"Snowe would be less inclined to throw her support...

2010-01-20T02:33:38.340-05:00

"Snowe would be less inclined to throw her support behind a bill that even Democrats in nearby Massachusetts rejected by proxy."

First, I think you're making a mistake the MSM and punditocracy are making: nationalizing to far too great an extent what was an epic personal failure by candidate Coakley and by the Democratic Party of Massachusetts.

Second, I don't believe Sen. Snowe ever intended to vote for a Democratic health care reform bill. She started out playing a teaser role because she was shaken by how strong New Englanders voted Democratic in November 2008 and by how outraged Maineacs were about how the state's major health insurer was treating its indentured servants/customers. (So was Sen. Collins, BTW.)

As things developed, I think Sen. McConnell and others told Snowe to hang in there with the Democrats, lead them on and extract every concession possible from them. Make them think if just this one more thing were to be dropped in File 13, li'l ol' Olympia's heart might be won over, so she would vote for the Democratic bill. Meanwhile, li'l ol' Olympia was providing McConnell and the Republican Caucus valuable insight and information about Democratic plans and intentions, the better to thwart the Democrats and bash health care reform every step of the way.

I think the chance of Democrats getting Snowe or any other Republican to vote for health care reform is now what it was at the beginning: zero.

Comments on The 7-10: Palmer on Politics: Lessons on Governance from the MA Senate Race

"Snowe would be less inclined to throw her support...