Public option bill clears key House panel; shows need to replace yet more Blue Cross Democrats and Republicans

The House Energy and Commerce Committee late Friday night (July 31) finally completed work on a public option health bill. Progressive backers of the bill peeled off sufficient numbers of Blue Cross Democrats. "The committee passed its reform bill 31 to 28, with five Democrats joining every Republican in voting no," the Huffington Post reported.

THIS SUMMER'S REMAINING BATTLE
Like the kooky ideas, such as the spurious claim that Obama was not born in Hawaii, the Republicans make themselves all the more irrelevant and intellectually pathetic with outrageous demogogic lies about the most extreme kind of health rationing possible. Harkening back the 1973 science fiction film "Soylent Green" about a government euthenasia operation, the Republicans are spreading the sick lie that the Democrats and Obama have a plan to euthenize (put to death) the elderly.
Yes, the Republicans have really got much of the public convinced of this. Democratic Congressmen in public forums are having to respond to worried constituents that ask about a mysterious government euthenasia program.
Pro-health reform officeholders and activists need to get out there in the month of August and dispel this crazy euthenasia idea and push the drumbeat for the public option bill.

WHY "BLUE CROSS" DEMOCRATS; NEED FOR PUBLIC FINANCING OF CAMPAIGNS

NEED TO BUILD STRONGER PROGRESSIVE BASE IN CONGRESS BY PUSHING BLUE CROSS DEMS AND WEAK REPUBLICANS.
Republicans and Blue Cross Democrats are concentrated in states that currently have high unemployment. Progressives on the ground in these areas --I'm thinking of local chapter/activist-heavy organizations such as MoveOn.org or Progressive Democrats of America <{Here's their directory of chapters, all you progressives in those states}>-- need to mobilize among the vulnerable people in the communities in these high-concentration conservative Democrats or Republicans/high unemployment states: Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio. Activists need to tell the public that the FOX News / Limbaugh pablum is all wrong.
If the Blue Cross Democrats or Republicans stick by their aims and still oppose the public option health bill in the Fall vote,
they are sitting ducks and they must be replaced in the 2010 elections.
Call and write your Congressperson and Senator. They have sometimes pulled their contact information from their sights after contact from masses of pro-health reform constituents. Here is the connection for the Vote-Smart.org site (a non-partisan group), to get reasonably through contact information on Federal-level elected officials; just type in your zip code to find your representative.

HERE ARE THE HOUSE BLUE DOG DEMOCRATS, STRAIGHT FROM THEIR OWN SITE:
The lower South:
Rep. Charlie Melancon (LA-03), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications
Barrow, John (GA-12)
Berry, Marion (AR-01)
Bishop, Sanford (GA-02)
Boyd, Allen (FL-02)
Bright, Bobby (AL-02)
Childers, Travis (MS-01)
Griffith, Parker (AL-05)
Marshall, Jim (GA-03)
Melancon, Charlie (LA-03)
Ross, Mike (AR-04)
Scott, David (GA-13)
Taylor, Gene (MS-04)

The midwest and the upper South:
Rep. Baron Hill (IN-09), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Policy
Rep. Heath Shuler (NC-11), Blue Dog Whip
Boswell, Leonard (IA-03)
Chandler, Ben (KY-06)
Cooper, Jim (TN-05)
Davis, Lincoln (TN-04)
Donnelly, Joe (IN-02)
Ellsworth, Brad (IN-08)
Giffords, Gabrielle (AZ-08)
Gordon, Bart (TN-06)
Hill, Baron (IN-09)
Kratovil, Jr., Frank (MD-01)
McIntyre, Mike (NC-07)
Nye, Glenn (VA-02)
Shuler, Heath (NC-11)
Tanner, John (TN-08)
Space, Zack (OH-18)
Tanner, John (TN-08)
Wilson, Charles (OH-06)
The northeast
Altmire, Jason (PA-04)
Arcuri, Mike (NY-24)
Carney, Christopher (PA-10)
Dahlkemper, Kathy (PA-03)
Holden, Tim (PA-17)
Michaud, Mike (ME-02)
Murphy, Patrick (PA-08)

The plains and mountain states, west of the 95 degree longitude:
Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Administration
Boren, Dan (OK-02)
Cuellar, Henry (TX-28)
Giffords, Gabrielle (AZ-08)
Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie (SD)
Matheson, Jim (UT-02)
Minnick, Walt (ID-01)
Mitchell, Harry (AZ-05)
Moore, Dennis (KS-03)
Peterson, Collin (MN-07)
Pomeroy, Earl (ND)
Salazar, John (CO-03)

The west coast:
Baca, Joe (CA-43)
Cardoza, Dennis (CA-18)
Harman, Jane (CA-36)
Sanchez, Loretta (CA-47)
Schiff, Adam (CA-29)
Thompson, Mike (CA-01)