Whip Count (0.00 / 0)

This seems to agree with Greg Sargent:

I've just been sent some new numbers from the internal whip count House Dems are doing on the public option, and they show that support for it is still running strong, though the numbers suggest the strongest version of it may prove out of reach.

Specifically: House progressive leaders have been counting up how many members - beyond just progressives - will support the strongest version of the public option, i.e., the one tied to Medicare rates plus five percent.

The number so far, a source familiar with the count tells me: 170 firm supporters. That's way beyond the 83 members of the House who make up the Congressional Progressive caucus.

What's that mean for the public option? Well, the bill needs 218 votes to pass. That means it needs another 48 Dems to get on board, out of another 61 Dems who are presumed gettable - 23 Dems who are undecided, and another 38 who have not yet been asked their position, or "whipped."

Absent having a list of names, it's hard to tell who's stilll up for grabs, and getting 48 more could be tough, because leaders may have counted the most liberal members first. "There aren't enough moderate Democrats in the House that will vote for a public option tied to Medicare rates," one aide to a moderate Dem told me.

Maybe, but it's still going to be close. And at the very least, the strong support demonstrated by the numbers will keep the pressure on the House leadership to keep the public option - in a less robust form, perhaps - in the bill.

---

by: Mark Matson @ Fri Oct 02, 2009 at 15:29:17 PM CDT

Definition of Support (4.00 / 2)

My question is what are they asking?

What I'm trying to say is, just because someone doesn't "support" the option, it doesn't mean that they are willing to vote against the bill.  Are the remaining members all committed to voting AGAINST a bill that does have it?

---

by: dmineau @ Fri Oct 02, 2009 at 16:22:36 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

This is the key point (4.00 / 1)

Damn straight!

The previous Prog count was asking a relevant question: will you vote against a bill without a 'good' public option.

The replacement count asks the irrelevant question: will you support a bill with a 'good' public option.

It's quite possible that the bill that comes to the House floor has the most robust public action: voting for that bill means squat. Because the bill will return to the House with a Senate substitute containing a junk public option, if any.

The real question before thinking participants in this discussion is, Will there be enough Progs voting against the Senate substitute to kill the bill?

And we get two clues:

• Pelosi asked the Progs to nix their count asking a meaningful question and start one asking a bullshit question; and

• the Progs did her bidding.
  

---

by: skeptic06 @ Fri Oct 02, 2009 at 20:44:26 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Just got an email from Rep. Diana DeGette (4.00 / 1)

regarding a letter of strong support for the public option which she helped spearhead as Deputy Whip, sent to Speaker Pelosi this Wednesday.  She has 50 names on the letter.  It would be interesting to see how they correlate with the names you've been tracking.

http://degette.house.gov/image...

"When weighed against other ideas, the public option remains the most effective tool to bring about competition, choice, efficiency, transparency and cost reduction in the marketplace.  Thank you for considering our views and recognizing the need for a strong public option in any health reform legislation that comes to the House floor."

---

by: Brad Klafehn @ Fri Oct 02, 2009 at 19:59:02 PM CDT

how many are necessary to pass the bill? (0.00 / 0)

normally it's 218, but since there are 2 vacancies (McHough, Tausher), does that mean it's only 217?

---

by: bennytoothpick @ Fri Oct 02, 2009 at 21:43:47 PM CDT