Democratics Senators end GOP filibuster on key amendment to health insurance bill

There was a major step forward for the health insurance bill working its way through the Senate. The Democratic caucus in Senate just voted for cloture on Majority Leader Harry Reid's "manager's amendment." This was considered the key vote after weeks of negotiations. Invoking a rarely used rule, Reid had the Senators vote from their desks as the roll was called.

The vote was 60 - 40. Every GOPer voted no.

The Senate will take two more cloture votes this week, spaced thirty hours apart (that's the period of time designated under Senate rules for "post-cloture" debate on the underlying question for which cloture was achieved.) So, we'll see another vote for the substitute amendment on Tuesday morning at around 7:00 a.m., then one on Wednesday afternoon at approximately 1:00 P.M. for the final bill. Both of those will need 60 votes. That will clear the way for final passage, which only needs 51 votes, should take place on Christmas Eve at around 7:00 PM.

That schedule is needed because the Republicans are using every obstructionist tactic provided by the archaic Senate rules to prevent the insurance bill's passage. All Republicans, even former President Olympia Snowe, are opposing the legislation at every step of the way. There were lots of speeches from Republicans today bemoaning the lack of bipartisanship. What a joke. Mitch McConnell had the gall to say that if Democrats weren't ashamed of this vote, they wouldn't have forced it in the middle of the night. Um, the reason the Democrats had to vote in the middle of the night was because of the GOP's tactical games. In his remarks, Harry Reid flat out said, "Everyone knows we're here at one o'clock in the morning because of my friends on the other side of the aisle."

We'll see Republicans getting crankier by the day. Keep an eye on John McCain. He's looking like he's going to blow his top.