Running Scared

The GOP is trying to kill Obamacare, we know that and have known that for months now. What is new is that the Village is reporting that the goal of the GOP is to kill the legislation...and that the GOP is very worried now that they've failed to stop it.

Roll Call reports today on what we can expect to see from the Senate GOP caucus as the debate over health care reform enters the final stretch.

Senate Republicans, acknowledging they lack the votes to block a health care reform bill outright, have implemented a comprehensive political strategy to delay, define and derail. [...]

Senate Democrats are rejecting Republicans' demands to slow things down, charging that the GOP isn't interested in working with the majority to craft a bipartisan health care bill. Rather, Reid said repeatedly last week, the Republicans' primary goal is to sink reform in order to undercut President Barack Obama.

It seems safe to say, then, that the Republican strategy for the next several weeks is identical to the strategy of the last several months. As long as the majority appreciates the tactics for what they are, the process will proceed nicely. (In late July, Harry Reid told reporters, "Working with the Republicans, one of the things that they asked for was to have more time. I don't think it's unreasonable." We probably won't hear that one again.)

Of particular interest in the Roll Call piece, however, was a take on GOP expectations.

Earlier in the year, Republicans were hoping that Democratic divisions would do to Obama's health care agenda what the GOP can't, but they no longer expect moderate Democrats to stand in the way of passage -- even one that includes a public insurance option.

Now, the piece didn't attribute a specific quote to anyone on this, but if it's true, it's extremely encouraging. Indeed, at this point, it's the single most important procedural angle to the larger debate: will members of the Democratic caucus side with Republicans and block consideration of the bill. This article suggests Republicans expect all 60 members of the majority caucus to, at a minimum, let the bill come up for an up-or-down vote.

In other words, the only thing the GOP can do is filibuster, and they're not expecting that to work. Cracks are beginning to appear in the united wall to kill Obamacare. Senators don't like being remembered for being on the wrong side of history.

I'm not sure I share Steve Benen's optimism here, but at least it's a sign that the GOP admits it's on the losing side here. It makes stories like this reek with the odor of flop sweat.

[UPDATE 11:55 AM] BooMan's analysis is, as usual, worth reading on the calculus of Congress.

I think the real question is not whether or not Obama has 60 votes now, but whether he will have them in the end. Will any member of the Democratic caucus in the Senate be willing to cast the deciding vote against cloture that denies the president an up-or-down vote on the Conference Report? My guess is 'no,' there will not be any Democrats who will take responsibility for killing reform. But, until we get to that point, there are senators who are looking to win concessions for their states and their interests (and their campaign contributors). So, the dance will continue.

He argues that this story is there to put pressure on the ConservaDems, and I believe he's right.