This is rich.

Barack Obama, Harry Reid, and every Democrat on Capitol Hill worth his salt has been busting it over the last week to try to get a compromise that would attract some Republican votes. After all, there are only 58 sitting Democratic Senators, and Ted Kennedy cannot vote. So Democrats must have 3 GOP votes to overcome a filibuster. And it’s not easy — because conservatives are deluging Capitol Hill with calls and letters in opposition.

Know why else it’s not easy? Because Barack Obama’s base of support — the people who put him in the White House — are contacting their Senators just as frantically, and telling them not to compromise with the GOP! Harry Reid must have Susan Collins’ vote — but the Netroots wants to make sure he can’t get it:

The Apollo Alliance has an action alert: “Tell your Senators that clean energy and good jobs MUST remain a priority in the stimulus.” The specific recommendations:
- increasing funding for green-collar job training and other key workforce training programs;

- increased investments in ready-to-go transit projects and rail upgrades;

- the Feingold amendment, allowing utilities to access funds for large-scale energy efficiency projects in private buildings;

- the Udall amendment, co-sponsored by Kerry, Whitehouse and Bingaman, to increase funding for State Energy Programs;

- construction and renovation projects that prioritize energy efficiency; and

- loan guarantees for retooling factories and retraining workers to “Make it in America.”

UPDATE: The AAS Public Policy Blog notes that “$20 billion in research infrastructure will produce 402,000 jobs,” and asks readers to “express your opinion on the funding of NASA and NSF in the stimulus bill by calling your Senators’ offices.”

That’s right, Think Progress. Please help the conservatives at Red State and elsewhere, by telling the Senate Democratic leadership not to compromise. Better no bill than a bad bill.

We agree 100%. In fact, maybe we ought to call Harry Reid and tell him not to compromise, too.

The Nutroots: if they didn’t exist, we’d have to invent them.