Which Liberal Dem Senators Will Pledge To Vote Against Trigger?

[joeycola]

I think ALL Dems should say NO to a Trigger clause!!


http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/
The Plum LineGreg Sargent's blog
Posted at 10/26/2009, 10:19 AM EST
Which Liberal Dem Senators Will Pledge To Vote Against Trigger?

Wanted: Stalwart liberal Dem Senators who will pledge to vote against any health care bill that contains a publlic option with a trigger.

That, at any rate, is what liberal pro-reform types will be looking out for, as Harry Reid weighs whether to include a public option with an opt out, or with a trigger. Which Democratic Senators will do more than merely criticize the trigger and will go on record saying they won’t vote for it?

Here’s the thinking. Reid and the Senate leadership are currently counting votes to see which version — the opt out, or the trigger — can get 60 votes in the Senate. Much of the commentary about this focuses on the reluctance of moderate Dems to back the opt-out, which seems to give the trigger a bit of an edge.

But if liberal Dems will declare that they will vote against a trigger on the initial procedural vote, that changes the calculus, potentially making it tougher for the trigger to get to 60, possibly giving the edge back to the opt-out.

Right now, Senators Jay Rockefeller and Russ Feingold have strongly voiced opposition to the trigger. But neither has committed to a cloture vote against it.

[mikelgb]

1. hopefully all 5 of them