Yesterday turned out to be not so bad. And personally, I want to tip my hat to MAX TAX
You should do yourself a big favor and read in depth coverage of MAX TAX here.
But as promising as yesterday turned out to be, the calls must continue.
I beg your indulgence, I really do, but please keep calling. Yes, it's hard scut work, but it must be done--for your children and grandchildren.
It's the math, stupid. It's the numbers game, stupid.
IT IS UP TO ALL OF US TO HOLD THE LINE.
Now that MAX TAX is becoming marginalized, it's even more imperative for Progressives to stay firmly and completely united behind a straight up, no trigger, no co-op public option.
STOPPING THE CATASTROPHIC BAUCUS BILL RUNS RIGHT THROUGH THE HOUSE PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS.
We're asking you to continue calling Congress. THE MEMBERS ON THIS LIST NEED TO BE RELENTLESSLY CALLED. Click here to record your call.
I'M GOING TO FURTHER BEG YOUR INDULGENCE:
When you call, Please be very firm.
- It's not enough to be told the member supports a public option.
- Anyone who calls needs to ask the follow up: it's great they support it, but I need them to commit to ONLY vote for a bill with a public option. No coops, no triggers. Nothing less. Will they do that?
- This is what the offices need to hear - not just support. Hold the line.
- Please then report back on the form, what you've unearthed.
Some of you have asked for the numbers to your Senator. Though we firmly believe that securing the public option runs through the Progressive Caucus and this is where we hope you will spend the lions share of your calling time, here is Senator contact information.
Please only call your Senator, after you have called the people on the list we've identified.
U.S. SENATOR CONTACT INFORMATION BY STATE CLICK HERE
WHY WAS YESTERDAY A PRETTY DAMN GOOD DAY?
Before anything else, MAX TAX stood by himself. No Olympia. No Kent. No Mike Enzi, despite gifts to all of them. He sold out fully, totally and completely to the insurance industry (surely Karen Ignagni could have crawled out from under the AHIP rock, to stand by his side) but even she didn't make an appearance.
MAX TAX is isolated, alone. Even better, he's being mocked, read Gail Collins on Senator Max (Futility is My Middle Name) Baucus All this is good.
The AFL CIO also says the Baucus bill is another sort of shit--bullshit.
Union leaders denounced a proposed overhaul of the U.S. health system introduced today by Senator Max Baucus, saying it fails to pressure insurance companies for savings and would tax health plans.
Delegates at the AFL-CIO’s convention in Pittsburgh chanted "bullshit" in response to the plan from the Senate Finance Committee’s chairman. They were led in the chant by Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. He said the labor federation’s members should lobby against the proposal because it doesn’t mandate that employers provide health insurance and "taxes our health plans."
The Baucus bill is so bad that even the co-op nonsense he's included is "neutered" and awful. Could that be why Kent co-op Conrad, was a no show for the roll out? But AHIP is happy, so all is good in the world.
This is what happens when you let a Senator who represents 967,000 Americans and is thoroughly owned by industries under his regulatory control, write legislation for over 300,000,000 Americans.
BAUCUS BILL: A TRAIN WRECK IN SLOW MOTION - CONGRESSIONAL PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS MUST DRAW A LINE IN THE SAND
When the White House backs away, you know it sucks.
Did you catch Robert Gibbs White House briefing yesterday?
And all of this means: the public option is looking more and more like the only viable solution that actually has support in Congress!
Baucus falling apart is a magnificent development for the no trigger, no co-op public option, but it doesn't change the basic math.
The math is, we need at least 40 votes in the house to MAKE SURE we can hold the line - and the line is a strong public option, no coops, no triggers.
Representative Raul Grijalva is whipping the Progressive Caucus, we expect he have a whip count sometime today on those Progressives who are committed to voting against any bill that lacks a straight up, no triggers, no co-op public option. As soon as we receive information on this, we'll get it to you.
Yesterday Grijalva released a letter slamming the Baucus sludge.
I want to end by telling you that FireDogLake and FDL Actionwill be rolling out some important new initiatives in the days ahead. Stay tuned, you'll be very pleased.
And on a personal note.
As many of you know, the fight to make healthcare a right in the richest country on the planet is one that I have been waging for many years now. For me, the politics of this struggle have been an afterthought. I see this battle as the defining moment of our generation, a true test of the character of this nation.
Yesterday, there were two diaries from friends of ours on Daily Kos about the urgency of real healthcare reform.
You can read themhere and here.
Americans are dying,healthcare is a right, this is the beginning, middle and end of the debate--for me.
WE'RE ASKING YOU TO SUPPORT THE WORK SECURE A PUBLIC OPTION.
THERE ARE A GROUP OF PEOPLE WORKING LITERALLY DAY AND NIGHT TRYING TO SECURE A PUBLIC OPTION. WE RECEIVE VERY SMALL STIPENDS (FOR LIVING EXPENSES), BASED ENTIRELY ON YOUR GENEROSITY.
PLEASE DONATE WHATEVER YOU CAN. WE RELY ON YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT, AND YOU HAVE BEEN AMAZING.
HEALTHCARE REFORM WILL REVEAL THE CHARACTER OF OUR NATION, WE CANNOT FAIL.
PLEASE HELP US WIN THIS FIGHT FOR REAL HEALTHCARE FOR ALL AMERICANS.
https://secure.firedoglake.com/...