Kucinich helping to whip support for HCR

[WI_DEM]

:toast:

A few hours after Rep. Dennis Kucinich switched his support to become a critical vote for the health care bill, he took to the House floor to ask wavering colleagues to join him. Astonished colleagues pointed to Kucinich (D-OH) darting from member to member on the House floor yesterday, saying privately they'd never seen him get so involved in whipping a vote.

It's not just progressives he's targeting to keep in the fold, it's everyone, a top Democratic aide told me. Members know that Kucinich - a staunch antiwar liberal long in favor of a single-payer system and often going out on a limb with his own agenda - is setting aside deep ideology to help get something passed. "It's a totally new dynamic. People are realizing he's doing it for history," the aide said.

Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) told me last night in the House Speaker's lobby that Kucinich's support is "a sign of Democrats recognizing how important this is."

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/from-progressive-holdout-to-whipping-health-care----how-dennis-kucinich-is-helping-dems.php?ref=fpblg

[HopeHoops]

1. Dick Cheney approves.

Although he does want to Kucinich to add some waterboarding in with the whippings.

[Mari333]

2. dennis still thinks the bill is a pile of steaming horseshit

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7946000

[WI_DEM]

3. Actually he likes some elements of the bill and dislikes other parts of it

obviously he wants a single payer plan. Now he is working for this bill because he has come to the realization that it's a beginning to be built on.

[Mari333]

4. he will be sorely disappointed.

[Lorien]

5. True. The bill that's passed is the only bill we'll ever see

look no further than the credit card bill for evidence.

[John Q. Citizen]

6. He realizes it's a distraction that needs to be put to bed so the real work can begin.

[readmoreoften]

9. Yes, he "suddenly realized" that.

That is EXACTLY what happened.

[John Q. Citizen]

11. Kucinich knows that in balance, the bill is worse than not passing it. But he also

knows that not passing it is tantamount to a vote of no confidence in the Obama Administration.

So he's willing to vote for a 'on the whole' bad bill in order to save the Obama Presidency from a crushing loss and disgrace that would lead to yet more paralysis.

Kucinich is doing this for the president, I believe. Not because he likes the bill.

[Hekate]

7. Wow. I wonder what exactly was said on that plane flight with the Prez????

:wow:

Whatever, I am very glad that DK is helping now. I take back what I said about his being a garden gnome.

Hekate

[readmoreoften]

8. Yeah, a little bullying is totally awesome!

Threats are totally cool.

[leveymg]

10. I think he didn't want to be the designated scapegoat for this one.

There's going to be a lot of flying goat and donkey parts when this HCR Bill hits the fan with the voters in November.

I wish it weren't so.