Will Blue Dogs Risk Their Seats To Pass Healthcare?

by: Jane Hamsher
FireDogLake
Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Many have asked if the progressives in the House will stick together and keep the health care bill from passing if it has mandates but no public option.

My answer is: it depends.

There are probably 8-12 who would like to, but nobody wants to be the final vote to kill it. So, it becomes a function of how many Blue Dog/ConservaDems vote “no.” About two months ago I estimated that the number who think they will lose their seats if they vote for this bill was about 28 or 29, and getting bigger every day. The turnout in the November election panicked them all, and the Parker Griffith defection was the first public sign of that.

Those with well-funded opponents are going to be especially nervous right now. And it’s interesting that they only represent 17 of the 39 “no” votes against the health care bill on the first House vote…

Hamsher’s article, with a graphic, continues at FDL.

Jane Hamsher is a contributor to The Huffington Post, and posts in other liberal websites and political magazines, such as AlterNet and The American Prospect.

Comments are closed.

Categories