Bluedog Senator Maria Cantwell comes through for reconciliation!

[upi402]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/cantwell-joins-public-option-push-no-35.php


Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) became the 35th senator to declare support for passing a public option via reconciliation, her office confirms to TPMDC.

Cantwell told the Huffington Post that she'd vote for a public option under reconciliation, if the Senate parliamentarian OK's it.

"If the parliamentarian says you can and it can all work, yes," she said. "If it works, fine."


Sometimes we win a little bit!:bounce:

[Aristus]

1. Called her office to say "Thanks!"

Senator Cantwell's all right by me. B-)

[calimary]

2. TOLL FREE Capitol Hill switchboard numbers here:

In my sigline below.

[upi402]

5. I called to thank Senator Cantwell n/t

[cilla4progress]

8. I did too - sent her an email.

I think she was waiting till she heard from enough constituents, to sign on. (I mentioned this in another thread...). I got an interesting response from her office when I called earlier urging her to sign on to Bennet letter or make a statement like Sen. Murray did. He said: "terrific, thanks," in a way which I interpreted as, "thanks for the cover. With enough of these calls, she'll be brave enough to come out in favor!"

:)

[quiet.american]

3. K&R nt

[mmonk]

4. Very good.

Keep momentum.

[upi402]

6. 15 to go!

And wouldn't Biden break a tie, just like Dick did?

[mmonk]

9. Yes he would.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. Maria's up for reelection this year and has finally realized she represents a liberal state.

But, as much as I dislike her, I'll give her point for a good vote.

[MrCoffee]

20. She really doesn't

East of the Cascades, Washington state is all red.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

23. But, most us live west of the cascades. And, she doesn't need to kowtow to the east.

[Political Heretic]

25. Oregon has the similar east/west divide.

Though really its more like rural/urban. Which I've never understood. What law is there that states that urban voters must be conservative by nature?

[Arkana]

10. Why haven't Feingold and Harkin signed on?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[ThomWV]

21. I heard Harkin hem and haw with some nonsensical horseshit when asked, but he never answered.

[Arkana]

22. Harkin I don't get.

He's been so forceful about the public option--why puss out now?

[Sebastian Doyle]

11. Thank God for that.

Finally got both of my alleged "Democratic" senators on the Democratic side of an issue.

God knows it's been a while since that happened :evilfrown:

[global1]

12. Does Anybody Have A List Of The Senators That Have Not Signed On Yet?......

please post here and lets figure out how we can get to them.

[cal04]

17. check out this list

shows who signed and who didn't
http://whipcongress.com/?source=letter

[global1]

28. Thanks For The List - Seems Like We Should Be Able To Get The Following......

to sign on: (These would get us to 41)

Dodd
Dorgan
Feingold
Harkin
McCaskill
Webb

Other possibles if pressure is applied to them: (These would get us to 44)

Bayh
Baucus
Rockefeller

Then we'd need only 6 more from the following 14: (Perhaps 7 more - cause I'm wondering if we can count on Biden breaking a tie and being the 51st vote cause I'm not sure if President Obama would be for it - sorry to say)

Akaka
Begich
Byrd
Carper
Conrad
Hagan
Kohl
Landrieu
Lincoln
Bill Nelson
Ben Nelson
Pryor
Tester
Warner

[w4rma]

13. Awesome! (nt)

[Rosa Luxemburg]

14. Perfect

[cal04]

15. here's the full list so far

Sen. Michael Bennet CO Letter
Sen. Jeff Bingaman NM Statement
Sen. Barbara Boxer CA Letter
Sen. Sherrod Brown OH Letter
Sen. Roland Burris IL Letter
Sen. Maria Cantwell WA Statement
Sen. Benjamin Cardin MD Statement
Sen. Robert Casey PA Statement
Sen. Richard Durbin IL Statement
Sen. Dianne Feinstein CA Letter
Sen. Al Franken MN Letter
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand NY Letter
Sen. Daniel Inouye HI Letter
Sen. Tim Johnson SD Letter
Sen. Ted Kaufman DE Statement
Sen. John Kerry MA Letter
Sen. Amy Klobuchar MN Statement
Sen. Frank Lautenberg NJ Letter
Sen. Patrick Leahy VT Letter
Sen. Carl Levin MI Letter
Sen. Robert Menendez NJ Letter
Sen. Jeff Merkley OR Letter
Sen. Barbara Mikulski MD Letter
Sen. Patty Murray WA Statement
Sen. Jack Reed RI Letter
Sen. Harry Reid NV Statement
Sen. Bernie Sanders VT Letter
Sen. Charles Schumer NY Letter
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen NH Letter
Sen. Arlen Specter PA Letter
Sen. Debbie Stabenow MI Letter
Sen. Mark Udall CO Statement
Sen. Tom Udall NM Letter
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse RI Letter
Sen. Ron Wyden OR Statement

http://whipcongress.com/?source=letter

[Juan_de_la_Dem]

16. Thanks for the list. I had thought I read that Udall-CO was unconfirmed

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/where-is-mark-udall-on-th_b_484573.html

[pnorman]

18. Thanks. I was looking for the complete list.

BTW: She's one of my Senators (along with Pat Murray). So WHO determined that she was a "Blue Dog"? I'm not all that thrilled over her, but I hadn't expected a Bernie Sanders either when I voted for her. But she'll do.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

19. I pray to the gids this ---

isn't just political window dressing for certain Dems to point to if the PO is purposely killed. :(

[Better Believe It]

24. How you going to get 51 votes for "fixes" when you can't even get 48 votes to help seniors?

The Senate voted down a one-time $250 social security check for seniors yesterday.

The vote was 50 against and only 47 for the measure.

[AlinPA]

26. Only 35/58 is really sad. 23 cowards won't sign up. nt

[upi402]

27. List of senators signed up to support reconciliation:

Here are the brave ones (or at least they know we wont vote for them if they don't vote for it)

Michael Bennet (CO)
Kirsten Gillibrand (NY)
Jeff Merkley (OR)
Sherrod Brown (OH)
Patrick Leahy (VT)
John Kerry (MA)
Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)
Al Franken (MN)
Roland Burris (IL)
Bernie Sanders (VT)
Barbara Boxer (CA)
Barbara Mikulski (MD)
Frank Lautenberg (NJ)
Chuck Schumer (NY)
Jeanne Shaheen (NH)
Ted Kaufman (DE)
Debbie Stabenow (MI)
Jack Reed (RI)
Dianne Feinstein (CA)
Tom Udall (NM)
Arlen Specter (PA)
Robert Menendez (NJ)
Tim Johnson (SD)
Daniel Inouye (HI)
Carl Levin (MI)
Mark Udall (CO)
Harry Reid (NV)
Dick Durbin (IL)
Ben Cardin (MD)
Amy Klobuchar (MN)
Jeff Bingaman (NM)
Bob Casey (PA)
Patty Murray (WA)
Ron Wyden (OR)
Maria Cantwell (WA)

[Mithreal]

29. Bennet's letter and whipcongress list

http://whipcongress.com/

[upi402]

31. Harken, Feingold, Conrad, Dorgan

Not sure what's up really. They'd support an even stronger public option I think, and vote for reconciliation.
Looks like the whipcongress list is updated. I thought it was funny that they brought this to the fore but the list wasn't updated sooner.

[AlinPA]

30. Thanks for the list.