What You're Doing is Working, So Ramp It Up

There's a lot of world-is-ending hysteria out there about the public option clusterfuck in the Senate, and although I was set back on my heels there myself for a minute, I kept the worst of the doomsayers away from you, dear readers.

You're welcome.

And thank you. Because you got us to a point no one thought we'd ever even glimpse in the distance: on the verge of genuine, economy-saving, life-saving health care reform.

Oh, c’mon folks. If we’ve learned anything about Congress and health care reform, it’s that you can’t really believe anything they say in public. I just hope you’re convinced now that you can do amazing things. I don’t mean the impersonal ‘you’, as in ‘one can do anything’. You, I mean.

I really think you have the Senate on the run. You rattled Harry Reid, and enabled Chuck Schumer. Chuck doesn’t say much. When you hear he’s made a statement, that means he wants you to know something about the reality of the situation. He said that a bill without a public option wasn’t worth a damn, and that was a public challenge to the other Democratic Senators. If they go up against a public option, they’re going up against Chuck Schumer, who’s going to be the next Majority Leader in the Senate. In effect, that’s what he is now. You heard him praising Harry Reid as a great vote-counter and an all-around jolly good fellow. This is someone asserting that’s he’s in a superior position, and it must be the way he’s acting in the private meetings. Result: Harry Reid has to prove to his herd of cats that he’s still in charge, so he’s acting in a way that shocks everyone. I believe they’ll end up passing a bill with some form of public option; didn’t Schumer say he could accept the opt-out version? That’s what it’ll be, then.

SNIP

Whatever you’re doing, it’s working. They’re showing weakness, something they avoid at all costs. I claim to know more about politics than I really do, but I’m pretty certain of this: now is the right time to stomp. Do not let them get up off the floor. It’s not the time to thank anyone, not yet. Don’t try to analyze exactly what worked, just do more of it as soon as you possibly can. More ads, more petitions, more opinions, more threats, more demonstrations, more hyperbole, more.

Don’t you think the House is the place to pressure now? Repeatedly counting votes seems to be good, it’s helping. The so-called moderates are trapped by circumstances beyond their control, forced to actually do something that will significantly change society. Some of the Blue Dogs weeks ago made it publicly clear they’re going with Pelosi wherever she goes, but most of them are twisting and turning in an effort to save face, claim they can still say no, without actually saying so. They definitely want to avoid your personal attention, I’m convinced of that. Otherwise, they’d just say no, because it puts them in a better bargaining position.

Read the whole thing. Then get back on the attack.

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