Kucinich now undecided on HCR Vote

[berni_mccoy]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aw_DbCWRpWGM

Caught this little tidbit hidden in a report this morning from yesterday's AF1 flight to Cleveland. It wasn't reported yesterday.

He traveled yesterday with Representative Dennis Kucinich, an Ohio Democrat who voted against the House’s version of a health-care bill last November. The legislation lacked the type of government-run health-care program Kucinich supports. Obama said he and Kucinich talked about the issue aboard Air Force One.

Kucinich told a reporter at the Cleveland airport he wouldn’t comment on his current position on the bill.

Note the context of the article is Pelosi saying she now has the votes.

I also suspected this would happen yesterday:

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/berni_mccoy/933

With Dean vocalizing support of passing the bill ( http://journals.democraticunderground.com/berni_mccoy/934 ), other big lefties like Robert Reich supporting it ( http://journals.democraticunderground.com/berni_mccoy/936 ) and Sanders speaking out to pass it yesterday on Big Ed ( http://journals.democraticunderground.com/berni_mccoy/938 ) I'd say Dennis is going to be voting Yes when it hits the floor.

[DrDan]

1. seems to me "no comment" and "undecided" are two distinctly different responses

[berni_mccoy]

3. When he goes from FIRM NO to NO COMMENT...

:rofl:

[DrDan]

12. that suggests to me that he is tired of getting the question

[el_bryanto]

13. He must have a really weak constitution if he's already tired of that question

What a weakling!!

But wait - his history isn't of weakness in the face of opposition - so possibly there's another explanation - like the one M. McCoy proposed.

Bryant

[DrDan]

35. you could be right . . . but he still casts a vote

we shall see soon enough

(voting your conscience = weakling ----- interesting perspective)

[el_bryanto]

43. No he'd be a weakling if he said "No Comment" because he was tired of answering an obvious question.

That's the weakling bit. But I understand how the defenders of dennis are a bit worked up just now.

[berni_mccoy]

46. lol!

they didn't like that answer, did they?

[quiller4]

51. and later announces a press conference for Wed morning

where he will give his decision, I'd say that Kucinich has moved from "no" to "yes".

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

2. "No Comment" != "Undecided". I think it was a polite way of saying F.O. (n/t)

[berni_mccoy]

4. Before Flight: "FIRM NO" after flight: "NO COMMENT"

:rofl:

[ixion]

9. which means nothing

but nice try.

[berni_mccoy]

5. Sorry to hit you all with a cold hard fact, but here's another reference that says he's undecided

It's the same source that said he was a firm no on Sunday.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/03/16/2229099.aspx

"With passage of sweeping health care reform finally in view, House Democratic leaders are launching an all-out assault to win over the final pockets of resistance within their rank and file," Roll Call writes, adding: "The strategy so far appears to combine a call for party loyalty with an argument for the measure on its merits -- while publicly creating a sense of inevitability around its passage. And leaders are also pursuing targeted carrot-and-stick appeals to the self-interests of Members nervous about their re-election prospects. 'It’s conversations about your future around this place and, with the White House, about what you’re going to get' in terms of political support, one senior Democratic aide said." Some of those being courted: Rep. Scott Murphy (D-NY) was asked to the White House, Dennis Kucinich who said yesterday he was undecided, and Rep. Michael Arcuri (D-NY).

[ixion]

6. no, that's not what he said

he said he wouldn't comment. More spin from the DU DLC. :eyes:

[berni_mccoy]

7. Check out response #5.... sorry to burst your bubble.

[ixion]

10. lol... berni, that's something you could never do

your spin has no power over me.

[berni_mccoy]

21. Sorry, from the tone of your response, it seemed like it had already happened.

I never expected I had spin or that it had power. Guess I underestimated myself.

[ixion]

23. riiiiight...

:rofl: Carry on with your bad self. :)

[berni_mccoy]

38. lol!

I'm bad alright!

Your forgot the spanky: :spank:

But, maybe you know I like that. :rofl:

[rsmith6621]

8. Maybe Obama Is The One Who Has Changed.....

[berni_mccoy]

11. We'll find out soon enough I suppose. Kucinich was asking for two things as I understood it

ERISA and the PO.

Pelosi is adamant the language won't change, but she's also one who has changed her position on issues before too.

Soon...

[Dr.Phool]

14. Sorry to burst the bubble.

A friend of mine called him last night. He's still a firm "NO" vote.

[berni_mccoy]

15. Your friend speak to him directly?

Two sources are now reporting it this morning.

[Dr.Phool]

24. Directly, on his cell phone.

[berni_mccoy]

26. Well looks like Dennis changed his tune since then

Other sources are now picking up the story (see Boston link below).

[Dr.Phool]

27. It had to be in the last 12 hours.

He talked to him at about 11:00pm.

[berni_mccoy]

29. 12 hours is a long time in the current climate I suppose.

[Dr.Phool]

33. Who knows?

[berni_mccoy]

61. Have your friend call him back and ask for insight into tomorrow presser.

Please. That would be awesome.

[Orsino]

16. Okay, enough fake apologies for pretending to burst nonexistent bubbles.

We don't know yet how DK will vote. I suspect we don't even know exactly what he'll be voting on.

[bigtree]

17. stretching

no comment isn't the same as undecided

[berni_mccoy]

18. See response #5. Second source is reporting it.

[Individualist]

32. Understatement.

[elocs]

19. What about the huge thread here: "Kucinich: 'A firm no' (on health care bill)"?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4307130

So he's less firm now evidently.

[berni_mccoy]

20. Yes, that is correct, he was a firm no until yesterday afternoon...2 sources now reporting

he's undecided.

[elocs]

30. So is he decidedly unfirm today while being firmly decided yesterday?

I wonder if an unfirm thread will be as huge as a firm thread.

[berni_mccoy]

37. *snicker*

Yes, this is just as big as news as him being a FIRM NO. I doubt it'll be posted on the front page though.

:rofl:

[joeybee12]

22. Hmmm...why don't I believe this?

:shrug:

[berni_mccoy]

25. Boston Herald has picked up the story now (LINK)

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/view/20100316obama_woos_wavering_democrats_on_health_vote/

You heard it here first.

[MilesColtrane]

28. The question now is, will Dennis' DU supporters throw him under the bus if, and when he...

votes for the bill?

I think there will be a lot of rationalizing going on in that case.

[Dr.Phool]

31. Nah, we'll throw a couple of you guys under instead.

:rofl:

[joeybee12]

40. +1

But i think "a couple" is far too small a number.

[berni_mccoy]

41. We'd be in good company.

Obama, Krugman, Dean, many others are firmly under the wheels of the bus at this point.

[MilesColtrane]

42. Cool.

My DLC overlords pay extra for undercarriage duty.

[Mark dog]

34. Misleading headline

He didn't comment.

[berni_mccoy]

36. You need to check these sources that say he's now undecided

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7927724&mesg_id=7927937

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/view/20100316obama_woos_wavering_democrats_on_health_vote

And when you go from FIRM NO to NO COMMENT, I'd say that's pretty undecided.

[housewolf]

39. There are times when a principaled vote is appropriate, and times to let it go

A principaled vote, such as the "no vote" that Dennis has been touting, has its place when there are hopes of gaining something better by it. But when the time of hope for something better is over, the only thing to gain from such a principaled vote is self-righteousness.

[berni_mccoy]

Good point.

[berni_mccoy]

44. Good point.

[SharonRB]

45. I agree

and if he votes for the bill, I wonder what the folks over at FDL who have raised over $16,000 for him as of this morning will think.

[Cha]

47. $16, 000 blood money? nt

[Change Happens]

48. Progress from a real progressive! I like it.......

[julian09]

49. Chris Matthews just said Kucinich will have press conference

tomorrow 10 am to announce his decision.

[berni_mccoy]

53. Wow, a presser even. He should just come out with it now.

[Cha]

55. So you were right.."no comment" meant "undecided"..if

he has to hold a presser to announce his decision Tomorrow at 10am.

[berni_mccoy]

59. Yep, his change in stance was totally predictable. It's now going to be interesting to see

if he needs to hold a press conference just to REAFFIRM his FIRM NO. :rofl:

[pampango]

50. Could it be a "I'm voting "NO" unless you absolutely need my vote to pass it? n/t

[LynneSin]

52. Guess DUers won't recommend this one to the home page

Figures - I thought Dennis could do no wrong

:eyes:

[Political Heretic]

54. Not commenting doesn't make him undecided does it? Also some big changes announced today.

It seems the House will not be passing the Senate bill before they pass fixes and send it to the Senate. If they do this, I could potentially move to supporting HCR, depending on the specific fixes.

[berni_mccoy]

57. Did you even bother to look at the other reports of him being undecided in the thread? You just have

to oppose anything posted by a certain group of people no matter what. Moronic.

[Political Heretic]

62. He hasn't said he's "undecided," I was just pointing that out.

But I agree with you, if he's holding a presser than its likely he's got some position change to announce.

I HOPE that chance is because the house is changing how they're going to do this thing, and choosing to use some tactics to avoid a vote in the Senate Bill and passing all of the fixes the bill needs first - in which case, if the fixes were the right ones, I'd support it, and I'd hope Dennis would too.

So if he changes his vote because circumstances have changed - great. If he changes his vote just due to pressure but its the same Senate bill being voted on, then that's too bad.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

56. Kucinich under the bus in 3... 2...

[apocalypsehow]

58. Big Pharma musta got to him. n/t.

[berni_mccoy]

60. I. can't. tell. if. you're. missing. a. sarcasm. tag.

:rofl: