Not surprisingly, Senator Kay Hagan is still unable to convince herself that a public option– which 76% of the American people support– should be a part of health care reform

“Oh I will vote against anything that does not include … and it’s got to be real. I mean, you can call it anything you want … I believe there are enough of us, among the 120 in the tri-caucus and the progressive caucus, that can stop any votes…. Any health care reform that does not include a strong, robust public option for all Americans will not be health care reform.”

The only way to prevent a health care bill from becoming a big bailout of the insurance industry is to get these members on the record now, and make it impossible to back down even in the wake of tremendous pressure.

Use Our Citizen Whip Count Tool

• Who’s afraid of the public plan? • Not wanting to deal with reality, clearly • Health care advocates take to the Hill • Senator Kerry did what? • Whip it!—Day 3 • Krugman says no public option means failure

We’ve had a great response to the Whip Count Tool. Please keep the calls going, we’ve got 3 members who have taken the pledge—37 more to go.

I’m thinking about printing up a flyer that can be held up like a cue card for videos.

Loads of members are FOR a public option. Where will they be when push comes to shove?

Ryan Grim at the Huffington Post is reporting that in a closed door meeting of the Senate Finance Committee, John Kerry proposed including a ten-year trigger in the healthcare bill.  In a closed-door meeting of Senate Finance Committee Democratic members and their staff Wednesday evening, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) suggested that the committee bill include [...]

Keith Ellison:

I will not vote for any healthcare that does not include a public option. I will not do it, that’s a guaranteed no vote and I will not be dissuaded from that.

He also remains committed to working for single payer.  

The Big E over at Minnesota Progressive Project suspects that our single Senator, Amy Klobuchar, may be more than a little wobbly when it comes to meaningful health care reform. He noted her supremely evasive response when asked about whether she would back a public option in a health-care reform package. Let’s change that, shall we?

keep calling, take the time to explain to whoever it is what you talk to how important it is that forty Democratic members of the House (only 40!) agree to hold that line.  That ought to let the air out of Kay Hagan’s tires.

It’s insufferable that each of these Senators thinks they’re the President because their vote is critical.  Well, there’s the matter of the House of Representatives too, and nobody wants to be the Democrat who blocked healthcare passage. 

So get on those phones an let’s build a brick wall.

Use Our Citizen Whip Count Tool