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Democratic civil war update: MoveOn raises money to attack Dems who voted against health care

By: Byron York
Chief Political Correspondent
11/10/09 2:25 PM EST

Last week the left-wing activist group MoveOn announced that it had raised $3.6 million to attack any Democratic senator who does not fully support "health care with a public option." Now, MoveOn is raising money to attack the House Democrats who voted against Obama-PelosiCare.

"We won a big victory on health care on Saturday when the House of Representatives passed a bill that includes a public health insurance option," writes MoveOn's political team. "But dozens of conservative Democrats sided with Big Insurance to vote against it."

MoveOn says it is essential to show those conservative Democrats that "voters will make them pay a political price for standing in the way of health care reform." Therefore, MoveOn is "rushing to launch a major new TV ad campaign in the home districts of Democrats who voted against the bill."

It is important to make an example of the errant Democrats, MoveOn says, "because fence-sitting Democrats in Congress are watching carefully to see what happens to those who oppose real change." If those fence-sitters see there is no price to be paid for opposing health care, that will make it harder to pass a final bill. "So we've got to act quickly and forcefully to demonstrate that any politician who sides with corporate special interests will suffer for it back home."

Even though it has been in high gear for more than a week, MoveOn's campaign against both House and Senate Democrats has so far received little attention in the press -- far less than the attention paid to divisions in the Republican party.

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Reader Comments

All comments on this page are subject to our Terms of Use and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Examiner or its staff. Comment box is limited to 250 words.

madashell912

Nov 10, 2009

MoveOn is out of control! Only 20% of Americans consider themselves "liberals", yet the Democratic Party has allowed itself to be hijacked by it's furthest left members. Because of this, people like my mother and Grandmother who have voted Democrat all their lives no longer consider themselves to be Democrats. The Party has left them, they haven't left the Party.

torrin123

Nov 10, 2009

A politician's first job is to get re-elected. As cynical as it is, it's true. That's why one republican supported the bill (from a blue area) and why 20 democrats went against it (all from red areas). If MoveOn wants to see more democrats in office, they had best realize what politics means. Of course, MoveOn is an extremist machine so their eyes are as closed as groups like the KKK or Black Panthers.

Zan

Nov 10, 2009

See, it does not matter if you are a Dem or Repub, if you do not agree with Obama you are a TRAITOR and will be PUNISHED!!

Sounds like a DICTATOR to me!!

Zan

Nov 10, 2009

Let me tell you that who ever votes(ed) for this INSANE BILL will be voted out of office next year!!!

ltmark

Nov 10, 2009

Imagine that Chicago style strong armed extortion, against their own party yet. Now there is change you can believe in.

Nov 10, 2009

Zan raises an interesting point. The calculus for legislators will now consider if the the bulk of the constituency will be against them for voting for national health care weighed against MoveOn.org if they vote against.

In a straight up contest, I submit MoveOn,org will be the loser.

Rick

Kamikaze Squirrel

Nov 10, 2009

That works out to a little over $92,000 per anti-Pelosicare Democrat. Next year's elections are, well, a year away. I don't think that paltry amount of money is going to make much difference in the long run, especially since most of those Democrats are in conservative-leaning districts. But by all means, let MoveOn throw money at them - more chance for a Republican candidate to win in 2010.....

Turbo

Nov 10, 2009

Myself, I think that moveon.org is backed by Soros and it is THIS decades SDS. Dangerous people!

TST

Nov 10, 2009

Wow, Tail wagging the Dog . How bout Dog eats Tail and loves it ! crazy is as

HalifaxCB

Nov 10, 2009

Turbo - not so much SDS; it's more the Bolsheviks vs Mensheviks.
There's gonna be tears....

TomTom

Nov 10, 2009

Don't you just love it when they begin to eat their young.

jondos

Nov 11, 2009

I thought this was the party of big tents....Welcome, Welcome, one and all....except if you don't think the way we tell you to think....it is 100% or nothing!....Why doesn't Soros just MoveOn to Venezuela?....Chavez can guarantee 100%...

depaz

Nov 11, 2009

Hmmmmm. NOW who's turning into an "angry mob"??

Nov 11, 2009

HalifaxCB
So right, the Russians killed their enemies before they began to eat one another! MoveOn IS progressive!

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Democratic civil war update: MoveOn raises money to attack Dems who voted against health care

By: Byron York
Chief Political Correspondent
11/10/09 2:25 PM EST