House Whip Count On Robust Public Option Breaks Into The Open

[midnight]

Source: FDL

The Hill has now published that House whip count on a Medicare + 5% public option referred to by Greg Sargent and a couple others yesterday. It would be good to know who leaked this and exactly where they stand on the public option. Because Chris Bowers, citing a source, one we share and one who is more inclined toward the Medicare + 5% public option, says that the whip list is inaccurate.

All of the 12 undecideds, except one (Representative Ann Kirkpatrick), are actually “yes” votes. That brings the total to 200.

Further, two of the “no” votes listed on the document, Eric Massa and Artur Davis, are actually “yes” votes. That makes 202.

Also, after November 3rd, at least one new supporter of the public option will be sworn into the House (the winner of the CA-10 special election). That makes 203.

The problem with whip counts like this is that they move around because of pure political positioning. A hard “no” becomes a “yes” when you sweeten the pot, prompting a “lean yes” to become a “no” because they want to get what the new “yes” is getting. So it’s brutal, backbreaking work. But it is vital, and if I weren’t getting on a plane at the moment I’d be tracking down every single one of these members myself.

Harry Reid, who launched a public option petition last night, probably doesn’t have the votes yet, either. But one chamber of Congress at a time.

Read more: http://news.firedoglake.com/2009/10/28/house-whip-count-on-robust-public-option-breaks-into-the

[midnight]

1. Why has providing Americans with access to affordable healthcare

become a tug of war?

[midnight]

2. Hard Counts: There’s a big ‘I’ in ‘Win’ as Reid shops for votes

Building up will probably mean buying off -- and it's a seller's market when every vote means everything. (And does the price rise the longer this goes on -- and the more the pressure builds from the other side?)http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2009/10/hard-counts-theres-a-big-i-in-win-as-reid-shops-for-votes.html

[mule_train]

3. house whip? house whip? Three house whips nt