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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Miasma

Miasma

by Tim F|  January 22, 20102:10 pm| 110 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

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Looking at our updated list of where Reps stand, and judging by your own feedback and the insidery stuff that Josh Marshall posts, I do not think that most House Democrats have a fucking clue what they are going to do.

Get on the horn and make a suggestion. (202) 224-3121. Instructions for first-timers here.



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Reader Interactions

110Comments

  1. 1.

    Sean

    January 22, 2010 at 2:14 pm

    What should we do if our representative is Tom Price in Georgia, who is as likely to vote for this bill as he is to grow wings and fly over Centennial Olympic Park?

  2. 2.

    John S.

    January 22, 2010 at 2:15 pm

    I have no congressman to call.

    WEXLER!

    /Kahn

  3. 3.

    BR

    January 22, 2010 at 2:15 pm

    Call the white house while you’re at it. Remind Obama that the goal here isn’t bipartisanship, it’s getting things done. Remind him that he praised the senate bill repeatedly and hailed the senate’s success in passing it. That he needs to show some spine and show the dems in the house that they can vote for it and get it to his desk.

  4. 4.

    Sarah

    January 22, 2010 at 2:15 pm

    Tierney (D MA-6): staffer doesn’t know where he stands on passing the Senate bill — I voiced my encouragement and she said she’d pass it along.

  5. 5.

    Andy

    January 22, 2010 at 2:15 pm

    Disembodied Voice: “Good afternoon, Ron Paul’s office. How may I help you?”

    Self: “Um, um, Shut up! That’s why!”

  6. 6.

    Emma Anne

    January 22, 2010 at 2:16 pm

    Thanks Tim. Nearly all of them are “haven’t decided” or
    ‘waiting for leadership.”

    Now is the exact time to call them.

  7. 7.

    Cain

    January 22, 2010 at 2:17 pm

    I got off my ass and called David Wu, he is non-commital, but they totally understood my remarks on why it should be passed. He made sure that I got my position and took my name and address down.

    cain

  8. 8.

    mcc

    January 22, 2010 at 2:21 pm

    Probably everyone here reads TPM already, but random tidbit:

    Inventor of public option, 46 other experts call for House to pass Senate bill, do reconciliation fixes after

  9. 9.

    geg6

    January 22, 2010 at 2:21 pm

    Just called Altmire’s (D-PA-04) office again. Got a different staffer, one willing to actually have a discussion. Asked him what Altmire was thinking and he said that he would have originally voted for the Senate bill. But with all that’s happened this week, he’s no longer even sure it will ever come to a vote. I expressed my dismay over it and he asked what I would like the congressman to do. I told him that he needs to get with the entire House caucus and someone needs to speak reality. That if they don’t pass something at least on the level with the Senate bill that I will stop canvassing, contributing, and blindly supporting him. That I would look for alternatives, perhaps to primary him or perhaps a third party or perhaps just sit at home. And that I had friends all over the country who feel the same and who are contacting their representatives. And that we won’t forget and that we will hold them responsible. He seemed a bit taken aback and then, strangely, kinda excited. Took my name and phone number this time. Wonder if I’ll get a call back?

  10. 10.

    The Raven

    January 22, 2010 at 2:22 pm

    BTW, you have McDermott in there twice.

  11. 11.

    Mike B

    January 22, 2010 at 2:22 pm

    Called Niki Tsongas (D-MA). Got polite staffer who said that she had no position yet.

    Voicing controlled rage does not come naturally to me, so I may have been too polite. But at least I got the call in.

  12. 12.

    Chat Noir

    January 22, 2010 at 2:23 pm

    Sort of OT but not quite. The Democrats need to grow a pair. Found this over on DailyKos.

    The video is pretty funny.

  13. 13.

    scarpy

    January 22, 2010 at 2:26 pm

    FWIW, I was at an event Wednesday (a jobs discussion hosted by Third Way) where four reps commented on their position:

    Joe Courtney, CT-2, said yes, he would support the senate bill if necessary.

    Frank Kravotil, MD-1., said he was on the fence.

    John Boccieri, OH-16, also said he was undecided.

    Dan Maffei, NY-25, said absolutely not, would be “an abdication of the House’s responsibility” to just take the Senate bill.

    No idea if these are still operative.

  14. 14.

    Chat Noir

    January 22, 2010 at 2:26 pm

    @mcc: Steve Benen mentions it too. He also gives a shout out to Tim F. and the Balloon Juicers who are calling their Congresspeeps.

  15. 15.

    Joshua James

    January 22, 2010 at 2:28 pm

    Just called, didn’t even ask where she stood, just told her aide that as one of her constituents, I wanted her to pass HCR now and fix whatever needed to be fixed later … time is now, pass the damn bill.

    and I also communicated that I have a network of friends who all agree and if our current reps don’t get this done, next cycle we’ll elect someone who will represent our interests.

  16. 16.

    Notorious P.A.T.

    January 22, 2010 at 2:30 pm

    Probably everyone here reads TPM already, but random tidbit:

    Inventor of public option, 46 other experts call for House to pass Senate bill, do reconciliation fixes after

    Are any of them Republicans? We need bipartisanship! ! ! ! ! ! !

  17. 17.

    shirt

    January 22, 2010 at 2:30 pm

    I got Issa. What do I call him?

  18. 18.

    MaximusNYC

    January 22, 2010 at 2:30 pm

    I’m a constituent of Weiner’s. I spoke to an aide in his DC office a little while ago. I relayed my strong desire to see Weiner and the other House Dems support the Senate bill, and that I think it’s that or nothing. And I said that I hated to see the Democrats, with their strong majorities, talk themselves out of passing health care.

    I got a distinct sense that the aide personally agreed with me (tho it’s possible this was just happy talk). At any rate, he took my name and address, and promised to relay my comments.

    I did ask where exactly Weiner stands right now. Contrary to what TPM is saying, the aide told me that Weiner hasn’t made up his mind yet. He said “If you saw his comments on Morning Joe yesterday, he was really just thinking out loud.” I don’t know exactly which comments those were, but the bottom line seems to be that he, like most of the House Dems, is undecided as to how to go forward.

    So: Keep calling!!

  19. 19.

    Citizen_X

    January 22, 2010 at 2:31 pm

    Sorry to increase the level of despair, but Hamsher is doing the exact opposite; she’s telling people to

    Call progressive members of Congress and tell them to vote against the Senate bill now.

    I’ll start drinking heavily now, thank you.

  20. 20.

    Notorious P.A.T.

    January 22, 2010 at 2:31 pm

    would be “an abdication of the House’s responsibility” to just take the Senate bill

    What a moron. That’s how our government freaking WORKS: it takes both houses to pass something. Sometimes one goes first, sometimes the other. Boo hoo.

  21. 21.

    pj

    January 22, 2010 at 2:34 pm

    Cong. Paul Ryan is my rep, so I’ve been calling out of district. I’ve called the offices of Lynn Woolsey, Bill Delahunt, Raul Grijalva, Earl Blumenauer and Jim Mcdermott. From what I’ve read, all of these belong to the group in favor of sending “pieces” of legislation back to the Senate.

    Jim Mcdermott’s office was by far the most engaging, and while I respect that he comes from a very liberal district that expects an optimal bill, his office, nor any other, could answer a simple question:

    How can you expect Republicans to vote for health care reform piecemeal, if they didn’t vote for it whole?

    It’s maddening.

  22. 22.

    Don

    January 22, 2010 at 2:37 pm

    Dan Maffei, NY-25, said absolutely not, would be “an abdication of the House’s responsibility” to just take the Senate bill.

    This makes me think I may need to avoid going near the Hill for a while lest I flip my shit and “choke a bitch” a la Wayne Brady.

    How can anyone who believes in the necessity of health care reform think that choosing doing nothing over the Senate bill is in any way a responsible action?

    You want to tell me that I have to be happy with what’s been chosen because of the limits to what can be passed? Well, that goes for the two houses too. If you’ve got a magic wand, well, I dunno why you didn’t use it months ago but sure, bust that shit out.

    Otherwise, PASS THE FUCKING THING.

  23. 23.

    Lisa K.

    January 22, 2010 at 2:37 pm

    I just called Chellie Pingree’s office, and the intern thanked me for calling.

  24. 24.

    FormerSwingVoter

    January 22, 2010 at 2:38 pm

    Great news! Obama just said at a town hall meeting that he would “never stop fighting”.

    That’s good to know. So when’s he going to start fighting?

  25. 25.

    reality-based

    January 22, 2010 at 2:39 pm

    oh, all right – you convinced me – well, you, and Ailuridae and J. Michael from last night’s HCR slugfest – and I DO hate the Senate bill.

    But I called my rep anyway – Ealr Pomeroy’s staff were extremely noncommittal, “thanks for your input”, etc. My guess? The Blue Dog Pomeroy runs for the hills – no way he votes yes.

    But I’d love to be wrong.

    Anyway, you guys convinced me, we have to pass the bill – but what I want to know is, when do we get our revenge on the Senate?

  26. 26.

    LongHairedWeirdo

    January 22, 2010 at 2:39 pm

    I just want to keep spreading a meme that I thought about yesterday.

    If the Democrats don’t do this, *then they don’t really want it*.

    If they want it, they have a way to do it. It might be ugly and scary and hurt a bunch of feelings but *IF THEY WANT IT, THEY CAN DO IT*.

    They’ve been promising and promising, saying they really want it, but when it came down to the clutch, they’re showing their true colors.

    Maybe they’re still in shock – give them a bit of time. But, if they don’t pass this, then they don’t really want it.

    And, honestly, if they don’t want it, that means their credibility is shot. They can’t be trusted. They know the stakes; not just losing another chance for health care reform, but losing their credibility as a party for another generation, until the current leadership dies off.

    I’m going to say something I never thought I’d say, but I’m sincere:

    If they don’t pass health care reform, they’ll have validated every single Nader vote cast in 2000. They have proven that there’s no hope for the Democrats, and the Naderists were right, it’s time to knock the Democrats on their asses and force them to pay attention.

    Yes, I know – I’m saying that if they can’t pass health care, it was *right* to cause George W. to be elected. And I mean it. I respect Gore, I despise how the Nader votes threw the election into such a close race that Bush could snatch it away. But – if the Dems can’t pass this, they really are useless. They really don’t have any spine; they really don’t have any leadership. They still, after 8 years of Republican rule, don’t understand the stakes.

    I don’t *want* the country to be run by Republicans… they’re still crazy. But at this point, it’s better to hope the Republicans turn sane than to expect the Democrats to lead.

    Unless… unless they pass health care reform.

  27. 27.

    round.crow

    January 22, 2010 at 2:39 pm

    Called Quigley’s office, didn’t ask for a position, but registered my support for passing the Senate bill.

    This is the first time I’ve ever done this and it was pretty easy, even for someone with pretty hard-core phone-phobia. Do it!

  28. 28.

    ThatLeftTurnInABQ

    January 22, 2010 at 2:39 pm

    I don’t know what’s going to happen. But I do know what I’m done with:

    1) The Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda Chorus. What’s past is past. Show me that you have a working time machine so we can go back and change what happened in the past, or STFU, because moaning about the past doesn’t accomplish anything.

    2) People who expect me to believe that they have accurate crystal balls in good working order and can predict the future more than 6 months from now. Especially the folks screaming “electoral suicide!”. Nobody knows what the next elections will turn on. Nobody. The economy, health care, a major terrorist attack, a global pandemic, a war between India and Pakistan, or whatever the f**k Luke Russert pulls out of his rear end. It could be anything. So enough already with how what we do now must turn on your highly detailed and intricate predictions of what is going to happen 6+ months from now. I don’t have a crystal ball that works and neither do you.

    What we should do is whatever the right thing to do is *now*. For me, that means what Krugman said. Pass the damn Senate Bill. And then get to work the next day trying to make this a better place.

  29. 29.

    Calvin Jones and the 13th Apostle

    January 22, 2010 at 2:39 pm

    Anyone read the latest Robert Reich over at Salon? He’s going all William Jennings Bryan on us. Go figure!!

  30. 30.

    Anne

    January 22, 2010 at 2:40 pm

    Just called Jim McDermott’s office, after calling yesterday as well. Yesterday I just said I wanted him to pass the Senate bill. This time I asked his position. The staffer said that he knows something needs to be done and he wants the strongest bill possible. (Politician-speak for “I have no idea what I’m going to do.”) I said I was a constituent and I think he should vote for the Senate bill, and we had to start somewhere, right? The staffer laughed and said “definitely.” At least the staffer agreed with me.

  31. 31.

    Lisa K.

    January 22, 2010 at 2:40 pm

    @Andy:

    Disembodied Voice: “Good afternoon, Ron Paul’s office. How may I help you?”

    Self: “Um, um, Shut up! That’s why!”

    I am so sorry…

  32. 32.

    eastriver

    January 22, 2010 at 2:41 pm

    Oh, I think they have a clue, Tim.

    The reps staffe members don’t want to get into an argument. They just want to pretend like they’re listening to their constituents.

    Polling will tell them how to vote. Or their donors.

    (An A for Effort, though. Seriously. I’m blown away by the activism-ness of your Hit The Phones campaign. Finally doing something other than filling balloons with juice. Huzzah.)

  33. 33.

    tatere

    January 22, 2010 at 2:41 pm

    @Notorious P.A.T.: and sometimes one goes first, then you throw away everything that they’ve done, spend half a year playing pocket pool, and get all huffy when everyone doesn’t immediately love the pile of crap you eventually produce. that’s how our “govenment” doesn’t work. “boo hoo”.

  34. 34.

    Matt

    January 22, 2010 at 2:42 pm

    I called Rangel’s office yesterday. Staffer listened politely to my pitch, had no information to impart in return.

  35. 35.

    reality-based

    January 22, 2010 at 2:43 pm

    but one other thing – why is the progressive blogs that is whipping for this – working feverishly to cement our own losses, as it were – and OBAMA ISN’T?

    I just heard his speech in Iowa good speech, NO SPECIFICS on what they were going to do about HCR.

    so, Damm it, why isn’t HE out front and center, demanding the House pass the bill?

    The talking heads claim that the WH is busy “scaling back” this already shitty bill.

    And I’m sorry – they make this bill even Worse, and NOBODY – not even on this site, and God know I love you all – convinces me to suck it up and support an even worse bill

    Why ISN’T Obama whipping for this? .

    I

  36. 36.

    Lisa K.

    January 22, 2010 at 2:43 pm

    @reality-based:

    but what I want to know is, when do we get our revenge on the Senate?

    I think the country will do that for us by making sure there is not one Democrat left in that body.

  37. 37.

    Curtis

    January 22, 2010 at 2:43 pm

    This is pretty good. What’s better is if we can make a longer campaign out of it. Let’s get the congressmonkeys to eat the banana-shit sandwich, not screech and throw it.

  38. 38.

    PanAmerican

    January 22, 2010 at 2:44 pm

    @Citizen_X:

    Fucking brilliant. My favorite comment:

    Folks keep an eye on Grayson.He is a junior Obama:he says all the right things and then turns around and vote for crap and his excuse,”well there isn’t anything better” This Grayson is a fraud. The guy is no progressive.another multi millionaire librul.

    What’s the frequency Kenneth??

  39. 39.

    Boston to Salem

    January 22, 2010 at 2:44 pm

    First time posting here at Balloon Juice:
    Tierney (D MA-6): staffer doesn’t know where he stands on passing the Senate bill – I told him I wanted him to help pass something and that I sent him to Washington to get things done, not to worry about his popularity.

  40. 40.

    Lisa K.

    January 22, 2010 at 2:45 pm

    @LongHairedWeirdo:

    I don’t want the country to be run by Republicans… they’re still crazy. But at this point, it’s better to hope the Republicans turn sane than to expect the Democrats to lead.

    It is starting to look like there is a better chance of it, anyway.

  41. 41.

    g-rant

    January 22, 2010 at 2:45 pm

    I called up my Congressman Sam Farr (CA-17, 95060). He is “undecided” but wants some healthcare bill passed, but wouldn’t commit yet to the Senate bill. I told them he better damn well vote for it since it’s best chance we’ve got.

    The staffer was very nice and explicitly asked if I wanted “some healthcare bill” passed or the current Senate one. I said it had to be the latter, problems can be fixed in the future. That’s all I got.

  42. 42.

    Ken

    January 22, 2010 at 2:45 pm

    I called my Rep Brian Higgins’ (NY 27) office, spoke to intern, offering my encouragement and support for his boss to vote for the Senate bill. He replied that Brian is desperately wanting to get this measure passed, will vote for it and is trying to get his fellow reps to vote for it. It’s a start, I guess.

  43. 43.

    dr. bloor

    January 22, 2010 at 2:46 pm

    Reed, Whitehouse, Patrick Kennedy. Preaching to the choir.

    Unfortunately, none were eager to take up my suggestion that they go all medieval on Don Carcieri’s ass.

  44. 44.

    Andy

    January 22, 2010 at 2:47 pm

    @ Lisa K:

    That fncker ran unopposed last cycle. . . .

    He is also (of course) the top-earmarking representative in the region, with something like $87M of earmarks in 2007. He puts in the earmarks, then votes against the bill. He rationalizes that the system “makes” him do it that way, but he’s still a man of principle. Got it?

  45. 45.

    uila

    January 22, 2010 at 2:48 pm

    I made two calls to various offices of Rep Sarbanes (MD-3). They wouldn’t commit to voting for senate bill, made some polite noises about conference changes and public option. After I made them concede that it was all a lovely fantasy, just stressed how important it is that they PASS A BILL ANY BILL. And if it’s really that shitty, the good news is they will be in an excellent position to fix it. You know, in their capacity as a Member of Congress.

    If there’s a silver lining to this, the lack of filibuster-proof majority is actually very clarifying. This is suddenly a binary proposition: will Americans and America be better off (a) under the Senate bill or (b) with no bill at all. Because either way, reform efforts are still necessary.

    One more thought: if Dems are really that concerned that the fruits of their reform efforts will be so terrible if enacted that it will cost them an election next year, well guess what? That’s exactly what will happen if they pass nothing. So there’s absolutely nothing for them to lose. Might as well legislate like it’s your last term. The politics of this are so obvious, it’s astounding.

    We are all lame ducks now.

  46. 46.

    mrmike

    January 22, 2010 at 2:49 pm

    My rep is sadly an R from the R-est part of our fair state. He’s a useless btard at the best of times and a vile one most of the time. I don’t know what to do. He’ll never listen to me even though he’s my “representative”. Blargh.

  47. 47.

    JonathanE

    January 22, 2010 at 2:51 pm

    Call the DCCC too! Hit ’em where it hurts. I told them I wouldn’t contribute for the ’10 cycle if they didn’t pass the Senate version of HCR.

    (202) 863-1500

  48. 48.

    reality-based

    January 22, 2010 at 2:51 pm

    under the heading of “Where’s Obama?” –

    William Galston, via Sully:

    I

    f [Obama] still wants legislation, he should invest the full authority of his office to persuade the House to endorse the Senate bill, accompanied by a package of amendments to be considered separately under the reconciliation process. If he has concluded that he has no choice but to take the issue off the table, he should say so. If he continues to utter hopeful banalities devoid of concrete meaning, the fragile reform coalition will collapse within days, with consequences that will endure for decades.

    again – why are people on this blog whipping furiously for this – hell, you even convinced ME! – and Obama isn’t. (And hey, I’ve been an O-bot since 2004 – don’t lump me in with the FDL crazies for asking. )

  49. 49.

    Mary

    January 22, 2010 at 2:53 pm

    Uh oh. TPM is reporting that my beloved rep Chris Van Hollen has changed his position again. Now he is saying that the Senate bill is unacceptable because of the Nelson cornhusker deal.

    That’s 4 positions in 3 days. Please update the chart accordingly. Are we tracking the changing positions too?

    I’m starting to think that someone has spiked the water on Capitol Hill.

  50. 50.

    Lisa K.

    January 22, 2010 at 2:54 pm

    @reality-based:

    again – why are people on this blog whipping furiously for this – hell, you even convinced ME! – and Obama isn’t.

    Especially when you consider he said he was willing to risk a second term to get healthcare done, and really has done next to nothing publicly since the “You Lie” speech.

    Looks like he may get neither.

  51. 51.

    geg6

    January 22, 2010 at 2:54 pm

    @JonathanE:

    Excellent idea. Now there’s where you can hit ’em where it hurts.

    –runs off to call

  52. 52.

    Tim F.

    January 22, 2010 at 2:56 pm

    @Citizen_X: Arguing with Ralph Hamsher and the firebaggers is pointless. Just consider them noise and move on. They’re at the same place that Larry Johnson was over Obama.

  53. 53.

    Malron

    January 22, 2010 at 2:57 pm

    @reality-based:

    but one other thing – why is the progressive blogs that is whipping for this – working feverishly to cement our own losses, as it were – and OBAMA ISN’T?

    I think Obama did right by stepping back and letting Congress take the heat they deserve for not finishing up health reform back in August of 2009.

  54. 54.

    Lisa K.

    January 22, 2010 at 2:59 pm

    @Malron:

    I think Obama did right by stepping back and letting Congress take the heat they deserve for not finishing up health reform back in August of 2009.

    And that helps the cause exactly how…?

  55. 55.

    geg6

    January 22, 2010 at 2:59 pm

    @reality-based:

    again – why are people on this blog whipping furiously for this – hell, you even convinced ME! – and Obama isn’t. (And hey, I’ve been an O-bot since 2004 – don’t lump me in with the FDL crazies for asking. )

    Hey, I’ve been with you all along and I’m glad that both of us have decided to hold our noses and try to save these House assholes from themselves. But I, too, am just FURIOUS with Obama. JUST FURIOUS.

  56. 56.

    cfaller96

    January 22, 2010 at 2:59 pm

    My rep is Henry Brown, Republican toadie. I’m not wasting my time on him, sorry.

    More generally, it’s Friday afternoon, and the Democrats still have not developed and/or rallied around a plan (mainly because they apparently never really expected Coakley to lose). That’s embarrassing enough, but what’s worse is that I don’t think any of us who is responsible for developing and herding everyone around a plan. President Obama? Speaker Pelosi?

    I don’t know who’s in charge of this thing anymore, no one in Congress is strong enough to think for themselves, they have no instructions, and everyone is watching. The American people are forced to conclude that on arguably their most important issue and the #1 item on President Obama’s agenda, the Democrats have neither the ability nor the willpower to accomplish anything substantive.

    Wow. Just wow.

  57. 57.

    jacy

    January 22, 2010 at 3:02 pm

    My congressman is Steve Scalise (Douchebag – Louisiana). Called and talked to a staffer, who gets credit for not laughing in my face. He aint voting for it.

    Senate-wise, Vitter will obstruct wherever he can obstruct. Landrieu, who knows? Maybe you should get people from Orleans Parish to inundate her office with calls threatening not to vote her weasly brother as mayor of New Orleans unless she does something positive. Landrieu will do whatever gets her the most personal political gain, but what else would you expect from Louisiana?

    Good grief but I despise this place.

  58. 58.

    Isua

    January 22, 2010 at 3:03 pm

    I just called Dingell’s office, said something incoherent about supporting health care reform and wanting the Democrats to band together. Thank you for the goad to do so – that was my first call to a representative!

  59. 59.

    Bondo

    January 22, 2010 at 3:04 pm

    Called Rep. DeGette (CO-1). They seemed nice enough in taking my message down. Basically indicated that they were getting calls and that she was looking at it closely.

  60. 60.

    dr. bloor

    January 22, 2010 at 3:04 pm

    @cfaller96:

    Because three whole days is way more than anyone should need to sort through the political options as well as identify a clear path through the 200+ year build-up of procedural goo in the Senate.

  61. 61.

    Lurker

    January 22, 2010 at 3:05 pm

    I called Representative Adam Schiff’s office again today. This time I asked Schiff’s position. The staffer said Schiff had no position at this time, and that the House Reps were deliberating over what to do.

    I threatened to stay home in November and/or donate money to Schiff’s opponent in the primary if the Senate bill did not pass.

    -+-

    In other news, “California single-payer plan advances.” I’m not holding my breath, but it sure would be cute if each state came up with a unique solution to health care reform. We could have a Canadian-style system in California while Massachussetts has a Swiss-style system. Who knows what the other states would invent.

  62. 62.

    David

    January 22, 2010 at 3:05 pm

    Obama does need to step up, but that doesn’t change the fact the House needs to pass the bill and send it to him. I’m wondering why the House won’t just pass it to get it over with. Everyone hates the process, dragging it out will only make it look worse. Invoke the Mercy Rule on themselves, pass it and claim victory.

  63. 63.

    Malron

    January 22, 2010 at 3:08 pm

    @Lisa K.: Well, it directs the attention and anger on the people who are standing in the way of reform. Congress should have wrapped this up months ago. Instead, they were content to make excuses and drag their feet as long as the president was the one taking all the political hits for it. Now, everyone is urging the House to adopt a certain strategy and they are showing where the dysfunction truly lies.

  64. 64.

    jeffreyw

    January 22, 2010 at 3:09 pm

    Costello-IL 12, waiting for some leadership. I said I know he’s a back bencher, maybe he should show a little leadership?!

  65. 65.

    ellaesther

    January 22, 2010 at 3:10 pm

    A helpful passage from one Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:

    Nonconformity per se contains no saving value, and may represent in some circumstances little more than a form of exhibitionism….The transformed nonconformist… never yields to the passive sort of patience which is an excuse to do nothing. And this very transformation saves him from speaking irresponsible words which estrange without reconciling and from making hasty judgments which are blind to the necessity of social progress. He recognizes that social change will not come overnight, yet he works as though it is an imminent possibility.

    (emphasis mine)

    Smart man, that Dr. King. Change may not come overnight, but we have to work as if it is an imminent possibility.

    (And yes I am still geeking out over Strength to Love and running something of a liveblog as I read it. Why do you ask?)

  66. 66.

    ellaesther

    January 22, 2010 at 3:13 pm

    @ellaesther: Oops. No apparent emphasis, and no way to edit. Oh well!

  67. 67.

    David Atkins

    January 22, 2010 at 3:13 pm

    Lois Capps’ (CA-23) staffer would only say that “she’s committed to getting it done. That’s the talking point you can take out of it.”

    When I said I understood that, but that there are only a few strategies available at this point, and asked what strategy she was leaning toward, she remained noncommittal. It seemed that she wasn’t allowed to say any more than that.

    These people are truly lost.

  68. 68.

    Lisa K.

    January 22, 2010 at 3:13 pm

    @Malron:

    Well, it directs the attention and anger on the people who are standing in the way of reform. Congress should have wrapped this up months ago. Instead, they were content to make excuses and drag their feet as long as the president was the one taking all the political hits for it. Now, everyone is urging the House to adopt a certain strategy and they are showing where the dysfunction truly lies.

    While I do not disagree, I still don’t see how that helps accomplish anything right now.

  69. 69.

    cfaller96

    January 22, 2010 at 3:13 pm

    dr. bloor, that’s part of my point: they should have been working on this in advance of the special election, because a Brown victory has been a real possibility for awhile now. They were caught flatfooted by something that the polls were warning them about for 6+ weeks.

    But now it’s crisis time, because holy hell are the Dems panicking. A calming influence is needed, either via President Obama’s leadership (whatever that means), or a Pelosi-led legislative plan (again, whatever that means). And it’s needed NOW.

    You can say that it’s unreasonable to ask for such a quick response from Dem leadership, but my retort is that reality can sometimes be unreasonable. Dems are panicking and a calming influence is needed NOW. Otherwise, HCR is dead. That’s the reality.

  70. 70.

    Andy

    January 22, 2010 at 3:14 pm

    @ jacy:

    My sister lived in New Orleans for a couple of years and was immediately struck by the fact that everyone — everyone — was trying to work a deal or game the system, whatever that “system” happened to be in their own situation. Once I visited her and the hotel was having some sort of local comics convention. One of the vendors was selling bootleg, shot-on-camcorder DVDs of new movies (still in theaters); the seller was a NOLA police officer, in uniform.

    I love New Orleans, but it definitely has a culture that takes some getting used to.

  71. 71.

    Notorious P.A.T.

    January 22, 2010 at 3:14 pm

    if Dems are really that concerned that the fruits of their reform efforts will be so terrible if enacted that it will cost them an election next year, well guess what? That’s exactly what will happen if they pass nothing.

    They don’t think that way, though. They honestly believe that if they vote semi-Republican than Republican voters will pick them over the real deal.

  72. 72.

    Joe Lisboa

    January 22, 2010 at 3:17 pm

    Just spoke with Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick’s office. Too bad Kwame’s mommy is likely as corrupt as her son (our convicted former mayor here in Detroit) but I made my case as succinctly and clearly as I could. The woman on the line seemed sympathetic and attentive, but who knows.

  73. 73.

    uila

    January 22, 2010 at 3:19 pm

    I find it extremely hard to believe that in the end Obama will somehow decide to spend zero political capital on this. He now has The Bill. With the republican filibuster back in place, there is no other bill likely or indeed possible. Losing Coakley was the best possible thing for moving this process forward, because it takes Lieberman and Nelson and the other jackasses out of the equation.

    The quiet this week is pure theater. It builds dramatic tension. I predict a big push to sell the shit out of this bill next week. If it doesn’t materialize then, well… I’m still just an idiot.

  74. 74.

    astronautgo

    January 22, 2010 at 3:20 pm

    Checked in with Capuano’s office again. Apparently before he comes out with a position he has to a) finish reading the bill and b) see what the House leadership says.

    As an example of what might make Capuano decide he can’t vote for the Senate bill under any circumstances, the staffer with whom I talked said that there’s language that makes parts of the Senate bill forbidden to future alteration. “A lot of people don’t know that,” he said.

    Another argument I was given was “Who died and made the Senate boss?”

    So I told him I am strongly in favor of passing the Senate bill, that if the bill goes anywhere near the Senate again, it will come back worse than it already is, and I said that I’m not feeling like the Democrats know what’s at stake here. He assured me that the Congressman knows. He seemed like a nice guy, and took the time to hear me out and lay out Capuano’s position, which I appreciated.

  75. 75.

    Stephanie

    January 22, 2010 at 3:22 pm

    I called Rep. John Lewis of Georgia’s 5th District. I asked how he would vote and I got a non-answer. They wanted my name and zip code and my comments.

  76. 76.

    Malron

    January 22, 2010 at 3:23 pm

    @Lisa K.: Well, the people pressuring the House right now are telling them they better pass the senate bill or suffer heavy losses in November. If that message doesn’t move them, no amount of speechifying by the president will make any difference.

  77. 77.

    PA04Dem

    January 22, 2010 at 3:25 pm

    Called Altmire’s (PA-04) DC office. Spoke to a staffer who didn’t seem to know much but said “bill hasn’t come up for a vote” when I asked how Altmire stood on passing it. Told the staffer I wanted Altmire to vote for the Senate bill to get HCR done so we can move on to fix all the other problems facing the country. Staffer seemed to liven up when I said both my parents and I were Altmire supporters in the past, but might have to look at other options in the future. Staffer took me name and zip code and presumably will pass my opinion along. Also called Altmire’s local office and staffer there said she’d pass along my comment.

  78. 78.

    Napoleon

    January 22, 2010 at 3:27 pm

    @astronautgo:

    said that there’s language that makes parts of the Senate bill forbidden to future alteration. “A lot of people don’t know that,” he said.

    That is 100% unadulterated bull shit. Even if the bill did say that, and I would be willing to bet $100 sight unseen that it does not, it is totally unenforceable. Heck the First Amendment could be changed if people wanted to change it, and that is in the Constitution. Any bill or law regardless of what it is, unless it is the Constitution which contains its own amendment procedure, can be amended by any law passed at a latter date through the ordinary procedures of the House and Senate. Any law.

  79. 79.

    pj

    January 22, 2010 at 3:28 pm

    “Who died and made the Senate boss?”

    Martha Coakley.

  80. 80.

    Ken

    January 22, 2010 at 3:39 pm

    Yeah, besides talking to Higgins’ staffer, I also talked to aide at White House. I told him that Obama needs to take Rahm with him and start lining people up. Insisted that health care is a very time-sensiteve issue and he needs to get focused. He can screw around with Wall Street “punishment” speeches after thsi legislation gets signed.

    I also sent emails to White House, Pelosi, Schumer & Gillabrand that this legislation needs to happen or else teh Democrats will get their asses handed to them in 2010, possibly Obama will be a “one-and-done Administration, and in all liklihood, this country reverts back to Dark Ages (again).

    You know, if these legislators would have even come close to doing the jobs that we hired them for, this would be less stressful. What a fuckin’ afternoon.

  81. 81.

    Steve B

    January 22, 2010 at 3:42 pm

    I just called Gabrielle Giffords’s office (AZ-8) for the second time. I’d called yesterday after seeing Tim F’s post but I didn’t remember to ask about her position while I was on the phone.

    The staffer I talked to today said that she had not yet made a decision yet about what to do. When I asked, he said that the calls he’s been getting from constituents have been all over the place. I also asked about most common feedback he’s been getting, and he though about half the callers were against reform in general, with the callers who supported some kind of reform having a lot of different perspectives and arguments.

    I said that I thought the senate bill was the best we could get right now, and that once it was passed the ugly stuff in the bill could be fixed over time. I also said that the democratic party would be pretty much committing suicide if it didn’t pass anything despite having huge majorities in congress and the presidency. I did mention that I didn’t like the Senate version of the bill as much as the house version, but I didn’t bother taking a swipe at the Senate in general since both AZ senators are Republicans who, of course, voted no.

  82. 82.

    Anne Laurie

    January 22, 2010 at 3:43 pm

    @Boston to Salem: Thanks for doing this.

    Ed Markey (D – MA) seems to have given his staffers a card to read off his boilerplate about “supporting quality affordable care for the people of Massachusetts”. I told them, wonderful, but I wanted him to pass the current bill anyway, because we wouldn’t get another chance if it were permitted to die. The one I talked to (using my best mom voice) sounded relieved that I wasn’t screaming incoherently.

    Senator Kerry’s phone-answerer says he will vote for the bill, and that “he looks forward to working with Scott Brown to ensure health care for all Americans”. Could not resist saying it was nice that someone looked forward to it. P.S. no time frame for getting Senator Brown Number Two seated — I asked in case some of the junior conservatards assigned to start setting up his new office were authorized to take messages.

  83. 83.

    Pantalones

    January 22, 2010 at 3:45 pm

    Called all three offices of Lynn Woolsey (D-Hyperliberal NorCal). At first, couldn’t get anyone knowledgeable, then finally found someone in DC who said Woolsey was “committed to the cause of universal healthcare” but was trying to finish reading the bill. What?! As if the Senate version isn’t pretty well-known by now? At least, the major components?

    She’s the co-chair of the House Progressive Caucus but is not on record opposing the bill, like her co-chair Raul Grijalva (D-Jackass), but I think hopes instead to go the House passage-Senate reconciliation option (http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20100121/NEWS/301219989).

    Grunt.

  84. 84.

    astronautgo

    January 22, 2010 at 3:59 pm

    @Napoleon

    Any bill or law regardless of what it is, unless it is the Constitution which contains its own amendment procedure, can be amended by any law passed at a latter date through the ordinary procedures of the House and Senate. Any law.

    Yeah, that didn’t sound right to me for an instant, and then just as quickly I thought that well, maybe even the Supremacy Clause is up for debate at this point, and let it pass (not literally, of course – I just had to look up the name “Supremacy Clause”). That was a serious, non-comedic thought, I should emphasize.

    And the “Who died and made the Senate boss?” excuse is just vanity, of course.

    Boy, do I hope they don’t blow this.

  85. 85.

    Peter

    January 22, 2010 at 4:04 pm

    Just called Jim McDermott’s office in Seattle and spoke with an assistant. She said he wants to get something through, and would like to get the Senate bill through. She agreed that failing to pass some form would be disastrous for the Dems in the mid-terms.

  86. 86.

    Glenda

    January 22, 2010 at 4:17 pm

    Called Rep. Loebsack. The person I talked to indicated that she had no idea what he would do because everything is still up in the air. I let her know that I wanted some kind of health care reform to pass. She took my name, address and zip and said that she would forward the message on to him.

  87. 87.

    FLRealist

    January 22, 2010 at 4:19 pm

    I called Rep. Corrine Brown of Florida. Her intern stated she doesn’t have a position on the Senate bill since it’s still in conference, but that she’s a strong supporter of health care reform.

    I told him that I would like her to vote for the Senate bill since something is better than nothing. I don’t know if it will do any good, but I tried.

  88. 88.

    'stina

    January 22, 2010 at 4:21 pm

    Has anyone started calling primary challengers for those Dems that face primaries soon? I know that Shelia Jackson-Lee (confusion in the office) is facing Houston City Councilman Jarvis Johnson in March. I suspect that a primary challenger boldly stating a position will force some of the wishy washers to get on board too.

  89. 89.

    scanteescan

    January 22, 2010 at 4:23 pm

    Just spoke with an assistant to Keith Ellison and he is apparently “very attached” to the House bill but is open to compromise. She said he is listening to constituents before coming to a final decision ( and I’m sure waiting for some guidance on what the he’ll to do).

  90. 90.

    Charon

    January 22, 2010 at 4:29 pm

    @Glenda: Did the same; got the same response.

  91. 91.

    Emily

    January 22, 2010 at 4:31 pm

    Wow, Just got off the phone with a person in Pelosi’s DC office and one in the CA office. Asked them where we stood, they had no idea: “the atmosphere here is flaky and unsure.” I voiced my belief that the best thing to do was work as hard as we could to pass the Senate bill in the house and reconcile it later. They agreed and seemed genuine, but then it turned mind-blowing. I figured I might as well ask what I could do for them, since I’ve already called and told them exactly what they can do for me and the country, in no uncertain terms. “How can I and other democrats help? Who are the holdouts so we can call them? What do you guys need organizationally that motivated democratic citizens can help provide?” I asked.
    “Um,” said the CA rep, “I think maybe there are Web sites organizing stuff. We aren’t set up for any kind of large campaign.” She had no idea who the holdouts were, no advice on who to call. Referred me to Healthcare for America Now.
    “I have no clue who the holdouts are, actually. There is a Web site, I think, but I forgot the name of it, and they are organizing to call each congressperson. I bet if you go on the Internet you’ll find it,” said the tired guy at the DC office.
    When I expressed my disbelief about how disorganized the effort seemed, they both agreed and said variations of, let’s hope this wasn’t all for nothing.
    “The speaker probably knows who to call,” the CA woman said.
    I said I hoped she was on the phone right now. I asked the man in the DC office if he thought making calls helped–since he seemed so unable to assist, I assumed he didn’t–and he said, “Well, you’ll be one of thousands calling on the same issue.” When I said, “My point exactly, doesn’t that have influence at all?”, he explained that he was not sure.

  92. 92.

    Linkmeister

    January 22, 2010 at 4:33 pm

    Called Neil Abercrombie’s local Honolulu office (he’s here, campaigning for Governor), and his assistant said they’re not getting a lot of calls “Maybe because people know he’s resigning.” Nonetheless, I expressed my opinion and she said she’d pass it along.

    He’s been a strong supporter of HCR, but as a lame duck I don’t know how much weight he carries.

  93. 93.

    aimai

    January 22, 2010 at 4:35 pm

    Emily at 90

    Sterling, sterling work and sterling question. Unbelievable, really, that it has to be a citizen telling the staffers what needs to be done. Thanks for your question, I”m always going to ask that when I call.

    aimai

  94. 94.

    anticontrarian

    January 22, 2010 at 4:39 pm

    Called Jim Mcdermott’s office (twice now). The staffer I spoke with said that, although he’s spent decades advocating for health care reform, that he hasn’t yet committed to a decision on voting for the Senate version. She said he wants to ‘give people time to see all the information that’s out there’ and that he ‘wants to make sure he has all the information in front of him.’

    Told her that if he didn’t vote for it, I’d not only never vote for him again, I’d organize against him next time around. Not sure how seriously he’ll take my threats. He’s got a pretty safe seat. But I said it, and meant it.

  95. 95.

    AhabTRuler

    January 22, 2010 at 4:42 pm

    OK. Just called Van Hollen’s office and he has definately gone wobbly. “All options are on the table.” Told the stafferthat was not a honest appraisel of the situation. Anyway, said to pass the bill or d’s are cooked. Also called my mom told her to call and tell her friends to do so as well.

  96. 96.

    recusancy

    January 22, 2010 at 4:43 pm

    You need to add an option to the poll:
    “My congressman is a firmly entrenched partisan Republican career politician hack so any call I make will fall on deaf ears.”

  97. 97.

    Ecks

    January 22, 2010 at 4:52 pm

    Local congressdude is R (extreme asshole). The D senator is MacCaskill, and I’m getting my wife (who, unlike me, is legitimately American) to call her up. She’s pretty apolitical, so the fact that she’s willing to do this says something huge about how pissed off their natural supporters are going to be if the D’s fuck this up.

  98. 98.

    'stina

    January 22, 2010 at 5:03 pm

    @recusancy: My

    You need to add an option to the poll:
    “My congressman is a firmly entrenched partisan Republican career politician hack so any call I make will fall on deaf ears.”

    My congressman was raised at the knee of Tom DeLay. It pained me to go to his website yesterday to find his e-mail address so at least I could do something. My Senators are either gloating over the “defeat of healthcare” or running for the gubinatorial Republican primary and therefore it’ll be a cold day in hell before either one of them agrees that health care is a good thing. Much less health care reform.

  99. 99.

    Carrie H

    January 22, 2010 at 5:26 pm

    Coming out of lurkerdom to say how happy I was to see so many callers for McDermott (WA). I’m in his district and have never called him before today. But I did because I’m too worried that the progressives will balk at passing the senate bill.

    The staffer was non-commital with me “It’s not due to lack of interest…” I didn’t make any threats, just stated my preference that he vote for the senate bill. I told her fixes could be made later and better to pass something than to scrap it altogether.

    Thanks for doing this.

  100. 100.

    ThatLeftTurnInABQ

    January 22, 2010 at 5:47 pm

    @Emily:

    “Um,” said the CA rep, “I think maybe there are Web sites organizing stuff. We aren’t set up for any kind of large campaign.”

    /headdesk

    Thanks for your efforts and your report.

    This is sounding like the political equivalent of the 1st Battle of Bull Run, aka 1st Manassas.

  101. 101.

    wyliecoat

    January 22, 2010 at 6:07 pm

    By the way, I was shaken out of my apathy into doing something when you laid out dudes started getting rattled. Thanks for the good work and pushing us to do this.

  102. 102.

    Miriam

    January 22, 2010 at 6:11 pm

    My rep’s (Ellison) answering machine is full. I’ll try again tomorrow.

  103. 103.

    Mayken

    January 22, 2010 at 6:27 pm

    I’m on a first name basis with some of the staffers at my (R) Congressperson’s local office I call them so often – much good as it does me. District is purple but he is too afraid of his GOP masters to go against the Party of No bs and do anything good for the people such as crossing party lines on this bill.

  104. 104.

    satby

    January 22, 2010 at 7:05 pm

    Hey I called Blue Dog moron Lipinski’s (D- IL) office this morning and put in on whatever thread was first about this this morning… but you don’t have him listed on the spreadsheet. His staffer was vague, said Lipinski “had concerns” mostly because he’s so “prolife”. He’s probably one of the Stupak holdouts.
    Did I mention I hate Lipinski’s guts?

  105. 105.

    Ben H.

    January 22, 2010 at 7:06 pm

    Called David Wu, D-OR today. I got the same not-sure but receptive to passing the Senate bill now answer from Washington staffer as 7-Cain got. They took my name and address. Called Portland office yesterday and got the same.

  106. 106.

    Mac

    January 22, 2010 at 7:09 pm

    Just noticed that Frank Pallone is not on the spreadsheet. I did call his office, but couldn’t get a straight answer. They kept saying that they were exploring multiple options, such as reconciliation. I tried to explain that that was insane, and then he said they were looking into, I kid you not, “bipartisan” solutions.

    This is the office of one of the co-authors of the House bill, someone who’s been out front on HCR since day one. They’ve completely lost it.

  107. 107.

    stinger

    January 22, 2010 at 9:48 pm

    I called, and followed up with an email. The staffer who answered was very polite, but said she didn’t know what the congressman’s plan was since the events of “three days ago.” The outcome of a senatorial election in Massachusetts apparently threw an Iowa representative’s plans all out of whack. Anyway, that was yesterday, and no response yet. Loebsack, IA-2.

  108. 108.

    stinger

    January 22, 2010 at 10:07 pm

    [waves at Glenda]

  109. 109.

    xian

    January 23, 2010 at 8:24 am

    @mrmike: It’s probably an insane thought and would be drowned out by the teabaggers and plutocrats but why not call R reps and tell them you are a loyal Republican etc. and are afraid of losing your healthcare and won’t the please work to get something done in DC like they’re paid to do?

  110. 110.

    xian

    January 23, 2010 at 8:29 am

    @Lisa K.: I misread “get neither” as “Geithner”

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