Last Night I went to Piscataway New Jersey to Frank Pallone's first town hall meeting.
His top notch staff gave me some time before the Town Hall began to speak to Representative Pallone. Pallone is on the Energy and Commerce Committee, he's Chairman of the subcommitte on health.
The local activists and residents in New Jersey (who know Pallone well), told me that Pallone uses his committee assignment(s), to always squirm out of committing on anything.
They were quite certain that he would use this tired excuse for not committing to vote against any healthcare bill without a public option.
Frank Pallone is a Talker but not a Walker. And since all roads to securing the Public Option run through the House, we have no choice but to crack the whip on Democrats like Pallone, who talk the talk but refuse to walk the walk.
My friend Jane Hamsher would say about Pallone that he is a garden variety Weaseler.
Well, weaselers are weaselers, but they're not leaders, and right now we need leaders on healthcare.
So as they say, let's go to the videotape.
I asked him a simple and urgent question, and as those closest to him predicted, he would use his committee assignment to run away. Guess what? They were correct.
nyceve: "We're here tonight to put you on the list [of healthcare heroes], and we're asking you again to please stand firm and tell us that you won't vote for a bill that does not have a public option.
Frank Pallone: [looking intensely bored and uninterested] "Well I guess I can't do that because as Chairman, my goal and what I have to do is come up with a consensus amongst the House Democrats, and I don't want to make a commitment on any particular provision."
Later:
"Because of my position, I can't say do or die on any provision, at this point."
Regarding the Town Hall itself. There were a fair number of teabaggers, and I have video of them, which I'll get up on You Tube as soon as I can.
I'd say the big news from this event, was the turnout. It was huge and the overwhelming numbers were supporters of reform. There were so many people, that they had to do the event in shifts. I was in the first shift, when we left, the lines of people snaking around an enormous parking lot patiently waiting to get in was staggering. I understand from people who were there after I left that they did at least three shifts. There's no way they could have accomdated all the people in only three shifts because there were at least 1000 waiting to get in when I left.
Of course, the media wasn't there to record a largely peaceful group of American citizens, standing on an endless line to demand guaranteed and affordable healthcare.
(Thanks to Book of Hearts for this photo)
Pallone is not a bad person, the New Jersey people say, he's a "nuanced" person. Well now is the time for leaders, and leaders often need to step a little outside their comfort zones--which is exactly what Pallone refuses to do.
This isn't about you, Frank (and whether or not you'll replace Frank Lautenberg), it's about the American people,
If all this outrages you, if you believe Pallone should walk the walk, and not just talk the talk, then call Pallone's office (especially if you're a constituent and let him know that you do not appreciate his refusal to stand with our health care heroes.
Here's Pallone's contact information:
WASHINGTON, DC
237 Cannon Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-3006
Phone: (202) 225-4671
Fax: (202) 225-9665
CENTRAL NJ
67/69 Church St.
Kilmer Square
New Brunswick, N.J. 08901
Phone: (732) 249-8892
MONMOUTH
504 Broadway
Long Branch, N.J. 07740
Phone: (732) 571-1140
(888) 423-1140
CONTRAST JERRY NADLER TO FRANK PALLONE:
Here, on the other hand, is Jerry Nadler the other day, at a health care forum in new York City.
Pallone: Evasive, bored, no enthusiasm, no passion, weasely, compromiser.
Nadler: Strong, resolute, firm,commited, NO MORE COMPROMISES, REPEAT, NO MORE COMPROMISING.
If you want to thank people like Jerry Nadler, you should contribute to Act Blue.
HERE IS A LINK TO THE ACT BLUE CONTRIBUTION PAGE, we want to thank all these good progressives who are drawing a line in the sand for the public option.
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Special thanks to the the great people at Blue Jersey for getting me and Jonathan Tasini to Piscataway so we could attend this event and tell you about it.