Wrong fight. I'd rather they push for 100% participation in the exchange (aka Wyden Free Choice Amendment).

Probably a bad time to push for an amendment. Does Grijalva want to open the door for Stupack's amendment, which would kill the entire bill?

Unless this is just "show" by Grijalva to keep the PO from getting watered down further, save it for the next session. Lay the foundation to the Exchange and PO now, and then work towards opening them up wider and bringing down the $$$ (as Medicare + 5% does) next year. Work on building the case (which already exists) that Medicare + 5% is a cost saver vs Level Playing Field. Then the Progressive Caucus needs to support Progressive Candidates who will primary Blue Dogs who won't come around to Medicare + 5%. Primary 10-15 districts, and see if the Dogs change their tune.

John

Why don't Stupak and Weiner join forces? Since everyone seems on board with continuing the Hyde Amendment ban on the federal funding of elective abortions, then a single payer system gives Stupak what he wants. If there are no subsidies of private insurers, then by definition, there are no subsidies of private insurers who cover abortion.

If Stupak whipped his bloc that the Weiner Amendment is the only available pro-life vote, you might get some Republicans votes for three different reasons:
1. As a sincere vote against abortion funding.

2. As cover to Republicans who face an anti-reform electorate but who personally-- like former Republican officials Paul Craig Roberts and Jack Bernard-- support health care reform and recognize that Medicare for All really is the best solution. They can go home and argue that their pro-life values always take precedence over their pro-market values or alternately; 'everyone knows Obamacare is socialized medicine' (ha!), they just stood up and voted against Obamacare using tax dollars to fund abortions.
http://www.pnhp.org/news/2009/september/the_health_care_dece.php
http://www.pnhp.org/news/2009/august/former_jasper_county.php

3. Most GOP congressman are too cynical to really care about abortion, but its a free vote to throw a monkeywrench into the Democratic leadership's well-laid plans. I'm pretty sure this last reason is why the GOP voted for and helped pass the Kucinich Amendment in the Energy & Commerce Committee. Besides, the GOP has carried the water for the AMA, Phrma and AHIP for years. If Rahm Emmanuel is buying them off to switch sides, why not remind those lobbyists that nobody likes a traitor?

Not necessarily. I've read (though this may be apocryphal in the vein of the "frog in boiling water" analogy) that gender was added to the 1964 Civil Rights Act as a poison pill but the bill passed anyway.