Games Without Frontiers: how the Worst Possible (Approximately) new Health Law will Pass

I think I see through this game at this point. The ones who would refuse to vote with Rahm Emanuel and Barack Obama unless the public option is removed are serious about refusing their vote. They would support the Republican filibuster if the public option is left in. Therefore, the public option will most likely come completely out.

Meanwhile, the "progressives," who since they remain in a right wing party (the Democrats) are by no means full scale or truly serious progressives, are not truly serious about their vote. Because all they will do is vote against the final passage, when only 51 votes are required for passage. So it won't matter when they do that. Since there are at best half a dozen senators who will vote against the bill unless it has the public option, it will still pass, with roughly 55 votes.

The main point is, unlike the serious, very right wing, no public option senators, the "progressive" senators will not be refusing to vote for the bill when their vote really packs power, when 60 votes are needed, at the filibuster or cloture stage. They will only make a symbolic no vote when their vote can not change the final result, at the final passage vote.

SUMMARY: YOUR PROGRAM GUIDE TO THE NEXT SCENE IN THE DOG AND PONY PLAY
ACT ONE: The right wing senators insist on stripping the public option at the filibuster level (when they have real power.)

ACT TWO: The "progressive" senators insist on the public option, but are really just playing a public relations game, so they don't attempt to enforce the public option via the filibuster. They vote against final passage when there is no public option, but it is a symbolic, meaningless vote, because only 51 votes are needed for passage at that stage.

This is how one of the worst laws in World history will soon be coming to a country near you.

the above was written in response to this news article about Bernie Sanders at Common Dreams.