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Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
If you want to know why members of Congress don’t want to take the Pledge to vote down a bill that doesn’t have a strong public plan, Mazie Hirono finally says it out loud:
Ultimately, Hirono said she was a progressive who firmly believes in the public option, but that she was also someone who counted votes and that the White House would be pressuring them to make a deal.
If you want members of Congress to draw a line in the sand and say "no bill without a public option," you’re going to have to make them. Because the pressure in August is going to be fierce from Dick Armey, the teabaggers, David Koch and Americans for Lynching, health care industry lobbyists and other stakeholders who don’t want to see their gravy train eroded.
We need two local events for every progressive member on our whip count list for the month of August. If you’ve got time to do a little digging, you can let us know what you find here.
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Dick Armey and the Teabaggers – sounds like a band name.
Sounds like she said the White House is in there with that cast of bad actors in applying the squeeze. No?
Just what is the worst thing that could happen to Congresswoman Hirono if she sided with the interests of her voting consistuency? Seriously, will Obama work to have her defeated by a Rethug in 2010?
Not to say that it hasn’t happened before. LBJ was pleased to have the Nixon team proceed with its Hanoi shenanigans in ‘68, because he was upset with Humphrey for coming out against the war.
Tim Geithner mentioned over the weekend that taxes may have to raised on the middle class after all in direct contradiction of what Obama promised during the campaign last year.
In light of the fact we are in a crucial period for health care reform, would it not have been wise to wait to make such a statement until a bill was signed into law????????
Doesn’t this just give more ammunition to the opposition????
Whose side is Geithner on???
When will people realize that a “compromise bill” will have ALL of the spending with NONE of the benefits to We the People.
Liberal/Progressives want the government to spend money providing health care to keep Americans healthy. All of that money goes directly into the economy.
Conservatives/Blue Dogs want the government to still spend all the money, but they want to bypass that whole providing health care thing and just funnel that money right into corporate coffers.
What if there were no rhetorical questions?
This was on Chaka Fattah’s Web site today, Aug 3.
However the event was yesterday according to Fattah’s scheduler. Also, I had asked if there were any other Town Halls planned and she said not right now.
Healthcare Town Hall Alert
Since this event has passed, I didn’t put it into the database. I couldn’t find anything on the Web about the event either.
Oh, is Torgo dueling with his own straw men again?
He should be careful. Swordplay could get him into trouble.
Geithner stepped into it, now Obama will have to walk it back. It would be political suicide for him to raise or impose new taxes on the middle class. I mean, this was his big campaign promise.
I think old Timmy boy is probably getting a spanking today.
With an abundance of question marks, yet. I skip right over these posts when I see eight question marks. WTF?
That was my reaction when I heard the report on NPR this morning. Is this yet another promise Obama will break? The “give him time, he’s only been in office six months” meme is wearing thin with me. He is showing very little leadership, letting himself be blown around like a leaf. This wasn’t what I voted for — and yeah, McCain would have been a disaster, but still…
I’m with you on that. I expected more leadership, if not more progressive policy.
Healthcare Action Items Diary here
don’t make me stop this wedding !!!
The Teabaggers list of Counter Protests on Health Care
On their list they have this for Rep. Denny Davis
*Health Care Town Hall*
*Kickoff Central and Bloomingdale *
Chicago, IL 60639
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Start Time: 10:00 AM End Time:
In attendance, Rep. Danny Davis H (DEM) District 7
On Davis’s Web site the event is listed as this
*Saturday, August 15, 2009, Kickoff: 10:00 a.m. *_
Congressman Danny K. Davis’ annual “Back-to-School Event”
*Location:* 10:00 a.m. Kickoff Central and Bloomingdale, Chicago, Illinois — 1:00 p.m. Columbus Park, Central and Jackson, Chicago, Illinois
The teabaggers do have the legitimate event for David Scott listed too so it’s not all misinformation.
I saw the u-tube video of Arlen Specter’s and Sebelius’s town hall. They were shouted down by irrational,loudmouthed persons who repeated Republican rants. ‘Government can’t do anything right’ is a euphemism for what they shouted.
http://www.eyeblast.tv/public/…..duzSUSU8z#
What I was trying say was that the teabagger’s list it makes it sound like the Davis event is just about health care, and according to Davis’s Web site it’s a Back to School event.
The teabaggers titled Pete Stark’s Town Halls as Health care Town Halls, and on his Web site he has them as just Town Meetings.
Whose side is Geithner on???
The big question is, whose side is Obama on?
Ugh, I did like Sebulius saying not to boo the Senator about a bill that hasn’t been written.
Spector looked weak and his explaination about not reading the bills reinforced his appearance.
Thanks for providing me a link.
Tough crowd….tough crowd.
I get no respect.
I hope not. He seems to have surrounded himself with dumb asses. I mean who the hell was advising him on being so nicey nice with the insurance companies? What genius dreamed THAT up? NOW, after their 1.3M a day lobby efforts, the whole conversation is scewed to we don’t want a GOVERNMENT plan. Now ONE MORE TIME Obama has to walk it back and is just NOW figured it out and is going after the insurance companies.
duh! I get that he’s busy but Jesus he needs to get it together.
Could be a moot point. The teabaggers and the Republicans are orchestrating “disruptions” of Congressional townhall meetings across the country of both progressives and conservatives in efforts to derail the possibility of healthcare reform. Trying to create a firstorm of “consensus” that no one really wants reform. It’s just a replay of the “Brooks Brothers Riots” of 2000. Fear that the Administration and Dems in Congress once again underestimate their enemies. A golden opportunity was wasted by not having the reform done before the recess and now with the Congressional vacation the right wing will drive in the final stake.
Jane,
It’s beyond time for pressuring just the progressive caucus. If we really believe in this, we need to set a date in August and hit every Senator and Congress-critter’s office in the country. All of them, the same date and time.
I’ve seen what’s going to happen in town-halls here in New Mexico: the tea-baggers are going to be out in force to disrupt them. And they’ll succeed. What we have to do is to show that we can mobilize, too.
Would like to see 1,000,000 people in D.C. when Congress gets back. It looks like the reptillians have out organized progressive elements for the Congressional vacation but it might not be too late to organize a return to Congress get together.
but simultaneously, you must also support every candidate with a (D) after their name, and never, never, never attempt to pressure them by drawing a line in the sand, and threatening to withdraw support. Oh noes!
I don’t think it’s too late to get things together.
The actual “districts” Members of Congress intend to tour:
http://thehill.com/leading-the…..08-03.html
The annual (or semi-annual) Israel Indoctrination Tour, conducted by Tour Guide Hoyer for Democrats who want to keep getting corporate/foreign lobby Party campaign funding cash…