Democrats Eye (Shh!) Reconciliation

The New York Times reports:

With bipartisan health care negotiations teetering, Democrats are talking reluctantly — and very, very quietly — about exploiting a procedural loophole they planted in this year’s budget to skirt Republican filibusters against a health care overhaul.

The Democrats are talking reluctantly because using the tactic, which is officially known as reconciliation, would present a variety of serious procedural and substantive obstacles that could result in a piece-meal health bill. And they are whispering because the mere mention of reconciliation touches partisan nerves and could be viewed as a threat by the three Republicans still engaged in the sensitive health talks, causing them to collapse.

Yet with the discussions so far failing to produce an agreement and no guarantee of one after the summer recess, Democrats are gaming out whether as a last resort they could use the process to secure a health care victory if they have to go it alone. The answer: It wouldn’t be pretty and it wouldn’t be preferable, but it could be doable.

You'll want to read this one.