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Sen. Blanche Lincoln Meeting With Obama
Christina Bellantoni | November 2, 2009, 10:21PM
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The White House says President Obama will meet privately with Sen. Blanche Lincoln Tuesday night.
Obama and Lincoln (D-AR) will huddle in the Oval Office at 5:15, less than two hours before polls close in the critical elections in New Jersey, New York and Virginia.
Lincoln is perhaps the most embattled Democrat in the Senate, and she's been getting political pressure from both sides as she declines to tip her hand on health care.
She is one of several moderates who have had the president's ear lately - Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN), Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) and Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) also have visited the White House recently.
Speaking of senators who are keeping their options open, MoveOn has launched a new missive asking members to target Democrats who won't stand with the party to block a Republican filibuster.
In an email to 5 million members, MoveOn outlines a "nightmare scenario" where health care is stopped "because one Democratic senator joins Republicans to filibuster and block a vote."
"2009 becomes just another year when health care reform failed," MoveOn wrote.
They ask for members to pledge to chip in to help candidates who challenge any Democrat who won't vote for cloture in primaries.
"If the nightmare scenario happens, we'll encourage viable primary challengers to come forward, and if they do, make sure all of us who've pledged have a chance to support them," MoveOn wrote. "In other words, potential primary challengers will know there's a huge group of Americans who are ready to help. And conservative members of the Democratic Caucus will too."
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Michael A
November 2, 2009 10:38 PM
Ok, I am getting sick of this "moderate" label. What exactly does that mean? Bayh is definitely not "moderate," he is "conservative," whatever that means in the political lexicon. Webb, I would say is "moderate", but he is to the "left" of Bayh, by a mile. Not sure on warner or lincoln. Lincoln actually sounds like she hasn't a clue to be frank.
Seems to me "moderate" or "centrist" would include the vast majority of dems on this issue as over 60% of the country want a public option. 60% of the country I would submit would mean the position is "moderate" or "centrist." 60% of the country isn't liberal yet, is it?
I actually can't come up with an appropriate label, but centrist or moderate is definitely an inappropriate label.
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kash79
November 2, 2009 10:43 PM
If "2009 becomes just another year when health care reform failed," then the democratic party will be in political exile for many many years starting 2010.
In many ways, it is not just the battle to offer affordable healthcare to millions of Americans, healthcare failure will also mean the big GOP comeback. And Imagine the current crop of Republicans taking over the country?
I don't personally think there is any, but if there is some merit to their argument that the support for the HRC bill with a PO will be a political suicide for blue dogs (esp. in Southern States- they should be willing to commit such suicide for the larger interests of the nation.
Of course, I'm giving too much credit to our politicians. Dems are not Repugs, but that certainly doesn't mean they necessarily serve for the public interest either.
In my view, any Dem voting against the HRC bill are putting national interest at risk, and therefore are very un-American.
Lincoln redeem yourself.
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Ethan
November 2, 2009 10:53 PM
Perhaps the threat of primarying will scare Lincoln straight on this key issue.
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Kyle Krahel-Frolander
November 3, 2009 11:24 AM in reply to Ethan
Help scare Blanche Lincoln into supporting the President's health care reform by encouraging a primary challenge! Join the group on Facebook and follow on Twitter
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TopJack
November 2, 2009 11:46 PM
Will Blanche be showcasing the blowjob techniques she bestows on Wal-Mart executives?
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merlot
November 3, 2009 10:02 AM in reply to TopJack
probably...
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Rich in NJ
November 2, 2009 11:50 PM
What happened to the reconciliation option?
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Bushie
November 3, 2009 1:11 AM
I'm sure the Pres will tell ol Blanche to stick to her guns and back her for reelection. Shit, if he backs Karzai, he'll back anyone.
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Humanity_Critic
November 3, 2009 7:28 AM in reply to Bushie
He backed Karzai? What orifice did you pull that from?
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Bushie
November 3, 2009 3:53 PM in reply to Humanity_Critic
Yours?
Use your intellect. Without a legitimate election (two or more contestants) with votes duly and correctly counted the election is a fraud, a stolen election. Since Abdullah withdrew in disgust, Karzai is selected by his election commission. Without a legitimate government, Obama is SOL militarily and diplomatically in Afghanistan. So he backs Karzai, his CIA/drug dealing brother and all the corruption that goes with them. Granted, Karzai is asking for corrupted officials and police to be more circumspect about corruption, so I guess we now have a less openly corrupt occupation going on.
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arias
November 4, 2009 9:17 AM in reply to Bushie
Stick to her guns and Obama will back her for re-election? You must be pulling that one from another orifice of yours. Lincoln's constituents in Arkansas are a very racist anti-Obama bunch. Obama backing her for re-election would be like kryptonite to her chances. Get your facts straight.
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Beagle
November 3, 2009 9:59 AM
Why do these people think they are in the office in the first place? Isn't it to SOLVE public issues? I don't recall any of them running with a slogan "Me first- at any cost". Come on now; people are dying everyday for lack of health care. Stand up for what's right-even if it costs you the next election. You losing the next election will not significantly impact your life negatively (except, may be your massive ego) in comparison to you blocking this reform and winning the election does to the uninsured; especially those who are already sick.
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baltimore
November 3, 2009 11:55 AM in reply to Beagle
you can't expect corrupt politicos (which means most of them!) to suddenly develop a conscience and Do the Right Thing!
most of them would sell out their grandmothers to keep their job, and do it with a smile.
those hypocrites in congress all get govt-run health care- and they have the nerve to yawp about Socialized Medicine as a plague that will ruin the country. if they don't like govt.health care, why don't they opt out of their cushy plan and sign up for private insurance?
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