Groups Raise Over $100,000 Since Yesterday Off Vote Against Public Option
Here’s a pretty interesting sign of the depth of support for the public option and of the anger at “centrist” Dem lawmakers who opppose it.
Two progressive groups who launched a fundraising drive yesterday afternoon citing the defeat of both public option amendments tell me they’ve already pulled in $125,000. That’s in less than 24 hours.
The groups — the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy For America — are already running ads in the home states of Max Baucus and Olympia Snowe, demanding that they support the public option. As of yesterday, the groups had already raised $90,000 for the spots.
After the public option amendments introduced by Jay Rockefeller and Chuck Schumer were both voted down in the Senate Finance Committee yesterday afternoon, the groups blasted out a fundraising email calling for more cash to keep the ads on the air.
“Today, we are raising our fundraising goal to $200,000 to PUMMEL Baucus and Snowe with ads in their home states featuring the voices of their constituents,” the email read.
Adam Green, the co-founder of the PCCC, confirms that since then, the groups have pulled in $125,000, meaning they’ve surpassed their $200,000 goal. They’ve now upped the goal to $225,000, and the Snowe ad will keep running through the weekend.
We keep hearing the White House wants an intra-Dem cease fire, but this seems like a sign that rank and file Dems want pressure exerted on lawmakers to back the public option — and are even willing to pay for it.
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Does this mean they think Snowe is more gettable than Conrad or Lincoln? How can you blame the failure on Snowe – it’s the Dems’ fault.
sbj, can you count to 60?
It’s all of their faults if the public option isn’t incorporated as many want.
No?
Awesome. I hope they keep it up.
Yes Greg, don’t blame Republicans. “Death panels,” socialist-nazi takeovers, concentration camps, all of that is fair game and had nothing to do with why the Dems have failed. I mean it’s not like Republicans are going around saying Obama wants to kill undesirables and do away with Medicare. You’re smarter than that Greg.
“Chris- The Fold | September 30th, 2009 at 02:34 pm
Yes Greg, don’t blame Republicans. ”
The most depressing thing about having a new, Democratic, administration is how little has changed. Apparently, IOKIYAR is still in force and effect and no matter what, Obama will get the blame from the left and the right, and the right will be louder and more obnoxious. They haven’t dropped one decibel of shrillness and we’re getting there ourselves.
@Mike: “sbj, can you count to 60?”
Hmm. Let’s see. A-one, a-two… 60! I count 60 Democratic Senators (thanks Massachusetts!)
“It’s all of their faults if the public option isn’t incorporated as many want.”
This is rather rich coming from the likes of those who constantly blame Iraq on Repugs and Bush, not to mention No child and practically every other piece of legislation that passed during the horrors of the Bush II years.
If you control the majority you gets the credit and you takes the blame. That’s the way it works, folks.
Obama will get the blame from the left and the right
I suspect you are right. I think it would be the case no matter who was President, and it will probably be that way for the next President, and the one after that, regardless of party.
Makes you wonder why anyone would actually want the job.
Its one of the downsides of having more things, that are important to more people, under government control. People pay attention, and complain when it doesn’t go there way. Everybody tends to think the President has actual, detailed control over everything that happens.
Anyone who has worked in a Fortune 500 sized organization (and the Federal government is MUCH bigger), knows that the guy at the top can set the tone, and monitor a very few key things, but can’t and doesn’t control everything.
Good.
And they need to continue running ads against CONRAD in particular as he just sided with Republicans on the amendment to tighten language regarding funding abortions. Does this make any sense to anyone?
Why on earth won’t this man just become a Republican and get it over with?
Schumer voting no?
I just called up Schumer’s office asking whether he had decided whether or not to vote the Baucus bill out of committee. I was pretty sure I would simply be told that Schumer wouldn’t decide until the amendment process was over.
Instead, I was told that “he can’t vote for it as it is now!”
If this guy was correct, I think this is very encouraging news. It means that we are one vote away from preventing the Baucus outrage from ever being reported out. If we can get one more no vote from the Democratic side, this would mean that all Harry Reid has to take to the Senate floor next month is the Kennedy/Dodd bill from HELP, with its rich and juicy public option!
Which means that the financing for the bill would have to be offered as an amendment on the floor from — whoever (hopefully not Baucus!).
I figured this news was important enough that I should share it with the community. Obviously this is not confirmed.
Charles, you sure Schumer’s office said that? Can’t support it?
I’m sure that the person I spoke to said it, yes.
@ Tena, it can be depressing, no doubt. But it’s not like Republicans have no dog in this fight.
They are the ones going around the country telling people Obama wants to kill their grandma. What SBJ said about not blaming Republicans is only him once again not wanting his Party held responsible. Saying Republicans are not to blame is wishful thinking. Ultimately Democrats should have had a better response to their scare tactics, but how do you defend against “death panels” and socialist-nazi takeovers? Maybe we failed by underestimating their lunacy, but not including the GOP in the blame is inaccurate.
I just wish the Democrats would gain a backbone and stand up and say enough of this b…. s…. and put in what 3/4 of Americans want Public Option; Single Payor Medicare for everyone would be nice. But, no they mandie pandie and whine and allow rules to make it criminal to not buy into the Insurance for Profit companies (will rob you blind) Plan. Well I only know that if my Senator of Michigan doesn’t get mad and grow a spine I will not be voting and fighting for her when she comes up for Election Again, and I will help campaign against her in the Primaries. I hope they here this loud and clear.