Stephen Lynch (D-MA) and Mike Arcuri (D-NY) badly need to hear from any of you who live in their districts.
This could be part of the expected ass-covering that I predicted earlier, in which case it could actually be good news, but I wouldn’t count on that.
Lynch: 202-225-3984 202-225-8273 (DC), 508-586-5555 (MA)
Arcuri: 202-225-1891 (DC), 315-798-4099 (NY)
***Update***
Well what do you know. It appears that the Chamber of Commerce influenced Arcuri and possibly others with a poll that doesn’t come close to meeting minimum polling standards. If you live in his district or other targeted districts (for example, Jason Altmire’s), it would not hurt to read the linked article and then call.
***Update 2***
From the comments.
I called Lynch’s local office (the D.C. office was busy) and was informed that Lynch is merely opposed to the “procedural maneuvering” of utilizing deem and pass on the bill.
When I pressed whether he opposed any of the substance of the bill I was told to call the D.C. office and the person that I spoke to could not tell me whether Lynch would vote in favor of the legislation if deem and pass were not utilized. That seems quite odd to me.
What a load of bull. Ask anyone you know who lives in that district to call Lynch and give him hell for that pathetic excuse.
K. Grant
Switching to a ‘no’ vote at this time makes no sense – none whatsoever. My goodness, you would think that the CBO scoring would give these people the opportunity to sign on with a relative degree of comfort.
I guess not – screw the people, I suppose, these fools have seats they are trying to protect, and they simply don’t give a damn.
Napoleon
What gutless wonders.
Joseph Nobles
Common thread: taxes on health care benefits. The unions are going to destroy this in the final hours?
mistermix
The guy who almost beat Arcuri last time is running again. He’s a decent centrist Republican challenger from what I’ve read. (I’m sure someone will correct me on that.)
I don’t see how this helps Arcuri.
Nick
AFL-CIO just came out in support of it.
BR
And Mike Capuano as well. Hell, the whole Mass. delegation needs some calls if you live there, because they’re in “we got ours” mode.
jibeaux
@Nick:
Yes, I believe this would be the firebagger’s “union thuggery”.
Robin G.
@BR: I’d say “douchebags” but at this point the word has be used so often that it’s lost all meaning.
gogol's wife
Has this been discussed here yet? Ezra Klein, quoting somebody else, quoting somebody else:
“Pelosi and the White House say they’ve nearly got the votes
Jon Chait comments on the latest whip counts:
MSNBC’s First Read reports, “We’re told that the White House and House Dem leaders are fewer than five votes away from 216.” I have always thought that the key is to get within four or five votes. Once you’re there, you’re very likely to win. Why? Because then the White House and Democratic leaders can concentrate all their attention on a few holdouts. And they can make an irresistible argument: If you don’t vote for this bill, you will be responsible for the political and moral disaster that ensues. I just don’t think anybody is willing to be the person who kills health care reform. They may hold back, they may want to see if the bill is going to die anyway, and they may want somebody else to go first. But when the finish line is in sight, they won’t say no.
As I’ve said, I don’t put much stock in whip counts. But I think passage is very likely at this point, which is not the same as saying it’s assured. And that’s not a particularly optimistic judgment: The betting markets have passage in the 70s right now.”
CalD
I’d like to see a campaign calling on Democrats in the House who just can’t bring themselves to vote for the bill to sit out the vote. Every abstainer on the “Nay” side would mean one less “Yea” that needs to be whipped up to offset them. There might even be a few Republicans you could pick off that way.
Dungheap
I called Lynch’s local office (the D.C. office was busy) and was informed that Lynch is merely opposed to the “procedural maneuvering” of utilizing deem and pass on the bill.
When I pressed whether he opposed any of the substance of the bill I was told to call the D.C. office and the person that I spoke to could not tell me whether Lynch would vote in favor of the legislation if deem and pass were not utilized. That seems quite odd to me.
When Scott Brown won I thought Lynch could be in a tight spot on health care reform given that Brown won many towns in Lynch’s district that Obama carried quite easily.
zmulls
Idiots. They already voted Yes. The 30-second ads are already in the can. They’re targets.
Changing their vote now makes them both Socialists *and* Hypocrites. It’s a twofer for the GOP.
I hear all the Glenn Greenwaldian teeth-gnashing about the powerlessness of the left, and the howling frustrations of the Jane Hamshers and the Taylor Marshes. But I am looking at Medicare, Social Security, and similar programs — small, disappointing and anemic as they came out of the gate, too many sad compromises just to get it passed.
But as people realized these programs were Not Scary and were indeed Salutary, they got better.
The hardest thing is to make the paradigm shift away from the status quo. I don’t think you’ll see a public option in the next Congress — the R’s will pick up a few seats at least, and people will still be bruised from this battle. And there will be other fish to fry.
I think you’ll see the public option — or even a Medicare buy-in — within ten years.
geg6
Been inundating Altmire’s office, though not by phone. No fucking way to get through by phone.
Email blasts and faxes, though, aren’t a problem. And many and many are headed his way.
nepat
Just called Lynch’s office and left an earful. They’re getting A LOT of calls. Keep hammering at em.
Mnemosyne
@Joseph Nobles:
Unions are on board. It’s a back-door attempt by the Chamber of Commerce to tank the project.
Cat Lady
Why would the Chamber of Commerce bother ratfucking Dems if the bill’s an insurance/Phrma giveaway, hmmmm??
Brick Oven Bill
The United States was designed to assign certain defined responsibilities to the federal government. These include things like the post office, patent protections, and military protection. All other responsibilities were to be assigned to the states, or to the people:
“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
This is because the Framers believed that Americans were capable of self-government. They had also lived under a strong Executive.
The goal of the modern Left is to make Americans incapable of self-government. Dumb people cheer this effort, but they have very little spatial awareness, as self-government is always replaced by something else.
Michael #2
Just called Mike Capuano’s Mass. (08) office. He’s still on the fence, his rep. said he has concerns about some of the features of the bill and is waiting for the final form of the bill, but left me name/location (in his district) and my hope that he will end up as a “Yes” vote (his page details his long-standing support for HCR). Is it a waste to call Sentorfold Brown?
Also, don’t know if many have seen this from the Wash. Post, but a helpful list of who in the House is still on the fence.
Tim F.
@Michael #2: No, it’s not a waste at all. Brown is anxious to show that he’s not just another cookiecutter Republican. You might as well tell him that this vote is his chance to show it.
It won’t do any good of course. His own Senate colleagues would castrate him on the spot. But it’s always worth reminding Brown how short one term can feel if he doesn’t do something to please his constituents.
The Grand Panjandrum
@Dungheap: That will certainly help him in November since he’s already voted for the House bill.
geg6
OT, but found this at Big Media Matt’s. Quite interesting in that it confirms the suspicions I’ve always had about why Dems are cats that are so hard to herd and why GOPers aren’t.
yglesias.thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/occupationsBIG.jpeg
BR
@Michael #2:
Looks like Richard Neal, also of MA, is listed as undecided.
We need to hammer on these MA guys.
dan
just got off the phone with lynchs ma office and got the exact same run around as above commenter. she said he is opposed to the process not necessarily the bill and the sidecar package. i am irate about this. trying to get through to dc but it seems impossible. i hope he is getting slammed with calls right now
Scott P.
Holding an election to elect representatives who will vote for health-care reform isn’t self-government? Who knew?
Mnemosyne
I just used my OFA e-mail to thank my rep for supporting healthcare reform. He could have gone either way since he’s an official Blue Dog and we have a big Cigna office right in our city, but he’s been behind it all the way.
Downey Meyer
I am so disappointed with Richard Neal, my Representative. Heard him today on NPR calling deem and pass “chicanery.” I had just finished reading a post on the GOS about Eric Cantor admitting that the Republicans using deem and pass as SOP. Why is my Rep, who is elected with 98% of the vote handing out sound bite ammunition to the other side. Have to admit: Nobody, but nobody, can fall up the stairs like the Democrats.
zmulls
The Constitution also allows Congress to “provide for the General Welfare” and to regulate Commerce, as well as impose duties and imposts.
Which can be interpreted to allow them to create a regulatory framework for health insurance among and between states, and a mandate to purchase health insurance *could* be considered a form of duty, as it will be levied on everyone.
Downey Meyer
I am so disappointed with Richard Neal, my Representative. Heard him today on NPR calling deem and pass “chicanery.” I had just finished reading a post on the GOS about Eric Cantor admitting that the Republicans used deem and pass as SOP. Why is my Rep, who is elected with 98% of the vote in western and central Massachusetts, handing out sound bite ammunition to the other side. Have to admit: Nobody, but nobody, can fall up the stairs like the Democrats.
Llelldorin
Is it too late to find primary opponents for these two? When are the filing deadlines?
Brick Oven Bill
Keep an eye on the currency Scott P.
People have evolved over the past 30,000 years. Spatial awareness is a consequence of the cycles of the seasons, imposed upon humans as they attempted to survive as early farmers in non-tropical regions. Those who did not learn to store food in this environment’s winter were removed from the herd.
This can also be observed by observing dogs and bears. Dogs could hunt in the winter, and did not need to store food (energy). Bears, because of their large biomass and gathering nature, could not survive without reducing their energy expenditure in the absence of the summer’s solar power.
Thus bears store energy by fattening up in the fall, and reduce energy expenditures by hibernating in the winter. Dogs just keep eating meat.
Joseph Nobles
Ah, my bad on the unions. I should stick to the usual suspects. :D
Ash Can
@geg6: I had to go to the ThinkProgress main page to figure out what exactly this graph was saying, but yes, it’s interesting — and not surprising.
FormerSwingVoter
@zmulls: It’s worth noting that a federal requirement to make a purchase has been done before – the Militia Act of 1792 required all able-bodied men to buy a musket with their own money in case of a draft.
demo woman
A friend just called Lynch’s office in DC and was told that he was leaning no. My friend then mentioned that it was ridiculous to vote no because you disagreed with process. She pointed out that if the republicans were to win they would do away with health insurance regulation and mandates for coverage.
Scott P.
So you’ve given up on your original point and gone on to something else, then?
Jules
@demo woman:
Really.
What an asshole to deny help for millions of Americans because you don’t like the process?
I’m sick of these Dems who care more for their office then doing what is right for the American people.
bastards….
CalD
@Tim F.:
Half a term, actually. He’ll be up again in 2012.
CalD
@Dungheap:
Tell congressman Lynch that if he’s all that opposed to the process, he should refuse to participate in it at all and sit out the vote.
Possum
Just spoke with Lynch’s office and was informed that he will be voting no. I was quite calm but was told by the person who answered the phone to calm down. Seriously, she was the one who was flustered. I’m guessing she’s receiving quite a few calls urging her employer to vote yes.
zmulls
@FormerSwingVoter
You think that sort of precedent will impress Scalia? He’d love to put the hammer down on that sort of Washingtonian tinkering with the Constitution.
Koz
“Switching to a ‘no’ vote at this time makes no sense – none whatsoever.”
Makes sense enough to me. The Demos in centrist or R-leaning districts (eg, Lincoln or Nelson in the Senate) can be forgiven for supporting the bill if it fails. Nobody is going to care very much, it failed, right?
But those who supported the bill at some time can be personally held responsible if it passes because their opposition could have killed it at some time in the last year. Therefore they have to make sure it dies so they have to vote “no”.
mcc
It seems like “I supported the bill but I opposed an arcane yet common piece of rules committee procedure therefore I voted against it” would be the single least defensible position going forward into an election. You can’t run against the bill, and you can’t say you did a damn thing to help it. It’s a surefire way to make EVERYONE hate you.
Koz
Ie, they don’t have the votes.
drew42
I called Arcurci’s (my congressman) D.C. office earlier today. Third time in a month, and my stomach gets twisted in knots each time.
But I had a pleasant 10-minute conversation with a staffer. When I asked about whether the CBO estimate has had any effect, she said Arcuri wants to study it thoroughly for the sake of his constituents — I interpreted that as meaning “no” but I could be wrong.
And I did get desperate and offered to build and maintain a campaign website for free if he votes “yes” (I have experience with online political campaign work). And I also made it clear that I won’t even vote for him if he votes “no.”
She looked at some of my work and appeared to be impressed — but again, who knows. And I doubt my offer will sway him. But it’s worth a shot.
beergoggles
Hmm, maybe I shouldn’t have ranted to Lynch’s office that the senate bill took out all the gay-positive legislation that the house had in their bill.
mcc
Now Lynch is saying he opposes it because [word salad block of pseudo-FDL rambling]. He seems to be changing his story every ten minutes. I’m wondering if he’s just angry the Stupak Amendment he voted for lost.
sacman701
Normally I think it’s best for people to call only their own reps, but in this case I wonder if it would be better for people in the other 49 states to call some of these massholes and emphasize how important this bill is for the rest of the country.
Geordie3
I just called Arcuri’s DC office as well. I wanted to mention that the Arcuri numbers you have posted are fax numbers.
The staffer I spoke to said that they were keeping track of the calls, and the calls were running 65-70% opposed to the health care bill. I also told him that two days ago I received a recorded phone call from Citizens United, which made a bunch of false claims about health care reform and urged me to call Arcuri. The staffer hadn’t known about that happening.
This district is a swing district; the previous member was a moderate Republican, so I can understand that Arcuri is in a bit of a tough spot. The district is full of white working-class people who like to vote against their own interests.
I offered my services as a campaign volunteer as well, and the staffer gave me a phone number and a web address. I’m not sure how helpful that was, but hopefully it helped a bit.
I’m thinking I will call the district offices as well; I’ll follow up if anything interesting happens.
The Populist
Any representative that can’t answer a question from a constituent without using double talk and vagueries, should be voted out. I am so tired of these people.
mcc
I don’t know if it really got through to them but I think that’s a great tactic. Thank you for doing this.
fordpowers
Also –
I’ve been calling Brian Baird here in SW washington. He’s on the fence – if you live here – he can be swayed… 360-695-6292
I know hes getting more calls from nutbags though – because Lars Larson has been attacking him on his nutbag show.
mcc
Called Lynch’s office. Said I wasn’t a constituent but said that if he went through on his threat to vote against the bill that I would do whatever I could to support a primary challenger. I mentioned Stupak and Sandlin and said that Lynch could easily be primaried too (I checked before I called, it looks like a primary challenger would at least have until late april to file). The person on the other end of the line was very polite but sounded very, very tired.
Mnemosyne
@Koz:
You’d think no one would insist that Vince Foster had been murdered after three separate investigations found it was suicide, but you guys just won’t let go of that bone. Hell, you won’t STFU about how horrible FDR was for establishing Social Security, and he’s been dead for 60 years.
Yes, I’m sure that if the Democrats vote against it, their Republican opponents in the fall will refrain from complaining about their purported attempt at a government takeover of healthcare. Because the Republicans are just nice, sweet, forgiving people like that.
drew42
Ah, crap. I thought that TPM link for Arcuri was just about his “leaning no” position from a couple weeks ago (it has the same photo/layout, which threw me off). I didn’t realize that he made it official today.
This is political suicide. He’s putting himself in the worst possible position — his opponent can still say he voted “yes” because he did before, no Republican is going to vote for him regardless of what happens, and now he’s going to lose Democratic support. And if this passes, he’ll be a pariah. He’ll have nothing to run on.
If he really does vote “no” this November will be the first time in my life that I’ll skip a Democratic lever in the voting booth.
“First, I voted for it. Then for no coherent reason I voted against it. And it passed anyway. I’m a fucking idiot! Vote for me!”
mcc
Note a caller in the comments at TPM said that the Acuri office they called disputed that Acuri had made a decision to vote no. The office asked if the caller had read that on “a conservative website”. This was a local office so maybe they were just behind but I do note the claims Acuri is a definite no all stem from a single post on Hotline which does not give any source.
Still worth calling Acuri though.
Clutch414
The Syracuse Post-Standard is now reporting that Arcuri is a firm “no”. Link
For even more fun read the retarded comments below the story. *sigh* I weep for my fellow CNYers and their prideful ignorance.
mcc
@Clutch414: Thanks for the link.
Clutch414
@mcc: No problem!
Dave161
I live in Arcuri’s district and I’ve called the local office twice. The lines are constantly busy or the answering machine (yes answering machine) is full. I only get a “leaning no” response from the staff, and little more. He had a tough run last time, but all the Dems in and around Ithaca–where he gets his cash and volunteers–will sit out in the fall if he deserts on this bill. He had a closer call than expected last time and I’m sure he’s nervous, but HCR is NOT unpopular here.
goblue72
Speaking as a former Bostonian, Lynch was a conservative South Boston prick when he was a Mass state rep, he was a conservative South Boston prick when he ran for state senate for that crook Billy Bulger’s seat, and he was a conservative South Boston prick when he ran in divided primary for Joe Moakley’s set after Joe passed away. Whenever a racial issue in Boston would flare up in Boston (whether around busing, school assignments, affirmative action, etc), you could count on good ole Steve to take the side of the “aggrieved” angry white Irish guys.
When he first ran for Joe’s seat, he took 40% in the primary taking the reactionary Southie vote while the other 3 candidates (including one out lesbian) split the more liberal votes in the primary. And he’s been an anti-choice, conservative prick ever since. This recent spate of prickness does not surprise me in the least.
SapphireCate
I sent an email from the other side of the ocean (though I live in the EU, i still vote in MA 9) and contacted my parents (who still live there) to ask them to call his office – they’re both super left wing health care professionals in favour of single-payer. My father is also the world’s most persuasive person.