Put not your trust in Democrats.
They tabled the amendment that Senator Nelson offered for the health care rationing bill – the one that would have aligned it with the Stupak amendment for the House version – on a largely party-line vote (54/45, with Byrd not voting). Senator Nelson, despite vowing to filibuster*, is even now revising and extending his remarks:
A few reporters waiting outside the door asked him how it would effect his decision on whether to support the final effort.
“I want to continue to work on this,” he said, not ruling out his support, at least “not at this point in time. I want to continue to work on the project we’re working on… This makes it harder right now [to support the bill]. We’ll have to see if they can make it easier.”
(H/t: Hot Air) The NRLC has already announced that they will now oppose cloture of the health care rationing bill. Mind you, they also promised to score the vote on Nelson-Hatch, and it got tabled anyway. Nelson’s not up for re-election until 2012 anyway, and the man will be 71 by then; he might decide to just retire. So don’t rely on him keeping his word. The Senate is full of Democrats who talk big about their conservative principles, right up to the moment where they have to fight for them.
Moe Lane
*Specifically:
“It is Stupak language,” Nelson said. “I’ve said at the end of the day if it doesn’t have Stupak language on abortion in it I won’t vote to move it off the floor.”
Asked whether that meant he was intent on stalling the bill, Nelson said: “I just said that, didn’t I? This isn’t anything new, I’ve said this for a long time and people are finally hearing it.”
Crossposted to RedState.