Which 10 Senators do you think we could lobby

[Le Taz Hot]

that will be willing to insist the Public Option be put back into the HCR bill or they will vote against it?

My list so far of definites or possibles:

Feingold
Sanders
Boxer

Who else could we lobby hard over the next few days?

[Le Taz Hot]

1. Kick

Anyone? We need suggestions and we need them now.

[Richardo]

2. Well, Lieberman's already against it so you only need six more.

Good luck with that! And if you're successful, have fun living under the current 'system' for years and years and years.

[Le Taz Hot]

4. Don't be an idiot. N/T

[Richardo]

6. Why not? You get to be one.

[cali]

3. Leahy and Franken?

[Le Taz Hot]

7. Excellent suggesions.

I keep forgetting about Franken but damn! He's shown more cajones in just a few months in the Senate than Dianne Feinstein has in the 100 or so years she's been there.

[global1]

5. Didn't Burris Already Take That Stand?......nt

[Le Taz Hot]

9. Due to a recent death of a close relative

I admit I've not been tuning in every day to keep up with specific Senators other than the ones I mentioned in the OP. Thanks for that.

[badgolfer]

8. 10 senators

Brown
Harkin
Wyden
Dorgen
Merkley
Specter

[cali]

10. not a good list at all. Brown and Harkin have made it crystal clear

that they'll go along with the WH. Specter? Doubtful. Same certainly goes for Dorgan and Wyden.

[jennyjuniper]

11. some more possibilities are

Harkin, Durbin, Franken, Reed ( of Rhode Island ) and Leahy.

Harkin is going along at the moment but is very disappointed and might be swayed, the others haven't said anything either way that I have heard but certainly ought to be ones we can count on to be against this bill. And when we call them to ask them to vote against it we ought to also ask them WHAT WOULD TED KENNEDY HAVE DONE??? Would he have voted for this sham? I bet not. He was such a great loss.

[Le Taz Hot]

13. Thank you

and welcome to DU from one of the old timers. :hi:

[Le Taz Hot]

12. WTF?

An unrec? Why would ANYONE on this board unrec a public option. Honest to goddess, I really don't get it. Lobbying IS OUR RIGHT.

[KharmaTrain]

14. Support A Bernie Sanders Fillibuster...

Just as Traitor Joe is an "independent" and one vote can mess up this process, so can Bernie and I hope he's considering it. I'd like to see Senator Feingold join him as well. That's the only way to get this bill back into conference and force changes to be made.

[Richardo]

15. What? *Back* into conference?

The bill has to be PASSED in the Senate to go to conference.

[KharmaTrain]

17. If He Blocks A Final Vote...

Bernie can play turd in the punchbowl...come out and say he'll vote against final passage and try to force the bill back behind closed doors (what I mean "conference") and see how much he can ammend the current bill before a final vote. If several Senators support him on this, it will force the bill off the floor as Reid will not call for a final vote unless he's sure of 60 votes.

Then...it's still not clear once passed out of the Senate if the House will want to revisit the bill (which is their right to do). Thus, yes, there are a couple chances to get this bill off the floor and revised again. Will it happen? It's the reason the pressure is being put on not to rock the boat and get something/anything passed and fast.

I'm seeing a lot of fatigue setting in...and sadly Bernie could be one of them...thus while I'd like to see him try to force revisions, I see the "fear of failure" being even greater and thus we're gonna get a sham of a bill.

[Richardo]

19. Thanks for that reasoned response.

I've edited mine accordingly.

However,

I don't think that scenario would unfold in the way you hope.

This is it. If HC fails, Obama is handed a huge defeat and it won't be revisited for many years. And at that time, whenever that is, THIS one will be the starting point in the negotiations and the compromises will happen from there. Things can ALWAYS be worse.

[KharmaTrain]

20. I'm Trying To Play "the Game"...

I'm in full agreement and have been supportive of getting any bill passed cause I see failure as having far greater ramifications for this administration and any future reforms. There's a lot at stake here and I've said I'd rather ammend a bad bill than try to start this whole process over again...involving virtually all the same players. Yes, we won't see healthcare reform attempted again for another generation or longer. However, the status quo forced this debate in the first place and the pragmastist in me sees posistives in this bill and that no legislation of such magnitude will be perfect...it will require modifications. My hopes are to set the table through electing more Progressives and increasing its power within the House & Senate to be the ultimate watchdogs and fixers of what's happening now.

Yes...things can be worse and it breaks my heart to read some of the terrible situations people are confronting here on DU. I know many who are in financial distress and have seen the healtchare world upclose when I worked with my late father's medical practice. Thus it's frustrating to see the giveaways to the insurance companies and big pharma, but you deal with the cards you're deal...if one's hand is weak, get better cards.

Thanks for your thoughtful resposne.

[FBaggins]

16. Don't need anywhere close to ten...

...just find a handful who are not only willing to vote against it, but are willing to vote against cloture. Virtually all of the republicans will vote that way anyway. It isn't as if the bill has become palatable to most of them.

Doesn't matter whether a bill is filibustered from both ends of the spectrum. It sill only takes 41.

[Le Taz Hot]

18. 10 was a random number

and I was hoping for influential members of the Senate to go on talk shows to counter the WH's talking points of, "it's better than nothing" crap. It's not when that whole mandate thing remains.

[jennyjuniper]

21. Scratch Durbin

Scratch Durbin from any possible list. He is on the floor of the Senate right now singing the praises of this flawed bill. Another disappointment and diminishing of hope.