Motley Moose – Archive

Since 2008 – Progress Through Politics

178 comments

  1. Chris Blask

    (R) Tennessee, is on MSNBC right now wearing a cross around her neck and repeating every single Beck talking point.

    She stated that every GOP amendment that had been accepted in the past were all taken out, and that an entirely new bill was written overnight “that no committee has seen”.  Her example was her own amendment: “that no government bureaucrat would be allowed to ever ration healthcare”.

    I understand the desire to “win at all costs”, but Rep. Blakcburn, your amendment as you describe it in your own words is unsupportable.  It would require exactly the kind of unrestricted socialism that you claim to be opposing, where – unlike the private insurance industry – the government would be required to provide absolutely any kind of health care procedure to every person, therefore creating the very tax burdens you decry.

    I don’t know if an entirely new bill was written overnight, but it sounds logistically improbable at best.  But I do know that your one example of GOP contribution to the bill is on its own face at best naive and at worst malicious.  Please return to the House and act as an honest broker for your constituents.

  2. John Allen

    These are the House reps that opponents of reform are targeting. Please look through the list and call or email your rep if you see them on the list.

    Call 202-224-3121 or go here to get the direct dial number of your Congressman.

    WHIPPING LIST

    1. John Adler (D-NJ)

    2. Jason Altmire (D-PA)

    3. John Barrow (D-GA)

    4. Marion Berry (D-AR)

    5. John Boccieri (D-OH)

    6. Dan Boren (D-OK)

    7. Leonard Boswell (D-IA)

    8. Allen Boyd (D-FL)

    9. Bobby Bright (D-AL)

    10. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA)

    11. Chris Carney (D-NJ)

    12. Ben Chandler (D-KY)

    13. Travis Childers (D-MS)

    14. Gerry Connolly (D-VA)

    15. Jim Cooper (D-TN)

    16. Jim Costa (D-CA)

    17. Jerry Costello (D-IL)

    18. Henry Cuellar (D-TX)

    19. Kathleen Dahlkemper (D-PA)

    20. Artur Davis (D-AL)

    21. Lincoln Davis (D-TN)

    22. Steve Driehaus (D-OH)

    23. Chet Edwards (D-TX)

    24. Brad Ellsworth (D-IN)

    25. Bart Gordon (D-TN)

    26. Parker Griffith (D-AL)

    27. Debbie Halvorson (D-IL)

    28. Baron Hill (D-IN)

    29. Jim Himes (D-CT)

    30. Tim Holden (D-PA)

    31. Paul Kanjorski (D-PA)

    32. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)

    33. Larry Kissell (D-NC)

    34. Suzanne Kosmas (D-FL)

    35. Frank Kratovil Jr. (D-MD)

    36. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL)

    37. Betsy Markey (D-CO)

    38. Jim Marshall (D-GA)

    39. Eric Massa (D-NY)

    40. Jim Matheson (D-UT)

    41. Mike McIntyre (D-NC)

    42. Michael McMahon (D-NY)

    43. Charlie Melancon (D-LA)

    44. Walt Minnick (D-ID)

    45. Alan Mollohan (D-WV)

    46. Dennis Moore (D-KS)

    47. John Murtha (D-PA)

    48. Glenn Nye (D-VA)

    49. James Oberstar (D-MN)

    50. Bill Owens (D-NY)

    51. Tom Perriello (D-VA)

    52. Gary Peters (D-MI)

    53. Collin Peterson (D-MN)

    54. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND)

    55. Nick Rahall (D-WV)

    56. Ciro Rodriguez (D-TX)

    57. Mike Ross (D-AR)

    58. Mark Schauer (D-MI)

    59. Adam Schiff (D-CA)

    60. Kurt Schrader (D-OR)

    61. Heath Shuler (D-NC)

    62. Ike Skelton (D-MO)

    63. Adam Smith (D-WA)

    64. Zack Space (D-OH)

    65. Bart Stupak (D-MI)

    66. John Tanner (D-TN)

    67. Gene Taylor (D-MS)

    68. Harry Teague (D-NM)

    69. Charlie Wilson (D-OH)

  3. John Allen

    Gary Peters of Michigan is a yes vote. He’s fairly progressive. I wonder if they targeted him because he won in a district that is normally represented by a Republican? I backed Peters in the 2008 election even though I was in MS at the time. I even added  him to the MM ActBlue page. Looks to me like they are targeting Dems in swing districts.

  4. DTOzone

    Altmire is key because accroding to my sources on the Hill, he is being heavily whipped by the President, Vice President, Rahm Emanuel, HHS Secretary, Speaker, Majority Leader and Majority Whip. He’s also being heavily whipped by Rep. Joe Sestak, whom Altmire is supposedly quietly supporting for Senate.

    Kathy Dahlkemper of Erie moved to the yes column and it is believed Tim Holden of Harrisburg and Chris Carney of the Poconos both moved to yes, meaning Altmire is the only Pennsylvania Democratic holdout.

    If he votes no, it means the whipping powers of the leadership really are nonexistent.

  6. John Allen

    is listed as being in support of the Stupak amendment. I tried to reach his D.C. office and his local office to no avail. Apparently, they are not staffed today. I fired off an email to him, but I have no way of knowing if it will even be read today. Needless to say, I’m pissed.

    Here’s a copy of the email.

    I am a registered voter in Congressman Kildee’s district. I am also politically active. Although it is a Saturday, there are two very important votes today that are of vital concern to all citizens. I am very upset that I couldn’t reach your D.C. office or the Flint office to state my position on these issues. Perhaps Congressman Kildee has been in office too long to consider the concerns of his constituents important enough to have those phones staffed at such a critical time. There have been reports that Congressman Kildee may support the Stupak amendment. This is outrageous. That amendment is a direct assault on abortion rights. Please consider the consequences of such an amendment becoming law. Both the obvious consequences and the unintended ones that will arise from such a restriction. Health care reform must pass during this congress. A failure on the part of Democrats to deliver UHC will have dire consequences in the 2010 elections. It would turn far too many people off from politics entirely and cede the playing field to the GOP.

  7. btchakir

    My voice is getting hoarse from yelling at the television today when the Republicans debating the Health Care Bill make statements which are patently untrue.  The primary statement is one Boehner and his biddies keep making, that the majority of Americans have come out against this bill.

    Now where is it that this has been shown, John? The various polls for weeks have shown the majority of Americans for this reform. Especially, they have shown a strong favor of the Public Option, something you keep saying all Americans are against.

    But that’s only the base misstatement (can I say “lie”? OK the base lie.) What about the statements that the Bill will cost us so much more in our economy? The Congressional Budget Office doesn’t agree. Consumers Union doesn’t agree. Oh, the Insurance Industry agrees, but right now they’ll agree to anything which kills the bill.

    And you are saying how this is going to cost us millions of jobs. and that it is going to give us a health care system where we won’t get help for emergency heart conditions, and that Medicare will be cut to the point that millions of seniors will use their care. Where do you get this crap, John? From Rupert Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal? From Fox News (Oh, that’s the same source)?  

    I’m waiting for the point today when you put up the Republican Alternative. From what I’ve seen so far this will come so short on the problem that no Republican Congress person would give up their current free choice for.

    So tell me, John Boehner, what will this fuly paid for legislation which does not add dime one to the deficit do that would be so bad?

    Under The LobsterScope

  10. sricki

    when will Republicans stop LYING?!?! Mike Pence claiming we’ll all lose our insurance and our jobs because of this bill??

    FUCKING liars, ALL of them!!!

  16. Shaun Appleby

    Sounds close.  From the Hill:


    Though leaders feel comfortable, the margin is narrow. Aides said leaders are confident they have the 218 votes they need, but at the very least they want to find a 219th vote so that no one member can be considered the decisive vote.

    Mike Soraghan and Jared Allen – Dems: ‘We have the votes’ 7 Nov 09 9:22 PM ET The Hill>

    If the margin for passage of this bill is so fine as to engage the votes of our two newly elected Congressional Democrats one might be forgiven wondering if, on the grounds of acuity, timing, daring and legislative finesse, the mythos of ’11th dimensional chess’ might yet be enshrined in the cheerful folklore of the present Obama administration.

  20. HappyinVT

    Tweet of the day

    Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) …

       I wonder if Michele Bachmann wearing a lei (on the Floor) means she has recognized that Hawaii is a state and President Obama is a citizen?

  22. John Allen

    It is bittersweet. I am pleased thrilled that a bill has finally passed one of the houses of Congress. I am less than thrilled disgusted with the Stupak amendment. It feels like the Democrats just threw women under the bus to get enough votes to pass the bill. The fact that a Michigan congressman submitted the amendment and my own Democratic congressman voted for it is like rubbing salt into a wound. Kildee is going to get an earful from me the next time I see him. And I will make a point of seeing him. I’ll start watching for his next local event and make sure I attend.

  23. Phillies1980

    Some of the ‘nays’ in tough districts and probably got the okay from the leadership to vote that way.

    I’m far more annoyed with someone like Dennis Kucinich who hasn’t gotten much accomplished for all of the times he’s “taken a stand” or whatever he’s praised for.

    Also, am annoyed at the coming “The netroots made this happen” bullsh*t that is sure to come from certain quarters of the blogosphere. barf.

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