House Democratic leaders are obviously pleased by Dennis Kucinich’s vote switch and some other recent developments. But I continue to stress that the move of one member of Congress will not lock in the bill. In fact, there have been other developments today which should discourage supporters:
• I locked in Jason Altmire as a yes last week, but his concerns with the deem and pass strategy as well as putting student loan reform in the bill force me to take him out of that camp and back into the undecided pool. Altmire has gotten the maximum value out of his hand-wringing, appearing on virtually every news program in America the last couple weeks. I think he loves the attention. But he definitely sounds more pessimistic this week than last week.
• While Marcy Kaptur did vote the reconciliation package out of the House Budget Committee, yesterday she voted with Republicans on a kind of “Stupak amendment,” a motion to instruct the Rules Committee on the abortion language. She also downplayed the Catholic hospitals’ support of health care reform, saying that it may be for “business reasons” (perhaps the support of Catholic nuns would sway her). Also:
Kaptur said she’s spoken to Rep. Dale Kildee (D-MI), another pro-life Dem who’s signed off on the Senate’s abortion language, but didn’t find his reasons persuasive.
I had her at lean yes because of her committee vote, but even her article in The Hill yesterday put her at undecided for multiple reasons. Back into that camp she goes.
• A constituent of Lincoln Davis’ pegs him as a hard No, which is frankly not surprising. He voted No last time and has avoided making any public statement whatsoever.
• If teabaggers who rallied at the Capitol are to be believed, my skepticism of putting Sanford Bishop back to undecided has been validated. But they also apparently got John Barrow to commit to a no vote. It’s difficult to tell from their descriptions, but I’m leaving things the same on both counts. MoveOn is targeting Barrow, who already has a progressive primary challenger.
• MoveOn’s other targets are familiar: Scott Murphy, Suzanne Kosmas, Mike McMahon, Allen Boyd, and Bart Stupak. But HCAN has added to their pro-reform ad buy in more districts, including a couple which were off the board: Gary Peters (MI-09) and Melissa Bean (IL-08). Peters, a freshman Dem, has not said much about the health care bill and is listed as a Yes by the Washington Post’s new interactive graphic. Bean, leader in the New Dems, saw a fight erupt outside her district office among protesters yesterday. I don’t know what to make of this, but I feel Bean, at least, would have the capacity to vote no, so I’ll put her in the undecided category.
Where does that leave us? Kucinich and Kirkpatrick are Yes votes, Altmire goes back to undecided, Kaptur from lean Yes to undecided, Lincoln Davis is a No, Bean’s back to undecided.
Meaning that we’re still at 191-206, right where we were the last time. If you push leaners, we’re at 205-209. Still lots of work for the leadership to do. And where’s that CBO score?
The full totals on the flip:
Definite YES:
191 Democrats, including Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), who voted No last time, in November.
Definite NO:
178 Republicans, including Joseph Cao (R-LA), who voted Yes in November. He’s in the Stupak bloc.
Definite NO:
28 Democrats.
23 Democrats who voted No in November:
Bobby Bright, Mike McIntyre, Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, Walt Minnick, Artur Davis, Chet Edwards, Frank Kratovil, Mike Ross, Dan Boren, Gene Taylor, Larry Kissell, Collin Peterson, Ike Skelton, Jim Marshall, Mike McMahon, Charlie Melancon, Tim Holden, Ben Chandler, Health Shuler, Rick Boucher, Allen Boyd, John Adler, Lincoln Davis.
5 Democrats who voted Yes in November (confirmed Stupak bloc):
Bart Stupak, Dan Lipinski, Kathy Dahlkemper, Joe Donnelly, Steve Driehaus.
13 potential Democratic No-Yes flip votes:
7 lean Yes:
Bart Gordon, Brian Baird, John Boccieri (Clyburn Three), Suzanne Kosmas, Betsy Markey, Scott Murphy, John Tanner.
5 undecided:
Jim Matheson, Harry Teague, Travis Childers, John Barrow, Jason Altmire.
1 lean No:
Glenn Nye.
21 potential Yes-No flip votes:
5 additional Stupak bloc (Stupak-curious):
Brad Ellsworth, Jerry Costello, Henry Cuellar, *Marion Berry, Marcy Kaptur.
7 lean Yes:
Paul Kanjorski, Dina Titus, Betty Sutton, Baron Hill, Allan Mollohan, Bill Owens, Tom Perriello.
8 other undecided Democrats:
Zack Space, Chris Carney, Nick Rahall, Solomon Ortiz, Earl Pomeroy, Bill Foster, Harry Mitchell, Melissa Bean.
2 lean No:
Mike Arcuri, Marion Berry.
Democrats need 25 of a combination of the 13 potential No-Yes flip votes and the 21 potential Yes-No flip votes. So they need 25 out of the remaining uncommitted 34. If you’re counting leaners, Democrats need 11 of the last 17 uncommitted.




34 Comments

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FIRST COMMENT!
And did Dennis flip because of his own reasoning or because his party threatened to abandon him in the fall elections?
If the former, then fine, but if the latter, voters should vote him out of office anyway, for caving to threats.
Since DK’s announcement this morning I’ve been filled with a deep discouragement, as if we are unable to make ourselves herd and nothing we do can make a difference. I know that’s not entirely true; it’s just the letdown and the fatigue. That said, I also realized that DK wasn’t the last vote unspoken for. There is still a tiny possibility that the bill won’t pass.
So the anti-choice bloc of Dems is going to kill the enactment of the biggest legislative restriction on abortion since the Hyde Amendment? The “pro-business” bloc defeating a corporate giveaway?
Either the bill has redeeming qualities and these conservadems kill the bill, or the bill does not have redeeming qualities and they declare themselves yes votes in the next 72 hours. Whatever is worse for America will win.
The bright side about Kucinich’s endorsement of HCR is that most of the remaining opposition to the bill is from the right of the party. Kucinich giving the bill his blessing should be anathema to endangered Dems as they try to round up votes this weekend. I think quite frankly they’d rather have kept at least one single payer opponent around for contrast, but clearly the Dems can’t afford to lose a single vote.
This is real Kabuki. Obviously there’s no principled support for or opposition to this bill. Everyone’s lining up into teams with their different colored shirts. And Americans that work for a living are the “skins” in this health care fight.
As much as I am disappointed by Dennis caving in, I never thought he would be the deciding vote.
Well, one thing is for damn sure: after the anger and outrage that the defection of Dennis Kucinich has provoked, this bill had better pass. If the Party, the lobbyists, the White House, “liberal interest groups”, etc. go to the extent against the liberal activist base that they have gone to, and don’t bring home the bacon, they will look weak indeed. They can’t anger and upset this many people and then just fail.
I must commend Jane Hamsher, incidentally, for the best essay or commentary after Kucinich caved in that I have seen.
Oh, yeah, and:
Die Bill! Die! Die! Die!
Any word on the street about the Pelosi meeting this morning? Special pricing on Botox, maybe? That should tip the scales…
The Celebrity Soccer Player David Beckham left Finland, after Achilles Tendon surgery Today, it is reported.
Don’t you wonder why he opted not to have this procedure performed in the US, where we have the best medicine in the World (or so I’ve been told ad nauseum)? Considering that legs are pretty much the tools of the trade in his business sector…
One other note: everyone please take a glance at TheNation.com — based on one editorial writing, and two web log entries – one from John Nichols, the other from Ari Melber – it very much appears that The Nation is already getting ready to spin this public policy disaster as a “painful victory, a small step” for the progressive agenda. They are already apologizing for the legislation, etc.
I’ve written a letter on the regular essay they’ve got up (congressional officeholders voted against womens’ rights and abortion rights because “they don’t have the luxury of nihilism”) as well as posted on both web logs. Feel free to contribute your thoughts.
I have pretty much had all the “hope” beaten out of me. If the White House can get Kucinich to cave, it’s just a matter of time.
Tomorrow maybe I’ll go buy a new (made in China) tv and not watch it for 4 years just so I can get used to the insaniy.
Progressive group? BULLSH*T!!!!!!
Another tangent to the objection of the “pro-life” Conference of Bishops:
http://www.americablog.com/2010/03/hitchens-takes-on-vatican-over.html
And another thought about Kucinich: looking at the list of remaining undecideds, maybe it’s Kucinich playing 11 dimensional chess, ensuring the bill’s defeat by voting for it. He probably would have ensured it’s passage had he declared a “no” vote objecting to the Senate’s restrictive abortion language.
The “corporate Democrat activist group MoveOn.org …” …
Might want to add Costello to lean or firm no based on this: http://interact.stltoday.com/blogzone/political-fix/dc-download/2010/03/costello-resisting-white-house-pleas-on-health-care/
No f’ing kidding. Seems nowadays all you need is a D after your name, and TADA! You too are a progressive!! Soon it will be passed around and R’s will be able to be progressives too!! Meet Senator John McCain–PROGRESSIVE!!
You might want to add Luis Gutierrez as a definite undecided. He has repeatedly said he opposes the bill because of its immigration language. While he’ll probably cave at the last moment, I think his comments imply he isn’t a definite “yes”.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/17/dan-lipinski-melissa-bean_n_502758.html
Interesting charts here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/votes/house/finalhealthcare/?hpid=topnews
I know it’s the Post but……
Before the meeting, price of bodyfill at local auto repair shops skyrocketed.
Sorry, but still not buying this count.
They’ve got the votes. It’s a done deal.
How do we know this?
By the way, Chet Edwards is not only a definite “no”, he explains what we all know already — namely, that the bill is electoral death for Democrats and he’s not going to walk into machine gun fire even if Rahm’s pointing guns into the Congressional trenches:
I guess we don’t know it. It’s an educated guess on my part. I’ve felt that ever since they stopped talking with the Stupid bloc. I just don’t think they would’ve done that unless they knew from where else the votes were going to come.
And I think most here would agree that DK is usually someone that stands on principle. So if they got him to change, I imagine the others are just low lying fruit waiting to be plucked. Wouldn’t surprise me if it passed this week.
I just hope we all hold them accountable in the only way can. By NOT giving any Democrat that votes for this our vote. There’s more to do than that for sure, but that’s got to be the first item on the agenda. No votes for Democrats that voted for this. Period.
Sorry but I’m still not buying it on Gutierrez. Costello is another matter, though…
yes, look for an update soon.
If they had the votes…they would vote
Thanks for the heads-up on Melissa Bean. I’m in her district and I just sent her an email telling her to vote no on the legislation. I know, I know. But if she’s truly undecided, it’s worth a try.
I agree… the vote will be held the very second they have 216. Pelosi would vote at 4:00 A.M. on a Sunday if she’d “win.”
The Republicans clearly don’t mind if this bill passes – so long as they don’t have to vote for it. I can tell because if they proposed any reasonable alternative, they could probably peel off enough wavering Democrats to sink this plan. Obama would probably love to embrace any reasonable “bi-partisan” plan, almost without regard to what it’d do to health care. He’s already gotten his blood money from the lobbyists.
That the Republicans haven’t proposed a reasonable alternative to this bill speaks volumes about their seriousness in killing this effort. They just want to be against it, and really don’t care if it passes.
Jonathan,
The Republicans do, in fact, mind if this bill passes, for a lot of different reasons that go beyond the scope of this post. Suffice to say Small Government (aka Freedom), Out of Control Entitlements (aka the problem that can only lead to a booming Deficit, looming Inflation & Higher Taxes) and Incompetency of Federal Bureaucracy (aka administration of Social Security & Medicaid) top the list.
I think most people could have lived with a small regulatory bureaucracy, real efforts to combat corruption and fraud in medicare & medicaid, interstate competitive exchanges of insurance and even a gift of ending pre-existing condition exclusions (which can only lead to higher premiums at a purely actuarial level). Beyond that, you were always probably looking at all out political war.
So what good did the blood money from the lobbyists do? No matter what happens, people are pissed. Generic ballot is an unheard of 45 – 35 for Republicans, Obama is more unfavorable than favorable – and there is a great deal of chatter by the people who will bear the brunt of this bill that they will simply opt out, revolt or actively seek to use every means lawfully necessary to impede the implementation and guarantee the failure of this bill.
I am reminded of Andrew Jackson when he got an adverse Indian ruling from Chief Justice Marshall…”Justice Marshall has made his new law…now let him go enforce it…” It raises the question, what happens if even a small percentage of small business people close their doors and fire all their employees in protest?….or if they all opt out of health care and pay the statutory penalty (which would be a statistical disaster for the nation) ? or if the Doctor’s strike? The fundamental problem with the bill isn’t Democrat or Republican or Conservative or Progressive, it’s simply that our representatives are taking their orders from an ideological minority, and they have completely tuned out the majority…that can’t end well.
Yes, unlike the “progressives” who said AND signed that they would vote No and are voting Yes, we MUST vote No against them. Otherwise, opposition is pointless.
The first public casualty of Citizens United:
Dennis J. Kucinich
“own reasoning” and a plane ride on Air Force one
“8 other undecided Democrats:
Zack Space, Chris Carney, Nick Rahall, Solomon Ortiz, Earl Pomeroy, Bill Foster, Harry Mitchell, Melissa Bean”
Zack Space has to flip. There are too many uninsured people in his district to count. Although the way the Republicans use the God, gun, gays rants to flip votes in his district has been astounding
You know what gets me about these alleged pro-life folks in both parties are how often they vote against funding for access to higher education, health care reform, higher wages. Most of them go to church on Sunday and then vote against pro life issues when their back in the halls of congress. This hypocritical stance is infuriating.
Force women to have children but forget making sure that these children have a level playing field to grow up in.
The more I thought about Zack Space and his district and the phone calls and e mails he must be receiving are probably from people who have access than those who don’t. The digital divide in Zack’s district is huge. So many folks not only do not have computers because there is little to no broad band in his mostly rural district even if there were broad band many can not afford computers. Huge digital and economic divide in his district.
Many folks in his district probably not in support of health care reform as they hide behind those little crosses around their necks going to church on Sunday praying for their own redemptions as many of those same folks push for others not to have access to health care.