They Still Don’t Have the Votes

NRO ^ | 3/20/2010 | Jeffrey Anderson

[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

[CaptainK]

So why is the MSM (including Fox) acting as though it’s in the bag?

[lastchance]

So you and I and others will give up and shut up.

[spokeshave]

..they are behind the curve...lost in the dust....

[what's up]

FOX is going on how they voted months ago, before the pressure was put on these people

THEY STILL DON'T HAVE THE VOTES!!

[Uncledave]

turn off the TV

[RebelTXRose]

What is “O” doing on TV? WHY do we have to listen to this drivel?

This must be why they closed the building... Heard earlier that Cavuto mentioned “something was going down at 17:00”

[Arkinsaw]

Don’t count on Berry.

[secret garden]

Because the “process” is starting to smell like Gore has already won Florida, who cares what happens in the Panhandle where they’re still voting?

[pnut22]

I got a gut feeling watching the pep rally they are having as we speak that they may not have the votes. It’s like they decided to have the honors ceremony now because they won’t be able to tomorrow. We must pray.

[Sarah Barracuda]

Zach Space (D., Ohio) (GOP +12) — pro-Stupak Amendment
I had read yesterday here that he was voting NO, has that been confirmed

[jazusamo]

turn off the TV

Amen! Excellent advise.

[Perdogg]

We must act.

[Ladycalif]

Obama can not shut up.

[Diogenesis]

"Let us hide and let (Gov.) Palin and the Tea Party
fight alone for the American people
as we (RINOs) scheme to screw them all mercilessly once again."

[RKBA Democrat]

The irony here is that we’re all expecting Democrats to do something remotely conservative when conservatives are about as rare as ivory billed woodpeckers in the Democratic party. We’re pretty sure they exist, but we sure don’t see them much.

Unfortunately, the leftist moonbats within the Democratic party no longer need their more conservative counterparts. And that’s bad news. Particularly for conservatives. You see, the more conservative side of the Democratic party used to be able to keep the moonbats in check. Not any more.

Let me suggest something really radical here: conservatives should join the Democratic party and challenge the leftist moonbats in the primaries. Bring the fight to where the moonbats are.

Remember that most seats in legislatures and the House of Representatives change hands as the result of primary elections not general elections; gerrymandering has done a pretty job of making most seats “safe” for one party or the other.

Bela Pelosi is never going to lose her seat to a Republican. It just ain’t gonna happen. And if a Republican runs against her, she simply ignores the challenge, secure in the knowldege that in her district, there is little chance that a Republican will win.

The same cannot be said of a Democratic challenger. She would be forced to run something of an election challenge, depending on how formidable the challenge was. And here is the key point: it’s not so important that the conservative “Democrat” challenger win, it’s important that they run a just credible enough challenge to force her to spend significant resources to fight the challenge.

The Libertarians do a great job of running a reasonably credible campaign on a shoestring. And that’s all you really need to do: spend a little and make Nancy (or the leftist nutjob of choice) and their supporters spend lots more of *their* money. Just for example purposes, the cost of running a credible campaign for the House of Delegates here in VA is about $100K. It goes up exponentially for Congress. Make the moonbats spend the money to keep their “safe” seats.

[proudtobeanamerican1]

What do you think it is? Is he going to let all the fishermen know he is going to make it illegal?

[pnut22]

Great tag line.

[Perdogg]

thanks!

[DanielRedfoot]

Although they are far better than the alternative, I think FOX is just a lighter version of “Repeaters” rather than reporters, selling rumors and speculation.

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard Shep Smith refer to this as “Insurance Reform”, thus buying the Dem party line talking point