Liberals Open Fire on Harry Reid

[cal04]

Liberal Advocacy Groups Say Majority Leader Will Lose His Reelection Bid if There's No Public Option in Health Care Bill
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/22/politics/main5408951.shtml?tag=cbsnewsSectionContent.5

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is feeling the heat from his liberal colleagues to include a government-run health insurance plan, or "public option," in the Senate health care bill.

Now, as Reid and other negotiators move closer to unveiling their health care plan, liberal advocacy groups are ratcheting up the pressure, saying they will run Reid out of Washington if he does not bring a public option to the Senate floor. With a tough re-election bid ahead of Reid next year, the liberal "Netroots" could potentially make good on their threat. Coming from a purple state, that puts Reid between a rock and a hard place -- and has some local progressive activists at least somewhat worried.

One television ad pressuring Reid to support the public option is already out: The Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) is running a spot for at least five days in Las Vegas called "Is Harry Reid Strong Enough?"

"I'm your typical swing voter," Lee Slaughter, a Las Vegas nurse says in the ad. "I voted for Republicans for president, and I voted for President Obama. I also voted for Senator Harry Reid many times. But in 2010, I'll only be voting on one issue. I'm watching to see if Harry Reid is strong and effective enough as a leader to pass a public health insurance option into law."

FDL Action, the political action committee for the progressive group FireDogLake, is also planning to pressure the majority leader on the subject. The group has already targeted a handful of other moderate Democrats for not supporting a public option, like Arkansas Rep. Mike Ross, who has since come under a firestorm of scrutiny from all directions.

[Owl]

1. Good.

[tonysam]

2. If he loses re-election it will be to a Republican,

and what good would THAT be? All we need out here is another stupid Ensign clone.

[THX1138]

3. We could

get an Ensign clone, but as compensation we'd also get a new Majority Leader. Hopefully a competent one that actually LEADS.

[struggle4progress]

13. If we lose many seats to Rs, the remaining Ds will move to the right

[FiveGoodMen]

4. I'll tell you what good it will be

If Harry loses (to a puke) but the Dems keep the majority, then they'll have to pick a new leader. And he or she will go into the job with something to think about.

Worth it in my book.

[bertman]

6. +1

[FatDave]

10. Patrick Leahy for Majority Leader!

I mean come on, he's been in the Senate since 1974 and he wasn't afraid of republicans even when they had the majority.

[creeksneakers2]

19. Leahy is the best!

[dhpgetsit]

7. Even with 60 Dems in the Senate

He has been caving to Republicans every time they threaten a filibuster. With a Majority Leader like that, we may as well just have a simple majority.

[The Second Stone]

9. It would be good for all Democrats to know

that they will lose their jobs if they fail us on health care. On this issue and this issue alone will they lose their jobs. If they think that they can waffle or betray us on this issue, they must and should lose their jobs, even if it means a Republican gets the seat. Since Democrats in Congress won't do anything for the people they represent, if they won't do this, then screw them.

[TankLV]

12. And he will have ONLY HIMSELF to blame, not us!!!

So far, he's NOT getting MY vote unless he radically changes his tune...!!!

Count on it!

I will NEVER vote repuke - but I sure as hell won't make the same mistake a FOURTH TIME and vote for this DINO!!!

And if we have a REAL repuke, then THING WILL BE EXACTLY AS THEY ARE NOW with Harry!!!

Sixty fucking members and we STILL don't "have enought" to do what WE sent them there to do...fucking unbelievable...

[Hawkowl]

16. His loss would be instructive

If it could be demonstrated that liberals/progressives didn't vote for him, other Dem senators would have to FINALLY start playing to the base instead of just plain f...n us in the ass. Replacing Reid with a rethug would be no great loss if that is the only seat the dems lost, if we could get a really strong LBJ type majority leader. We would only need 51 votes then.

[yurbud]

20. or there could be Lieberman-Lamont situation, where a primary contender outs Reid...

has a good chance of winning the general election, but party insiders tacitly back an independent run of the primary loser because he is more business compliant.

For those in DC, being obedient to corporate America is more important than even winning elections.

[JohnWxy]

5. No subsidies to insurance companies without a PUBLIC Option.

[Fearless]

8. It's about damn time.

[TankLV]

11. GREAT NEWS!!! If Harry FAILS AGAIN on THIS - he can forget MY vote - he's MY LOUSY Senator, too!!!

ACT LIKE A REAL DEMOCRAT, for chrissake Harry!

[troubledamerican]

14. Winterblues? Major Chode? Kolesar? No defense of Reid? Why not?

[aikanae]

15. Why are these phony Dems in Congress anyway?

When I vote Dem, it shouldn't be for just paying dues.

[FiveGoodMen]

17. Because for years all criticism of D's was met with: You don't want a republican, do you?!

That false dichotomy -- that we have to put up with worthless DINOs or else give control to the pukes -- has ruined the Democratic Party.

The only fix (and it won't be painless) is to dump every motherfucker (already) who isn't representing us.

[creeksneakers2]

18. This is generally a bad strategy

but so much rides on Reid and he's been such a disappointment that he'd be worth more as a sacrifice than he's worth now. I don't agree with FireDogLake going beyond Reid.