Fuck the Senate. The Progressive/Liberal Democrats in the House (who significantly outnumber the Blue Dogs) were abused, ignored, bullied and beaten down by Gingrich/DeLay repugs for 14 years and they're not going to take it any more. The public option (if they can't have single-payer) puts them on the right side of the issue, the right side of the American Public (76 percent), the right side of politics (passing it will destroy the GOP), the right side of history. Delivering genuine health care reform will be the biggest Democratic policy and political victory in five decades. Failing could very well open the door to President Palin. Progressives, Liberals and other Real Democrats have nothing to lose by fighting to the death for the public option. And that's exactly what's happening. This morning, Anthony Weiner confirms it on CNBC: WEINER: The President does seem like he's moving away from the public plan, and if he does, he's not going to pass a bill. Because there are just too many people in Washington who believe that the public plan was the only way that you effectively bring some downward pressure on prices, and if he says well we're not going to have that, then I'm not really quite sure what we're dong here. BECKY QUICK: So you would not vote for a bill that made it through, if it got through... WEINER: Not only I but I think there's probably a hundred members of the House, who believe for various reasons that you need to have something to bring down prices. Otherwise you're basically, what you're doing, you're keeping the cost arc. . . the CBO agrees with that. You know as it was, I think the public plan had been watered down so much. So if the President thinks he's cutting a deal to get Senate votes, he's probably losing House votes. SNIP There was one final amusing moment: JIM QUINTIANILLA: So you think he will lose the liberal wing of his own party, and you don't think he can make it up by attracting Blue Dogs, Republicans, anyone on the other side of the aisle. Yes, Blue Dogs are "on the other side of the aisle." And everyone but Rahm seems to know it. (via The Hill)

As Brian Beutler at TPM reminds us: Weiner has in recent weeks become a surrogate for the public option in the House. As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, he called Republicans on their bluff, offering an amendment that would have eliminated Medicare--a single-payer, government run health care system, which Republicans say, in principle, they oppose. The amendment was defeated unanimously.

Firedoglake explains the math that gives the progressives the edge: There are 435 seats on the House. Of those, 257 are filled by Democrats and 178 by Republicans. Which means a majority is 218. The Republicans have vowed to vote against health care, period. The Democrats can pass health care on their own, but if they lose 40 of their own, they only have 217 votes. There are 57 Democrats who signed the July 30 letter saying that they "simply cannot vote" for a bill that "at minimum" does not have a public plan (PDF). There are 7 more not listed on the letter who have pledged to vote against any bill that does not have a robust public plan. That makes 64 Democrats who won't vote for the "co-ops" that both Kathleen Sibelius and Robert Gibbs say the White House is "open" to. Do the math: 257 - 64 = 193. They need 218 to pass the bill. So thanks to the progressive members of the House who have pledged to vote against any health care bill that does not have a public plan. They represent 76% of Americans who want a public plan, and coming from heavily Democratic-leaning districts as they do, an even greater percentage of their own constituents.

One of those who took the strong-public-option-or-nothing pledge, by the way, is Kentucky's own Proud Liberal John Yarmuth, although Page One reveals he might be wobbling. Let all your Congress critters know you stand with House Progressives for a public option. Here's a quick way to get to the contact information for your elected officials. (Scroll down to box on the right labelled "My Elected Officials" and enter your zip code.) Alternatively, Max at Firedoglake explains how to put recalcitrant congress critters up against the wall - the Facebook wall.