All those who wish to kill the public option--folks like Kent Conrad, Max Baucus, Mr. Grassley, the Blue Dogs and so many others, are so full of shit, it's dripping from their noses.
These champions of fiscal disipline and fiscal sanity, want to further empower the parasitic for-profit insurance industry, and force tens of millions more Americans to buy their unaffordable junk insurance.
Is this bending the cost curve? Of course not. It's business as usual in Washington D.C., it's Kabuki theater, and it's NOT WHAT WE VOTED FOR IN NOVEMBER 2008!
Our president who never stops talking about "bending the cost curve", may now be throwing the public option under the bus. But before a fatal error is made, everyone in the administration would be well advised to read Bob Herbert's scathing review of so-called healthcare reform in the New York Times today.
Congressman Joseph Crowley should also read Bob Herbert. Crowley is another one of these so-called deficit hawks, he stands on the rooftops ranting about controlling cost. At his "Congress on Your Corner" event last night which I attended, he waxed eloquent on his support for the public option. I asked him to step forward and make a pledge to vote against any bill that does not contain a public option.
Guess what? He refused. He's no different than Nita Lowey, she's also so committed to reform that she won't take the pledge.
Crowley says, he wants a public option, but won't do what's necessary to get us one, so you've got to question what team he's really on.
A constituent named Billy Wharton helped us find out what team Crowley's on.
Billy Wharton is a lovely gentleman. Billy wanted to talk to Crowley about campaign contributions. He came to the event armed with a detailed list of all the contributions Crowley has received from the special interests, stake holders and the insurance industry.
Billy the constituent wanted me to video his meeting, Crowley and his staff objected. We've discovered Congresspeople don't like to fess up about things like campaign contributions which have a way of interfering with how one votes. But Billy had a camera hanging from his neck, hit the "on" buttom and guess what, he got his tape without my assistance.
Here it is:
So much for Crowley. Congressman Crowley, your staff knows how to reach me, we'd encourage you to be a leader and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with your constituents, not the lobbyists and the insurance industry.
Joseph Crowley is the leader of the New Dems. The New Dems are good at talking the talk, but still don't walk the walk. You might want to give Crowley a call, especially if you live in the district, and demand that he take the whip count pledge. Here's his contact information.
ACTION FOR THIS WEEK:
Like I said yesterday, though calling the White House feels good and empowering, all of our focus, at this time, must remain on Congress. We need to sit on people like Crowley and Lowey to take the pledge and thank those who progressives who signed the July 30th letter to speaker Pelosi.
First, the members who signed the letter to Speaker Pelosi:
Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)- 202-225-4811
Corrine Brown (D-FL)- 202-225-0123
Michael Capuano (D-MA)- 202-225-5111
André Carson (D-IN)- 202-225-4011
Judy Chu (D-CA)- 202-225-5467
Yvette Clarke (D-NY)- 202-225-6231
William "Lacy" Clay (D-MO)- 202-225-2406
John Conyers (D-MI)- 202-225-5126
Elijah Cummings (D-MD)- 202-225-4741
Bill Delahunt (D-MA)- 202-225-3111
Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)- 202-225- 4865
Donna Edwards (D-MD)- 202-225-8699
Keith Ellison (D-MN)- 202-225-4755
Sam Farr (D-CA)- 202-225-2861
Chaka Fattah (D-PA)- 202-225-4001
Bob Filner (D-CA)- 202-225-8045
Marcia Fudge (D-OH1)- 202-225-7032
Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ)- 202-225-2435
Luis Gutierrez (D-IL)- 202-225-8203
Phil Hare (D-IL)- 202-225-5905
Alcee Hastings (D-FL)- 202-225-1313
Maurice Hinchey (D-NY)- 202-225-6335
Mazie Hirono (D-HI)- 202-225-4906
Michael Honda (D-CA)- 202-225-2631
Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)- 202-225-3816
Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)- 202-225-8885
Hank Johnson (D-GA)- 202-225-1605
Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)- 202-225-4146
Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI)- 202-225-2261
Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)- 202-225-5871
Barbara Lee (D-CA)- 202-225-2661
Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX)- 202-225-3816
Eric Massa (D-NY)- 202-225-3161
Jim McDermott (D-WA)- 202-225-3106
James McGovern (D-MA)- 202-225-6101
Gwen Moore (D-WI)- 202-225-4572
Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)- 202-225-5635
Grace Napolitano (D-CA)- 202-225-5256
John Olver (D-MA)- 202-225-5335
Bill Pascrell (D-NJ)- 202-225-5751
Donald Payne (D-NJ)- 202-225-3436
Chellie Pingree (D-ME)- 202-225-6116
Laura Richarson (D-CA)- 202-225-7924
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)- 202-225-1766
Linda Sánchez (D-CA)- 202-225-6676
José Serrano (D-NY)- 202-225-4361
Albio Sires (D-NJ)- 202-225-7919
Jackie Speier (D-CA)- 202-225-3531
Pete Stark (D-CA)- 202-225-5065
Bennie Thompson (D-MS)- 202-225-5876
John Tierney (D-MA)- 202-225-8020
Ed Towns (D-NY)- 202-225-5936
Nydia Velazquez (D-NY)- 202-225-2361
Maxine Waters (D-CA)- 202-225-2201
Diane Watson (D-CA)- 202-225-7084
Mel Watt (D-NC)- 202-225-1510
Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)- 202-225-5161
And these are the members who are credibly onboard with the FDL Pledge:
Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO)- 202-225-4535
Pete DeFazio (D-OR)- 202-225-6416
Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)- 202-225- 4865
Donna Edwards (D-MD)- 202-225-8699
Keith Ellison (D-MN)- 202-225-4755
Bob Filner (D-CA)- 202-225-8045
Barney Frank (D-MA)- 202-225-5931
Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ)- 202-225-2435
Phil Hare (D-IL)- 202-225-5905
Rush Holt (D-NJ)- 202-225-5801
Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)- 202-225-7944
Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)- 202-225-5635
Chellie Pingree (D-ME)- 202-225-6116
Maxine Waters (D-CA)- 202-225-2201
Robert Wexler (D-FL)-202-225-3001
Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)- 202-225-5161
John Yarmuth (D-KY)- 202-225-5401
SIGN UP AND BECOME AN FDL ACTIVIST
PLEASE USE THE WHIP COUNT TOOL, CALL THESE CONGRESSPEOPLE AND ASK THEM TO TAKE THE PLEDGE
USE THE FDL ACTION EVENT TRACKER AND ATTEND AS MANY TOWN HALLS AS POSSIBLE
AND, AS ALWAYS, PLEASE SUPPORT OUR WORK
PLEASE DONATE WHATEVER YOU CAN. WE REALLY NEED YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT:
THERE ARE 22,OOO LOBBYISTS IN WASHINGTON DC.
Please help us continue this fight for the American people and against the FAKE PROTESTORS, THE MOB VIOLENCE, the insurance industry lobby and its August campaign of fear.
Lobbyists and wealthy Republican donors are spending $1.4 million a day to insure that healthcare reform dies. We rely on your generosity.
And this is me, with one lobbyist, there are 21,999 more, all fighting to maintain the status quo.
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