In the last few days, we've seen diaries make the reclist that devolve into what many of us here recognize as a classic left-wing circular firing squad. Accusations of disloyalty to the party, the President and the working class are traded with barbs of being sycophants and sheep.
Enough.
What makes this community best is not only its capacity for dialogue and debate, but also its ability to muster a nationwide lobbying force at the drop of a hat.
I am dropping that hat.
Much talk has been made of who the enemy is. Is it the purists like Kucinich? Is it the incrementalists within our party? Is it the party leaders who are maybe more pragmatic than idealistic? Is it the corporate shill conservadems who have insisted we water down Health Care Reform at every peck and turn? Maybe the bozos here at DKos? Maybe its Markos himself? Is it the Republicans who refuse to find a single senate vote for a bill that looks remarkably like their own anti-Clintonian 1993 bill?
The enemy, my friends, is our own complacency.
Yes, it is paramount that Health Care Reform pass the congress. Yes, it is equally paramount that reform be as substantive as possible. Yes, the Whitehouse is disturbingly silent about the Public Option.
We don't have to be.
I, like many of you have been guardedly optimistic bordering on elated as I watched the tally from http://www.whipcongress.com. I watched with interest as Senator Bennet issued the letter. I smiled, even smirked a bit when the letter gained 4, 6, 9, 13, 18, 25 signatories in a day or two like some political fibonacci sequence. I held my breath each day it didn't get new signatories. I kept calling my Senators Feingold and Kohl, puzzled and determined to get them on board. I even posted snarky comments on Russ's Facebook threads when he asked for volunteers for his campaign, suggesting that a proper way to inspire volunteers would be to support the Bennet letter.
Russ, thank you for getting on board. I am going to make good on my door knocking promise. In fact, I am going to knock on doors for you like a Mormon girl scout.
My question to all of you Kossacks is:
Why is the Reclist not Dominated by diaries encouraging us across the finish line?
We're almost there! We just need 9 more Senators! This is not reinventing the wheel for a community who raised more than $1 million for Bill Halter.
Just 9 Senators stand in our way
I know what many reactions to this diary may be. We are so close to crossing the finish line on HCR that risking blowing up the whole process isnt worth the trouble. To those folks I have a question in return: How do you think our opponents were able to water HRC down this whole time? Its called negotiation. And you never win concessions by agreeing as your initial response to a demand. You make demands of your own.
We started this process with demands of our own. Some of us demanded single payer. We thought we did find compromise on the Public Option. Just when we thought that agreement was good to go, it wasn't good enough. Then! we thought there had been a breakthrough! Instead of a Public Option progressives could find middle ground with some recalcitrant Dems in the senate by finding middle ground on one certain Senator's pet HCR issue, a medicare buy-in for folks 55 and over. Then suddenly that wasn't good enough either. Fuck it. This bill IS GOING TO PASS. If we want to get the goods, its time to crinkle your brow and MAKE DEMANDS.
DEMAND (albeit politely) to the following Senators that if they want your support in the future (or want to avoid a well funded primary challenger) that they SIGN BENNET'S LETTER
Here are the Congresscritter's who need encouraging. Again, please keep it firm but polite. Remember to demand that they support a Public Option through Reconciliation. Yes, I'm even including some who have stymied the process thus far. Everyone can be amenable to pressure and Hope Springs Eternal.
Sen. Max Baucus MT (202) 224-2651 (406) 329-3123
Sen. Evan Bayh IN (202) 224-5623 (317) 554-0750
Sen. Mark Begich AK (202) 224-3004 (907) 271-5915
Sen. Robert Byrd WV (202) 224-3954 (304) 342-5855
Sen. Thomas Carper DE (202) 224-2441 (302) 573-6291
Sen. Kent Conrad ND (202) 224-2043 (701) 258-4648
Sen. Kay Hagan NC (202) 224-6342 (336) 333-5311
Sen. Tom Harkin IA (202) 224-3254 (515) 284-4574
Sen. Herb Kohl WI (202) 224-5653 (414) 297-4451
Sen. Mary Landrieu LA (202) 224-5824 (225) 389-0395
Sen. Blanche Lincoln AR (202) 224-4843 (501) 375-2993
Sen. Claire McCaskill MO (202) 224-6154 (314) 367-1364
Sen. Ben Nelson NE (202) 224-6551 (402) 441-4600
Sen. Mark Pryor AR (202) 224-2353 (501) 324-6336
Sen. John Rockefeller WV (202) 224-6472 (304) 347-5372
Sen. Mark Warner VA (202) 224-2023 (804) 775-2314
Sen. Jim Webb VA (202) 224-4024 (804) 771-2221
Edit: This diary was originally titled: Where is the Reclist Diary Asking Us To Twist a Paltry 9 Arms in the Senate? I hope this title is a little less presumptuous and more of a call to arms.