Can We Afford to Let Blanche Lincoln Stop Health Care Reform Dead in Its Tracks?

You can rail all you want at Joe Lieberman -- we all do -- but it's like feeding a troll; he loves the attention and the sense of martyrdom. And getting the Democrats to kick him out of the caucus if he joins the Republican filibuster of health care? Fat chance. Mary Landrieu? As usual she's more concerned about what her corporate donors and K Street lobbyist pals think than what her constituents want -- especially when she's not up for re-election for 5 years. Baucus? Nelson? Same thing. They each figure everyone's attention span is short enough so that nothing will matter when they face the voters in Montana and Nebraska next ... respectively in 2014 and 2012.

No, as we've been telling you all year, there's really only one weak link worth trying to beat into submission: Arkansas' corrupt and reactionary -- don't those two terms always seem to find a way of cuddling up with each other? -- senior senator, Blanche Lincoln. Blue America has run TV spots against Lincoln all summer and fall and she's watched her re-elect numbers dwindle down to a place where if a serious opponent -- i.e., one with big bucks to buy advertising -- jumped into the race, she would lose. She may lose anyway, even though her current opponents would probably do better if they toured together as a carnival freak show. Yesterday the RNC started their own campaign against her, trying to push her to vote with Republicans -- as she so often does -- and against health care reform.

This week Blue America and our friends at Donkey On The Edge Productions have a brand new ad for Arkansas voters to look at -- the fourth in our series -- and the message is very different from the Republicans'. By all means, be the first to view it, and please consider making a contribution on our Campaign for Health Care Choice page so we can run it deep and wide.

 

Follow Howie Klein on Twitter: www.twitter.com/downwithtyranny

Comments

[Countess]

Most polls in Arkansas show a majority in favor of healthcare reform and yet the media is telling us she is simply voting what people in her state wants which is a lie. She is obviously on the take from the healthcare insurance lobby.

[TeeLolly]

The simple reality is that the Dems don't actually have a majority--Lincoln, Baucus, Nelson and Lieberman are not Democrats. The presence of these stealth Rethugs in sheep's clothing is hurting the Dems' chances of re-election by exacerbating the image that the Dems can't govern.

The only benefit the Dems get from including Lieberman, et al. in their caucus is that Dems are nominally in control of the Senate, and got to pick their Leader. Which would be better for getting good Dems and progressives elected in 2010: two years with a do-nothing Democratic­-controlle­d Senate, or two years with a do-nothing Rethug-controlled Senate in which the Dems continually fought to get good legislation through?

[blizb]

Ben, Blance, Lieberman, didn't seem to get the message that we don't want the last 8 years of Bush style policies.

They are only looking at their own re-election in their districts and their local politics instead of looking at where they stand in history and what that could mean for their legacy.

If they had the courage to stand up for the people and allow the people to have the same choice as their own government health insurance then they would go down historically as making a huge leap forward for the American people.

They don't get up and publicly say they will cancel their own government insurance and pay out of their own pockets for a private plan.

They hypocrisy is astounding. If they think all insurance is supposed to be private then they might get the backing of the American people if all of them cancelled their insurance and went private if they really believe that is the best way.

They are clinging to old ideas and it isn't going to work.

[cowpunkrva]

>>>>Ben, Blance, Lieberman, didn't seem to get the message that we don't want the last 8 years of Bush style policies. They are only looking at their own re-election in their districts and their local politics instead of looking at where they stand in history and what that could mean for their legacy. If they had the courage to stand up for the people and allow the people to have the same choice as their own government health insurance then they would go down historically as making a huge leap forward for the American people.

Well gee that's great, but as far as Lincoln goes, it doesn't matter what you think. It matters what the people of Arkansas think. They are against it. http://publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com/2009/08/tough-climate-for-dems-in-arkansas.html
The fact that they are looking for reelection is what makes our system democratic. So I guess what you really mean is not stand up for the people, but stand up to the people, and give pass that bill whether they want you to or not.

[RJHarris]

Heath Care is an individual welfare and as such the federal government has no business attempting to provide it or dictating to our states how to provide it. Article I Sec 8 of the Constitution allows the Congress to provide for the general welfare "of the United States." Herein the United States is referred to as an entity unto itself which excludes the notion of welfare as the greater good for the most individuals. Individual welfare is never mentioned in the Constitution and the Congress has no power to provide it. However, the Tenth Amendment reserves all powers not explicitly given to Congress to the states. Thus, the states may provide socialized health care, if their citizens allow them, but the federal Congress cannot. The only way Congress could and should address problems in the health care market is to ensure that trade barriers to the health insurance market, erected between the states, are removed in accordance with the commerce clause.

RJ Harris
www.rjharris2010.com

[Coinyer101]

She's my Senator. I'll be calling her to ask her to vote no. Not for the same reasons she doesn't support it, but, more in line with Kucinich's reason's for not supporting it. Whatever works, this bill is too weak and meaningless to continue to support. Come up with something that doesn't reward insurance companies for driving us into this ditch and I'm all about reform. Until ya do that, ferget it.....,

[Qunamngdogs]

Thank God for a sober voice! I'm not in Arkansas, but I am going to email her tonight also, hoping against hope. For exactly the same reasons that you are. Do it right or don't do it!

[WorkingClass]

Agreed. What the Democrats want to give us is crap. Just forget the whole thing.

[meko]

The bill is a bad bill, especially since the addition of the Stupak amendment. Bill Clinton has been brought on board to pressure progressives into supporting a trigger that will never go into effect and will provide no break against inevitable rising costs once we are all made into captive consumers by the individual mandate.

If she focused on the real weaknesses of the bill, she could get liberal support, or at least get them off her back.

[force fed up]

as an Arkansan, I can assure you that Blanche will not make it through the Primary, much less the election.

[TN60]

I hope that you have a strong and real Democrat to go against her. If we make believers out of these Republicans in diguise, then something might get done.

[suz1941]

Two recent polls show that Arkansans want Health Care Reform with a strong Public Option. I believe the favorability for this is in the 60% range. Blanche Lincoln's favorability rating is in the 40's. I think it should be pretty clear to her and her staff that her favorability rating will go up if she supports what over 60% of her constiuents want. Will it guarantee that she will be re-elected - NO, but it might improve her chances.

Campaigning is a double edged sword - you need obscene amounts of money to run a campaign, but you also need the votes of the people. Right now the atmosphere on this issue is volatile. It takes a candidate who is secure in what is right and has the spine to withstand the criticism. The voters will do the rest. Now is not the time for fence sitting or filabusters. Now is the time for Blanche Lincoln to stand with her party and be a part of historical change. Anything less and she does not deserve to be re-elected. And, I say this as a Democrat from Arkansas.