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Progressive should be working their TAILS off for Martha Coakley

In recent months, we've been hearing a lot of complaints from progressives who wanted a stronger health care reform (and stimulus package, and climate change legislation, and...) than President Obama has been able to deliver.

Since I'm one of the folks who would have liked more than we've got, I can sympathise with a lot of these feelings - although not with the blame pointing at Obama, who as far as I can tell has been moving heaven and earth to win progressive priorities.

But what I especially don't understand is this: those progressives who wanted a stronger bill ought to be going to the wall to prevent Martha Coakley from losing the Massachusetts Senate race. After all, if the Republican Scott Brown wins, he has promised to vote against reform in the final vote.

This would leave Democrats with two options -

1) Allow health care reform to fail. A disaster for pregressives, and for the country.
2) Pass the Senate's version of the bill unchange.

Option 2 is possible because the Senate has already voted on it, so an identical bill passing in the House would move it straight to the President for signature.

But the Senate bill is MUCH LESS PROGRESSIVE than the House bill. In recent weeks, House Democrats have been negotiating compromises to the Senate billl that would make it more acceptable to the House's more left-leaning caucus. The House compromises would add more regulation, greater access, a more progressive tax structure and stronger cost reductions. It would make it a better bill, in short. Marginally closer to what progressives have been looking for.

But without Coakley's vote, all of these improvements disappear (in a best case scenario) at least in this round of legislation, or health care reform may die out altogether - possibly for yet another generation (in the worst case scenario).

It couldn't be any more clear that the best thing progressives can be doing today to get the changes the are looking for is to obsessively help get out the vote for Martha Coakley.

Yet instead I'm hearing rumblings about "punishing" Barack for his supposed failures by withholding support. Can't my fellow progressives see that the real victim here would be themselves?

3 Days to Save Health Care Reform. It's up to you...

The Senate seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy is up for a special election on Tuesday, January 19th. Democrats have nominated Massachusetts' accomplished Attorney General Martha Coakley, and were sitting pretty with the assumption that we could easily hold the seat in this strongly democratic state - my home state, as it happens.

Shame on us.

We of all people should have know that you can NEVER take your voters for granted.

Republicans here see an opportunity to deprive Democrats of their coveted 60th Senate seat and to kill any prospect of health care reform in the process.

It could happen. But not if I can help it. I'll be spending all day tomorrow calling Massachusetts voters from the Democrats Abroad mailing list to make sure they get their ballots in. If you are a Massachusetts overseas voter, here's what you need know:

• Yes you CAN vote in this election. Overseas voters are eligible to vote in all Federal elections, which includes all Senate and Congressional elections - including special elections. Remember, you vote at the last address where you lived in the US.  
• Massachusetts should have sent you a ballot, but if you didn't receive one from the state you can still vote using the Federal Write in Absentee Ballot, which can can get either by filling out the form on http://www.votefromabroad.org/, or by downloading it directly here.
• If you have not yet returned your ballot IT IS NOT TOO LATE. Massachusetts accepts ballots by e-mail and by fax. Again, the tool at http://www.votefromabroad.org/ will tell you where to fax or e-mail your ballot once you've completed the form, or you can call your local election official for more information.As long as you have sent it electronically by election  day - January 19 - your vote should be valid.
• IMPORTANT: if you are faxing or e-mailing your ballot, you must also back this up by sending a postal copy as well. You can find the address of your election official here.

NOT A MASSACHUSETTS VOTER?

You can still help. Get on the phone today and start dialing! The Organizing for America website makes it easy to do this from anywhere in the world. Just go here and register or sign in.