Another "Blue Dog" Flips! Boccieri (OH) now YES on health care reform.

[jefferson_dem]

:bounce:

Strong statement. "If we can spend a trillion dollars on war, certainly we can find the means to fix health care...I will voting YES for the bill."

Press conference here - http://www.newsnet5.com/subindex/news/news5

Rep. Boccieri flips to support healthcare bill
By Michael O'Brien - 03/19/10 10:51 AM ET

Democrats picked up another crucial healthcare vote Friday after Rep. John Boccieri (D-Ohio) announced he'd vote for the package.

Boccieri, who had voted against the healthcare bill before the House in November, said this morning that he would now support the healthcare measure set for a vote on Sunday.

"There's too many politicians worried about their future," Boccieri said, adding that too many leaders are worried about keeping control of the House. Boccieri appeared on the Capitol surrounded by Ohio constituents.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other Democratic leaders have been working to ensure they'll have the votes to proceed with a healthcare package during a highly-anticipated Sunday vote.

Since the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) announced its score of the healthcare package, which uses the Senate-passed health bill as its base but makes changes to it, a steady trickle of lawmakers have officially announced how they would vote for the package.

The magic number for Democrats is 216, meaning that they are all but assured passage of their healthcare bill if they can secure that number of votes.

"I feel very sure that we'll vote sometime after 2 o'clock on Sunday, and the bill will pass," House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.), Democrats' chief vote-coutner, said Thursday following a closed-door caucus meeting.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/87853-rep-boccieri-flips-to-support-healthcare-bill

[vaberella]

1. I said it before & I'll say it again, they're beyond 220 . I think he heard this from a few DUers.

They are most notably called, "purists". But they have said the same. Good move.

[Raine1967]

2. I got goosebumps --

When he said he may lose his job for this vote, but he had to do the right thing for his constituents. :toast:

Nice to see him do the right thing.

[jefferson_dem]

3. Totally agree. True statesmanship...a beautiful thing. n/t

[dmallind]

4. Good news, but he is NOT a Blue Dog

I know you used quotes and I HOPE that was because you realize he's not a Blue Dog but are just using that as a synonym for initally no-voting Dems in general, but even if so this perpetuates ridiculous myths about who are or are not BD's.

Here is the list. It's their list. If the name doesn't appear they are not BD's.

http://www.house.gov/melancon/BlueDogs/Member%20Page.html

[jefferson_dem]

5. Thanks for the clarification.

Actually, I thought he was. :hi:

[denimgirly]

6. Clyburn confirmed yesterday that they had 216 on Charlie Rose. nt