As Senate Democrats reconvened Wednesday at the Capitol in the wake of their devastating loss in Massachusetts, they vowed to press ahead toward enacting a health-care bill, possibly with a scaled-back package of provisions that could gain Republican support.
But Democrats cautioned that discussion of such plans is just getting underway. “We’re not going to rush into anything,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.). “Remember, the bill we passed in the Senate is good for a year. There are many different things that we can do to move forward on health care, but we’re not making any of those decisions now.”
Scott Brown’s victory in a special election Tuesday “changes the math in the Senate,” Reid conceded. But just as Democrats face new pressures to reach across the aisle, he added, GOP senators must be willing to meet halfway.
GOP Senators must be willing to meet the Dems 1/2 way? That reminds me of the story about Nixon from years ago. He was out for a walk and saw a man drowing in the Patomac 40 feet away. He threw him a 30 foot rope and the man drowned. When taken to task he replied “what’s the problem? I went more than 1/2 way with the him.” I think that’s what Harry Reid has in mind. He just doesn’t get it.