My Representative is a progressive hold-out, still not willing to vote for the senate bill...

[grahamhgreen]

How should I tell him to vote?

I'm leaning towards blowing up the bill in order to force the Dem leadership to do SOMETHING progressive.

[SharonRB]

1. Not. Gonna. Happen.

Tell him to vote yes. It can be improved upon later.

[dflprincess]

3. Sure, it can be improved later

nevermind that, even with the majorities they have now, that this scam was all the Democrats were willing to do. They'll fix it later - right after they get around to fixing NAFTA like they promised.

[Better Believe It]

12. It will be "fixed" when the Democrats win control of Congress and the White House

[CountAllVotes]

2. a Medicare tax on your unearned income ...

will solve this problem. At least for another 9 years that is - Medicare will be solvent. :wtf: A $500 billion Medicare fraud cut will solve it all. That seems like an awful lot of $$$ to be = to FRAUD with Medicare.

Who else caught these little "details" I query?


:kick:

[dionysus]

4. blowing up the bill means no bill for the next several years.

[grahamhgreen]

5. Passing the bill means no real reform ever, I think. Big insurance will take the cash and use it to

destroy any future efforts the way I see it.

It may well come down to my rep.!

[quiller4]

14. Passing this bill is the ONLY chance of real reform anytime in the near future.

Encourage your rep to follow Kucinich's example.

[RaleighNCDUer]

17. I tend to agree.

I understand why Kuch changed his vote, but I disagree with it. This bill, as it is, will lock in a new system that will not be changed for another generation at least. There will be no fixing it - particularly since the supremes have given carte blanch to corporate money.

Edited for grammar.

[onenote]

6. how is blowing up the bill going to force the Democratic leadership to do something?

I'd love to hear some specifics about how this strategy is supposed to work and what results it will produce.

[MineralMan]

7. It won't work. It will simply prevent HCR from being introduced

again anytime soon. Throwing this bill out will end any chance for reform for a long time. Enacting it will demonstrate that HCR can pass and will generate many followups to correct the issues in this bill. You can count on it.

It may even lend more momentum to the Medicare for all idea, which can be enacted even with this current bill in force.

[grahamhgreen]

13. Let me see that in writing in reconcilliation, or a least a commitment from the leadership.

[MineralMan]

22. Let your congresscritter know what you want. Get everyone you know

to do the same. Do you suppose that writing posts on DU is going to get you any legislation? Nope. You're going to have to do it yourself, along with others in your district. One district at a time. If you're not willing to do that, then you can forget it.

[RaleighNCDUer]

18. How?

Did you forget that the supremes have ruled that any corporation can buy any politician at any time now?

By what mechanism, short of armed revolt, are we going to overcome that?

Repubs will fight all followups - conservadems will say "we've already passed HCR" and it will be only the anti-corporate dems out there fighting to make any new changes.

So HOW is anything going to get changed?

Better not passing it and keep the agitation and interest high, and address it next session.

[MineralMan]

21. At the House level, every race is capable of being won by

a candidate with grassroots support. Every last, stinking one. We still vote. At the Senate level it's more problematic. But members of the House? A serious campaign can still knock on every door in the district, and the right candidate can make that work.

It's only in certain districts where money makes the difference, and the people have money, too. The Bachmann campaign, for example, is going to get huge amounts of money...far more than her opponent will. That's a district where I can guarantee every door is going to be knocked on and every phone rung and every available email address dealt with.

We're going to beat Bachmann, and it'll be grassroots GOTV that does it.

You don't think corporations are going to richly fund every house race, do you? It ain't happening. Politics is going to change, if we want it to. But we have to want it and we have to be willing to work for it. Sitting on our collective butts isn't going to get it.

You want universal, single-payer health care? You can have it in 8 years. But you'd better buy a good pair of walking shoes and start your physical training now, because that's the only way it's going to happen. If nobody shows up, we'll get what the corporations want. If people show up, we CAN get what we want.

[grahamhgreen]

10. Well remember how Rahm Emanual said we were "F*cking retarded" or similar?

This just goes to show the disdain they have for us.

Why? Because they think they can cajole us into voting for any peice of crap thing that they do, be it continued rendition, war funding, school privatization, not prosecuting to 30 felony FISA counts that Bush ADMITTED to, not allowing bulk drug purchases, not renegotiating NAFTA, etc. ad infinitum.

It is only when someone stands up to them that they actually cave on an issue (like they always cave to the right wing).

Essentially they have a bully mentality.

You have to stand up to them and hit back or they will continue to bludgeon you.

[avaistheone1]

20. +1

[Better Believe It]

8. Tell him to vote against the Insurance Industry and Big Pharma Protection Act

[grahamhgreen]

11. I just did. They will not tell me which way he is leaning - he could go either way.

[Better Believe It]

9. He won't be allowed to vote on the Senate bill so he'll have to vote against reconciliation.

[Spazito]

15. LOL, "leaning towards" ?!?

Your posts have been quite consistent in wanting the current bill 'killed' or, in your terms, "blown up". If you are only "leaning toward' now, it means you are in a less intransigent position than has been indicated by your previous OPs and posts.

[grahamhgreen]

16. Yeah, I had to reconsider after Kucinich caved, but I just made the call and told let him know I

still believe that the best strategy is to vote against the senate bill thereby forcing the Dem leadership to realize the the left flank of the party NEEDS to have our ideas incorporated into their legislation or they will get nothing done.

In fact, they could simply expand Medicare in reconciliation, claim victory and walk away.

He's much wiser than I am, so we'll see what happens.

[mmonk]

19. No.