The Louisiana Purchase

Mary Landrieu announced today that she will vote for cloture on the Democrats’ government medicine bill tonight. The Democrats now have 60 votes and will be able to pass their version of government medicine.
UPDATE: Well, I suppose we shouldn’t jump the gun. The Democrats will need 60 votes once more. It’s remotely possible that one of the wavering Senators who voted for cloture today–Landrieu, Blanche Lincoln, Ben Nelson–might go the other way next time. Presumably that would happen only if public outcry were such that a vote for government health care by a swing-state Senator would be seen as suicidal.
PAUL adds: Don’t forget about Joe Lieberman. He has said he will not vote to end a filibuster over a final bill that contains the public option.
I admit that banking on Lieberman, who has always been an out-and-out liberal on domestic issues, to block landmark liberal domestic legislation is not where one would like to be. But Lieberman is his own man, especially now, so I’d probably bank on him before I would one of those mushy so-called moderates like Landrieu, Lincoln, or Nelson.
It’s also good news that no Republican – not Olympia Snowe, not Susan Collins – voted for cloture. I suspect, though, that Snowe is still one we need to watch out for.

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