Get paid to vote against Obamacare

If it doesn’t include a public option. Kevin points out that Blue America has raised almost $200,000 to distribute to Dems who pledge to vote against any reform bill without a public option. Since Kevin’s post this morning, the total has risen to $277,000. Kevin observes,

The Blue America money helps make the promise to vote against any bill without a public option more credible. Right now, no one believes it. Everybody thinks that, in the end, liberals will cave and vote for it regardless. But with this money in place, which is going to people on condition that they vote against any bill without a public option, it makes it genuinely hard for them to turn around and vote Yes after all. It helps turn a meaningless threat into a credible one.

We can only hope. Also, Kevin explains the politics of the Democratic proposal to split the healthcare reform package into two bills.