There Is No Plan

Judging from his appointments so far, it’s becoming pretty clear that Obama is going to mean business when he takes over in two months time. Just to take one example, the appointment of Tom Daschle as Health and Human Services Secretary is a clear sign that Healthcare reform is front and center. Daschle is a former Majority Leader in the Senate and knows how to play the legislative game better than just about anyone else. Who better to help reform through Congress.

You can bet that Obama’s healthcare reform package is going to contain an awful lot that the GOP Senate Caucus is going to hate. In about three seconds all talk of bipartisanship will be off, because they will filibuster. Or at least try to. My guess is that the Dems end with 57, (they will probably win Minnesota by a handful of votes). That means, including Bernie Sanders, and the recently exonerated Joe Lieberman, they’ll have 59 votes. That leaves them one shy to beat the filibuster.

Which is where the fair ladies of Maine come in…

Senator Susan Collins

Senator Olympia Snowe

Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe are the two most moderate Republicans left in the Senate, according to the National Review 2007 Vote Ratings. Last year they each voted on the “Liberal” side (according to the National Review Criteria) over 47% of the time. Before Obama starts negotiating with the GOP (never a particularly savory affair), he’ll go to Collins and Snowe first to help him beat the filibuster and get the legislation he wants through Congress intact. They’ll be hearing the words “It’s the President” from their assistants an awful lot in the next couple of years.

Collins and Snowe are pretty much borderline Republicans. A couple more important votes to the left and they might as well be in the Democratic Caucus. And while there are a number of Blue Dog Democrats who might be suspect on some key issues, going to Collins and Snowe first will always strengthen the President’s hand in dealing with his own party.

Collins and Snowe. Get to know those names.  Pretty soon, they’ll be bigger household names than even, I don’t know, Sarah Palin.