Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Rep. Lynch, Please Get w/ The Program

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Being from MA can be sort of a let down during big, national progressive battles. Whenever I see the “please contact these legislators” lists, I tend to scan through, just to catch a surprising name from some OTHER state.

Well, imagine my shame when such a list appeared on DKos today:

Your phone calls are ESPECIALLY important if you are represented by one of these potential holdouts:

Harry Mitchell (AZ-05), Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-08), Marion Berry (AR-01), Dennis Cardoza (CA-18), Jim Costa (CA-20), Betsy Markey (CO-04), Laura Richardson (CA-37), Allen Boyd (FL-02), Suzanne Kosmas (FL-24), Dan Lipinski (IL-03), Melissa Bean (IL-08), Joe Donnelly (IN-02), Brad Ellsworth (IN-08), Baron Hill (IN-09), Ben Chandler (KY-06),  Michael Michaud (ME-02), Stephen Lynch (MA-09), James Oberstar (MN-08), Ike Skelton (MO-04), John Adler (NJ-03), Harry Teague (NM-02), Michael McMahon (NY-13),  Scott Murphy (NY-20), Dan Maffei (NY-25), Eric Massa (NY-29), Bob Etheridge (NC-02), Heath Shuler (NC- 11), Steve Driehaus (OH-01), John Boccieri (OH-16), Kurt Schrader (OR-05), Jason Altmire (PA-04),  Chris Carney (PA-10), Tim Holden (PA-17), Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin (SD-AL), Jim Cooper (TN-05), Bart Gordon (TN-06), Chet Edwards (TX-17), Glenn Nye (VA-02), Tom Periello (VA-05), Rick Boucher (VA-09), Brian Baird (WA-03), Jim McDermott (WA-07), and Adam Smith (WA-09).

You know the teabaggers are letting their voice be heard. We can’t sit idly by and let the Right out-do us on this front. Make sure these congresspeople hear from the true majority.

I don’t live in MA-09. Anyone here on BMG want to give Rep. Lynch a friendly call?

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Comments

  1. I called and asked my Rep Stephen Lynch how he planned to vote.  The vote is tomorrow or Monday. He was still going through the bill.

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    p>They recorded my opinion my message to Rep lynch.  I said I was in favor of health care reform including a strong inclusive public option, one tied to medicare rates plus 5% that will save an additional $85 Billion.

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    p>Call Lynch’s office and ask him to vote for health care reform: (phone) 202-225-8273

    • The office rarely will admit or deny anything, much less an important detail to a constituent on how the Congressman is planning to vote. That may upset people and we wouldn’t want anything to hurt the congressman’s favorability ratings.

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      p>It’s always, “He’s studying the bill.” “Well, there are always floor amendments that may affect his vote.”

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      p>The staff will let you talk all day long about your personal point of view but if you want any accountability, you’re calling the wrong guy.

  2. Thanks David for making my topic clearer. I get so “plugged in” sometimes, I just figure everyone is thinking about and following the same things as me.

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    p>It’s a bad habit, to tell the truth. I’ll admit, I get disgusted when I happen upon someone that has no idea that there are BIG things going on in the public square. It must show on my face.

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    p>To all those folks that I’m a Cheney to, I’m sorry.

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    p>But COME ON! WAKE UP! ;v)

  3. I made this call to Lynch about 10 days ago. Next day I got a robocall inviting me to listen in on a “telephone townhall” on the issue. I listened for about 20 minutes but it was frustrating. Basically Lynch would drone on and on about policy details just to show how much he knows and to make the point that there are very very serious potential unintended consequences that are giving him pause. The one substantive claim I heard was that he had called all “my hospitals” (someone tell congressmen that when they’re outside DC they shouldn’t use possessive pronouns to describe the things in their district) and asked them what Medicare+5% billing would do to them. Half, he claimed, said it would put them right out of business. Plausible? I don’t know. All I know is Lynch has been trying to evade accountability on this issue all the way along and will probably figure out a way to do so on the vote too.  

  4. I took a lot of flak for defending Lynch on the life question since I feel one’s liberal credentials should not be challenged just because someone is pro-life. There have been many great pro-life liberals throughout our party’s history from the Kennedy brothers (Ted excluded), from Tip O’Neill  to Joe Moakley, Lynch’s predecessor.

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    p>Yet on healthcare in my view, one cannot vote against universal healthcare and still call themselves a progressive in any shape or form. The progressive movement, led by T. Roosevelt called for universal healthcare. Proud liberals have been fighting for this in the Congress and in the White House since Harry Truman called for universal healthcare in 1948. To question the cost of some of the reform proposals and to vote against elements of it is one thing, to torpedo any reform efforts is quite another. Lynch should vote the right way on this issue, if he does not then I would strongly urge the people of the 9th to elect a better Democrat.  

    • One person’s questioning-the-cost is another person’s obstructionism. I for one am glad Stephen Lynch is casting a skeptical eye rather than just going-along to get along.

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      p>fwiw, Ted Kennedy was not always pro-choice.  

    • $$$ do we think he is getting from the insurance industries.  This kind of prevarication in the face of a constituency that is in favor of the bill usually means he’s in someone’s pocket.  Lynch doesn’t strike me as a profile in courage type.

      • …”insurance” is one of his top five contributing industries, but it doesn’t say what type of insurance.  When I clicked the link hoping to get more details I got a message saying the page could not be accessed due to extreme traffic, so maybe others are wondering the same thing.

        • Seems he voted the right way after all, and also stuck to his guns on the Stupak amendment.  

  6. OK, Lynch is closely tied with organized labor. Labor groups have steadfastly supported the bill. Is he that ticked that he didn’t get the union backing he expected for a Senate run that he’s willing to thumb his nose at his backers?  

    • that the love affair might be ending.  Tepid support from labor seems to have been the reason that Lynch didn’t jump into the Senate race, and the health care bill could drive yet another wedge between them, depending on what he decides to do.  Could create quite the opening in the primary.

      • “the health care bill could drive yet another wedge between them”

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        p>I believe the health care bill is the wedge between them. I say that based on attending Lynch’s Town Hall at Curry College in August,  

  8. I looked for it online and it does not appear to be available.

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    p>Pres. Obama and Speaker Pelosi are for clear, open and transparent govt.

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    p>Rep Lynch voted against the Stimulus bill, and was proven correct.  

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    p>It is a poor of our money.  

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    p>Check out todays Globe—Gov Patrick supports use on $9,000,000 in Stimulus funds to build a walkway for Bob Kraft at Patriot Place.

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    p>If Kraft – a multi-millionaire wants the walkway- let him fund it.  

    • This is my understanding of Stupak:

      What the Stupak Amendment does, which is pernicious, is remove abortion services from all health care plans offered under the Federal health care connector, both the for profit plans and the public option, even if the person on that plan receives no Federal subsidy in paying their premium.  

      Stupak puts a lie to the proposition that the government will not come between you and your doctor.  

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      p>Do you think Lynch could still get a primary challenge for VOTING FOR STUPAK?

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