The pro-choice caucus has to revolt. Another cave would screw the Dems even more than they already are.

I’m glad you updated the chart. You should probably also change “Tuesday, 3/16/2010″ in the top left to the current date as well.

Add one more surprising one to the No’s-Bill Delahunt from MA.

This was posted a short while ago about Stephen Lynch on the Huffington Post.

6:30 PM ET — Vicki Kennedy whipped Stephen Lynch to no avail. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) one of the few Democrats opposing the bill because it doesn’t go far enough, said Friday that he got a call two or three days ago from Ted Kennedy’s widow Vicki Kennedy.

“She said Ted had worked at this for quite some time and invoked his name,” Lynch told reporters. He regretfully told her he would be opposing the bill, he said. Senate Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) pushed Lynch again today on the House floor. Lynch said he told Hoyer not to waste time on him. He’s a firm no.

Rep. Bill Delahunt of Massachusetts said that if Lynch says he’s voting no, he’s voting no. “He’s a man of integrity,” said Delahunt.

Pelosi calling all the pro choice women over to tell them she’s going to deal them out is just painful.

Lynch told Mother Jones the Dems have the votes so he’s not killing the bill, he’s just not voting for it. Hmmm.

So just exactly how bad is the November Demo party ass-whuppin’ gonna be? I’d say they’ve earned it – and we’ve still got the financial “reform” thing to do. I shudder to think how jacked up that legislation will turn out to be.

Pelosi’s seat is probably safe, but I’d really enjoy seeing her get bounced right along with the rest of ‘em.

So they obviously have the votes. At this point it’s just a game of musical chairs to see which particular Members of Congress get to vote “no” at the end of the day. The only question is which 216 congressmen vote aye. What a complete and utter shell game.

I think I’m like most Americans at this point: I’m beyond the details of this bill. A few improvements, a few huge steps back, and a very dangerous precedent mandating Americans buy defective products from private insurers whether they want to or not.

People don’t care about process, Mr. President? I disagree… not when the process shows such thoroughgoing dishonesty and corruption. I don’t believe anything they say in Washington, because it doesn’t matter: they think they know better than the American people. They’ll do whatever they think is “best” while not upsetting any major lobbying group. They take us for fools.

And I’m afraid they’re right, judging from how quickly all these progressive groups have fallen in lock step behind them.

Lynch is Southie trash. What a puke.

You know the only thing that would get me to believe in the Progressive Caucus again? If they flat-out tell Pelosi “no” on any Stupak deal and threaten her gavel if she threatens retaliation. Dissident Dems can join with Republicans against any of Pelosi’s old bulls if they try to punish Members for voting no.

OFA is whipping DeGette for a yes vote. From Plouffe:

So we’re aiming for 1,530 calls to Rep. DeGette from Denver before offices close this evening. Whether you’ve called your representative before or haven’t yet spoken out on health reform, it’s now time to raise your voice.

Your representative, Rep. Diana DeGette, has stood with the President and fought for reform since last year. But with special interests attacking anyone who pushes for change, it’s important for voters in your district to call and say “thank you for fighting for reform.”

As an active constituent, your voice has particular weight with your representative — so all those who share our commitment to reform are depending on you to speak up. According to our records, you live in Colorado’s 1st congressional district.

I think it’s working because this is the first time I haven’t gotten through to her office.

She’s Chief Deputy Whip, and OFA is Whipping her! Creeps – I know she really is pro-choice and they’re pressuring her to accept the Stupak shit.

I am so mad right now.

“Southie trash”?

Listen, there is no need to count these votes so closely. The bill WILL pass.

Pelosi could put Stupak’s amendment back in the bill and it would pass.

Democrats are at a point of passing this no matter what.

I noticed Obama was out there again today telling people that if they have pre-existing conditions they will be able to buy insurance right away. No, it is confirmed by mulitple sources, even Robert Gibbs that adults with pre-existing conditions are going to have to wait 4 years to get insurance.

Hope you don’t die in the meantime.

The only people with anything to celebrate are going to be the next Speaker of the House, Boehner, and McConnell. Unfortunately, their celebration will be at the expense of the American public, who have to live with this non-reform, reform.

Please imagine the energy of those on the one side who are strongly against this, and the other side whose supporters don’t like it and only support it because it is “better than nothing.”

That may be the campaign slogan:

“You’re paying for it now, you don’t get anything now, but, it’s better than nothing. Vote for me.”

The only people with anything to celebrate are going to be the next Speaker of the House, Boehner, and McConnell

You’re leaving out the insurance companies.

Still, not one…NOT ONE member of the House progressive caucus that swore they would vote against any bill without a public option will honor that pledge.

Not even one…

Murphy voted against the liberal House version of the bill ostensibly to support business tax breaks to paper mill guys in the district and so now he votes for the pro-corporate health insurance company bill coming out of the Senate. What he is doing will probably secure campaign financing for his next election. There is so much kabuki going on now. I am getting robocalls from GOPers wanting Murphy to oppose a “government takeover” of healthcare. I am getting OFA robocalls asking me to call Murphy to pressure him to vote for this POS bill. After reading jane’s rundown on the bill which she posted today, I have that terrible vertigo feeling that children feel when they realize their parents are lying. I have no interest in supporting either of the political parties or any of the legislation they have put on the table. How does one put an end to all of this lying?

I am still not buying the “inevitability” meme, but I’m just built that way.

I still think the calculus works that it is simpler to defeat than pass. But then again, I’m usually wrong on vote counts/outcomes.

Let’s say you’re a dem rep, and for whatever reason, you decide at the last minute to say no – and you don’t even bother telling anyone, as a result the bill fails – what exactly could the dem leadership do to you? Just wondering what the worse case scenario really is..

Pelosi could put Stupak’s amendment back in the bill and it would pass.

If the pro-choice Democratic caucus goes along with Stupak’s amendment. Why would they do that. Why would we want that.

I think that’s a Boston expression.

what exactly could the dem leadership do to you?

Your district is studiously avoided in all appropriations bills. You could be overlooked for new committee assignments. In theory, they could take away your committees, but then you’d probably just defect. You could find the Rules Committee very uncooperative with any of your bills. In fact, the Speaker could make sure you never get a vote on anything. The DNC could pull funding for you. The President could stop helping you raise funds. Labor could suddenly pull behind a primary challenger. Your staff could be told their future in the Democratic Party lies elsewhere.

Just sayin’: the Speaker/party has crazy tools of coercion.

I believe they let your hypothetical dem rep know ahead of time exactly what his particular worse case scenario would be…

Frankly, we need a party with a litmust test… perhaps not as onerous as the GOP’s purity test, but how can anyone call him or her self a liberal, or a progressive, or even a Democrat, if they just don’t get the impact of rolling back choice?

Will this society allow women to participate fully in ALL of its activities and functions? Or not?

They should make it a game on Facebook, where it belongs… Congressional Mafia!

I find that the 1962 movie “Advise and Consent” is particularly instructive on their backroom behaviour…

That certainly sounds like a democracy.

Sounds like regional bigotry to me.

How can Nancy call herself a liberal, a progressive, or a Democrat. She’s negotiating with bishops. That shouldn’t be happening in government.

even if the dems are a few votes short, the repubs will vote for it to make sure it passes. they love the corporate giveaway too, but it’s their turn to pretend they’re not supporting this corporate giveaway

our congress is just like pro wrestling – it’s just a soap opera, with flip-flopping villains

The real question is how much do the “Stupak 2″ (or “Stupak 4″ or whatever other imaginary number is floating around inside Stupak’s head) value their testicles.

Because Nancy Pelosi is coming for them.

This is one of those times where failure is not an option for Obama or for Pelosi. In these cases, if you rise up against the ruler, you had better kill him or her because if the ruler survives, your future will not be a pretty thing.

As they say, politics ain’t a pillow fight. This time there are consequences. This is probably the first time anybody in this caucus has faced such a vote.

In the end, we’ll find it will be the “Stupak 1″ and if he is smart, he will be with the Speaker when the roll is called. If he values his testicles.

Negotiating with bishops? Nancy bowed down and kissed their rings back in November in exchange for a health care blessing.

It actually sounds like she’s playing hardball on the Stupak language (not that it matters much when the Nelson language is just state-based Stupak). But does she have the votes to do a *complete* end run around Stupak? Or will she force the pro-choicers to take a dive again.

I mean, at this point the progressive veal pen will go along with whatever Pelosi declares a “win” on this bill. The details don’t matter to them. (If I hear another progressive say “follow your heart, not your head” on this, I’m joining the Tea Party).

Thanks, man we have an f-ed up system.. still I would love to see someone do it, just to see what it would be like – can you imagine ;) You could wage a 1-person war in the press.

Believe that’s right. Both sides are committed to the private insurer bailout. No one wants their fingerprints on it, but they will make sure it gets done. Health insurance stocks will have a strong day on Monday. Just don’t understand how so many progressive blogs are part of this charade. Their high-minded rhetoric is incorrect and disingenuous.

Oh, someone could vote no at the last minute. If something “unexpected” happens they’ll just leave the roll call open indefinitely while they corner that Member in the cloak room.

If I was going to pull something like that as a Member of Congress, I’d get safely away from the Capitol after casting that vote!

isn’t it also hilarious they’re having the vote on a sunday too? so just a few hours later the stocks can soar like vulchers

my heart tells me to never support anything that endangers women’s rights

This shouldn’t be about someone’s testicles. This should be about a future where our healthcare coverage is not at the mercy of a private insurance monopoly. Everyone loses then in the end.

Stupak is stronger. It clears choice out of any and all exchanges. The veal pen progressives are turning into concern trolls for Obama on the left, which makes them hardly left. They might as well call themselves the DLC, or worse.

Exactly ;) immediately go on a 3-day vacation, leave no contact info, come back in a few days and have a big press conference now that you’re famous..

“This shouldn’t be about someone’s testicles. This should be about a future where our healthcare coverage is not at the mercy of a private insurance monopoly. Everyone loses then in the end.”

Of course I agree with that. There are a lot of things it shouldn’t be about.

It shouldn’t be about abortion.

It shouldn’t be about student loans.

It shouldn’t be about giveaways to certain states.

It shouldn’t be about Obama’s Waterloo.

It shouldn’t be about people holding out for a (currently) impossible ideal when there is a rare opportunity to take a small step forward for the first time in 50 years — an era when EVERY ONE of the developed nations has moved boldly and decisively.

It shouldn’t be about those things. But it is.

It wouldn’t be an impossible deal if government had both vision and commitment to phase it in over time. We will end up there anyway. It’s just a question of when. The coming financial burden leaves us no other option. And we shouldn’t be waiting ten years.

Obama wants a Republican majority in Congress. He’s on the verge of realizing his bipartisanship ‘wet dream’.

“We will end up there anyway.”

The current course is not sustainable, and we all know the bill will not change the economics very much. We won’t make it another 50 years, so this one isn’t going away. We really cannot take the current course another 10 years, so something will have to give.

But in the meantime, at least we can roll back some of the worst abuses.

I’d like to think it would be possible to end the antitrust exemption with a vote later this year. Surely that would be a very popular move in an election year. Regardless of what somebody believes about “death panels”, who could possibly want to be on record THIS YEAR voting to preserve monopoly status for health insurance companies?

So the optimist in me believes that is part of the election year game plan.

Why would Kucinich do what he did?

The lesson here is don’t bank on anybody. Anybody.

“Why would Kucinich do what he did?”

Only 10% of the story is in the open. You can bet that he got some assurances for follow-on steps if he would stand down on this vote.

why not vote on the antitrust exemption first?