If you are against any Democrat siding with the Repubs for a filibuster

[GreenPartyVoter]

there is an open letter here that you can sign.

Tell the Senate Democratic Caucus it is time for accountability. If ANY member of the 60 Member Caucus joins a Republican filibuster of healthcare reform with a public option, the Caucus must immediately strip that Senator of all Committee Chairmanships.

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/activities/231

[KamaAina]

1. Traitor Joe is NOT a Democrat so stop saying that!

As far as I know, he's the only "member of the 60 member Caucus" who's gone so ar as to call for a filibuster. So the letter is clearly aimed at him.

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Actually, the letter never mentioned him. Here's what it said:

Over the last two weeks, we've delivered some hard hits to DC conventional wisdom. DC Insiders and media talking heads have repeatedly claimed right-wing Democrats like Senators Blanche Lincoln, Evan Bayh, and Ben Nelson should vote against a public option because voters back home don't want it.

The problem is it's not true.

So, we joined with our friends at the PCCC and commissioned a few polls from a respected polling firm. Guess what? In all three states, more voters want a public option than don't. To top it off, if their Democratic Senator votes against a public option or supports a Republican filibuster, almost 50% of Democrats would be less likely to vote for their reelection.

But polling alone isn't likely to be enough. We need to pull out all the stops in pressuring right-wing Democrats to do the right thing. So, we're calling on the 60 member Senate Democratic Caucus to strip all committee chairmanships from any Senator who supports a Republican filibuster of a public option.
Back up the results of our polls with action-Add your name today
ADD YOUR NAME AND SEND RIGHT-WING DEMOCRATS A MESSAGE

Already our polling is having an impact. Here's what POLITICO reporter Glenn Thrush wrote in his second story on the Indiana poll only hours after his first story releasing the results:

"Hours after POLITICO posted results of a poll showing a possible backlash by Indiana Dems, Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) backed off of previous statement saying he was considering siding with the GOP on a public option filibuster."

Here's just a sampling of some of the more than 50 media hits we're generating both nationally and in each Senator's home state:

Arkansas News: "Arkansas voters support public option, poll finds"
Talking Points Memo: "Poll: Arkansas Voters Disagree With Lincoln's Public Option Skepticism"
CBS News: "Poll: Amid Bayh's Skepticism, Indiana Voters Back Public Option"
South Bend Tribune: "Bayh now supports health-care debate on Senate floor"
Examiner: "Nebraska Senator Nelson clashes with constituents on public option"

Our campaign is working. Let's back it up with action. Sign the open letter and we'll deliver all the signatures directly to each member of the Democratic Caucus.

SIGN THE OPEN LETTER NOW

Are these Senators going to listen to the voters in their states? It's up to us to make it clear: if they want to be reelected, they don't have a choice.

We will not let up until we win.

Thank you for everything you do.

-Charles

Charles Chamberlain, Political Director
Democracy for America

Editing to say that I do agree that Lieberman is no Dem, and that the letter is probably meant to keep him in line too.

[pleah]

3. Already signed that one.

k&r :)

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. Sweet. :^D

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. Kicking

[Jim Lane]

6. What if a liberal filibusters because the so-called public option is too insubstantial?

Even if we assume no triggers, there seems to be a good chance that the final bill will offer only a weak public option, in terms of when it kicks in, who's eligible, whether it's pegged to Medicare rates, etc. Add in no repeal of the antitrust exemption, for good measure.

There's some level at which a bad bill is worse than no bill. If the individual mandate is in at full force, and millions of people (i.e. voters) are delivered kicking and screaming to the tender mercies of Big Insurance, and there's no public option that offers them a realistic alternative, then that's both bad policy (for the country) and bad politics (for the Dems).

I could see some progressives refusing to support such a bill.

Should they vote against the bill but vote for cloture? If that's their stance, then the effect is that passing a liberal bill takes 60 votes, but passing a conservative bill takes only 51 votes. The conservatives don't deserve that kind of advantage. Let Obama and Reid know that they can't take liberals for granted -- they can't get to 60 by courting Bayh and Lieberman and Snowe and giving them whatever they want, while ignoring the left. If they go too far to the right, they might lose a couple good people out of their caucus (Sanders? Feingold? Boxer?) and be unable to make up for it by holding all the Blue Dogs and adding Snowe.

[Better Believe It]

7. How many filibusters have we witnessed this year so far? Zero?

I can't recall a single genuine filibuster so far!

[Jim Lane]

8. The progressives should emulate the Republicans - get mileage out of THREATENING to filibuster (n/t)