Liberals Crank Up Heat, Send Obama Another Letter Demanding Meeting

[democracy1st]

Speech or no speech, it looks like House liberals have no intention whatsoever of easing their pressure on Obama to keep a meaningful public option in the health care bill.

House progressive leaders just sent another letter to the President — which was sent over by a source — reiterating their demand for inclusion of the public option and insisting on a face to face meeting to discuss it.

“We were pleased that you explicitly expressed your support for a public option as a central piece of achieving true reform,” says the letter, which is signed by Dem Reps. Raul Grijalva and Lynn Woolsey, co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. “We look forward to meeting with you regarding your support for defining the public option in any final health care reform bill and request that the meeting take place as soon as possible.”

The letter adds that “public opinion polls continue to show that a majority of Americans want the choice of a robust public plan and we stand in solidarity with them.”

“We look forward to meeting with you to discuss the importance of your continued support for a robust public option in the final bill,” the letter reiterates.

As TPM reported yesterday, Obama had originally promised a meeting to progressives, but mysteriously, it never materialized — hence the reiterated demand for a face-to-face.

While Obama did offer far more expansive support for the public option than expected, he hinted at the possible use of coops or a trigger, which are both unacceptable to liberals. Combine this letter with the fact that Tom Harkin, the chair of the Senate HELP committee, said today that a public option won’t be a dealbreaker, and you’ve really got a serious intra-Dem split in the works.


http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/president-obama/liberals-crank-up-heat-send-obama-another-letter-demanding-face-to-face-meeting/



Did the White House Drop the Ball on Meeting with House Progressives?

Remember back on Friday, President Obama discussed the public option on a conference call with House liberals? And remember how the upshot of that call was that Obama planned to meet yesterday with the chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, And Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus?

Well that meeting never happened. Yesterday, sources told me that the meeting hadn't been scheduled, but could happen as late as this morning. Today, a House aide tells me that it's not going to happen at all.

"They never called," the aide said.

Before reading too deeply into this, I have a call in to the White House seeking an explanation. But at a glance it doesn't seem to suggest that House liberals are being roped in to the health care negotiations between the House and the Senate.


http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/09/did-the-white-house-drop-the-ball-on-meeting-with-house-progressives.php

[polichick]

1. That's interesting, especially since he met with moderates today...

I'm glad they're sticking with it and hanging tough.

[midnight armadillo]

7. Naw, he won't need any liberals until 2011

when he realizes that he can't get re-elected without them. Then he can safely ignore them in a second term.

[bvar22]

9. Met with moderates??....

Oh, you mean the conservative Blue Dogs.
They are hardly moderates.

[TheKentuckian]

10. I'll agree with that. Everytime those cons are called moderates

it moves the whole frame to the right.

NEVER REFER TO BLUE DOGS AS MODERATES. They are the remainder of the sane Republicans.

[depakid]

12. Absolutely right

These folks aren't "moderate" in any accurate sense of the word.

[polichick]

17. I was using the word Claire McCaskill used for herself yesterday...

I didn't actually see the list - were they all blue dogs??

[Inuca]

18. Blue dogs

are in the house. Officially at least. He met with a whole bunch of moderate senators. In other words, he met with a whole bunch of senators that need to be persuaded.

[sharp_stick]

2. Well get a bill to the man

that included a public option. I'm pretty sure he'll sign the thing.

[Becky72]

3. In defense of Obama: You have to meet with those whom you still have to convince

I think Obama has more convincing to do to the Senate than the House.

Let's remember that although Obama doesn't rule out co-ops and triggers, his #1 choice is the public option, which the House supports.

[Inuca]

19. Exactly n/t

[DJ13]

4. Im extremely dissapointed in the shitty way Obama neglects liberals

He seems to go out of his way to diminish their opinions, and stiffing them on negotiating in good faith like he has done repeatedly with the Blue Dogs.

[flyarm]

8. shhhh you will be called a whinner..or a Hater here!! eom

[lovelyrita]

13. Yes, just like the talking to he gave to liberals in his speech.

Who does he think worked on his campaign?

[earth mom]

14. "Hope and Change" was nothing but "Hype and Status Quo".

:grr:

[Thrill]

15. Bullshit. Look at the schedule for yesterday. They're lucky anyone got to see him

And yeah they've been treated shitty, all he did was take the time while he was on vacation to talk to them

[xchrom]

5. i guess that's good -- i would have cared more a few months back --

now i just don't care anymore.

conservatives and moderates aren't going to do the right thing -- and apparently that's the only block that counts.

[flyarm]

6. Nothing must ever make them happy!..or they must be "HATERS"

ORRRRRRRRRRR..ARE THEY JUST WHINNERS?????????.:sarcasm: .:sarcasm: .:sarcasm:

just wondering.........

[TheKentuckian]

11. The swing/stolen districts and states ALWAYS get treasured

because they are the hardest to win and hold. Those borderline congresscritters are the ones that provide majorities. Base seats are much safer. Republicans ain't winning San Fran and we aren't too likely to take rural Oklahoma disticts.

That's why they get the plum chairmanships to help them to entrench. It worked like that for the Republicans too until they purged/got the shit kicked out of them.

[MasonJar]

16. Thank you, House Liberals/Progressives. I didn't know he never met

with them. Telling!!!!!!!!!!! He doesn't want to promise them anything I suppose. Keep up the good work, guys and dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!