Someone ought to call their local paper about this irritating habit of describing Obama’s failures in the passive voice. I suppose that filibusters just sort of materialize out of thin air every time Democrats try to pass a bill, confirm a nominee or congratulate a supermarket in Philadelphia for staying open fifty years. How frustrating!
Describing policy initiatives as if nobody other than Obama has a hand in their success or failure is not just lazy. It’s lying. Call whatever newspaper you subscribe to and find out how seriously they plan to take the problem of filibuster abuse. Below the flip I posted a helpful graph of this cloture data sent in by reader DT. Keep in mind that the 111th Congress still has plenty of time to boost its numbers.
Also, if you don’t phone your Representative about PTDB he might think that you changed your mind. Also.
arguingwithsignposts
f**k you, Timf (from DougJ’s thread):
I just called my rep.’s office (DC) and talked to their aide for health care and registered that I support some kind of health care reform, whatever the rep. can get behind – bans on recissions, pre-existing conditions, etc. He’s a cretinous rethug who voted against SCHIP, but TimF shamed me into contacting him. I mentioned that millions of Americans will face bankruptcy thanks to health care costs if some kind of solution isn’t found. The aide (a she) sounded nice, and was helpful, but I couldn’t help but feel it was shouting down the well.
SteveinSC
Hey Tim, I am in Clyburn’s district here in SC. Is it worth calling him? Well maybe I’m in Joe Wilson’s district, so it is a waste of time calling “You Lie!”. On second thought, maybe just calling him on the phone and yelling “Asshole, asshole…” might help me feel better.
geg6
I am going to a MoveOn rally at the Pittsburgh offices of Senators Specter and Casey. I’m sort of puzzled why it’s there since both of them support HCR, but I guess they figured it was a more media worthy site (being in downtown) than the offices of local House members like Altmire or Doyle, who really need the message more. Anyway, I have PTDB signs ready. I’m hoping to get a good chant going.
Janet Strange
Called Rep Doggett’s office. First she said she didn’t know how he would vote. I pleaded, said his constituents had a right to know how he was going to vote. Told her to tell him to vote for the Senate bill, no reform was simply not an option, etc. She said health care was a top priority for him and he would vote for whatever would get the best we can get.
I got passionate (“People are dying while you guys play politics! We can’t wait another 15 years!”} She said he was working on it. That there were a lot of behind the scenes strategy meetings going on right now. Took my name and address and said she would definitely let him know how I felt about it.
AhabTRuler
Ummmmm, do you mean the passive voice?
Tim F.
@AhabTRuler: Oops. Fix’d, thanks.
cfaller96
I called Senator Hagan’s office yesterday, and she has made no official decision on supporting a reconciliation vote. The staffer did say, however, that she is firmly committed to a “bipartisan” health care reform vote. I then promptly punched a hole in the wall and calmly informed the poor staffer that her commitment to bipartisanship implicitly means she is committed to NO health care reform, since Republicans are so clearly not going to support anything and that I took exception to the implication that a bipartisan solution is inherently better than a partisan one.
Yeah, I got a little derailed. I have
severe emotional problemssome issues to work out. Bottom line, Senator Hagan is either undecided or a no to reconciliation.Barry
cfaller96, maybe if some of the wh*resons know that people are really pissed, they’ll start listening.
Bret
Okay, so I kind of had an “oh shit” moment on my way to work. I realized that since I broke my ankle in October & had surgery on it, I now have a pre-existing condition. I had a mild panic attack, and ended up calling the switchboard and got my rep’s office, Rep. Harry Mitchell. The nice gentleman on the phone took my info, and I told him, in no uncertain terms, that I need this bill to pass now. It’s now personal for me. I got on his mailing list for when/if he releases a statement regarding his position (as he currently hasn’t said one way or the other) and also gave him the passthedamnbill.com address, and told him to pass it along to other aides in the capital.
Mike Mundy
Has it been determined that Mr Obama will, in fact, actually SIGN the bill if the House does, in fact, pass it?
cfaller96
Oh Mike, such a foolish question- President Obama a long time ago signaled his fatigue/capitulation on HCR. He’ll sign anything just so he can declare Mission Accomplished and move on. He wants this off his desk…BADLY.
me
Wouldn’t that be passive-aggressive voice?
* ducks *
Tomlinson
@Mike Mundy:
I’ve wondered that myself.
I suppose he’ll need to consult with the republican majority first.
inkadu
AWS – Your rep has a special aid just for health care? Wow. I want to live in your district.
Aredubya
I reached out to my rep, Carol Shea Porter (D-NH) just now. The aide that answered the phone didn’t know whether she intended to support the Senate HCR bill, but they took my info and advised they’d call back.
Shem
Called Congressman Joe Sestak (D-PA) just now. Got a vague “the Congressman takes this issue very seriously.” Still, Sestak’s generally a good guy and has been on the side of the angels so far (plus he wants to be a Senator come November) so I hope he won’t take much nudging.
Lurker
Thanks, Tim. I called my Representative (Adam Schiff) and directed the staffer to PassTheDamnBill.com. I confirmed with the confused staffer that the Washington Monthly column by Steve Benen was the intended destination of that website.
Adam Schiff still does not have a position on health care reform.
Jackie
Called Lipinski D IL 3 again. No committment. Supports health care reform no position on specific issue of passing the senate bill. He isn’t a get ahead on an issue kind of guy. Worth calling though, if they get alot of push for an issue they certainly seem to respond.
Called Shuler D NC 11 ( kind of dual citizenship) No position but they helpfully pointed out he voted against the house bill. I expressed my perplexity that the pro life deficit hawk voted against a militantly pro life deficit reducing bill. He doesn’t believe the CBO. Pointed out that I was initially thrilled to have a dem in the seat that I wouldn’t spend any more money or time on a congressman that only votes for republican policies. I cut him some slack in that district but not on this. I’m sure he is a no but I don’t mind letting him know that there are actual dems in his district and that we’re paying attention. So I’ll keep calling.
gyma
Just got off the phone with an aide in Betsy Markey’s (CO-4) office and he said she isn’t yet sure how she’ll vote. This is Marilyn Musgrave’s old district with lots of teabaggers on the eastern plains of Colorado. I got the impression they have been receiving lots of angry teabagger-type calls, so he said my voice was greatly appreciated.
If you live in northern/eastern Colorado and haven’t yet called Markey’s office, please do so now. Thx.
I’m also headed out to the local moveon.org protest this afternoon. Hope I’m not the only one to show!
Luthe
Called Murphy (CT) again. The staffer said he still hasn’t made up his mind, but he took my info. The staffer had heard of PTDB, but he wasn’t sure if the Congressman had. I told him to pass it on.
Deborah
Add Niki Tsongas to the great undecided pile. (Has not said what she plans to do, technically, according to the staffer.)
I will note that the staffer seemed quite pleased and surprised when I said that I wanted her to pass the Senate bill.
Jeff
I called DiFi and got a “happy to pass that along”. Of course, when I pointed out that every Republican senator aided and abetted rape, I got the same chirpy message.