As the Senate continues their tired, long-winded debate over health care reform, yours truly has reached a Twitter tweet limit so will continue the observations here.  Enjoy.

1:17 a.m.   58 Democrats and 2 Independents vote “yes”; 40 Republicans vote “no”.  May God have mercy on America.

1:15 a.m.  Reading tweets.  From TheBlogshevik “If someone had duct taped Harry Reid to a shopping cart and pushed him down a hill years ago, we wouldn’t be having any of this shit…”  Touche.

1:08 a.m. Vote for cloture begins.

1:07 a.m. Reid invokes rule S480 to have Senators vote from their desks.

103 a.m.  Reid shares stories of people with health problems, problems with insurance.  Claims these heartbreaking stories will be solved by his legislation. 

1:54 a.m. Reid gets the final word and starts out by claiming it’s a lack of health insurance that is causing people to die.  He makes the claim that “this landmark legislation” will fix all kinds of problems, including keeping Medicare solvent for another 10 years.  He points out his numbers are from the CBO, but like the rest ignores the caveats and the realities.  “We are reshaping the nation.”  Gets in a dig about being in the Senate at this hour, blaming GOP (for wanting to follow process). 

12:47 a.m.  McConnell reiterates Obama’s promises about health care costs and transparency and bi-partisanship on the campaign trail.  Well, that was then.  And this is now.  But reality is premiums will go up, taxes will go up on 10s of millions of Americans and plunders Medicare by 1/2 million.  Allows the federal government to use taxpayer funds for abortions.  So President voted in on a promise of change – all his promises changed.  Twelve months and $2.3 trillion later, Dems are ready to vote for something that won’t bend down the cost curve and will be even harder to fix down the road.  The impact of this vote will long outlive this one long, snowy weekend in Washington.  This legislation will reshape our nation and Americans have already issued their verdict:  they don’t want it.  They don’t like this bill.  And they don’t like lawmakers playing with their health care to get votes for it.  But the bill’s writers won’t let the 300 million affected time to read the details of the bill.  When we woke up yesterday morning we still hadn’t seen the details of the bill we’re going to vote on tonight.  How can this be justified in the face of such widespread opposition by the American people?  All it takes is just one (Dem) to stop it or everyone will own it.  It is not too late.  (Bravo, Senator.  Bravo.)

12:44 a.m.  McConnell states GOP wanted to tackle health care by going at costs incrementally but the other side went in the opposite direction and we ended up with this mess.  Any challenge of this size and scope has always been dealt with on a bi-partisan basis.  Previous, large-scale bills had very few dissenting Senators; Americans believe that with something this size, one party should not force their views on the country.  What Dems have done was so bad it required convincing the Democrats; it was a “blind call to make history, even it if was a mistake, which is exactly what this bill will be if it is passed.”  This bill isn’t about 2 parties, it’s about a 2,000+ page bill that makes the price of health care go up. 

12:41 a.m. McConnell takes the podium.  Tonight will help determine if our children can afford the nation they will inherit.  If the people who wrote this bill were proud of it, they wouldn’t be forcing this vote in the dead of night.  $100 million for an unnamed health care at an unnamed university somewhere in the United States.  No one will even step forward to claim it.  One state out of 50 gets to expand Medicaid at no cost to itself while taxpayers in the other 49 pick up the tab.  That same Senator swung a deal for a single insurance company in his state.  Do (my colleagues) think that’s fair?  What about the rest of the country?  Few people would have imagined a year ago it would end with a couple of cheap deals and a rush vote at 1 o’clock in the morning.  Americans are wondering, how did this happen?

12:40 a.m.  Dodd thinks history will judge the Dems well based on tonight.

 12:35 a.m.  Dodd now speakinjg about FDR and fear; claims Dems want to address the fears of the loss of health care, regardless what’s really in it.

12:33 a.m. Cornyn brings up Rule 44 again and asks if earmark list is available as required.  Chair cannot answer.

12:30 a.m. Harkin calls health care a “moral imperative”.  (But what if no one wanted to be a doctor any more?  What would happen?  A doctor draft?  The Constitution provides only the freedom to choose.)

12:29 a.m. Harkin berates the U.S. for not being like the EU on health care.  (The same socialists that are turning away from it.  Good job, Tom.)

12:22 a.m.  Harkin now at the podium saying “All we’ve heard from the other side is ‘attack, attack, attack’.  ‘No, no, no’.”  Coburn amendment only has 7 sponsors; they have no “comprehensive bill like we’ve come up with”.  Sorry the GOP is all split up, haven’t done their homework to present something positive so come together to oppose.  Claims numerous bipartisan meetings, then GOP voted against everything.  Claims GOP in “total disarray” but Dems have their supermajority. 

12:20 a.m. McCain vows to not commit “generational theft”; “we will stand up for the American people.  We have just begun to fight.”

12:14 a.m. McCain takes the podium to explain how it all started – back during the campaign.  Restates candidate Obama’s promises for transparency.  There were never serious negotiations between Republicans and Democrats; only with special interests.  Pharma got a sweetheart deal by eliminating importing prescription drugs; AMA signed up for promise of a doctor fix.  Should have set up a tent out front and sold Persian rugs.  New words in the lexicon:  Louisiana Purchase, Cornhusker Kickback, Florida Flimflam; compromise is treating a number of states differently according to the Dems.  That is in direct contradiction to candidate Obama’s words.  McConnell couldn’t even tell anyone what was in the bill before yesterday.  Bill doesn’t represent 61% of the American people; 61% want it stopped.  You go against the American people and you will pay a heavy price, and you should.  We will not give up after this vote; for the first time in history there will be a major reform passed on a single party vote.

12:08 a.m. Alexander quotes Dem letter requesting the bill be on the internet for 72 hours before it’s brought to a vote in the Senate.  “It’s our duty to listen and respond to proposals that will impact their lives.”  But it’s being rushed, during a snowstorm, in the middle of the night, despite not going into full effect for 4 years because $587 billion in new taxes can’t be explained during high unemployment.  Chief Actuary for Medicare says the bill will cause national health care to increase faster.  Dems don’t want to explain why they will now use federal money to fund abortions.  They don’t want to explain the CLASS Act and it’s negative effects.  Obvious why the majority has cooked up this amendment in secret, scheduled a vote for 1:00 a.m. and want to pass it before Christmas.  Political kamikaze mission for Dems, worse for the country.

12:05 a.m. Alexander explains why the Senate is in session.   Because of Reid’s spending the last 6 weeks behind closed doors writing his manager’s amendment and throwing it on the table only yesterday.  Governor of Tennessee calls it “the mother of all mandates” but Dems insist it must be done in the middle of a snowstorm in the middle of the night before the American people find out what’s in it.

12:04 a.m. Senate recites the Pledge of Allegiance.  Would be funny if it weren’t such a pathetic travesty.

12:01 a.m. Monday:  The chaplain asks God to give the Senators wisdom and courage to do the right thing.  Personally, I would put my money on their continued failing the American people.

midnight:  C-SPAN caller from Canada says, “I just want to tell you that you have no idea how terrible your health care will be if you pass this bill.”

11:31 p.m.  Senate now stands in recess for 30 minutes.  Thank goodness.  It’s really hard listening to lies for hours on end.

11:09 p.m. Ok, I lied.  Nelson takes the podium and claims he wouldn’t recognize one side of the floor tonight based on “everything” that occurred last summer.  “It is a typical tactic…to go after a specific item in order to obfuscate, which then misses the whole point of the piece of legislation.”  Point of it is to make health care affordable, efficient, and available.  Now I can take a break.

11:07 p.m. Cardin thinks this is the right decision.  Thinks otherwise we’ll be dealing with a “worse crisis” in 10 years.  Then Harkin takes the floor.  Good time for a break.

11:05 p.m. Cardin touts his including education loans, including 77 for Alaska (is it wise to flaunt your pork in public?)

11:04 p.m. Cardin says Medicare Advantage isn’t used by 99% of Alaskans but Alaska pays $90 each (huh?) 

10:59 p.m. Cardin states the immediate benefits: no dropping, high-risk pools; new program for early retirees to reduce their premiums, insurance companies posting their overhead on the internet; dependents covered up to age of 26 (but we can send them off to war, they are legal adults and can drink…wtf?)  No denial of pre-existing conditions for children, preventative services for seniors.  Claims this bill “adds 10 more years to Medicare” (what, it can rise from the dead?)  Reviews the benefits to his Alaskan constituents. 

10:54 p.m. Cardin reviews the strangulation on private insurance companies, including exclusion from the Exchange (like that’s really a bad thing?), forcing them to return profits to policy holders, etc.  Mentions there are 4 million federal employees (getting their own special plans, of course).

10:51 p.m. Begich takes the podium and promptly talks about not seeing a blizzard like the one of “disinformation about this bill”.  Calls the bill “not perfect but a significant step in the right direction”.  Does another review of CBO’s numbers without their caveat; ignoring the Medicare cuts that won’t ever happen.

10:47 p.m. Cardin reviews a litany of “minority health” issues, such as longevity, and claims justification expansion of another government bureaucracy.  Discusses need for community centers then launches into a rant about evil insurance companies.

10:44 p.m. Cardin reviews his patients bill of rights and its further limitations on the private sector.  (Though a few of the protections are actually sensible, however, IMNSHO simply allowing cross-state purchase of plans would take care of many of them.)

10:40 p.m. Cardin launches into the financial implications from the Dem’s perspective.  Claims the CBO says it will reduce the deficit in the first 1o years but the following 10 years will be even more, while reducing the growth rate.  Claims CBO can’t account for preventive services results but they are going to be huge.  Then he talks about strangling private insurance companies by dictating how they can run their business.

10:34 p.m. Cardin states CBO says 31 million more people will have coverage with the Dem bill.  (Or is that “damn bill”?)  Calls this a “giant step forward” towards universal coverage.  Claims reduction in costs of premiums and a better insurance plan for everyone.  Claims this will be because of preventive and screening services and requirements for children’s health.  Uses colon cancer screening as an example (hundreds of dollars vs. thousands for surgery); claims disease management will be more effective.  Reducing number of insured by keeping them out of the emergency rooms.  Claims bill will increase competition because of the Exchanges. 

10:30 p.m.  Cardin takes the podium and states that  shortly “we’ll be able to clear the way for the U.S. to join at last every other industrial nation and declare that health care is a right.”  Reminds us he’s been in Congress for 23 years (and therefore past his expiration date).  Then begins the stereotypical litany about people making decisions about their health care.

10:27 p.m.  Brownback:  all of this seems so odd to me.  Final days of Advent season, we should be home with our families; missing celebrations of Christmas, the birth of a child; this is the season we are in and how sad we might see the end of lives of children in this bill.  It shouldn’t have to be this way, but it is the central issue.  The House will not support this bill.  Asks Dems to take it out; harmful, hurtful to the country.

 10:25 p.m. Brownback notes 300,000 abortions were funded by the taxpayers before the Hyde amendment from 1973-1976.

10:18 p.m.  Brownback notes for 30 years there has been no discussion about federal funding of abortion.  Now that has changed; “no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions and federal conscience laws will remain in place” (Obama) but the manager’s amendment does fund abortions.  Quotes Bart Stupak, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (who want a health reform bill), National Right to Life Committee, all against the current legislation.  Quotes Ben Nelson, “Taxpayers shouldn’t be required to pay for abortions.”  Abortion isn’t even health care, why is it in the bill at all?

10:17 p.m.  Brownback now on the floor, discusses effect on his constituents in Kansas.  All of them just to start a new entitlement program and raise taxes; like writing a big fat check on an overdrawn bank account.

 10:15 p.m.  Thune:  the American people know better, know it will add to the deficit.  These bills as they stand are budget busters.  Bill needs to be voted down tonight and hopes there’s a courageous Democrat or two.

10:10 p.m.  Thune reviews Obama’s promise that nothing will change in your plan and if you like it you can keep it, but the Reid amendment will cut Medicare Advantage and therefore all those people (11 million) won’t be keeping what they have.  Another 10 million will lose their employer-provided plan, too.  Review of numerous Medicare cuts that will affect people’s plans, all based on independent reviews.

Arguments will be televised on C-SPAN, said Obama.  But almost the entire bill has been written behind closed doors.  The near-400 page amendment was dropped on their desks yesterday, even Dem leaders were in the dark.  Then the under cover deal with Nebraska to have all their Medicaid expansion paid for by all other states.

Won’t add a dime to the deficit but the included Medicare cuts to physicians for payments won’t hold.  CBO calls the CLASS Act a “huge and growing” financial burden and a gimmick to look like health care is paid for.

 10:04 p.m. Thune reviews list of Obama’s broken promises:  no tax increase on those making less than $250,000.  But actuaries show 42 million will see a tax increase.  Bill will control costs and be paid for, premiums will go down and everyone will be covered.  But bill leaves 23 million without coverage.  Typical family that pays $13,300 today (employer-type plan) will see their cost go over $20,000.  Bill doesn’t pass the truth test according to the CBO.

Dems should attack CBO and actuaries because they all show the cost curve bends up, not down, as Obama promised.  Cost of doing nothing would be less than if Reid bill passes, even though costs will increase.  With amendment, the gap becomes even larger.

 10:00 p.m. Thune does some weight-lifting by presenting a print out of the Senate bill and Reid’s amendment.  “Recurring pattern” in the Senate is GOP coming down and talking about the impact the bill would have on the economy, the CBO report describing cost of the bill, costs to the people, the CMS actuary report.  But the Dems aren’t offering “full-throated defense” of their bill, just talking about how bad the system is and how they’ll fix it and accusing GOP of telling lies.

9:57 p.m. Cornyn reviews reasons why Americans want Washington to start over.  Calls out Nebraska’s sweetheart deal and the lame abortion wording.  “Sheer irresponsibility of the way this is being done”, “closed doors, special interests” and “jammed down the throats of the American people”.

9:33 p.m. Enzi quotes Foster that bill will cost “234 billion more than if we did nothing.”  Calls the budget gimmicks used by Dems “inconvenient truths”.  Asks if Dems believe Congress will really cut Medicare payments by 21% in 2 months.  Truth is that Congress has never allowed that.  Bill requires over 40% in Medicare payment cuts in 10 years.  Latest CBO had a $600 billion error (and not in the Dems favor).

9:19 p.m. Harkin again toddles up to the podium to rehash the Dems small business credits and their congenital heart disease program.  Expresses gratefulness to Durbin for including the heart disease program.  Personally thanks Durbin for all his hard work.  Calls the the upcoming vote, “THE defining vote”.  (Defining next year’s clearing out of Congress by the American people, methinks.)

9:18 p.m. Durbin speaks of 7 previous presidents and cajoles the Senate to do their “historic duty”.   After conjuring up the ghost of Dead Kennedy.  He’s calling it “Kennedy Car