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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

Target These Republican Senators TODAY

The Senate is expected to try to take up S. 1776 today for a cloture vote. What that means is the Senate will see if it can get 60 votes to cut off debate on the measure.

As I told you yesterday, S. 1776 is a deficit busting bribe to the doctors’ lobby to support Obamacare. If this passes, Obamacare will probably pass.

The measure is a three quarters of a trillion dollar payout to doctors through increased medicare subsidies. That sounds good until you consider it will drive up the deficit, it is how the Democrats are claiming their health care legislation does not increase the deficit, and it will amount to a tax on seniors who will pay for a portion of the increased costs.

This is bad news. But the American Medical Association is rumored to have promised full support for Obamacare in exchange for this.

Several Republican Senators are wavering.

Chief among them is Bob Bennett whose own health care plan is further left than Obama’s. Bennett, one of MItch McConnell’s loyal lieutenants is pressuring Republicans to support cloture to give him cover.

Here are the big targets today. I’ll add to it as field reports come in from activists:

Bob Bennett (UT) at 202-224-5444*

Richard Burr (NC) at 202-224-3154

Jon Kyl (AZ) at 202-224-4521

Tell each one to oppose cloture on S. 1776. Supporting cloture is an endorsement of the Democrats’ strategy to pass Obamacare and will seriously increase the deficit.

NOTE: you’ll probably be told that S. 1776 has been pulled from the floor. Yes, to the extent that they want you to stop calling and once the phones go silent they’ll rush it out this afternoon.

*Bob Bennett’s office tells me that he should not be on this list and that, in fact, I should have called his office and fact checked all of you who called him and were told by his office that he would be supporting S. 1776. According to his office, though 3 of you specifically were told he’d be supporting it, that is not true and he is opposed.

COMMENTS

  • http://politicalfriends.blogspot.com andyd

    I called Sen Chambliss’s office at about 8:45 this morning. They said the bill had been taken off the floor and was not scheduled for a vote

  • http://politicalfriends.blogspot.com andyd

    Isakson’s office says that the calender is in flux, but they do expect a vote for closure some time this week.

  • jen2001

    Staffer wouldn’t tell me if he would oppose cloture. Also said it is not on the schedule for a vote today.

  • Trelaina

    You gotta be kidding. Guess I’d better squeeze in a call this morning….

  • Trelaina

    You gotta be kidding. Guess I’d better squeeze in a call this morning….

  • fredr

    The CBO said that the plan would actually reduce the deficit:
    htp://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/health-care/happy-hour-roundup-101/

  • jen2001

    Lets get our fellow North Carolinians to call him continually today.

  • jen2001

    NT

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens
  • jen2001

    I am not in the mood for people like him this morning.

  • 6eorge Jetson

    This Cloture vote is the only 4th down the Dems will face on their drive to pass Baucus.

    I’ll have to squeeze in a call this morning, too.

  • Scope

    must be stalled as long as possible. They want to try to get whatever they can voted on, and passed, before they lose the 2 Governors races in VA and NJ. After that, it will be that much more difficult to pass much of anything, particularly with the Blue Dogs. Fear will truely set in.

  • Scope

    must be stalled as long as possible. They want to try to get whatever they can voted on, and passed, before they lose the 2 Governors races in VA and NJ. After that, it will be that much more difficult to pass much of anything, particularly with the Blue Dogs. Fear will truely set in.

  • HerbC

    I just got off the phone with a staffer at his office in DC. The guy says that Burr won’t support the bill. I voiced my opinion.

    I tried to get through on the direct line, but it was busy. I called his Winston-Salem office (800)685-8916 and they transferred me to the DC one…

  • Trelaina

    I’m in non-stop meetings until 4pm today so I am putting together a fax to send right now.

  • Mayhem

    Everyone of you MUST call today. It looks like Organizing for America already did its part… by about 200,000 phone calls:

    http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/10/21/health-reform-has-hill-phones-ringing-off-the-hook/

    This must be stopped. If these squish senators think 200,000 lefty robo-calls justifies voting for this–after MONTHS of protests and MILLIONS of calls against it–then we already have lost the battle.

    CALL.

  • jen2001

    He is voting YES. CALL HIM.