The Final 15
David Dayen, who’s whip counting on health reform has been invaluable, tallies up the final 15 undecided House Dems — the group who holds the fate of reform in the balance:
Lincoln Davis, Jim Matheson, Harry Teague, Travis Childers, John Barrow, Zack Space, Chris Carney, Brad Ellsworth, Jerry Costello, Henry Cuellar, Nick Rahall, Solomon Ortiz, Earl Pomeroy, Bill Foster, Harry Mitchell.
This is the group that is widely deemed to be truly on the fence, not ones who are still holding out for reasons not relating to the legislation and whose votes can already be divined. Presuming Dayen’s calculations are right, Dems need eight of these to vote Yes.
Right now, Costello appears to be a No, according to the local Illinois press.
Which bring me to a request for you readers. When the CBO score and the reconciliation language come out, we’re going to see decisions suddenly being made at a rapid-fire rate. I’m hoping you all will let me know what you’re seeing on the ground — in your local papers, in your calls to Congressional offices, etc. — in order to help me track the final decisions of these undecideds.
It’s going to happen quick — like dominos falling. The question is in which direction. Please help me track it.
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Message For Chris Carney:
You better vote for the bill.
If it is acceptable to the Catholic Nuns Of America, then it better be acceptable to you.
You are not a better Catholic than they are, so vote for the bill, or we will oust you. Count on it.
@Greg
Again, I’m curious if once the Dems have the magic 216, if a mass of ‘aye’ votes will follow simply to not be left behind on the historic vote.
” When the CBO score and the reconciliation language come out”
When will that be? Do you know?
Greg, I’ll let you know what I find out, if anything, I’m perusing a lot of sites right now. And I am very curious about these 15 and thanks for the names by the way. Otherwise, I’m out until the vote, thanks for all you do.
All white men.
Please, sirs, think about your mothers, your wives, your daughters, your granddaughters if you have them.
Health care reform brings parity for female constituents.
Support the women in your life:
Vote to PASS HEALTH CARE REFORM!
@wbgonne
Supposedly the final language and CBO numbers were going to be out for 3 days before the vote. So for a weekend vote, it should be today or tomorrow.
David Dayen at Firedoglake.com (dday @ Digby’s blog) has done better work than most mainstream journalists on keeping track of what’s going on:
http://news.firedoglake.com
Credit is due to the hardworking Firedoglake.com bloggers for making valuable contributions to pushing forward progressive politics despite all the verbal arrows being shot at them.
@wbgonne
And right on cue…this just went up on TPM.
“Multiple sources in the House and Senate are telling us to expect the Congressional Budget Office’s score of the health care reform package to come out late today. Nothing official yet, but if the House is going to vote on the Senate bill Saturday, the CBO score basically needs to come today.”
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/03/cbo_score_coming.php?ref=fpblg
Credit to progressive health care wonk Jon Walker at Firedoglake.com as well:
http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/author/jon-walker/
O/T but I love this:
“But in her interview with Politico, Keep America Safe’s Burlingame disagreed, saying that “comparing the prosecution of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to the trial of Charlie Manson is a perfect example of why the American people have lost confidence in the Holder justice system.”
She calls him CHARLIE Manson, like he’s a friend that could be invited to dinner.
These people are pathetic.
So reefer, tell us … are you going to team up with your FDL pal Jane and Gorver to help re-elect Bart Stupak since he’s obviously so much more in tune with your politics than the President?
Thanks, BBQ. Another good column by Ezra Klein
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/03/sometimes_you_have_to_burn_a_v.html
He must have started eating Wheaties for breakfast!
Even Dennis Kucinich thinks that the FireDogLakers are a bunch of irrational Loons!
Please ignore the stupid troll.
HE IS POLLUTING THIS THREAD ON PURPOSE.
GREG EVEN ASKED US TO HELP HIM.
CMON PEOPLE. IGNORE THE ******* IDIOT.
Shoot. Meant: Ignore NR (******* idiot), not Greg (NOT an idiot).
“Please ignore the stupid troll.”
Agreed. The train has left the station and the troll ain’t on it.
Ditto.
Time to throw The Troll under it.
I’ll help Greg – Enough Congress people will come down on the side of passing the bill to pass the bill.
You can bank on it.
I banked on it, Tena. Just threw another few bucks Nancy’s way. Made sure to click on the link from her email then donated. Good for stats, hey, I’m a web nerd whaddya expect
WH:
9 — that’s number of states and the District of Columbia where there is still no specific law that makes it illegal for insurers to reject applicants who are survivors of domestic violence by citing the history of domestic violence as a pre-existing condition.
Ethan- I’m getting all happy again. We’re gonna pass this, b!tchez!
Obama’s Corporate insurance sales team has done a LOT of damage to superior progressive healthcare policies.
If/when this Corporate-gift passes it will STRENGTHEN the death-grip the predatory Corporate insurers has over both our healthcare systems AND our political process.
Do the math, by conservative numbers the Corporate insurers will be able to demand ransoms from 30 million Americans of thousands of dollars each year.
The Corporate leaches will suck off at minimum 15% off the top of that huge increase in their revenue stream.
That creates BILLIONS of dollars in additional profit, profits that the Corporate predators will be able to use to buy even MORE politicians (especially since the “Citizens United v. FEC” Supreme Court case has allowed unlimited Corporate cash to be used to manipulate our political process).
BAD POLICIES and WORSE POLITICS.
This is going to pass all the grandstanding fence sitters notwithstanding.
reefer, take a hike.
Just tossed some money to the Senators too. What the hey.
BOTH DCCC and DSCC can expect more from me if/when HCR passes.
Groupthink’ers sure can’t stand an independent view.
I want Health Care Reform.
Selfishly, I want it for myself.
But also everyone else.
Someone drag NR off to the showers and turn the cold on full blast = I can smell overheated brains from here.
I don’t want to force poor and average Americans to hand Corporate CEO Fat Cats BILLIONS in new profits.
I don’t want to raise REGRESSIVE taxes on the least amongst us.
I don’t want to restrict the freedoms of women.
Does this take into account that Oberstar and Kildee announced today that they will vote Yes?
Tena,
That is not overheated brains you are smelling. It is the smell of a Right Wing Troll’s brain farts.
My rep is Chris Murphy, but I’m going to call him anyway.
For the rest of you (one notable exception) if you can claim any of those Congress critters, CALL.
Switchboard: (202) 224-3121
Be polite.
Remember to call.
(202) 224-3121
And once more, with feeling.
CALL YOUR CONGRESS PERSON. REACH OUT AND MAKE YOUR POSITION KNOWN. CALL. GIVE THEM COURAGE.
THEY NEED IT.
(202) 224-3121
Something, rather subtle, that has not been picked up on.
It is what Dennis Kucinich said about what President Obama layed out, that convinced Kuch to vote for the bill.
It is this;
President Obama proved to be a very good salesman, so he should have a strong chance of gaining more converts to back the bill.
Reminder;
Even those reps who have declared that they are going to vote for the bill, are going to be receiving a lot of anti bill phone spamming, so you should call and let them know, that you are with them. Never cede the communications battlefield to the enemy.
Never cede the communications battlefield to the enemy.
And look! Here’s the number: (202) 224-3121
In “Liam’s” Orwellian world, supporters of liberals, liberal policies, and liberalism is now a “Right Wing Troll”.
In “Liam’s” Orwellian world, his support for a Corporate-friendly bill that forces poor and average Americans to pay HUGE fractions of their incomes to predatory Corporations, his support for REGRESSIVE taxes, and his support for the restriction on women’s freedoms, means he’s a Good Democrat.
It’s what I would call an ‘old-school Republican’ with severe cognitive problems.
My Rep is voting for this for certain.
My Senators on the other hand are a couple of twits. Both Warner and Webb drafted the letter along with Lincoln, Nelson and others against direct lending from the Govn’t on student loans because it would hurt employment in their states. And, I believe this banking legislation will be a part of this reconciliation bill coming across which alone, will save the Fed Govn’t 40 billion dollars over the next 10 years which means neither of them are a yes vote for the reconciliation fixes.
Greg, here’s two you may want to add to your need to get list. Chris Bowers took them off the lean yes this morning to undecided, which means we need 10 now instead of 8. Marcy Kaptur and Jason Altmire
http://openleft.com/diary/17870/not-everything-going-well-on-health-reform-today
The French have a name for such a Trojan Horse Troll. It is:
Agent provocateur
As someone who lives in a district represented by a complete wingnut, I beg all of you who live in districts represented by fence-sitters to PLEASE CALL to voice your support for this bill.
For those of you who live in the districts of someone who is a committed “yes” vote, you should still call…..they’re probably being inundated by calls from tea-baggers and would likely appreciate the sound of a friendly, supportive voice.
“Liam’s” Orwellian [re]definitions continue:
“Agent provocateur” now means someone who supports liberals, liberal policies, and liberalism.
Yo, “Liam”, in between your Corporate-insurance sales efforts you should consider helping Republican help Karl Rove write his next book, you can title it, “How Old Boys Can Be Mean Girls.”
I second schrodingerscat-
PLEASE do it. I’m in Outer Wingnuttia myself where my critter openly misrepresents HCR on the floor of the House! Huzzah!
Greg, David D. agreed with Bowers and also added Melissa Bean back to undecided so we need 11 now. Hopefully, we’ll see an improvement when CBO score is released, sometime tonight it looks like.
Congressman Gutierrez (IL-4) has also indicated he will not support the bill and he’s not on this list
I’m with the rest who are cheering on those who have representatives they can talk to.
Even the NO’S can be moved in the end. Look what happened with Kucinich.
Until there is a vote, I wouldn’t even discount some of the hard NO’s.
Congressman Gutierrez (IL-4) has also indicated he will not support the bill and he’s not on this list
……………..
He has not declared how he will vote. He is angling for immgration reform, in exchange for his vote. At crunch time, he better vote for the bill or Chicago Labor will make sure that he never has another term.
“Labor” is going to feel about this bill the same way “labor” felt about NAFTA under Clinton.
Keep in mind that the REGRESSIVE taxes hit “Labor” especially hard.
SEIU( A huge national labor union) is pushing hard for passage of this bill, and has indicated that they will not support Democrats who vote against it.
Truth is the best disinfectant against a Right
Wing Agent Provocateur.
AFSCME is in favor of the bill as well.
Chris Carney has already sent a letter to the president in favor of Israel in the current dispute over construction in East Jerusalem. Successful passage of health care legislation will give the president political capital to carry out his foreign policy, so a vote against healthcare would be convenient to ultra conservatives in Israel. One can only hope Carney’s vote is for his constituents and their welfare and not for the interests of a foreign country’s radical right.
Costello said he would vote NO on the Senate bill but he is undecided on the reconciliation bill. That explains why Pelosi is SERIOUSLY thinking about
Dale Kildee endorses Senate bill, says it would be “pro life” to pass it:
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/health-care/key-anti-abortion-dem-passing-senate-bill-would-be-pro-life/
Those that are citing “labor” ORGANIZATIONS may have misread what I meant.
My apologies for not being clear.
“Labor[ers]” and Union MEMBERS aren’t going to like this bill when the REGRESSIVE taxes kick in.
Just because the head of a labor or Union organization falls in line behind a political push does NOT mean that labor MEMBERS will.
Labor and Unions MEMBERS are far, far more independent than most folk (right or left) recognize.
Labor and Union members have already endorsed the bill.
Right Wing Agent Provocateur now claims that he speaks for all labor members.
Don’t you just hate it, when an exposed Troll, keeps acting more and more desperate, and can not accept that the people have noticed that The King is Naked, and that all attempts to convince them otherwise, now look just desperate and pathetic.
“Liam”, I actually know Union members, all you can do is regurgitate what you read in the news.
Union members are almost always a far more diverse group of people than caricaturists like yourself make them out to be.
Many (again, not all) Union members, especially older Union members are very conservative, frequently Republicans, and often deeply skeptical of what their Union leadership is advocating at any one time.
(Maybe SEIU’s membership is different; credit to Andy Stern for being an exceptionally activist Union leader.)
But the Union folk I know will themselves KNOW that those REGRESSIVE taxes pushed by Obama will hit them the hardest.
And since most Union MEMBERS won’t be getting any particular benefits from this bill (Union members usually gave up wages to get and keep their health plans), those REGRESSIVE taxes will be particularly offensive to them.
If Dems were still connected to their Union and labor bases they would know these things.
As it is, the Dems are so disconnected that they’ve ‘taken away’ from their friends while handing their opponents a series of easily avoidable victories.
OOOOh!!! The Right Wing Troll actually knows Union Members. How exclusive. I bet no one else in America does, except The Right Wing Troll.