Waxman jabs elbows between The Blue Dogs and their Money.

[seafan]

Late update on Friday...


Brian Beutler at TPM reports:

July 24, 2009, 2:53PM

Just about an hour ago, negotiations between Blue Dogs on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and chairman Henry Waxman broke down, perhaps irreconcilably.

Earlier today, Waxman lashed out at the conservative Democrats for trying to "eviscerate" house health care legislation, and threatened to bypass their concerns completely in order to get a timely floor vote on a healthy bill. That seems to have sent tempers flaring.

"It pretty much fell apart this afternoon," said key Blue Dog Mike Ross (D-AR), who called Waxman's rhetoric "not helpful," according to Congressional Quarterly.

"It's my understanding that will be the last meeting we have," Ross said.

Now the ball is in Waxman's court. Will he try to mark the bill up anyhow? Or will he freeze them out completely. Democratic leaders will host a caucus meeting on Monday to address all members' concerns about the bill--a sign, perhaps, that they aren't going to wait for this intra-panel tiff to be resolved. If that's the case, all eyes will return again to the Blue Dogs to see whether they'll revolt against the bill. Showdown!

Fasten your seatbelts and limber up your dialing fingers.


Next week will require all of us.




(bold type added)

[jody]

1. "I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat." Will Rogers.

[redqueen]

2. Waxman knows he's got most of the country behind him. (nt)

[Taverner]

3. The WAX...MAN!

God I love him - one of CA's best reps

[TheCoxwain]

4. Waxman rocks !!!! NT

[seafan]

5. Blue Dogs howling at the specter of a floor vote. Big Health vs The People. Choose, you bastards.

House healthcare talks break down in anger

Jared Allen, Mike Soraghan and Lauren Burke
07/24/09 03:27 PM

House healthcare negotiations dissolved in acrimony on Friday, with Blue Dog Democrats saying they were “lied” to by their Democratic leaders.

The seven Blue Dogs on the Energy and Commerce Committee stormed out of a Friday meeting with their committee chairman, Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), saying Waxman had been negotiating in bad faith over a number of provisions Blue Dogs demanded be changed in the stalled healthcare bill.

“I’ve been lied to,” Blue Dog Coalition Co-Chairman Charlie Melancon (D-La.) said on Friday. “We have not had legitimate negotiations.

“Mr. Waxman has decided to sever discussions with the Blue Dogs who are trying to make this bill work for America,” Melancon said.

.....

If the two sides cannot reach an agreement, the only hope for passage of the bill in the House will be to go straight to the floor, an option leaders shied away from endorsing but said was an option.

But the Blue Dogs issued dire warnings to leaders contemplating that approach.

"Waxman simply does not have votes in committee and process should not be bypassed to bring the bill straight to floor,” Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.), the lead Blue Dog negotiator, said on Friday. “We are trying to save this bill and trying to save this party.”

Melancon said there would be 40-45 “solid no” votes from the 52-strong Blue Dogs, among other problems throughout the caucus.

“If they try to bring it to the floor, I think they’ll find out they have more problems than the Blue Dogs.”

[BlueIdaho]

9. Blue Dogs = Republicans

Let them vote against the American people, let them stand up and say no to health care reform and then let them go home and try to explain why they hate America.

[Jack_DeLeon]

6. Blue Dogs are the reason we have the majority now...

keep trying to fuck us over and liberals wont be able to get their agenda passed.

[redqueen]

7. Blue Dogs are trying to thwart the agenda NOW.

So... what's that threat again?

[blm]

10. They better hope those K street lobbyists they're siding with vote in their districts.

How many lobbyists vote in those districts anyway? More than progressive and liberal Democrats?

[jody]

11. Please don't bother people with Inconvenient Truths. n/t

[ieoeja]

12. The Numbers

204 - Democrats
178 - Republics
52 - Blue Dogs

So the two parties would be tied if exactly 75% of the Blue Dogs decide to caucus with the Republics.

Are 3 out of every 4 Blue Dogs willing to make that switch?

[MUAD_DIB]

8. If the Blue Dogs help to defeat this bill then I will donate as much as possible

to their democratic challengers come election time.