Kay Hagan: the roadblock to real health care reform

[ccharles000]

by: Pam Spaulding

We didn't dump Liddy Dole to deserve this. (Mike Lux):

With Ted Kennedy too sick to come down to DC and make the committee vote, Democrats will need every Senator on the HELP committee to produce a strong bill, a bill that fights for what Teddy Kennedy has been fighting for his entire life.

The last holdout is Kay Hagan, who represents a state (NC) that is one of the worst in the country in terms of percent of people without health insurance. The insurance companies are lobbying Hagan against the bill, because they don't like having to compete with a public option. My simple question is this: Teddy Kennedy is too sick to be there, Senator Hagan, so he is relying on your vote for the issue that he has fought for passionately his entire life. Will you betray him to help the insurance companies? You need to make up your mind now.

I could have done an "I told you so" to some of my non-NC fellow bloggers who thought they were getting an ally when Kay Hagan coasted into office after 1) Obama provided the wave of newly registered votes and unprecedented turnout, and 2) Elizabeth Dole's campaign way overreached with a stupid appeal to bigots by claiming Hagan associated with -- gasp -- atheists.

But Blenders know all too well what we were getting after Chuck Schumer recruited her to run once openly gay Jim Neal tossed his hat into the ring (Hagan had publicly stated before that she wasn't interested in running). Tutored by the Dem machine, she dutifully ran middle of the road.

We had warning signs of Sen Hagan's lack of responsiveness that was reminiscent of Dole. Her campaign refused to give any substantial answers to questions from LGBT media about her stand on our issues. She completely and repeatedly blew me off, both in a BlueNC liveblog and in follow up correspondence. But she keynoted the HRC Carolinas gala. She's against marriage equality, and squeaked out support for hate crimes (haven't heard where she is now on it), but all in all, now that we see her stonewalling on a public option for health care, I'm yawning. We've been waiting for everyone else to wake up and smell the coffee.

So folks, now that Hagan has blown into town what do we do? I hope politely contacting her will bear fruit because we need a decent Senator to represent North Carolinians, and that includes support for a public option for health care.

Email:

WASHINGTON, DC OFFICE
521 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

GREENSBORO OFFICE - STATE HEADQUARTERS
701 Green Valley Rd; Suite 201
Greensboro, NC 27408
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

RALEIGH OFFICE
310 New Bern Avenue
Raleigh, NC 27601
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

TOLL FREE FOR NORTH CAROLINIANS
P: 1-877-852-9462

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/11581/kay-hagan-the-roadblock-to-real-health-care-reform

[ccharles000]

1. kick

[ncliberal]

2. Thanks for the post.

I will call her office tomorrow.

[Lorax7844]

3. k and r

[avaistheone1]

4. Thanks. I'll make some calls.

This is a good example of how the DLC undermines good progressive candidates, and replaces them with
worthless Blue Dogs.

[burning rain]

5. Hagan is what she is and NC is what it is.

Hagan unhorsed a Republican incumbent to capture Jesse Helms' Senate seat. Don't expect too much of her -- or too little.

[vaberella]

6. She's 1 of possibly 26. She's pittance for me. n/t

[dsc]

8. actually she is one of ten who are on the committee which will produce the bill

that makes her vastly more powerful.

[GivePeaceAchance]

7. I think the group change-congress.org can bring the right pressure on this one...

Cenk had them on his show and they managed to bring ad campaigns agaonst senatros and their votes changed on healthcare. Their site is www.change-congress.org