KICKIN' AND SCREAMIN'...........

Yesterday I posted about how I thought both Joe Lieberman (Ct) and Ben Nelson (Neb) were posturing about the Obama-care bill while giving the impression they’d vote NO today.

Today’s vote is VERY important. If it passes, it means that later on the actual bill will only need 50 + 1 votes to pass.

True to form, both caved. And Nelson got a payoff, just like Landrieu:

An influential centrist Senate Democrat said Friday he would vote to move forward with health-overhaul legislation, raising expectations that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will secure the 60 votes needed to thwart Republican efforts to stall the bill.

Ending weeks of uncertainty, Sen. Ben Nelson (D., Neb.) said supporting the Republican filibuster — which threatens to block Democrats from opening debate — would deny voters in his state a voice on the issue. “I won’t slam the door of the Senate in the face of Nebraskans,” he said. “The Senate owes them a full and open debate.”

The senator also secured one of several favors that Democratic leaders doled out to win over waverers: He persuaded them to keep out a provision that would repeal the insurance industry’s antitrust exemption, congressional aides said.

In all the articles I’ve read so far they ALL talk about Landrieu and Lincoln as being the only holdouts. Does that mean Lieberman’s folded, too?

Never mind: here’s one where he admits he’ll vote for it but will “consider” filibustering it. Again, considering that final passage will only need 50+1 votes, this is a meaningless statement from Lieberman.

NOTE: Independent Joe Lieberman has said he WILL vote for Cloture tomorrow to begin debate on final passage of the bill. He has said he will consider filibustering the final bill to prevent a vote on final passage if it has a Public Option. But the reality is, if the Democrats get 60 votes tomorrow for Cloture, it is over. They will have 50 votes to pass the bill later.