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As a journalist one of the things I love most about running TPM is our power to get on our readers to assist us monitor events with national implications at the local and even hyper local level We first did this with the DeLay Rule in 2004 and Social Security in 2005 and so again as recently this summer the Tea Party Townhall crazy of August Sometimes it s writes up in the local press or mail from members of Relation or what goes down at a public event And yet though knowing these things is critical for understanding national politics these are events and happenings that are heavy for the formal national press to follow

Now we need your help keeping us posted on what members of Congress particularly Dems are saying over the winter recess about how they re leaving to vote on the Health Care Reform bill As Brian Beutler explains here Nancy Pelosi will likely want to notch her House coalition a bit to the good to get what will be essentially the senate bill through the House So the groups we need to be watching are the staunchest pro choice members in the House Will they oppose the note on the foundation of the Nelson language which Sen Nelson D NE says is a consideration of his stomach for the senate bill And what almost the pro life Dems The Nelson language is a bit weaker from a pro life perspective than the Stupak amendment So will they bolt on the former side And so there s the big question How many if any progressive votes will Pelosi lose because of the death of the Public Option I d figured that Pelosi would not be capable to clean up a lot of Blue Dog and freshman who d voted against the account the start time even though the Senate bill gives these folks pretty much everything they wanted Why Because for political reasons I don t think these people want to ballot for the Health Care Bill at all Yet there are signs that a lot of them are inclined to ballot for this revised bill The key is that you ll probably know what these folk are saying back in their districts before we will So save your eyes out and let us recognise what you listen and see We ll be posting a list shortly of the different reps in these different categories Blue Dogs who voted against Pro Lifers who voted for Pro Choicers who might vote against etc to help you focus who you re watching