Open Letter to Sen. Blanche Lincoln

Dear Senator Lincoln:

As you know, yesterday you were among a small group of Democrats who voted against including a public option in the bill you will report out of the Finance Committee. As you also know, earlier this year, you went on record supporting a public option, only to reverse your position in the wake of the ugliness of August, and of your deteriorating popularity in Arkansas.

New polling from Rasmussen shows you trailing all four of your potential Republican opponents, despite their general lack of name identification. As someone who has worked on Democratic campaigns, I can understand how troubling that kind of polling data can be.

I am not writing to ask you to ignore political considerations when approaching votes. I know there are plenty who would expect that of you, but I recognize the realities of your position, and the need to consider the political ramifications of your decisions.

What troubles me is not that you are considering politics. It's that you're drawing the wrong conclusion.

During your 2010 campaign, you are going to be accused of voting for a socialist government takeover of health care, regardless of whether or not you support the public option. The Republican party has been willing, throughout this debate, to use lie after lie to further their cause. What makes you think they will be fair and honest during the campaign they are about to run against you?

Republicans on the Finance Committee have already shown you that they don't need a public option as part of the bill in order to make the case that you favor a government takeover. Just last week, Senator Kyl made the argument that because the bill included detailed insurance regulations, it was an anti-capitalist, big government intrusion into health care.

That the fringe has so eagerly made its way to the forefront of the Republican party means that it will only get worse when your campaign actually begins. I know that sounds daunting, and it may be. But it should also be liberating.

Senator, there is almost nothing you can do to change the attacks that are about to be lobbed your way. A lot of your colleagues face a similar situation, and are understandably nervous, as you are. I know you are in a tough state and that your reelection is going to be an uphill battle, but don't think for a second that actions you take during the next 14 months are going to prevent your opposition from launching their most vicious attacks at you, regardless of truth.

That frees you to vote your conscience. If they are going to hit you on health reform regardless of how you are going to vote on the public option, then vote for it. The next time you have a chance, and I expect you will on the Senate floor, vote for the public option. If you'll be attacked either way, then there is no reason not to support it. I know it's what you want to do. You signaled it was your initial intention, and I know you are intelligent and capable, that behind the scenes you must understand that the public option will do more to control costs than any other solution on the table. I know you know that. I know you want to vote for it.

So do it. Don't let the fear of Republican attacks convince you that you can do anything to prevent them. The public option is good policy, and despite what you think, voting for it is not bad politics.

Best of luck,

Dylan Loewe

Follow Dylan Loewe on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dylanloewe

Comments

[suz1941]

As an Arkansan who is a Democrat, I was disappointed that Blanche Lincoln voted against the public option twice in the Senate Finance Committee. Percentages show that over 60% of the American people want a public option in health care reform. Regardless of who her republican challenger is in 2010, the strategy for them seems to be to lie and do whatever it takes to win - no matter how offensive. We need health care reform now and Mrs. Lincoln needs to support her party on this. With a democrat in the White House and a majority in the House and Senate, - now is the time Blanche. If your do this, I would imagine that alot of people that have not been involved in a campaign before - will get involved.

[amorando]

It is the answer to replace current health care with government health care. I hear every day people complain about their health insurance, or don't have. Just heard an employed person say, his employer had stopped buying any police, so he had to bear the whole cost himself. I don't know anyone who has any historical perspective on the question, to think their health insurance is good. Most complain about the co-pays and deductibles even if they have used it very little.
Pat Buchanan said on MSNBC this morning that everyone in the country could get health care. Pat, have you been told about the young woman how died of the swine flu because she would not seek health care because she didnt have insurance? Have you seen the people gathered in hospital ER's, mostly public hospital ER's. If, like president GW Bush said, ER care is OK, try it. Just try it. See what care you get for a stomach ache, for a bad headache, for chest pain. You get a bandaid after waiting for a long time. I am not faulting the ER's . They are not organized to care for non-emergent problems. They are there for true emergencies. It is just not appropriate and not good care to get primary care in an ER.

[Northreader]

Watching Blanche Lincoln, Max Baucus, Kent Conrad etc. from Canada, I keep being reminded of the fact the Democrats have no even smaller progressive party on the left to worry about. In Canada, our version of the Democrats (the Liberal Party of Canada) has to look out for the New Democratic Party. That's partly why the Liberals gave Canada single-payer in the 1960s.If Reform Try 09 produces a big nothing, maybe Americans should start talking about some competition for the Blue Dogs and DINOs or Democrats In Name Only.

[Andreams]

This letter is spot on. If she thinks the repus will play nice with her because she's trying to pacify them, she's got another think coming. If she thinks dems won't support others in a primary, then she's REALLY got another think coming. This lady's toast; she's agreeing with the repus on the finance committee more than Senator Snowe.

[billw8017]

This issue is only one way that Republicans are on the wrong side of social justice. We can pass lightly over talk of secession, support for taxes on slaves, and defacing the American flag: These are the recommendations of foolish people not supported by serious Republicans -- but, definitely winked at. More serious Republicans want to abolish public primary education, cut taxes despite the deficits, and promote tort reform except as suits are pursued by business to shut up opposition.

Just hopeless ...

[billw8017]

Many posts attack Democrats for being too careful and urge us to vote against them either by voting for Republicans or by throwing our votes away on a third party. The more practical procedure is to fight those we find less to our favor in the primaries and come together to support the party in the final election. If we are successful in the primaries, we show the popular will is with us and get suitable Democrats. Either way, keeping Democrats the majority party gives all the Democrats the committee chairmanships and subpoena power. It moves the administration toward being more liberal.

I would rather be independent, but the Republicans of Congress are hopeless. You know and I know that they have no prospect of tackling health care. A Republican Congress could have sent Clinton a reform and he would have signed it. A Republican President could have lied in the public interest as easily as his administration lied about WMD and made health care a popular "wedge issue." Confronted with a study indicating 44 000 Americans die each year for lack of health care, Congressional Republicans criticize the "strong language" and go on oblivious to American deaths.

[pjkool]

Grassroots Democrats need to make Ms. Lincoln spend that special interest money in a primary challenge. She isn't going to win anyway so we might as well make her a poster child for what happens to Democrats who don't vote in the best interest of the American people.

[den1953]

Senator Lincoln is playing with her political career most good people from Arkansas want health care reform and the public option but i suppose she is betting on the tea bagger vote for reelection! I suppose to some politicians the majority means nothing and money from special interests means everything.

[sassy]

Senator Lincoln is my senator. I have emailed her at least 10 times during the summer showing my support for a public option and passing on the true life stories of so many of our neighbors who are struggling without health care ins. Arkansas is a non union state....mostly because of Wal Mart headquarters being here....and Sen. Lincoln is in their pocket besides being in the health care ins. pockets. Her fate next year will be because she has never represented the people of Arkansas and I plan to do everything I can to remove her from office. After years of her opposing everything the democratic party stands up for....we've had enough.

[Kristen777]

Are you LISTENING, Senator Lincoln????

[JXJASON]

I also should have mentioned HR676, which US Congressman Dennis Kucinich has submitted to the House. Dennis calls his bill MEDICARE FOR ALL.

I would support HR676 too.

[JXJASON]

We progressive Democrats need an independent party. Senator Bernie Saunders, I. VT., has supported the public option and he has worked tirelessly to get more people to support it.

I told the DNC, President Obama, Congressman Paul Kanjorski, D. PA., Senator Bob Casey, D. PA.,and Senator Arlen Specter, D. PA. that I will no longer vote for a Democrat or contribute to their campaigns if there is no public option.

If you all do what I have done, maybe they will listen. If they do not listen then register as an Independent and we progressives will form a party that listens to the people.

[Querent]

Vote her conscience? What conscience? Blanche Lincoln doesn't have a conscience. She only has a campaign fund.

[ChelseaC]

She she be voting for what is morally right, and not placing her own political abitions ahead of the American people.
Over 44,000 people die each year from a lack of health care--where is her shame?
And what is this"public option" and who gets in? It had better be an expansion of MEDICARE for all who want in and not just some peice of watered down crap for 5% of the population.
Taking single payer off the table was the single most stupid compromise made by Dems--a "public option" should be the VERY LEAST WE GET--THE VERY LEAST.


Micheal Moore news video:
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/09/30-3

[Kristen777]

Single payer is the ONLY real solution.

[Zombeaver]

It was a difficult decision to make. Which of the turncoat Democrats would I work to defeat? Max Baucus and Kent Conrad were front-running neck and neck, and actually deserve to be on the top of the list. But they are very safe and not up for reelection until 2014 and 2012 which is too far into the future to satisfy my needs. Blanche Lincoln is up for reelection in 2010, so she wins, by default. I am certain many Progressive Democrats around the country have come to the same conclusion. If the Public Option fails, and she does not support it, she will be blamed. Republicans could run the Razorback mascot and win the election. (Come to think of it, that would be appropriate.) So, Ms. Lincoln, you can either support a Public Option and return to private life with your head held high, or refuse to support a Public Option and return to private life a pariah.

[quiviran]

Actually, with an articulate explanation of why she supported the public option (Arkansas has about 20% uninsured and 7.4% unemployed, meaning the uninsured rate is getting worse)

But I note the Republicans attack her for supporting the stimulus bill, since unemployment got worse after the bill was passed. Wonder if anyone stopped to ask "How bad would it be without the stimulus?"

[johncable]

Senator Lincoln,
Democrats swept into power in November because they promised significant change and a grand departure from the stupidity and incompetence of the Republican Party. You seem to think that supporting an insurance industry friendly health care bill will deliver you re-election, because all of you conserva-dems think you have to vote like a Republican to get elected. I guarantee you that you cannot win without the Democratic base and if you continue down the road you are on you will not have it. I am from South Carolina, but I contributed to your campaiign in 2008. However, I find it more difficult to justify continued support for you, given your behavior in the Senate Finance Committee. I don' know this for certain, but it is my hunch that if you were to come out strongly for a Public Option you would probably soundly defeat your Republican rivals because people want representatives who are strong and favor the little guy. The 2010 election will be a populist one. I hope you don't find yourself on the wrong side of history by tacking too far to the right and also exposing yourself as a corporatist, because no matter how much money you get, you need votes to get re-elected. After all, one of the big things wrong with this country is that our representatives are so concerned with getting re-elected that they ignore what is best for us all and our democracy.

[NickfromCali]

An open letter to Sen. Feinstein (who has not announced her support for a public option despite NOT living in a small populated redneck state),

Please announce that you are not running in 2012.

Thank you,

Progressive Democrats (and former Democrats) of California