SEIU to Congressman: Vote Yes On The Senate Bill Or We'll Find A Primary Challenger
The congressman's office responded by saying he is "not a rubber stamp for special interest politics":
In what seems intended as a shot across the bow of House Dems wavering on health reform, top officials with the labor powerhouse SEIU have bluntly told a Democratic member that they will pull their support for him — and will likely field a challenger against him — if he votes No on the Senate bill.
Dem Rep Mike McMahon of New York met yesterday with a top SEIU official and told him he’s likely to vote No, the official tells me. The official: Mike Fishman, president of SEIU 32bj, the largest property workers union in the country, with 120,000 members in eight states.
Fishman told McMahon that the union would not support him if he voted No — and suggested the hunt for a primary or third-party challenger would follow.
“He let us know he’s not supportive of the health care plan,” Fishman says. “We’ve let him know that we can’t support somebody who doesn’t support it.”
“We are going to begin talking to other unions about finding someone else for that seat,” Fishman continued.
McMahon enjoyed heavy labor backing when he was elected to his conservative Staten Island district in 2008. He voted No on the bill last time but was said to be undecided on the Senate bill, and labor had hoped to win his support for the crucial final vote.
Fishman said SEIU officials were intent on sending a message to other House Dems that they risk losing the union’s support if they don’t vote for the bill — and said the union’s rank and file membership strongly wanted reform to pass.
“We put an enormous amount of effort into electing Democrats,” Fishman said. “This is the most important issue on everyone’s plate. We’re sending a message to Democrats: If you can’t support this, we can’t support you.”
McMahon, who comes from a conservative district, has opposed health care reform in the past, saying it would “discourage entrepreneurial activity and job growth” because its burden would fall too heavily on small businesses.
At least someone is standing up to these corporate schills we call Senators and Congressmen. I would rather see the Obama administration stand up to them, but that is clearly not going to happen so good job SEIU I am glad that someone out there has Americas best interests at heart.
Is they let the senators which sign onto the public option BS us.. They knew d... well it would never happen , but would put them in good standings with their base..
I am tried of the arrogants , deceit and BS...
Where is the difference between the democrats and the republicans excep the speeches they give..
They are still watering at the same watering trough and being paid by the same employers..
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paying ANY ATTENTION TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!
OK, show of hands: Who takes a job right now with a small business for the generous health benefits? Who quits their big company job that they love to work at a tiny company as an insignificant drone just so that they can escape the lack of insurance? Who here loves the blood red sky of noon, and the frosty chill of summer?
Maybe the SEIU has a good idea about trying to directly influence our representatives. But clearly, that's lost on Mr. McMahon. Maybe they -- and the rest of us -- need to ask the congressman -- and his colleagues -- how much he gets from the insurance industry and others to vote against health insurance reform, and offer to double it?
Seriously, they get tens of thousands of dollars from a lobbying group and they vote their way. Tens of thousands! How bloody hard is it to get enough people together to come up with that kind of scratch? Talk about cheap. Your health insurance, if you got it, costs hundreds of dollars a month. Wouldn't you consider it a good investment to buy a Senator on Congressman for $1 a month? Get together with 100,000 like-minded people and you've got some real money. You could probably get 2 or 3 at that price. Come on, we're worried about going bankrupt paying for health care, when just a tiny fraction of what we pay every month can buy your member of congress.
What? "That's bribery," you say? Apparently you are unfamiliar with "Citizens United v. Clinton" decided by the SCOTUS just a few short months ago. Pays your money and makes your choice!
Like they say: "Just one dollar a month" can make the difference in life of one child in America.
OK, I'm done now.
http://hiphopandpolitics.wordpress.com/2009/1...
Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s Chief of Staff Says to Tune out ‘The Left’
Posted on December 19, 2009 by Davey D
Rahm Emanuel: Don’t Worry About the Left
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/12/18/rahm...
Turn off MSNBC. Tune out Howard Dean and Keith Olbermann. The White House has its liberal wing in hand on health care, says White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.
“There are no liberals left to get” in the Senate, Emanuel said in an interview, shrugging off some noise from the likes of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) that a few liberals might bolt over the compromises made with conservative Democrats.
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"not a rubber stamp for special interest politics":
So Mike, what do you call the pharma/health care industry--a charitable cause? Charitable for you personally perhaps---but in theory, you serve the PUBLIC interest.
Get a clue.
"We will find fulfillment not in the goods that we have, but in the good we can do for each other."
Robert F. Kennedy
Bluedog republican logic:
Voting for something 70 of the people want = secial interest. No can do.
Voting for the benefit of a few corporate bribers = not special interest.
Ok, makes sense now......., I guess?
Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.
They need to primary every last one of these conservadems - especially in the Senate!
I will never again vote for any democrat who is not a true liberal. It's not so much republican vs. democrat that's the problem anymore, but rather conservative corporate fascism ideology.
One corporate party is enough! Especially in a two party system.
While they are at it, they need to start collecting primary challengers for Rahmabama - the Wall Street empty suit tool. He won't get my vote ever again either!
Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.
Are making sure that the liberals never run of receive any funds or support from them...
http://www.truthout.org/article/special-repor...
And are democrats so snowed under by Obama's phony speeches and BS they still support him..
Obama says now he did not promise a public option..BUT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUNCpnRBf9o
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Wednesday, September 24, 2008.....Obama's speech from Dunedin, Florida
http://speeches.demconwatchblog.com/2008/09/o...
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/14/us-a...
According to the U.S. State Department's website, a contract has been awarded for $209,392,452 to build housing and what sounds like a shopping center and facilities for the U.S. embassy in Afghanistan.
Yes, this is the same embassy that recently made the news for the rowdy behavior of its security contractors.
$210 million may sound like a lot of money to put into the embassy, but this is far from what was spent in Iraq. Baghdad's "Super Embassy" was a $736 million project.
*************
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/01/repo...
In the clearest sign that the Pentagon has become dependent on privatization, a new report reveals that today there are more defense contractors than U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
According to a Congressional Research Service report obtained by the Federation of American Scientists blog Secrecy News, the ratio of contractors to troops is higher "than in any conflict in the history of the United States":
"As of March 2009, there were 68,197 DoD contractors in Afghanistan, compared to 52,300 uniformed personnel. Contractors made up 57% of DoD's workforce in Afghanistan. This apparently represented the highest recorded percentage of contractors used by DoD in any conflict in the history of the United States."
The report also details how few Americans make up this private army - more than 75% of the Pentagon contractors are local nationals and only 15% are U.S. citizens.
**********************
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/200...
As President Obama's escalation of the war in Afghanistan unfolds, the number of contractors will likely jump by between 16,000 and 56,000, adding up to a total of 120,000-160,000, according to an updated study from the Congressional Research Service.
*********
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/200...
The latest figure on DOD contractors in the country is a whopping 104,100, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command tells TPM. That number, which is expected to grow, is already greater than the 98,000 U.S. troops that will be in the country after the new deployments.
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http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_green...
"The US has an army of 90,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and is spending $100bn a year, but has still been unable to defeat 20,000-25,000 Taliban who receive no pay at all." - Patrick Cockburn
Thanks Pete.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
If they decide that they want their contributions back, McMahon will go broke very fast.
Fucking asshole.
JP
http://giveusthisdayourdailtydread.blogspot.com
Yep! Especially when you consider the facts: that Kucinich opposed this bill for the right reason. The same reason most people don't like it: as it stands, this bill is nothing more than mandatory enrollment in a corporate welfare system for the private insurance companies.
On the other hand, this corporate whores who oppose it for the wrong reasons - bribery, should be hunted down, labelled, and primaries for being the sellout pigs they are!
Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.
There's the Establishment Left of Clinton, Carville, Lincoln, Emanual, et al. (including The Nation and Daily Kos), then there's the real Left of Kucinich, Weiner, Grayson, et al.
And it's not just healthcare reform, it's net neutrality, financial aid reform, Gitmo, Iraq, banking reform and so forth.
That these health insurance companies do not like having over 20 , 30 or 40 million new FORCED policy holders...
Obama , Emanuel and the centrists democrats have not sold their souls to do nothing..
Emanuel & Obama's crew equals the destructin of the democrat party as we know it..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io7x8p2GwZI
Pfizer Inc. agreed to a $1.2 billion criminal fine, the largest in U.S. history, and a felony plea by a subsidiary to """CLOSE""" an investigation into what government lawyers described as """fraudulent marketing""" of drugs.
Obama , Emanuel and the democrats have sold us out...
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Actually it would help the entrepreneurial and the small business by not having the burden of providing health care for their workers through the current system.
But only if reforms are set in place that regulate how much insurance companies can charge.
More than likely though any simple agency given that assignment without attendant legislation could simply turn into the Texas Utility Commission and rubber-stamp every cost increase instead of regulating the industry.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
It seems like it should be a no shit Sherlock
You want to reform health care?
Get rid of those whose immediate concern is not with health
But are draining the system of money
And that would be the insurance agencies
And they'll just find something else to insure.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Hell yes ysb!
They can still insure all the teabagging idiots who watch Faux, and the rest of the republican base.
Because being the true patriotic freedumb loving corporate dupes they are, they would much rather pay some suit on Wall Street six times what the public option people would pay, just so they can feel good about being denied coverage on 75% of their claims.
U.S.A! Fox all the way!
Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.
These corporations were let to drop health care and retirement for their employees.
Now the transfer of the cost for employees which have lost their jobs overseas by outsourcing will be picked up by any other American thay can force money out of...
The service & test will be cut , the price of insurance will continue to rise and the insurance companies and their ceo's will continue to enjoy higher salaries and bonuses at the expense of US citizens..
The persons which will pay for the health care are the citizens which use it and that is US..
That is the same if it is in policy premiums , cost of doctors , hospital services , tests or drugs we receive.
So why was the public option or single tax payer taken off the table as Pelosi did with impeachment..
You have to believe that all the elected officials are for one another and protect them no matter What..
When you break into the world of the elite , you protect one another..
Emanuel , Obama and democrats have made deals with the leaders of the illegal immigrants for their votes , in return for the policies they are and will pass for them..
Health care and citizenship...Same as the deal Emanuel had Clinton make with them in 1992 or 1993..
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It is just reprehensible for these Dems to vote against the health care overhaul. After all universal health care was supposed to be a Democratic platform. In addition to trying to get rid of the Dems who oppose voting for this bill, any of them who oppose a public option should be targeted as well or the medicare buy in for those 55 and over such as Lieberman, Lincoln, and Landrieu. I don't go along with the Party officials who say we need to vote him to keep our majorities. This logic really gets me pissed, what is the ordinary person who is under pressure trying to find the money to pay health care bills supposed to suffer just so some self-serving Dems can keep their jobs? In theory they are supposed to be doing what is best for the country not what is best for their dirt bag careers!
They chase the real democrats out of running in the democratic primary in favor of those which join then in the takeover of the democratic party..
Does one really believe that the lies , deceit , arrogants and BS we are seeing from the so called democrats are real democrats...
In over 40 years I have never seen such a group of arrogant , deceit elected officials that protect criminals and corporations at the expense of the American citizens..
I will continue to say it again and again..... The elected officials which have taken control of the democratic party are phonies and own and paid for by these corporate monopolies...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io7x8p2GwZI
Pfizer Inc. agreed to a $1.2 billion criminal fine, the largest in U.S. history, and a felony plea by a subsidiary to close an investigation into what government lawyers described as fraudulent marketing of drugs.
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It was his first job out of college and he worked there well past retirement for some 50 years. Last I heard they were still in business and they don't do healthcare.
57-64 House Democrats promised in July not to vote for HCR if it didn't include a public plan.
I seem to remember they raised some money with that promise.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
so... this means that andrew stern supports taxing health care as profit?
do the rank and file members of seiu support that?
amazing
When I was back in Massachusetts last fall I attended a meeting of the upstart union that has jumped away from SEIU.....National Union of Healthcare Workers, NUHW.
There are many reasons they split away and one of the main reasons is that the members of NUHW support SINGLE PAYER/IMPROVED MEDICARE FOR ALL!
Here's their website: http://www.nuhw.org/
Let SEIU play Chicago style politics and run someone against McMahon. NUHW will support McMahon (or the candidate that best advances NUHW's mission statement), and may the best man/woman win!
http://www.nuhw.org/press-coverage/2009/3/5/c...
"The US has an army of 90,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and is spending $100bn a year, but has still been unable to defeat 20,000-25,000 Taliban who receive no pay at all." - Patrick Cockburn
Good stuff - love it.
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These fake Dem's that vote with Reslugs must go and will be gone.
for New York's 13th Congressional district?
yes... only big corporate donor special interest politics... when it comes to working folk, well, its 'fuck you'...
Most of these Dem politicians are more interested in the next election and their position on HCR is dictated by which way they think their electorate is leaning. And much of the electorate is swayed by talk-show spin, and campaign spin paid for by lobbyists and big business. Politicians don't lead on this but follow what they think their electorate will vote for.
Even those who believe in principle for HCR will gutlessly choose what they think is self-preservation and vote against it. They seem to have no clue that standing for principle can also be the best way to stay in office. Like Mark Twain said, "If the rascals knew the advantages of being virtuous they'd be virtuous for the sheer rascality of it."
More unions like the SEIU should make it known in no uncertain terms that they will not vote for any Dem who opposes HCR. This is the only tactic these people understand. As for Mike McMahon claiming he's not a rubber stamp - he's just buying time to count the votes.
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