Ram it, tweak it, YouTube it

After the recent Congressional Budget Office backing of the Senate Healthcare Bill's finances, the Republicans have lost, at least temporarily, a bit of ooomph. Since they themselves often quote CBO's findings, they can't just dismiss them now. Also, recent polls show some recovery in Obama's popularity. Now is the time to make the big push. I understand that the Finance Committee has already scheduled a vote. I suspect that wavering "blue dog" Dems will find it hard to oppose it now, and I think Olympia Snowe, who is to the left of some of them, will also vote for it.

The appropriate Democratic strategy is to do what the Republicans are already accusing them of doing: ramming the bill through, then tweaking it, behind the scenes, to make it even better through reconciliation with the somewhat better House Bill. ("Public option" anyone?)

The spiteful nonsense that the Republicans will spout should be captured on video and sent to YouTube. In fact, that should be the ultimate threat against any fillibuster in the 21st century. The days of holding up much-needed beneficial legislation by blathering or reading from the telephone directory should be long over, since we can all see it, hear it, and recognize it for what it is within seconds.