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Public Option Garners Avalanche of Support in Senate


Adam Green

Adam Green

Co-founder, Progressive Change Campaign Committee

Posted: March 1, 2010 01:18 AM

In the wake of last week’s “bipartisan summit” — which proved that no Republicans in Congress will vote for health care reform — an avalanche of Democratic senators are announcing today that they will vote YES for the public health insurance option if it is brought up in “reconciliation.”

Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) are the latest to announce their support, raising the number of senators on record from 0 to 30 in under 2 weeks.

The below statements were released to the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC), Democracy for America, and Credo Action — three groups who have been organizing thousands of Americans daily on this issue and who gathered over 200,000 signatures on a petition telling Congress that Americans want a good bill with a public option over a “bipartisan” bill without one. A tally of senators supporting the public option in reconciliation is at WhipCongress.com.

DICK DURBIN (D-IL):

Durbin Communications Director Joe Shoemaker: “Sen. Durbin has long been a supporter of the public option. I don’t know whether the votes exist in the Senate right now, but if the House version of the public option came up for a vote in reconciliation Sen. Durbin would vote yes.”

PATTY MURRAY (D-WA):

“I’ve been consistently supportive of a public option so that Washington’s families and businesses have choices in their health care options and so insurance companies are finally forced to compete for the business of the American people. Nothing has changed that support. I don’t know whether the votes exist in the Senate right now, but if the public option came up for a vote as we move ahead with reform, including under reconciliation, I would vote yes.”

JEFF BINGAMAN (D-NM):

“I have long been a supporter of the public option, and I have voted for it every time it has come before the Senate. I drafted the public option provision in the HELP Committee and co-sponsored the public option amendment in the Finance Committee. If the public option came up for a vote in reconciliation I would vote yes.”

BEN CARDIN (D-MD):

Cardin spokesperson Sue Walitsky: “Senator Cardin has always been a strong supporter of the public option. As a member of the Budget Committee, he has always considered reconciliation a viable option for passing health care reform. If there is a vote in reconciliation on the House public option, Senator Cardin would vote yes.”

AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN):

“I support the House bill version of the public option which is based on negotiated rates, and if that came up for a vote in reconciliation I would vote yes. I do not support a public option based on Medicare rates because it exacerbates geographic disparities that already hurt Minnesota.”

Previously, 24 other senators signed Sen. Michael Bennet’s letter calling for the public option through reconciliation plus Majority Leader Harry Reid made big news by endorsing the idea:

Reid spokesperson Rodell Mollineau: “Senator Reid has always and continues to support the public option as a way to drive down costs and create competition…If a decision is made to use reconciliation to advance health care, Senator Reid will work with the White House, the House, and members of his caucus in an effort to craft a public option that can overcome procedural obstacles and secure enough votes.”

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We are finding out who our real friends are. These senators deserve praise for embracing the will of the people. Polls show that voters in state after state overwhelmingly want the public option — and progressives will keep pushing others senators to take a stand until 50 votes are reached.

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee will spend thousands of dollars this week on an online ad campaign in the states of at least 10 senators who should be for the public option but have refused to issue a statement so far, reaching at least 1 million people online.

First up: Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa — and we’ll soon be naming more. Jon Stewart lampooned Harkin last week for previously saying, “I’d say right now we have well over 55 votes for a public option, but we need 60” — while now shrugging his shoulders and saying not even 50 exist.

Harkin also claimed on MSNBC that nobody has fought harder for the public option than him. I’ve been a longtime Harkin fan, but at this point, that claim is laughable. I can name at least 30 senators who have fought harder than Harkin, with more likely to come.

People can help fund the online ads pressuring Harkin and others here — and can join 200,000 others in signing the petition to Harkin and others here.

The avalanche of Senate support for the public option will continue. Who do you think is next to take a stand?

huffington Post

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Weekend news …


This is Black History Month

It’s the end of the weekend and while all tsunami warnings have been cancelled the assessments and clean up begins in Chile  and  around other areas hit by the earthquake and tsunami.

WA Senate Approves State Budget Plan

Posted on February 28, 2010 at 4:31 PM

by MojoPages

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The state Senate’s Democratic majority has narrowly approved its plan for balancing the state’s $2.8 billion budget deficit.

The Senate budget counts on about $920 million in tax increases. But Senators haven’t settled on the details of their tax package yet.

The budget also calls for about $840 million in spending cuts, $580 million in federal aid, and $500 million in one-time fixes like fund transfers.

Majority Democrats say it’s a balanced approach that would protect critical state programs. But Republicans say it relies too heavily on tax hikes and short-term solutions.

The budget passed on the Senate a 25-19 vote. It will have to be blended with a competing budget from the House before legislators can adjourn their short, election-year session.

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President Barack Obama returns to the White House from the National Naval Me…

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s doctor says the commander in chief’s first medical checkup since he took office finds the 48-year-old is in “excellent health” and is “fit for duty.”

The 4man US bobsled team won GOLD, the first in 62yrs. Saturday 2/27/2010 at or around  1:30AMET an 8.8 earthquake rocked Chile, 200miles from the epicenter, with after shocks of up to 6.9 even 8hours after the original, over 900times stronger than the Haiti earthquake.  Over 400thou victims in the BioBio region; This quake has made an impact on 2million or more people in Chile and  south of there as well as the entire Pacific basin. Warnings of Tsunami’s possible all along the coast  of the epicenter, people have been told to move to higher ground; with some possibility of Tsunamis threats to the Philippines,  Alaska,Russia, Japan, California, Oregon, Guam, American Samoa, and the Australian coast as well as Hawaii. A 6.0 earthquake hit Argentina killing 2 people.

TVNZ reports that Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said a huge wave hit the Juan Fernandez islands, and archipelago where Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk was marooned in the 18th century inspiring the novel Robinson Crusoe.  “There was a series of waves that got bigger and bigger, which gave people time to save themselves,” pilot Fernando Avaria told TVNZ television by telephone from the main island. Six people were killed and 11 are still missing there, he said.

Bachelet said residents were evacuated from coastal areas of Chile’s remote Easter Island, a popular tourist destination in the Pacific famous for its towering Moai stone statues.

Unusually big waves battered Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands, where residents were moved to higher ground as a precaution.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a Pacific-wide tsunami warning for the US state of Hawaii and countries as far away as Japan, Russia, Philippines, Indonesia and the South Pacific. French Polynesia was also put on alert.  “Chile probably got the brunt force of the tsunami already. So probably the worst has already happened in Chile,” said Victor Sardina, geophysicist at the warning centre.  “The tsunami was pretty big too. We reported some places around 8 feet. And it’s quite possible it would be higher in other areas,” he added.

To find info about your loved ones please call 1 888-407-4747

other news this weekend ... leading up to Tuesday …

The President call’s for the GOP to help get HCR done sooner than later will probably ring on deaf ears as they seem to have decided to remain being the Political Party of NO; Cap and Trade is all but dead if you listen to Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, yet,  the Washington Post reports that Senator Reid (D-Nev.) told Kerry this week that he and his colleagues need to produce a bill as soon as possible to have any chance of passage in 2010. Jim Manley, Reid’s spokesman, said it is the majority leader‘s “hope to bring it up to the floor for a vote,” adding, “But we’ve got a whole host of other things on our plate, and a Republican Party that’s making it difficult for us to pass all but the most routine legislation.”  Kerry said that although the package the three senators will unveil will not have 60 votes when it becomes public, he is confident that it will win over skeptical lawmakers.  “What people need to understand about this bill is this really is a jobs bill, an economic transformation for America, an energy independence bill and a health/pollution-reduction bill that has enormous benefits for the country,” Kerry said.

and …

Monday will be filled with meetings to move ui benefits, cobra and other temp measures forward as they expire on Sunday; votes for these may not happen until Tuesday.  The Cape Wind project meeting is scheduled on March 1, with hopes of an agreement by both parties involved; rumors that land being used was sacred, while tribal leaders have said the wind turbines would be in everyone’s best interest, which, made me confused because of the information about NPS ruled the Nantucket Sound a historic landmark because of it’s cultural and spiritual significance to 1st nations people; however, that has been challenged and information should be corrected after the March 1 meet-up.

things we should know about …Rubio brings up in his attack on Crist the name of Terri Schiavo…stay classy Rubio; can i say yup this is the real deal right there…not worthy of a Public Servant position; if you didn’t know before …  Newt Gingrich runs A HEALTH INDUSTRY “TRADE ASSOCIATION,anyway he says he wont register as a lobbyist/TP; ok, so who is his proxy?

~ my 2cents ..., ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

TGIF … news reviews and what’s on CSPAN.org live-stream


This is Black History Month

Friday …

will be spent analyzing  what actually was accomplished at the Thursday Summit or not, this will probably go on through the weekend maybe more.  My take on the summit was that Democrats, specifically the President, Pelosi and Reid were able to see through the wall the continued rhetoric from Repubs as a sign that after a year no major moves to the center was on the Republican agenda; hoping Americans watched and truly listened to the need to move forward with HCR.  The governing body has the right to keep bills that passed already;  I hope our Democratic Party finally understands the ramification and votes HCR through reconciliation; we are the majority and it’s time to act like it… don’t we use majority rules in most things we do in our lives.

In the news this Friday …

**Governor Paterson will not be running in 2010: Democratic officials in Washington were informed of Paterson’s plans early Friday. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because Paterson had not publicly disclosed his plans.huffpost

Democrat Charlie Rangel is under investigation for breaking House rules… taking gifts(trips)

**VP Biden will be announcing new Labor Regulations aimed at protecting worker’s retirement savings

watch V.P. Biden Remarks

**Our economy grew by 5.9% stronger than expected but it’s not expected to carry forward for too long

**The House passed extensions to unemployment benefits with a voice vote and Senate Republicans JimBunning and McConnell have been blocking the temp extension of unemployment benefits,which end on 2/28/10  the vote  next Tuesday… TP reports that Senator Bunning was missing his BB game,tough sh-t on unemployment benefits. Democrats made repeated attempts to pass the extension by unanimous consent, and Bunning blocked them all. He then complained that the Democrats’ insistence on trying to ensure that unemployment benefits not expire had caused him to miss a college basketball game: GOP Rep. Dean Heller claims extending unemployment benefits is creating ‘hobos.’ TP

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Today on CSPAN.org

HR2701- Intelligence programs; Democrats stripped the torture amendment

First Hundred Years of the NAACP

Panelists talked about history and the future of the NAACP. Panel: – Patricia Sullivan, University of South Carolina, history professor; author “Lift Every Voice: The NAACP and the Making of the Civil Rights Movement” – Robert Zangrando, University of Akron, history professor; author “The NAACP Crusade Against Lynching, 1909-1950” – Kenneth Mack, Harvard University, law professor; author “Representing the Race: Creating the Civil Rights Lawyer, 1920-1955”


White House Briefing with Press Secretary Robert Gibbs Press Secretary Robert Gibbs conducts a daily briefing at the White House.

Washington, DC : 49 min.

watch White House Press Briefing

Hearing examines small business and commercial real estate lending

The House Financial Services and House Small Business Committees hold a joint hearing on lending programs for small businesses. Witnesses will likely discuss the state of lending, and how credit standards affect small businesses.

read WSJ: Examiners Aren’t Hindering Lending
read Washington Independent: Plan Meets Skepticism

watch Joint Hearing: Panels 1 & 2 watch Joint Hearing: Panel 3

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JEC Hearing on Prospects for Jobs and Growth

Joint Economic Committee Chairman Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) holds a hearing to discuss ways to promote job creation. The committee hearing, titled “The Road to Economic Recovery: Prospects for Jobs and Growth,” will include witnesses from Manpower Inc., the jobs services agency.

visit JEC website

watch JEC Hearing: From Earlier

~ my 2cents ..., ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Monday News and what’s on CSPAN today …


Monday…

The President will be on the air-waves this Monday morning to finally as reporters are probably saying, finally come out with his Plan, the one that should have happened when Obama first took office. I wonder what  cable, radio and other reporters, who probably up early; eagerly waiting to read the plan or already  reading the President’s Plan and ready to write their articles to disapprove of the President’s Plan, having decided to beat it down verbally before seeing it.

The Plan probably will not stray too far away from his original statements in 2009, we need to push our Congress to move any plan through so issues like abortion, education, energy, climate change can be dealt with.  Republicans have managed to waste time and by not getting the Peoples issues dealt with, should be held responsible.  Apparently, people like glennbeck got it; some Conservatives are now walking away from WBush, stating that big spending big govt happened, but if we get back into office we won’t do it again? How? i have been listening to both sides and have heard absolutely nothing different coming out of the mouths of Republicans, Conservatives and or the tea party movement that sounds anything different than the Bush Administration. We the People need to call your Senate Democrat and ask; whose side are you on? all Senate Democrats should realize 53% voted this President in and knew exactly what we did… We voted for change we can believe in, stop holding up our President’s ability to govern, stop being the obstructionists that are Republicans; the Democratic Political Party needs to come together… negotiate, support and pass the issues our President campaigned on Senate Democrats.

We pay Congress to create, make and pass laws; is it just me or are Senate Democrats at odds where the Presidents stands on possibly all the issues; maybe we would be further down the line  getting our economy fixed. My opinion is that the push toward letting the President use Executive Order to get things done is not in our best interest to have a President making laws that can simply be repealed if, and i say if he is not re-elected. I also feel that having Congress do what we all pay them for is just plain ole common-sense, tho if you take Even Bayh seriously, the job is just too damn hard and quitting seems more constructive. I hope this man does not plan to serve as a public servant again, he, like sarah palin is a quitter, if the issue or a problem cannot be solved easily,you fight, stand tall, you dont run, why chose to abandon the People who put you into office; had they known Senator Bayh was a quitter, they would not have voted for you…

Other Monday news …

** New Rules for Credit Cards start today …2/22/2010 check your statements closely from now on.

**Avandia, a drug used to combat diabetes has been found to have caused at least 80thou heart attacks, they hid the heart risks , Stop your family friends and loved ones from using this drug.

**The President’s Plan flips the Nelson pork by eliminating his get, giving the benefit to all States..

**Msnbc reports that PM Brown has been called out as a bully and now the authorities are getting involved, the charge first came from a reporter who has a book coming out.  He stands by his reports of  interviews from people who remain anonymous, the timing of these charges are now under investigation ,  as Elections are coming up.

**Zazi the key suspect in the NYC plane bomb plot will be pleading and getting a deal

and … What’s on CSPAN today …

Congressional Calendar for
Monday, February 22

The JOBS BILL

watch White House Press Briefing

**A vote on Cloture will occur…A vote to limit the debate and move forward on the Jobs Bill&Proposed Amendments was taken A2847, as changed by Senator Harry Reid, at least 2Republicans are needed to move forward,the bill includes highway funds,gov’t bonds, smaill biz tax incentives; in a vote of 62yeas and 30nays the motion was passed and agreed to.

57Senate Democrats and 5Senate Republicans voted yes to move forward

**HR4425, HR4238, HR526 debates for a vote to designate postal services buildings, wear Red day,Langston Golf course as historic landmarks, Eleanor Holmes gave a great schooling on why.

U.S. House:
  • Adjourned
U.S. Senate

Post Recession Economy topic of Governor Conference

On the last day of the 2010 National Governors Association (NGA) Winter Meeting, members discuss solutions to help states in the post recession economy. Alan Mulally, President & CEO of Ford Motor Company and Mark Zandi, Chief Economist and Co-Founder, Moody’s Economy.com handle the discussion.

watch On C-SPAN3 at 2:30pm ET
visit NGA website

Commission Examines Stabilization in Iraq and Afghanistan
Commission Examines Stabilization in Iraq and Afghanistan

The Commission on Wartime Contracting is meeting with policy experts to discuss reconstruction and stabilization efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The hearing is examining how contractors are cooperating with the Iraqi & Afghan governments while assessing the sustainability of potential projects.

President Preparing for Bipartisan Summit on Health care

This Thursday, President Obama will hold a bipartisan summit on health care at the White House. Today, the White House is expected to release its proposal for healthcare reform. This morning, the President will meet with Governors’ to discuss health care legislation.
~ my 2cents ..., ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Weekend wrap-up …


SUNDAY …

Team USA .. played and out scored the Canuks in a win for Team USA 5-3, it was obvious Miller, the goaly was truly the msvp  of the evening, blocking over 40 shots from Canada. It’s well known that Team USA has quite a few young players and was not expect to win tonight. In the last 4minutes Canada managed to score but it just wasn’t enough for the night game. The rink was very quiet as Team USA celebrated on the ice. This is just one more game toward the gold, woo hoo Team USA.

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Posted on February 21, 2010 at 3:54 PM;complete article at http://www.king5.com

Washington State News …For years, federal law at National Parks allowed people to bring in unloaded weapons as long as they were stowed away. But starting Monday, that will change. Now anyone with a legal permit can bring in a loaded gun, concealed or otherwise, as long as it concurs with state laws.For years, federal law at National Parks allowed people to bring in unloaded weapons as long as they were stowed away. But starting Monday, that will change. Now anyone with a legal permit can bring in a loaded gun, concealed or otherwise, as long as it concurs with state laws.For years, federal law at National Parks allowed people to bring in unloaded weapons as long as they were stowed away. But starting Monday, that will change. Now anyone with a legal permit can bring in a loaded gun, concealed or otherwise, as long as it concurs with state laws/by ROBERTA ROMERO / KING 5 News.

Point/Pounterpoint: This news is very disappointing; only time will tell what impact this decision will have on the people using our Great Parks here in Washington State …

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Bills would make it easier to force mentally ill into care.

Washington State … complete article on seattletimes.nwsource.com

Legislation before a state Senate committee would make it easier to commit and treat potentially dangerous mentally ill people under the controversial Involuntary Treatment Act.

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news of Republican Senator Mitch McConnell still …trying to deny that Republicans are engaging in the art of obstructionist behavior on the Foxnews Sunday interview; i’d say he is well seasoned at what he does and practices obstructing quite often

…and

Terry Moran of ABC news interviewed Governor Schwarzenegger of California, who calls out the GOP for stating the stimulus money didn’t create jobs; as stated by our President and some reporters the GOP not only spent the money given to them; they went to ribbon cuttings, handed out some giant checks,  took credit for it and some even went back for more. I find it disturbing that so many people are so willing to condemn the so-called back room deals Democrats did for Jobs and  HCR when the Political Party of NO 110 of them have kept THEIR STIMULUS Money SPENDING a SECRET ; where is the outrage? It’s even more of an outrage to me that mainstream tv stations and cable news have conveniently avoided reporting the Republican Hypocrisy until people like Rachel Maddow and Keith Oberlmann actually showed pictures of various Republicans in action, such as:  Gov Bobby Jindal, Eric Cantor, Kit Bond, mike Castle, Mark Kirk, John Boehner

Apparently, Gov Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania stated that President Obama botched the Stimulus  Sales Job; Appearing on ABC’s This Week; Huffington Post reports that the Pennsylvania Democrat said it was ironic that “the best communicator in the history of political campaigning turned out in his first year in office to not communicate very well.” He was referring, specifically, to what went wrong when it came to selling the president’s stimulus package … read more on  Huffingtonpost.com

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Some online reporters say they have low expectations on whatever will come out of the health-care summit; though the summit has yet to meet; everyone has a right to their opinion but it seems a bit cynical to be a naysayer before the fact, though it probably will likely get them more viewers; especially if they do a lot of cable and get paid; people need the facts not a whole lot of speculation and last, the tea party movement is discussed and analyzed further by R rep Tom Price.

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what is and was on CSPAN this weekend …

Sec. of Education addresses Governors at Winter Meeting

Sec. of Education Arne Duncan will address education policy in the Obama Administration at the afternoon session of the Governors Conference. This year’s meeting is also focusing on health care issues facing the states and the morning plenary session will discuss health care and the economy.

watch NGA, Starting Shortly on C-SPAN
visit NGA website

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Health care and tea party movement focus of Newsmakers

This week on Newsmakers, Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) will discuss the upcoming health care summit and the his party’s perspective on health reform. He is a former orthopedic doctor. Rep. Price will also address the influence that the tea party movement has had on the GOP.
watch C-SPAN at 10AM & 6pm ET    watch entire program

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