Freaked Out Freshmen

Thanks, Jay. You rock. Any post that opens the door to an “Animal House” analogy gets highest kudos…as in Pelosi needing to deliver full strong public support / private discipline: “He can't do that to our pledges.” “That's right; only we can do that to our pledges.”

Let's get one thing straight, before we touch the rest of the piece, shall we?

Any bill would be dangerous for freshman Frank Kratovil – even one moderate enough to draw some G.O.P. support in the Senate.

A bill to construct one half of a bridge is not a "moderate" plan to get people from one side of the river to the other, it's a bill to construct one half of a bridge.
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"Moderate" is not what "draws some G.O.P. support"
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The bill to stop construction at the half-way point is what gets more support from people who don't want to build a bridge in the first place.

thank you stuart, for making my point for me, and doing so a LOT more politely than I ever would have....

There must be a quota for stories on imagined, right wing heroes on this site.

…so are the hedging Delta House members now on double secret probation?
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Jay, even if Senate hearings don't do all-nighters as Baucus once “threatened” (bwahahaha), are their staffs up all night crunching numbers (and reading this blog?). Seriously, are you, KT, and KP literally tag-teaming or squatting in Congress 24-7 thru this? Hopefully you three can sneak home for naps and real food, or do your families and Amy bring tuna sandwiches and sangria to keep all of you alert? In any case, keep up the posts ...but do watch the House waffling. Compromising and selling us out aren't the same. Yes, this is Delta Tau Chi's problem, but please keep us updated on ALL their shenanigans so they don't become OUR problem, thanks.

Heh Swampland why don't you do just one story on a brave liberal, who is pushing for the public option against the pressure coming from the Blue Dogs, the insurance industry, and the media?

the crucial point here is that this Kratovil guy represents a district that should be Republican anyway --- Obama lost by a substantial margin in the district, and Kratovil barely managed to squeak through. The Dems are far better off ignoring the concerns of Democrats from predominately Republican districts, and focus their efforts on keeping their base energized in "swing" districts. Turnout is crucial in these swing districts, and unless the Democratic party base is willing to work to ensure that Democratic turnout is as strong as possible, those districts will likely turn Republican.
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But JNS would prefer to highlight the problems that the Democratic party has with its DINO fringe rather than write about the Democrat's progressive/liberal majority.....

Any so-called "moderate" or "blue dog" Democrats are TOAST in 2010.
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You can count on that and put it in the bank. Healthcare....rather OBAMACARE will be the rallying cry for most all sane and rational American voters to vote them out of office.

"The Congressional Budget Office just said that a public option based on Medicare reimbursement rates would save the government hundreds of millions dollars in comparison to a public option that would have to individually negotiate reimbursement rates with medical providers. This goes against the Blue Dogs's so-called fiscal conservatism in opposing a robust public option. Here's more from this story below:

The Congressional Budget Office dealt Blue Dogs a blow Thursday by notifying House Democrats that tethering a public option to Medicare reimbursement rates would save the government $110 billion more than a public option in which the government has to negotiate rates with doctors and other health care providers.

The initial projections showed the difference between the two was $65 billion. But this shows it would cost the government a lot more money to heed moderate demands.

House Democrats need to trim as much as $200 billion from a bill that most estimates peg at $1.1 trillion in order to meet President Obama's $900 billion target."

CBO Tells Blue Dogs That The Public Option Will Save $$$$$

…Jay, a tiny grammar question: for effigies, is “hung” or “hanged” correct? I know “hanged” addresses executions and “hung” covers things like picture frames …but when done here as a *symbol* of evil behavior, which is it? (no snark, I really don't know). Back to complaining about blue dogs and republicans (there's a difference?)…. Thanks.

From Ryan Grim's new article about the Bush Dogs:

Blue Dogs and others representing low-competition areas see the disparity as unjust and want the rates increased. The push for more government spending goes against their core priority of fiscal discipline, but Blue Dogs have never been known for their ideological coherence.

http://is.gd/3DKzT
I get the feeling that these guys mainly don't want to have to vote before the Senate votes. Anything else is available to the highest bidder.

...House pledges aside, is Schumer going to bring up the public option tomorrow?

Awesome, Jay, another Republican talking point fest, right down to positioning things that gain Republican support as "moderate."

Do you get your framing guidance from Frank Luntz, or from David Broder?

Sigh.....one more time. Could you do a story on the fact that these concerns are unfounded and these seniors are being misled? Or how about how the Republican strategy is cynical misinformation? Or is it too difficult to work with the facts?

Fairly troll free thread (maybe it's Thursday). I'm likin' it...
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What part of "The Congressional Elections of 1994" do the freshmen, sophomores, and Blue Dogs not understand?
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The Dems failed to unite behind their first President in 12 years to pass a HCR bill. Hillary Clinton was demonized. The Dems were handed their a$$e$ on a plate with a side of hushpuppies.
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In 2009, with Ms Clinton safely heading the State Department - surprise! - new demons are readily available. Brown ones, no less. And the Dems think they are safer shaking in their boots, soiling themselves as Rush, Beck and Cheney circle, thinking, "Keep still...their vision's based on movement..."
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Pathetic.

Well, dollared, she is a reporter, and it's her job to report the faaahahahahahahahah!
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I couldn't do it! I just can't force myself to say it's her job to report the facts with a straight face!

Every time the story is about the electoral consequences of a position on any issue, the essence of the story is this: members of Congress believe their own re-election is more important than the public good. I often feel I'd prefer election of a straight-shooting conservative Republican (if such a creature exists) to re-election of a Democrat who lacks the courage of his/her convictions.