What does it take to get a wavering senator to vote for health care reform? Here’s a case study. On page 432 of the Reid bill, there is a section increasing federal Medicaid subsidies for “certain states recovering from a major disaster.” The section spends two pages defining which “states” would qualify, saying, among other things, that it would be states that “during the preceding 7 fiscal years” have been declared a “major disaster area.” I am told the section applies to exactly one state: Louisiana, the home of moderate Democrat Mary Landrieu, who has been playing hard to get on the health care bill. In other words, the bill spends two pages describing would could be written with a single world: Louisiana. (This may also help explain why the bill is long.) Senator Harry Reid, who drafted the bill, cannot pass it without the support of Louisiana’s Mary Landrieu. How much does it cost? According to the Congressional Budget Office: $100 million.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/200...care-vote.html (warning, the link kept crashing my browser, I had to pull the text from another site)

You should understand that Blue Dogs aren't conservative in the traditional sense. They are to be sure more conservative than the rest of the Democrat Party as a whole. However, when you hear of an obstinate "Blue Dog" who is holding out on a partisan bill, you should understand that it is not out of principle. The Blue Dog knows the power he wields in his obstinance, and if he holds out long enough, before he caves he will walk away with some goodies for his constituents.

Really, Blue Dog Democrats are Moderates in the worst possible sense. Whenever there is any controversial political decision where there is a principled liberal position and a principled conservative position, the moderates come late to the party, saying "that's nice, what what will I get out of it if I support one side or the other?"

Honestly? Moderates, this is how we Tea Partiers see you. We see you like young bird fledglings, screeching "EEK EEK! FEED ME FEED ME! SQUAWK SQUAWK! FEED ME FEED ME!" Last time I conversed with a moderate on this subject is a perfect example. Back during the "gun at a rally" controversy, a moderate quipped that if this is the way you want to convince me, then ur doing it wrong. My response was, naturally, this is not about convincing you, you are nothing but a speed bump. You are an example par excellence of successful indoctrination, which occurs when the indoctrination is so convincing you literally believe you came to the conclusions you did on your own. The arrogance of moderatism is a stench on the class as a group.

Health care reform is nice, but what will I get out of it?

"EEK EEK! FEED ME FEED ME! SQUAWK SQUAWK! FEED ME FEED ME!"

Mr. President, I don't want to get my welfare check from a government office, please send it to my mail box.

"EEK EEK! FEED ME FEED ME! SQUAWK SQUAWK! FEED ME FEED ME!"

What can I get out of the war in Iraq? Seems we are doing much to give other people "freedom" without much in return.

"EEK EEK! FEED ME FEED ME! SQUAWK SQUAWK! FEED ME FEED ME!"

How dare you try to privatize my Social Security!

"EEK EEK! FEED ME FEED ME! SQUAWK SQUAWK! FEED ME FEED ME!"

It's Obama money!

"EEK EEK! FEED ME FEED ME! SQUAWK SQUAWK! FEED ME FEED ME!"

When Moderates in swing vote states went for Obama over McCain, it wasn't because of principle, it was because Obama sung a sweeter tune of graft and pandering. McCain couldn't do the same thing, as he intended, he was running as a "conservative."

When Moderates came out and voted Bush over Kerry or Gore, it was really for the same reason, just different issues at the time. Don't forget that Bush ran as a "compassionate" "conservative," which is little more than a conservative in unimportant traditional values, but a liberal in big bureaucratic spending programs. If it wasn't for that inconvenient war in Iraq, his policies should have been a perfect fit for Moderates. and i must confess i know from experience: i was a moderate at the time.

Heard on the radio today that the cost for Mary Landrieu's vote was closer to $300 million. Now that's a woman of principle.