Kudos to these Dems who attempted to stop us being sold out and having the balls to tell Pelosi and Hussein to shove it.

The 39 House Democrats who Voted Against Their Party's Health Care Bill
Posted: 11/8/09

Are they cowardly or courageous? Opportunistic or principled? Misguided or sensible? Male or female? Well, only the last question can be answered definitively – three female Democrats bucked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to vote nay on House Resolution 3962, a.k.a. The Affordable Health Care for America Act. They were: Colorado's Betsy Markey, Florida's Suzanne Kosmas, and South Dakota's Stephanie Herseth Sandlin. More important than their gender, all three hail from districts carried by John McCain and Sarah Palin over Barack Obama and Joe Biden in 2008.
That phenomenon was the main constant in Saturday's vote, as 31 of the 39 of the Democrats who defected represent districts carried by the GOP presidential ticket last year. Their votes, in other words, may reflect canny political instincts. House members run every two years and these Democrats don't fear the "Tea Party" set that have taken over the Republican megaphone as much as they do the independent-minded voters who split their tickets to send them to Washington in the first place.
Fourteen of the 39 were freshmen. In 10 of those 14 districts, McCain won, and usually won big. These are, presumably, the most vulnerable Democrats in 2010. (The New York Times has a nice graphic showing all these numbers).
For instance, in both Bobby Bright's Alabama 2nd and Walt Minnick's Idaho 1st, McCain-Palin bested Obama-Biden by 26 percentage points. The GOP national candidates also won by 23 points in Parker Griffith's Alabama district and 19 points in Frank Kratovil's Maryland district. Kratovil, you may recall, was one of the Democrats hung in effigy outside a town hall meeting this summer. Two other freshmen, Scott Murphy of New York and Glenn Nye of Virginia, come from districts that went for Obama – but only by razor-thin margins.
So that's the pressure the freshmen are under. But several well-known veteran House members faced powerful potential backlashes in their districts. In Rep. Chet Edwards' Texas district and Glen Taylor's Mississippi district, for example, McCain bested Obama by 35 percent. In Dave Boren's Oklahoma district it was McCain by 32, in Lincoln Davis' Tennessee district McCain won by 29, and Ike Skelton's Missouri district went McCain by 22. It's also safe to say that Obamacare is not terribly popular in those places.
And some members have other considerations. In one district where supporting the president and the Democratic congressional leadership is probably quite safe -- Artur Davis' 7th Alabama district – another factor came into play. A Harvard-educated moderate, Davis is planning a statewide campaign in 2010, seeking to become the first African American governor in Alabama's history. Davis voted no.
In another district where a vote in favor of the Democrats' health care bill would have been fine with the constituents -- Ohio's 10th -- leftist Cleveland contrarian Dennis Kucinich voted nay because his party's reforms wouldn't go far enough; i.e., the legislation would leave insurance and pharmaceutical companies still in business. Kucinich's entire statement is here. It's pretty long, so here's the gist: "Notwithstanding the fate of H.R. 3962, America will someday come to recognize the broad social and economic benefits of a not-for-profit, single-payer health care system, which is good for the American people and good for America's businesses, with of course the notable exceptions being insurance and pharmaceuticals."
A short note about the lone Republican who voted for the bill, first-term Louisiana Rep. Anh Cao. Cao won his seat because he was lucky enough to be running against nine-term Democrat William Jefferson, who had been indicted and later found guilty on corruption charges. Cao said he did it after listening to "the countless stories of Orleans and Jefferson Parish citizens whose health care costs are exploding – if they are able to obtain health care at all." But he also underlined his support for an amendment that would bar any public plan from covering abortion.
The Democrats who voted against the bill:
John Adler (NJ)
Jason Altmire (PA)
Brian Baird (WA)
John Barrow (GA)
John Boccieri (OH)
Dan Boren (OK)
Rick Boucher (VA)
Allen Boyd (FL)
Bobby Bright (AL)
Ben Chandler (KT)
Travis Childers (MS)
Artur Davis (AL)
Lincoln Davis (TN)
Chet Edwards (TX)
Bart Gordon (TN)
Parker Griffith (AL)
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD)
Tim Holden (PA)
Larry Kissell (NC)
Suzanne Kosmas (FL)
Frank Kratovil (MD)
Dennis Kucinich (OH)
Jim Marshall (GA)
Betsy Markey (CO)
Eric Massa (NY)
Jim Matheson(UT)
Mike McIntyre (NC)
Michael McMahon (NY)
Charlie Melancon (LA)
Walt Minnick (ID)
Scott Murphy (NY)
Glenn Nye (VA)
Collin Peterson (MN)
Mike Ross (AR)
Heath Shuler (NC)
Ike Skelton (MO)
John Tanner (TN)
Gene Taylor (MS)
Harry Teague (NM)

This nation will have Universal Healthcare. Get used to it

Just because it "will have", as you put it...don't mean it's RIGHT!

How ya doin' mirror? Hope all is well on your side of town tonight.

Take care

TMF

Taking care of our citizens is the morally right thing to do.And its going to happen


Im doing great. Hope you are too

Kratovil is my Congressman and he made a wise choice voting against it. However, he will be very lucky to be re elected even with this vote..

It's not the governments job to insure anybody. This guy might get his wish, but he will also be a one term hack.

I wouldn't count those chickens too quickly. It still has to pass the Senate and at this point....it looks like it's gonna be a tough row to hoe.

^^ hahaha you said HO

Its going to pass and this country will have Universal Healthcare just like the other first world countries

hahaha its already lined up

I think the majority of presidents are one termers. As for the governments job,,,what ARE They supposed to be doing with all those lovely taxes and outrageous incomes they get off of the citizens?

I always think that they are supposed to be there for us but apparently many disagree.

That's right Universal Healthcare is for OUR people ,and not just more billions getting sent to Israel,Iraq,and Afghanistan

how about not taking so much of them.

I dont mind the taxes when they are for a good cause but for the sake of argument lets say less tax would be nice start.That wasnt really my question.Thats like saying I should take a paycut in my position without ever explaining the requirements of the position.

Im still wondering what is the JOB of the government. How can they both GOVERN yet STAY OUT OF OUR LIVES( a confusing sentiment I hear often on mingle)?

It doesn't matter because it will be DOA in the Senate.

Certainly looks that way right now.

They have already said it could be the beginning of next year before they are even ready to put it to a vote.

The opposition to the bill has already been proven wrong once. So why trust them again?The right wing has a tendency to be wrong very often.I assure you,Universal Healthcare is going to become a reality.But if it makes some people feel better to live in denial then more power to them

I believe the blue dog democrats will be the on the logical side of reason.

Next year is less than eight weeks away. Most reasonable people probably have no problem with that time frame. As for the bill, some form of it will go through, the debate now is only really about the money.