Additionally, there are roughly another 30 who voted yes last time who also voted for the Stupak language last time. Assuming that Nazi Pelosi actually turns 7 of the 10 folks who voted no last time and who are currently undecided, she must also hold all 30 of these folks without a single defection.
I know that very great pressure will be applied against all of these folks. However, it is entirely conceivable that Nazi Pelosi will not get 216 votes.
She might not even get close.
You can start here http://www.capitolconnect.com/freeourhealthcarenow/ by sending an e-mail to your Congressman —which will be identified by the use of your zip code— and the same e-mail will be personalized and sent to all 58 Blue Dog Democrats. As Mike Pence said on my show yesterday as he reviewed the battle against Obamacare —transcript here— the most effective contact is with your own Congressman or a member of your state’s congressional delegation.
After that effort, please hone in on these two new targets, identified by Jay Cost’s reporting: New York’s Tim Bishop (NY-1) and Arizona’s Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-8).
Bishop is being challenged by Chris Cox, Richard Nixon’s grandson and a formidable campaigner and fundraiser. Please consider a $25 or $50 contribution to Chris via his website, and then call or e-mail Bishop and let him know you contributed to Cox and there’s more where that came from if Bishop votes for Obamacare. Bishop’s contact info:
D.C. Office: Phone: (202) 225-3826
Fax: (202) 225-3143
Corum Office: (631) 696-6500
Southhampton Office: (631) 259-8450
Email
Giffords represents the Tucson area has drawn many primary opponents, but the frontrunner is probably former state senator and Army officer Jonathan Paton. Again, if you can spare $25 or $50 to Paton’s campaign, follow up that contribution with a call to Giffords’ offices with the same message as above: There’s more where that came from if you vote for Obamacare.
Gifford’s contact info:
D.C. Office: Phone: (202) 225-2542
Fax: (202) 225-0378
Tucson Office: Phone: (520) 881-3588
Sierra Vista Office: Phone: (520) 459-3115
E-mail
Wait, there’s more.
Colorado’s 4rth Congressional District should be a Republican seat and my friend Tom Lucero is running to take the seat back from Betsy Markey. Please donate to Tom and then let Markey know you don’t live in her district but that you will be sending more support to Lucero if she votes for Obamacare. Markey’s contact info:
D.C. Office: Phone: 202.225.4676
Fax: 202.225.5870
Fort Collins Office: 970.221.7110
Greeley Office: 970.351.6007
Lamar Office: 719.931.4003
Sterling Office: 970.522.0203
E-mail
And that brings us to the Buckeyes. At least five of Ohio’s Democrats are on the fence and may vote against the bill. Please call them all. Zach Space especially has been swamped by calls and I urge you to continue to contact him again and again, and to find everyone you know who lives in his district or Ohio to do the same. Then repeat for Charlie Wilson and the others:
Rep. Zack Space - Ohio’s 18th District
DC Phone: (202) 225-6265
Dover (330) 364-4300;
Zanesville (740) 452-6338;
Chillicothe (740) 779-1636
Link to E-mail
Rep. Charles Wilson - 6th District
DC Phone: (202) 225-5705
District Phone:
Canfield (330) 533-7250;
Marietta (740) 376-0868;
Bridgeport (740) 633-5705;
Ironton (740) 533-9423;
Wellsville (330) 532-3740
Link to E-mail
Rep. Marcy Kaptur, 9th District
D.C. Phone: (202) 225-4146
Fax: (202) 225-7711
Toledo: (800) 964-4699 or (419) 259-7500
E-mail
Rep. John Bocieri
D.C. Phone: (202) 225-3876
Canton: (330) 489-4414
(800)826-9015
E-mail
Rep. Steve Driehaus
D.C. Phone: (202) 225-2216
Cincinnati: (513) 684-2723
E-mail
Unfortunately, drawing conclusions from the last vote doesn’t always work. As soon as Pelosi rounds up a simple majority, others who would face more vulnerability by voting yes are freed up to vote no.
So you have no clue whether those in the Stupak group are true believers or if they will do what they have to do for their party when crunch time comes. My hunch is the latter.
Rather than the so-called pro-lifers killing this bill, it may be those who are true believers in a public option (like Kucinich), which the Senate bill lacks.
A couple of days ago (maybe Rush was talking about-can’t recall), there was a report that even if the bill was going down, Democrats wanted to have the vote, put health care aside and move on to other issues.
Pelosi is feeling the heat from members who want to move on to the economy and jobs and are tired of the harassment they’re taking from constituents over health care. IOW, they want to be “loved” again and do something constituents want in time to reap the benefits of that before the election.