Dennis Kucinich: Health Care Vote Announcement Coming Soon

WASHINGTON -- Cleveland Congressman Dennis Kucinich holds a news conference this morning on Capitol Hill to announce how he will vote on health care.

The Democrat voted against a House bill last year. He has been pushing for a larger government role in health care, but he has been lobbied hard by President Barack Obama to vote "yes" this time.

White House aides say Obama and his senior advisers are making clear to Democratic lawmakers that they will not be left standing alone in the coming election if they support the current measure to overhaul health care.

House Democratic leaders are still short of the 216 votes they need. A vote could come as early as Friday.

Comments

[BlockONation]

02:48 PM on 03/17/2010

Transcript excerpts, and video of President Obama in Ohio yesterday:

http://blockonation.com/HCR-NOW

[nolanta]

11:05 AM on 03/17/2010

So? Whatch get for your vote? Did the Chicago style potitics promise you money or an investigation into you to get your votes? Are YOU going to accept the coverage and give up your sweet coverage? Ahhhh, I didn't think so. Hope you can sleep well!

[nicole473]

10:32 AM on 03/17/2010

He is voting "yes"!!

Thank you, Dennis!

[tmf945]

10:31 AM on 03/17/2010

You have got to crawl before you walk, kids....SS, Medicare, etc, were all crap when they started....is this bill perfect? Not by a long shot, but it is a step in the right direction, which is more than what has happened in the last 60 years.

[fya]

10:27 AM on 03/17/2010

Dennis Kucinich is on a perpetual presidential campaign.

[Janine547]

10:26 AM on 03/17/2010

So, that ride he took on Air Force One with Pelosi making him a member of the "Mile High Club" was enough for him to change his mind. Or was it that, Obama threatened to campaign for Kucinich in his home state.

[MossyOak]

10:24 AM on 03/17/2010

Dammit.... the last holdout with integrity falls from grace. Historic moment for the Empire, bummer for the rest of us.

[larmarch5]

10:22 AM on 03/17/2010

I just sent Congressman K an e-mail thanking him for coming on board. SS and Medicare both began with many flaws and progressives keep making them better. I lobbied the past year for a good public option, didn't get it (yet), but we MUST start the process. This is the first leg of a long relay. Take the baton.

[dteg]

10:27 AM on 03/17/2010

What relay. I am demoralized now. After today I think the republicans are going back into power. It will be Mass all over again.

[dteg]

10:28 AM on 03/17/2010

Sorry but I can keep fighting for such a weak bunch.

[sposton]

10:21 AM on 03/17/2010

If Democrats had the backbone Kucinich has they would have passed a real health care reform. The political ramifications to passing a real reform as opposed to this phony baloney nonsense are the same. Democratic timidity is exactly what is going to end up costing them votes. Those who will vote Republican will vote Republican no matter what. A critical mass of Independents vote for resolute leadership even if they disagree with those doing doing leading. The worst political option is irresoluteness and that is what Democrats have chosen.

Our political system no longer works when even a minimal systemic correction is required. We have a country in which 0.5% of the population is represented and the rest are just manipulated to part with their vote every few years in order to provide legitimacy to this thieving system. King George III did a lot less to prompt American revolution than what our own government and the powers behind it are doing to us right now.

[dteg]

10:18 AM on 03/17/2010

I still can't believe they rolled Dennis. I guess the public option is really dead. That was the death nail.

[VoteThemAllOut]

10:18 AM on 03/17/2010

It will be interesting to watch how he votes. After all, what is a ride on AF1 worth in comparison to the $300 million to LA, thw $100 million to NE, etc., etc.

Oh, I forgot, Nancy (the - I got to have my own plane Speaker) Pelosi spends $100k of your tax dollars on booze and food, what kind of party did BO throw on AF1?

[jaggededge]

10:23 AM on 03/17/2010

don't you want to mention teleprompter somewhere in there?

please look up the cost of john sununu's travel during his stint as chief of staff for 41---pelosi is third in sucession to the prez---check out the constitution occasionally---don't you carry a copy?

[crzy]

10:24 AM on 03/17/2010

bitter, bitter --- bitter.

[HC4BO]

10:17 AM on 03/17/2010

All of a sudden Republicans are for Medicare for all ...

Lol ...

[crzy]

10:20 AM on 03/17/2010

i know, did you see shedeg (sp) on msnbc just now?

[tmf945]

10:26 AM on 03/17/2010

Shaddeg and yes...

[torres6510]

12:25 PM on 03/17/2010

Yeah, they were before it, before they were against it!! Republicans are for whomever lines their pockets and could care less about Americans dying because of CEO profits!

[atlanta ed]

10:16 AM on 03/17/2010

He folded like a house of cards. Bet he got sweet deal for his vote. But who can blame him the Messiah can not be denied. Right Democrats?

[HC4BO]

10:21 AM on 03/17/2010

The Messiah was denied a Vice Presidency in 2008 !

[fya]

10:29 AM on 03/17/2010

HA! lmfao.

[atlanta ed]

10:31 AM on 03/17/2010

John Edwards? Not with that hair.

[crzy]

10:21 AM on 03/17/2010

i think he had a bone thrown for a public option - not this time around but it's still on the table.

[atlanta ed]

10:35 AM on 03/17/2010

It is still on the table. The check is in the mail. I will call you in the morning. What other great one liners of honesty you wish to add?

[Brianfox]

10:16 AM on 03/17/2010

As a baby, I learnt walking by first creeping and then I started to hold things to stand and climbing chairs and gradually started taking steps - one at a time. There are times, I climbed chairs and fell and was rushed to the ER and got treated - Thank GOD, I grew up in England, United Kingdom, where the treatment was... you guess...

So here are the facts. Just like a baby started out by creeping and attempting to stand and walking, so is this health care proposal. It's in a very very early stage (the creeping stage) and will require a lot more work to get to the standing stage, climbing stage and then the walking stage. We creep, before we stand and walk and I think Dennis should consider the fact that in the United States, where the opposition is very noisy and shoddy, you can't get everything you want in one bill - No it's not possible. You have to start out with the type of proposal we have now and then gradually move towards the finishing line. Ultimately, Americans will come to see the benefits of this bill and subsequent ones, but it must start from somewhere and now is the time. Thomas Fuller (1608 – 16 August 1661) was an was an English churchman and historian and once wrote that "A conservative believes nothing should be done for the first time." Go figure....

[Ernst777]

10:16 AM on 03/17/2010

SWWWWEEEEEETTTTT, SSSSWWWWWEEEEETTTT CAAAAAVE!
Thank you, Dennis!
No PO, healthy young pay for me, PASS THIS BILL!

[crzy]

10:23 AM on 03/17/2010

i think the po is still on table... not for this bill but i bet a deal was worked so dennis to get this in at some point.

[Ernst777]

10:26 AM on 03/17/2010

Like the Door's song goes "This is the end, ..."
PO is gone for generations. My best new buddy, Dennis, helped bury it.
Something was going to pass. I'm glad is was this weak soup.