‘Top Line’ — Does Process Matter in Health Care Debate?
EmailABC News' Rick Klein reports: It's hardly been a pretty path to health care reform for Democrats, with talk of arcane budget procedures and backroom deals at times drowning out the policy messaging that the White House would prefer. But does process matter anymore? Or at this point, is it all about the policy? That was our “Top Line” question of the day today. Said @cmcabo97: “Process is irrelevant. Everyone is focused on either passage or defeat by any means necessary.” Responded @casomega: “Justice will win out, and this travesty the dems are trying to pull will meet its bitter end eventually.” David Chalian and I discussed this on today’s “Top Line” — keeping in mind that the president himself has said that he ran in part on promises regarding the process. You can watch that segment of the program HERE.
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according to bloomberg, minutes ago the senate parlimentaian just ruled the the dems cant use reconciliation to change abortion and that they must pass the senate bill and obama must sign it before it can be hacked through reconciliation. seems to me things just got alot tougher and this will drag hopefully into the recess and we can all sit around as famailies and crucify the democrats over this crap.
Posted by: catman | March 11, 2010, 4:27 pm 4:27 pm
Process does matter.
Great efforts went into developing the process (including a contingency clause – like reconciliation) to allow laws to be created by Congress for the best interest of the people.
The fact that the current majority party is using this process is not a concern.
However, it is a concern that the current majority party has reservations about the proposed bill and is moving forward anyway because it would be politically damaging to their party if nothing is passed (with a 900 million dollar cost to the people).
Posted by: Marty | March 11, 2010, 4:33 pm 4:33 pm
according to bllomberg stocks rose immeadiatley after the parlimentarian ruling. so what now? more bucking the will of the american people?
Posted by: catman | March 11, 2010, 4:44 pm 4:44 pm
If process doesn’t matter, then why have free range chickens? fair trade starbucks coffee? shampoo that’s not tested on animals? Good liberals will tell you that the end never justifies the means… ok, so maybe there are a few special exceptions..for Democratic congressmen and women…especially now.
Posted by: cindy | March 11, 2010, 5:03 pm 5:03 pm
Of course processes matter! It matters in police work that Miranda rights are read. It matters in civic organizations that rules of order are followed when votes are taken. It matters at schools so education is available for everyone. Processes are in place to prevent the usurpation of power and protect the rights of others without the same power. Processes can be changed or eliminated (by due process, I might add) but it is a dangerous day when power wielders simply choose to ignore the rules for how things should be done.
Posted by: Don | March 11, 2010, 6:09 pm 6:09 pm
“according to bloomberg, minutes ago the senate parlimentaian just ruled…”
Funny how Bloomberg got this information, since there was no ruling, and he doesn’t talk to the press.
I think you’ll find that Bloomberg got this information from a GOP source who claims to have spoken to the parliamentarian.
Posted by: Flash Override | March 11, 2010, 8:11 pm 8:11 pm
Hey guys, thank you for a discussin on process, but I wish you would treat this more than just another tweetable moment. As journalists, you should be reading the constitution and asking the democrats serious questions. We should right now be learning everything we can (through you) about how a bill becomes law constitutionally and how this process might circumvent that.
Thanks for nothing so far.
Posted by: Glen Duncan | March 11, 2010, 10:10 pm 10:10 pm
For Liberals, the only time “Process Doesn’t Matter” is when the process is in the way. Know this, process matters to the Left when the Left feels it is being thwarted by the process. The Democrats are behaving abominably and this bill is turning from merely being an albatross around their necks into the largest political suicide note in the history of the civilized world.
B. Hussein Obama and the Congressional Democrats are basically acting like spoiled petulant children as they shred the Constitution that create their very offices and defines their powers: “Gee, if I destroy the document that creates my office, do I still get the keep the office? Do I? Do I? Do I get to keep wielding the powers too? Huh? Do I? Do I? Do I?”
It appears to me that We the People need to provide the Dems a “woodshed moment” come November.
Posted by: Randy | March 18, 2010, 11:47 am 11:47 am