Posted on 03/20/2010 1:02:50 PM PDT by Uncledave
They Still Don’t Have the Votes [Jeffrey H. Anderson]
The most likely explanation for the breakdown of talks between Rep. Bart Stupak and Speaker Nancy Pelosi is not that Pelosi decided she didn’t need Stupak and his crew in order to have enough votes to pass Obamacare. Rather, it is that Stupak — who is increasingly emerging as this drama’s Jefferson Smith (Jimmy Stewart’s heroic character in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) — held firm in insisting on language that would truly prevent taxpayer-funded abortions, and in insisting that such language be passed by the Senate before the bill could become law.
In turn, Pelosi either decided that by accepting the language, she would lose more votes in the House than she would gain, or else knew that Democratic senators, with their strong preference for taxpayer-funded abortion, would never go along with this concession to the views of the vast majority of Americans.
In any event, by all accounts, Pelosi is now trying to pass the bill without the pro-life Democratic vote — or at least without Stupak. As of now, it doesn’t appear that she has the votes. I currently count 208 leaning in favor of Obamacare and 214 leaning against, with 9 undecided. Here they are — with the margin by which the presidential vote was won (by one party or the other) in their districts over the last three elections:
• Marion Berry (D., Ark.) (GOP +8) — pro-Stupak Amendment
• Henry Cuellar (D., Tex.) (Dem +1) — pro-Stupak Amendment
• Bill Foster (D., Ill.) (GOP +4)
• Jim Matheson (D., Utah) (GOP +30) — with nearly two-thirds of his constituents having supported GOP presidential candidates over the last three elections, a “yes” vote on Stupak, and an earlier “no” vote on Obamacare, a “yes” vote would mean that, for the rest of his days, he would be remembered as the guy who sold his vote for the price of Obama’s having just nominated his brother to a federal judgeship
• Michael Michaud (D., Me.) (Dem +7) — pro-Stupak Amendment
• Solomon Ortiz (D., Tex.) (GOP +1) — pro-Stupak Amendment
• Earl Pomeroy (D., N.D.) (GOP +21) — pro-Stupak Amendment — yes, that’s GOP +21
• Nick Rahall (D., W.V.) (GOP +6) — pro-Stupak Amendment
• Zach Space (D., Ohio) (GOP +12) — pro-Stupak Amendment
Also, here is a partial list of some particularly key members who are leaning “no”:
• Christopher Carney (D., Pa.) (GOP +15) — pro-Stupak Amendment
• Dan Lipinski (D., Ill.) (Dem +22) — pro-Stupak Amendment
• Kathleen Dahlkemper (D., Pa.) (GOP +3) — pro-Stupak Amendment
• Glenn Nye (D., Va.) (GOP +9) — “no” last time
Maybe not. TheHill.Com is not some authority from on high. Nobody is really going to know until tomorrow.
bttt
I know. I can’t believe Fox is doing this.
“Let’s hope Mark Levin and others an repeal this..if this passes, America as we know it is finished”
We keep fighting, we will umtimately win.
The vast majority of the American people are against this thing. We must never give up. Never.
So do they have the votes or not? I read 3 posts that say it’s over; I read 3 more that say they don’t have the votes; and so on and so on....FOX news is sounding like PMSNBC today....
Does anyone know??? I can’t watch any more tv.
They already have 209. Everyone has their price. Pelosi and crew just need to buy off 8 more of the spineless weasels. Its over folks.
You are absolutely right; my parents were Dems and had NO idea what was really going on. They just watched a D channel thru their D-colored glasses, got a few talking points so they could ‘give their opinion’ and moved on...
I LUV this idea...infiltration & deception cannot be overlooked as a means to an end.
Why should we just have Liberal Conservatives? Why can’t we have Conservative “Liberals” (wink wink)-
We can’t just ‘think outside the box’-we have to ACT INSIDE the box....
SZQ
Tell that to Scott Brown.
“perhaps if more people had come out to vote McCain would have won.”
Perhaps if McDonkey wasn’t on the ticket, more people would have come out for the GOP candidate.
You have a point
The latest from Eric Cantor moments ago is that it is still very fluid and they haven’t given up yet...per NRO.
If she hasn't got them now she better get moving. Time is running out.
I was sure Altmire was going to be a yes and when he said he was a no I was sure it was because I though Ninny P had it in the back and was cutting him slack in a tough district.
But it's clear she could use his vote and I suspect a lot of the undecideds are thinking strongly about voting no.
Stupak’s coalition is folding like a cheap suit.
No. So keep praying and don't get discouraged.
Yeah me too.
Where are you getting that from?
Thanks for that breakout ....of the no’s.
**We must pray.**
And continue to pray.
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