Obama has spoke in previous years about the budget reconciliation process and his opposition of the rule. Thanks to El Rushbo for gathering the history, which I leave for you tonight. Velly Velly interesting...
OBAMA in 2005 about changing the filibuster rule:
"A change in the Senate rules that really, uh, I think would change the character of the Senate, uh, forever. [snip] Uhhh, and what I worry about would be th-th-that you essentially still have two chambers, the House and the Senate, but you have simply majoritarian, uhhh, absolute power on either side, and that's just not what the Founders intended."
OBAMA in 2004 about legislation passage in the Senate:
"My understanding of the Senate is is that you need 60 votes to get something significant to happen, which means that Democrats have to ask the question: Do we have the will to move an American agenda forward, not a Democratic or Republican agenda forward?"
OBAMA 2006:
"Those big-ticket items, fixing our health care system. You know, one of the arguments that sometimes I get with, uhh, my fellow progressives...is this notion that we should function sort of like Karl Rove, where we -- we identify our core base, we throw 'em red meat, we get a 50-plus-one, uhhh, victory. See, Karl Rove doesn't need a broad consensus because he doesn't believe in government. If we want to transform the country, though, that requires a -- a sizeable majority."
OBAMA 2007:
"The bottom line is is that our health care plans are similar. The question, once again, is: Who can get it done? Who can build a movement for change? This is an area where we're going to have to have a 60% majority in the Senate and the House in order to actually get a bill to my desk. We're going to have to have a majority to get a bill to my desk that is not just a 50-plus-one majority."
OBAMA 2007:
"You gotta break out of what I call the sort of 50-plus-one pattern of presidential politics. Maybe you eke out a victory with 50-plus-one but you can't govern. You know, you get Air Force One and a lot of nice perks as president but you can't -- you can't deliver on health -- we're not going to pass universal health care with a -- with a 50-plus-one strategy."
But of course, he will now use the 50-plus-one rule (aka reconciliation) for his own self-serving takeover of the health care system. He must have had quite a revelation since becoming President if now he believes the process is ethical and appropriate.
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