Secondhand Lion Of The Senate

Digby disabuses Noam Schrieber of the notion that should Teddy Kennedy not make it to the final vote on health care legislation that Republicans will magically not filibuster the hell out of his bill.

The idea that it's "politically suicidal" to filibuster Teddy's Kennedy's lifelong crusade is just hilarious to me.

Rick Perlstein, who has a slightly better understanding of how conservatives actually do things, writes in an email:

The Republican old bulls will say they're honoring EMK's memory by voting against cloture for what they'll say is a failed bill that he would never have happened had he been alive and kicking. And any bill that comes out of committee they'll say was a failed bill that never would have happened had he been alive and kicking. That's how they roll.

Of course it is. They're already doing it. When are people going to understand how these people operate?

And not only will the Republicans fight all the harder to block it, but you will actually hear complaints from some of them that they are using Ted Kennedy's memory for purely political gain to smash through a travesty of a bill.

Hell, why not go for the full Five Dragons Wingnut Special platter and start in with the rumors that Obama had Kennedy killed in order to force Republicans to pass health care legislation? I wonder how long it'll take before that little gem makes it to El Rushbo/Glennsanity.

I hope very much that Kennedy makes it to see his bill pass. If he should finally succumb to his illness however, you can bet the Republicans will still find a way to blame Obama for it.