooHoo!!

far from over, yes, but it was a fun night.

I am just crazy in love with my country right now. I know we have a long way to go...but I am trying to enjoy the moment. Stupak's crapy-ness and all.

Lee Stranahan on Twitter:

"Corks are a'popping at Aetna, Cigna, Kaiser, Blue Cross and big PhARMA!!! Think of all those new customers!"

Yep, the insurance companies are totally psyched about all of the government regulations and sick people they'll be forced to swallow. There's a reason why healthcare stocks take a dump whenever there's good news for reform.

From Twitter and Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight:

"Say what u want about Pelosi: she is very skilled at squeezing as much out of her caucus as she can."

Also, she gets Carl hot.

This was a big step. Still a long way to go, but everything has to start somewhere.

Get over it Lee! So everyone's happy except republicans and Lee!!! Corks are popping at my house too! Historic health care bill passed, the biggest since Medicare! Hooray for America! Hooray for my stepmom who will be able to get coverage after being denied for having had ovarian cancer! Hooray for democrats and President Obama, and FUCK YOU to every republican except Joseph Cao! HA HA! Keep your 2 extra governorships, we'll take NY-23 and health reform.

Assuming Reid doesn't fumble the ball....

Republican sex ed.

eljefejeff, I'd say f* you to the 39 Democrats first.

To borrow a phrase from the eloquent Pooper (even the name evokes rainbows and unicorns!): Lee can blow me. @stranahan is where logic goes to die.

Warning: Kucinich voted no.

If corks are popping at insurance companies tonight, it's only because they know they are "too big to fail". We'll be bailing them out regularly.

Baby steps...and thank you Sir Bob for showcasing the most awesome five minute of video ever.

Hey! Jane! That's my line!. ;D

Well, Chris, Lee could have told you that.

Bob,

Please post a link so we can see which Dems voted against this!

As I've said before I'm Kucinich left, but I'm also realistic!

I really want to know which Democrats voted against this.

Their names should be plastered all over the place so they never get reelected again!

That's what she said, Pooper.

Here are the names:

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll887.xml

Kucinich voted against, as he is for single-payer and nothing else.

PPP:

>>>> If corks are popping at insurance companies tonight, it's only because they know they are "too big to fail". We'll be bailing them out regularly.

So they're psyched to almost go bankrupt (even though the bill is "weak"), only to MAYBE receive a bailout?

All right.

Really, though, the whole point is to crush them so if that's what you think will happen, we agree!

I think Jane just like to say "Pooper."

POOPERPOOPERPOOPERPOOPERPEPPOOOPOPOOOOOOOOOPOPOPOPOOOOOOOOOPOP

poop!

Also from Lee's Twitter:

Am I the only progressive on Twitter who's not thrilled with passage of this health 'reform' bill? I feel like a wet blanket.

Huh. Here I thought Lee Stranahan was the Messiah of the progressive community while Bob's a behind-the-curve corporate shill and we're all sitting at his loser table in the cafeteria.

Allow me to save Lee the trouble of responding:

"RJ Eskow! Insulin! MANDAAAAATEEEES!"

Yes, but Bob, I don't believe our elected officials will do anything about it...except to vote in measures that will make these "bailouts" permanent subsidies to health insurers. I know you won't agree with that.

THIS JUST IN. When the vote ended, Mike Pence almost accomplished a facial expression. Sources say "an attempted frown."

Red, I saw that twit and I wanted to respond, "You smell like a wet blanket."

But since I am such a delicate lady, I refrained.

My blue dog rep voted no.

Wait a minute Redmond...

Bob's a corporate shill?

How much is he getting paid?

Nano is happy.

*turns on Department of Defense signal scrambler*

Hoody Y'all!!!!

I believe today is a good day to make my return. Still pissed about the abortion thing but this was truly historic.

Oh...Because of Lee, I will no longer call myself a progressive.

I agree with FDL:

http://firedoglake.com/2009/11/07/h-r-3962-health-care-bill-passes/

The Stupak Amendment was particularly galling, but this can be fixed. If not in conference, the law (Thor willing it becomes law this year) can be amended later.

heh Jane a delicate lady... and Im the queen of france

Welcome back GIJoe.

I think the abortion thing will be stripped before its signed.

Pooper - Ill play devil's advocate for a minute: Lets say for a minute that you're right, and we just end up subsidizing the health insurance companies. If this save's people's lives by providing them insurance, is it not worth subsidizing? We spend a trillion dollars per year killing people with bombs and bullets, can't we spent 900 billion over 10 years to save a few lives?

Obviously single-payer is what we really need, but you should not bite the hand that feeds you by rejecting atleast some reform.

Insurers may do well in the short term, but in the long term they cannot win.

Single payer was never an option. If the industry and republicans are screaming about government takeover now and this bill barely passed(and still has a ways to go), imagine how they'd react if we really were proposing that the government handle all insurance while driving private insurers out of business. I like single payer too, but this is the best we can do with our system at this time. Hopefully in 10 years or so, they'll revisit the issue.

The first Democrat from my Virginia district (2nd) in a very long time, Glenn Nye, voted against it. He's going to be a one-termer because the republicans will never vote for him no matter how "conservative" he tries to be and many of us who put him in office are unlikely to vote for him again. Apologies in advance for the length of what I'm about to post, but here's the email I received from him tonight (I've contacted his office several times about health insurance reform):

Tonight, the House of Representatives will be taking a vote on a very complex bill and a very important issue for our country. We will be considering the most recent version of the health care reform legislation, and I wanted to give you some insight into my thinking on this bill and this vote.

I strongly support health care reform, and I know that reform is absolutely critical for American families, small businesses, and our economy. Through my conversations with constituents across Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore, including doctors, nurses, small business owners, and families, I established a set of principles to guide my decision-making and to help me evaluate the various proposals that would come before Congress.

These principles included ensuring access to coverage for individuals with preexisting conditions, helping small businesses, guaranteeing the right to choose your own doctor, protecting military and veterans’ benefits as well as Medicare, and reducing the skyrocketing cost of health care.

The latest version of the House health care bill incorporates many of these principles; however, there are two very significant reasons why I cannot support this legislation tonight.

I believe that any reform plan must reduce the cost of health care. Although this version of the bill takes important steps to lower the budget deficit in the short-term, the Congressional Budget Office has said that it does not address the fundamental problem of reducing skyrocketing health care costs. For health care reform to be successful and fiscally responsible over the long-term, we must reduce health care costs for families, small businesses and taxpayers.

The current House bill would also seriously harm children’s hospitals, including Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, by cutting funding they need. CHKD is one of the largest providers of medical care to the children of active and former members of the military. If these cuts become law, CHKD could lose nearly $20 million in critical funding each year, and could be forced to reduce services or close down entirely. I have written to House leaders and introduced an amendment to try to fix this problem, but unfortunately, these funding cuts are still in the bill.

There were many elements of this bill that are very positive - including guaranteeing access to coverage for individuals with preexisting conditions, closing the prescription drug ‘donut hole’ for senior citizens, and ensuring that all Americans have access to quality, affordable care. But I believe it is more important to pass the right bill than to pass this bill right now.

I spoke with President Obama earlier today, and I told him that I would continue working to pass a bill that accomplishes the goals we all share, protects children’s hospitals, and also reduces the cost of health care for all Americans.

As health care reform legislation moves through the Senate and eventually comes back to the House, I intend to actively pursue fiscally responsible health care legislation that meets these goals.

OK, in addition to the fiscal BS (the whole damn thing could easily be funded by skimming a very small portion of the waste from the defense budget), what the hell is he talking about with the children's hospitals losing funding?

Also, the stupak amendment is horrible legislation. My wife is livid. If they're going to backdoor legislate away abortion rights, I'd like to see them do the same with fertility treatments and ED drugs (accept that the jeebus doesn't want you to procreate).

I just checked, and at least Nye voted against the stupak crap, so he isn't a complete ass ....

Quoth Nano: (Thor willing it becomes law this year)

And it came to pass that on the 7th day of the month of The Great Feasting, Thor did stretch forth his arm and hurl mighty Mjolnir. It did striketh the sunlamps of the Boner, who thereupon fell to his knees amid and did weeping and gnashing of teeth.

And yay, the mead did flow for the friends of Thor, in great fjords of sweet drunkenness upon the win.

"But Thor," asked the lone Red One to hear the great Aesir's call, "another battle yet remains! Whatever shall be done?"

And Thor did furrow his brow, and did think. And it came to pass that he smileth. "Friend Cao," sayeth Thor, "Loki shall sticketh a fiery poker in the rear of the one they call Reid, and we shall haveth much rejoicing. Now revel, and passeth the horn that I may drinketh, for I am not yet drunk!"

if what comes out of the house contains anti reproductive rights ammendments and a weak ass public option,not to mention leaving way too many remaining uninsured,what should we expect from the senate,with harry reid in charge?

also...i hate to sound like im simply hopping onto the "obama is too weak" bandwagon,but i really wish he would start leaning hard on the dems in congress.we need to see the return of "rahmbo"

"Loki shall sticketh a fiery poker in the rear of the one they call Reid, and we shall haveth much rejoicing.

That's one of the funniest lines I've read in a really long time. Many thanks.

Oh Klaus that was awesome :)