Ben Smith on the FDL Action public plan whip effort:

Legislative vote counts are one of those things that the Web can transform. They’re typically closely held — counting is an insider’s art — and deliberate ambiguity is a key negotiating tactic. Legislators who would prefer to vote no, for instance, might be willing to be the last vote, for a price. So while this has the effect of pushing members toward Obama’s position, it also shines a spotlight on members who might prefer to stay uncommitted, or to wait for details and compromises.

We heard this a lot from House offices during the supplemental battle. Having a public list was extremely powerful, and gave people a whole lot less wiggle room.  Getting early commitments on record makes it much harder for those with considerable expertise at tipping things in their favor at the last minute — in this case, industry lobbyists — to work their magic.

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