Senate Public Option Vote Count (46-45-9)

just emailed my two senators nelson and martinez, while i was nelson was firmly on board (0.00 / 0)

i was glad to see neither of them have stated a vote against!

i sent the following:
please support a single payer system for our national health care. this is a life and death issue for me and my family.

if you cannot support single payer, please at least support the public option, it is not the answer, but it might make it possible for me and my family to actually get the peace of mind of some level of healthcare.

thank you!

hope it helps!

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by: UplandPoet @ Sun Aug 02, 2009 at 08:26:31 AM CDT

correction typo (0.00 / 0)

should read: while i wish nelson was....

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by: UplandPoet @ Sun Aug 02, 2009 at 08:27:39 AM CDT

Strait party lines? (0.00 / 0)

Quick scan of this document and i didnt see one blue no or red yes. the second one is not surprising but i thought for sure there were democratic senators who had declared against.

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by: ChadCo @ Mon Aug 03, 2009 at 03:01:37 AM CDT

Chad (0.00 / 0)

Do you count TLB Lieberman as a Democrat? I don't, but some do, so....

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by: DocJess @ Mon Aug 03, 2009 at 04:26:29 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Confusing color scheme (0.00 / 0)

In the column of names, color indicates party; in the yes/no column, color indicates "yes" or "no" (see Lieberman and Sanders). That's confusing...

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by: SarahLawrence Scott @ Mon Aug 03, 2009 at 07:32:53 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Colours (0.00 / 0)

Here's my reasoning: blue is good, red is bad.

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by: DocJess @ Tue Aug 04, 2009 at 09:24:48 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Need some updates (0.00 / 0)

Thune - No.
8/24/09 - http://www.rapidcityjournal.co...
"But Thune won't support a health care plan that includes a government option, a position he believes most South Dakotans agree with."

Vitter - No.
8/18/09 - http://www.theadvertiser.com/a...
Vitter said he is "completely and unalterably opposed" to the idea of government giving Americans the option of government-run insurance.

Chambliss - No.
8/29/09 - http://www.timesfreepress.com/...
U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss emphasized Wednesday that he is "unalterably opposed" to any health care reform bill that contains a public option or increases taxes.

Lugar - No.
8/23/09 - http://nwitimes.com/news/local...
Sen. Dick Lugar, R-Ind., opposes the public option passed by the House, according to press secretary Mark. E. Hayes. He said in an e-mail statement that Lugar "feels strongly we need to focus on improving the economy before anything else."

Isakson - No.
8/14/09 - Read http://www.morgancountycitizen...

Bennett - No.
From his website: http://bennett.senate.gov/publ...

I am having trouble finding info for the other republicans but according to StandWithDrDean.com:
Bond - No.
Cochran - No.
Inhofe - No.
Martinez - No. (although he will probably be gone by the time the vote comes around)
Risch - No.
Voinovich - No.

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by: Tokar @ Tue Aug 25, 2009 at 14:23:46 PM CDT

Todar - Updated (0.00 / 0)

Sorry, I didn't see this note somehow ....THANK YOU for the information. I had never thought we would get a single Republican vote, so I don't find it surprising.

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by: DocJess @ Fri Aug 28, 2009 at 06:15:31 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Total (0.00 / 0)

Jessica--you've updated the total in the sidebar, but still have the old total in the title to the post.

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by: SarahLawrence Scott @ Fri Aug 28, 2009 at 08:31:16 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

"slew of curses" (0.00 / 0)

Thanks, Scott. Fixed

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by: DocJess @ Fri Aug 28, 2009 at 08:36:19 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

What will Reid Do? (0.00 / 0)

I am really curious as to what Reid will do if he has 50 votes but not 60 (I am assuming that 50 will be enough with Joe Biden as the VP)? Will he actually utilize reconciliation?

Can you imaging how completely and totally impotent the democrats will look, especially reid, (yes even more then now) if they put the reconciliation option for healthcare into the budget reform and then don't utilize it? The way I see it WE HAVE TO USE IT even if we don't want to (and I for one, DO want to) because otherwise we will absolutely lose any ability to negotiate ever again if we don't.

Btw, what are the odds i wonder (cue 538.com here lol) of getting 50 + but not 60? I would be willing to bet that this is probably the most likely scenario.

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by: ChadCo @ Wed Aug 26, 2009 at 00:20:21 AM CDT

what of the notion of adding on? (0.00 / 0)

i was listening to NPR, i think it was nina totnberg, talking about how all the great social programs passed as gutted bills and then the good stuff was added in over time. does anyone think this is what obama is looking at? will it work?

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by: UplandPoet @ Thu Aug 27, 2009 at 13:59:22 PM CDT

Cloture Gone (0.00 / 0)

Looking at the numbers, we would need every undecided to get cloture and have Byrd there and voting.  Think we are stuck with either reconciliation or conference.

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by: tmess2 @ Fri Aug 28, 2009 at 18:15:18 PM CDT

Right (0.00 / 0)

It's still possible to keep a cloture vote in the arsenal as a tactic. An on-the-fence Senator might hesitate to filibuster a bill. But then if they vote for cloture, they can get caught in the "I voted for it before I voted against it" conundrum, and might be more likely to vote for the bill under reconciliation.

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by: SarahLawrence Scott @ Fri Aug 28, 2009 at 22:32:54 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

i am pretty sure every senator has to say, at some point, i voted for it before i voted against it. anyway, if we get over cloture, then we are back to 51 and dont need that senator's vote. (0.00 / 0)

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by: UplandPoet @ Sat Aug 29, 2009 at 04:42:58 AM CDT

But it makes it easier to get to 50 (0.00 / 0)

My point is that it's not been at all clear that we have 50. What is the best way to get people like Lincoln, Tester, and Begich on board? They don't seem to be strongly committed one way or another, and personal political considerations may make the difference. It may be a little more politically difficult for them to vote against cloture than against reconciliation.

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by: SarahLawrence Scott @ Sat Aug 29, 2009 at 07:06:44 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

scott, what of the notion of adding on? (0.00 / 0)

see my earlier comment

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by: UplandPoet @ Sat Aug 29, 2009 at 07:23:52 AM CDT

Adding On (0.00 / 0)

You still need a firm base to start with. For example, Medicare passed in '65, but some benefits weren't added until later.

There are some things that are go or no-go. War, for example: you either send troops or your don't. You can add more troops later, but you either commit or not.

Without a public option, there is no health care reform (having given up on national single payer for this cycle) - everything else is just window dressing. If you read the mark-ups of the bills that came out of the blue dog side, there is no way to "up" the bill as an add-on.  

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by: DocJess @ Sat Aug 29, 2009 at 07:33:48 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Some updates 9/1/09 (0.00 / 0)

Bennet (CO) has come out publicly in support of a public option.  You already have him as a "YES".

Kennedy (MA) shouldn't be on the list (sad to say).  However you should probably rename it "Kennedy's probable replacement" considering a) they will probably get an interim replacement and b) he will probably support the public option being from the Commonwealth of Mass.

Carper (DE) just came out and said "NO" to Public Option on day 1, but "YES" to the trigger option (yuck): http://www.dailykos.com/story/...

Martinez (FL) is a definite "no" as you have listed, however he is resigning.  But his replacement, George Lemieux, has publicly stated that while being a Crist republican he is opposed to the public option.

Warner (VA) is not entirely opposed to a public option but his office said he would vote for a public option if it is in a reform bill that would control costs (duhhhh!!!).  I personally would list him as a "yes": http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo...
I personally feel he does not fully support it, but he would eventually vote along party lines with this particular bill.
Quoted as saying "doing nothing would be financial disaster": http://www.martinsvillebulleti...

Landrieu (LA) was on CNN's sunday show and quoted as saying "I would tend not to, but, we've got to keep working to find solution."

How is Byrd (WV) not listed as "yes"?  He wants the bill named after Kennedy...

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by: Tokar @ Tue Sep 01, 2009 at 14:01:29 PM CDT

1 more thing (0.00 / 0)

can we get a house vote count too?  I don't think it is too hard with the help of the community...

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by: Tokar @ Tue Sep 01, 2009 at 14:03:00 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I'll make some of the changes by morning.... (0.00 / 0)

Martinez still has his seat until he actually leaves and LeMieux is sworn in, which won't happen for a few weeks.

And I'm sorry, I'll change it to "The Kennedy Seat" but I'm unwilling to go further than that. I remember when he was elected, and it's still too painful. His Senate page is still up.

As for your question about the House -- that's in flux. There is no standard list beyond the progressives and the blue dogs, on opposite sides. Stand with Dr Dean has much of the information, but we're going to wait to see what people say when they get back. Really good hard data would take days of research, including calling all the offices, and I don't have the time for it....If you'd like to do the research, I can send you a blank table format that will work in the blog format (most don't) and you can fill in the lines.

Would you like to?????  

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by: DocJess @ Tue Sep 01, 2009 at 17:49:59 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

tokar, i think the house is done (0.00 / 0)

with the public option winning

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by: UplandPoet @ Tue Sep 01, 2009 at 14:20:43 PM CDT

what website has the info? (0.00 / 0)

StandWithDrDean.com is not complete and doesn't update very often.  They still have 62 dem reps unaccounted for.  Yes I realize most are blue dogs who are wavering, but one of the "Dont Know"'s is Dennis Kucinich...I doubt he is against the public option (yes, he would prefer single payer, but he would definitely vote against a public option).

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by: Tokar @ Tue Sep 01, 2009 at 15:15:56 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Careful (0.00 / 0)

I don't think that at all. I think the House is winnable, but not at all "done." I don't think the House can pass a bill without a public option (I'm talking first round; not in reconciliation) because the progressives won't allow it, but they could end up not passing a bill at all.

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by: SarahLawrence Scott @ Tue Sep 01, 2009 at 19:30:07 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

More about the House.... (0.00 / 0)

Hoyer has switched from "compromise" to "must have Public Option" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/... and I think we'll be seeing a lot of that over the next week or two.  

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by: DocJess @ Wed Sep 02, 2009 at 03:14:36 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

we should start tracking... (0.00 / 0)

Sestak - yes
Brady - yes
Fattah - yes
Gerlach - no
etc. etc. etc.

To get the ball rolling.................

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by: Tokar @ Wed Sep 02, 2009 at 14:37:31 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Im surprised you still... (0.00 / 0)

...list Murkowski and Sessions as unknowns.  They are two of some of the most conservative members in congress.  Can't see how they would vote FOR a public option.

Murkowski:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/georg...
Murkowski opposes the totality of Democrats' health care bill and voted against one version in the Senate HELP committee.

Sessions:
http://blog.locustfork.net/200...
Yet Senator Jeff Sessions opposes any public option to fix the health care system with legislation, totally supporting the position of big business, whose over-paid managers want to keep all the profits in private hands.

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by: Tokar @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 01:59:29 AM CDT

Gee....Sorry (0.00 / 0)

Those were just plain oversights....fixed

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by: DocJess @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 03:53:32 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

wait, we are trying to get to 50 in the senate and then let biden cast the 51st? we have no chance at 60? (0.00 / 0)

how is it that possible?

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by: UplandPoet @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 04:45:38 AM CDT

No, we have no shot at 60 (0.00 / 0)

We never had a shot at 60. I am not convinced we have a legitimate shot at 50.

The problems are multi-faceted in getting to 50, but perhaps surmountable. M-A-Y-B-E, but I wouldn't bet the farm on it.

This is one of the issues of a big tent, vs the lockstep of the wingnuts.

The problem, in certain ways, dates to the DLC of the 90's, and the DSCC/DCCC commitment to electing Democrats, even if they are so blue dog as to be Democrats in registration only.

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by: DocJess @ Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 04:57:19 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I see YES votes from... (0.00 / 0)

Wyden
Warner
Byrd
Begich
and MAYBE Bayh

And that is 50...

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by: Tokar @ Sat Sep 05, 2009 at 18:12:31 PM CDT

[ Parent ]