BREAKING: BAUCUS BILL PASSES 14-9

By GottaLaff

Per MSNBC, the Senate Finance Committee passes the Baucus Bill 14-9. The Senate will likely not pass a public option bill, and there's a long road ahead.

The White House praises Olympia Snowe. Gibbs:

"I think the White House and the president are pleased that the likely outcome appears that we'll be one step closer to reform," Gibbs said of the Finance Committee's expected vote to send Chairman Max Baucus's (D-Mont.) health bill to the Senate as a whole.

"I think, as the president said in the Oval Office a few moments ago, obviously having the vote of Senator Snowe is important," Gibbs added. "[He] believes that she's worked constructively throughout this process to address a problem that Americans face and her constituents in Maine face."

President Barack Obama praised Snowe for "extraordinarily diligent" work on healthcare reform in brief remarks this afternoon.

Chuck (Gr)Assley is saying a vote against the bill isn't a vote against health care reform. Uh huh.

As Thom Hartmann said, the bill is awful, but it needed to get passed in order to move forward.

The Rushpublics are kvetching in front of the cameras now. Orrin Hatch is Whiner in Chief at the moment. He's "very disappointed."

One more R: A "hyper partisan process", a "my way or the highway now".

A single payer fan just yelled out: "You think you know so much about it, but no!" Ha! Excellent.