Posted by Matt Hawes on 11/21/09 11:13 PM Last updated 11/21/09 11:29 PM   [Newer: Operation Health Freedom - Ron Paul Transcript] [Older: Re: Audit the Fed News Coverage]

Saturday's night Senate vote is only the beginning of a long, complicated road Harry Reid's legislation has to travel.

The vote on cloture passed 60-39, with Republican George Voinovich not present for the vote. There's a couple points I want to make in light of today's events:

#1- It demonstrates the need to turn up the pressure on those senators who publicly state they're on the fence. The argument that you're "going to vote to start debate on a bill but you still may not vote for it in the end because you're not happy with it" is a cop-out - plain and simple.

You hold a much more considerable position of power when you prevent the bill from even being brought to the floor than you do when you allow it to be considered. If you claim to be unhappy with provisions in the bill, then you should work with leadership behind the scenes to change the bill so you can support it in good conscience.

Some senators have made headlines stating how they're going to take a bold stand by bucking the party if the party delivers something they can't agree with. Tonight demonstrates how easily those type of people cave in. Make no mistake, when you're contacting your senator, if they voted for cloture, their vote should be treated as a vote in support of this plan. Don't let them give you a bunch of bull in response about how they will block the final vote if they don't agree with it; I'm pretty sure their excuse next time will be, "Well, I'll just try to make sure these problems are fixed in committee, but this bill is too important to be stopped here." Call them on it.

To reiterate, if they want to truly take a bold stand, then they will follow through on all their threats and oppose this bill until what they disagree with is fixed. The public debate has already started. We've been debating this bill for the last week. No matter what's in the bill, you should have the courage to vote to bring it to the floor only if you actually believe in the legislation's contents.

But that requires taking a truly principled stand. That requires courage.

Help C4L turn up the attention on these swing votes by donating to our television ad campaign. We're already running ads in Nebraska urging Senator Ben Nelson's constituents to call him, and we want to expand to Arkansas and beyond.

#2 - Don't let this bother you too much while enjoying time with your family this week. As previously mentioned, this is the beginning of a long, long process in the Senate. There's still a lot of time to fight, and I have a feeling that this vote tonight will only build frustrations.

Another vote will have to be taken to even end debate and move for a final vote. Senators are coming home for the holidays soon. I think we should be there to deliver some Season's Greetings.

Posted 11/21/09 11:41 PM galtgulch Southborough, MA

223,159 members at the moment. C4L has grown exponentially since its inception. If each of us continues to enlighten those we know or encounter about the existence and mission of the Campaign For Liberty our growth would become sufficient to replace those in power. Our only hope to secure our freedom from oppressive government is to outnumber those whose vision is so contrary to our own and that of the individualistically oriented Founders. I fear that too many of us are not trying hard enough to make this happen. Our membership should be doubling every day or two! Recruiting those who share our awareness that the politicians ignore the Constitution, fail to keep their oath to preserve it, and appear to have no understanding of the limits the Constitution imposes on the Congress, is our only hope. It is within our power to grow our movement each day.

Posted 11/22/09 12:44 AM BrendonDeMeo North Chelmsford, MA

This vote really proves that Obama and Reid totally own the Senate. There is probably no hope of defeating anything here until after the 2010 elections when, undoubtedly, many Democrats will be tossed out. I think we should focus our efforts on the House, as the bill will go back there. Let's begin to write off some Democrats too. For example, there's no reason for me to call my congresswoman, Niki Tsongas, or John Kerry or the guy taking over for Ted who is 110% commited to voting for Obamacare. In fact, all 3 of them are. Writing any of them a letter is pointless. In fact, the best thing I can do is support the Republican against Tsongas, and even then, it may not be exactly a victory for liberty if he wins, only time would tell. There's little many of us can do. We didn't lose these battles, America did. Basically I think Obamacare will definately pass. We'll feel the taxation ASAP and Obama will use that money to fund other things until the whole thing goes into effect in 2014. Maybe we can position things so that we can over turn this bill before it comes to full fruition, by electing more pro-liberty Republican's in 2010 and then a president in 2012.

Posted 11/22/09 08:01 AM Bailey Wilmington, NC

I tried calling Kay Hagen in DC, 8 times at least, and finally got thru to her message box which was left full of course. This was the case for each of her offices, she just didnt want to hear from the serfs. Im not sure if calling is pointless in the long run, because it forces their hand as Kay Hagen sent out letters saying she opposes illegal immigration and any form of amnesty, then votes to keep funding sanctuary cities the very next week. Loads of phone calls scares em into exposing their lies and people begin to get angry about such blatant lies to the voters. This is good.

Posted 11/22/09 12:01 PM BruceKoerber Cedar Rapids, IA

Encourage your Senators to host town hall meetings to discuss this health care monstrosity with the people they claim to represent.

Posted 11/22/09 12:12 PM Brian Maple Grove, MN

At this point, I don't think it's going to do any good to protest, write or call... they still voted FOR this garbage and 97% of the time.. once a bill enters cloture, it passes. They won't get the 60 votes needed to amend everything... Reid will get the amendments necessary to get this garbage passed then they'll modify the 2 bills and we'll end up with govt. run healthcare. The ONLY chance now is to vote these clowns out of office in 2010 and 2012 then hopefully get conservative republicans to repeal this bill.. until then... we just pay higher taxes and higher premiums.

Posted 11/22/09 12:22 PM Paul S. Brighton, MI

Too many of us were busy jousting at windmills (trolls)or watching the troll war at another popular site to contact our Senators. Mea culpa.

Posted 11/22/09 1:24 PM galtgulch9 Southborough, MA

The only way to win is to mobilize fellow citizens who are amenable to our message to join us in passing the torch. Not that it is a waste of time to try to reason with our representatives and senators but they are under pressure from within their parties to toe the party line or risk losing support for their re election. Although the C4L grew exponentially in its first year its growth seems to have slowed to a steady gain of just about one hundred new members a day. At that rate it will take years to reach the tens of millions necessary to wrest power from those who oppress us. We do have the potential to double our numbers in a short time if each of us recruits daily by simply letting fellow citizens know of our existence. I find it fruitful to ask if someone knows of the C4L and then let them know that we believe the politicians fail to keep their oath of office to abide by the Constitution. Everyone evidently knows that to be the case. I tell them that our goal is to grow our numbers until we can replace them all. I point out that there were just 6,000 when i joined a year ago and that now there are over 223 thousand. I say that if we continue to grow exponentially as we have thus far there will be millions of us and then tens of millions of us in the near future. They are usually impressed and see the plausibility of it. I simply start up conversations with complete strangers while waiting on lines. What more can I say here to motivate the 223k to pass the torch each day.

Posted 11/22/09 5:10 PM Glenn Cumming, GA

I would rather C4L encourage its members to buy gold and silver with their FRNs rather than for television ads. My second choice would be support Antiwar.com's efforts. From the beginning, I've felt that all of the legislation being rushed through on healthcare, cap and trade, financial regulation, and stimulus are all designed to distract people from the problems that are structural. Central banking, unsound money, and counterfeiting are at the root of this society's ills. Despite these legislative nightmares, my time is better spent becoming independent and rejecting the U.S. Government. Of course, I pay attention to everything put forth by Dr. Paul. However, these are the three things I can control: 1. Put my household on a sound money system and reduce use of FRNs and the fractional-reerve banking and finance system 2. Learn all I can about the Federal Income Tax and uphold the law 3. Prepare for difficult times - guns, ammo, water, food, emergency supplies We are coming up on the end of the 18 month window that Dr. Paul posited for something really big to happen in a speech he gave in June 2008. People in America are going to suffer immensely shortly. I don't plan on being one of them.

Posted 11/22/09 6:25 PM Proud Reaganite Ypsilanti, MI

It makes me sick to my stomach that this fascist piece of legislation even made it this far and I hope that these "moderate" Dems like Mary Landrieu, Blanche Lincoln, and Ben Nelson are thrown out of office.

Posted 11/22/09 6:58 PM Candy Wingard Ira Township, MI

We do something that's what we do. Get a phone bank together with active members in your county.(1, 2, 4 people, 12 whatever the number may be) Get your two us senators phone numbers, fax numbers and email addreses for Washington DC and their local offices. Have the phone bank party at a members house, shop, garage, local meeting place and have fun and give each other support. Or if need be have each active member do it at home which is not the best incentive and not the most fun. Do it for a week straight for a few hours 11 - 2 as long as you can, do it until they vote it down. Start by calling all your inactive county members, no phone number, email them. Ask them to help with our Phone Blitz to save our healthcare. Ask them to call their senators and call others in their neigborhood, city, and county. If they can't attend the phone bank party ask them to call from home. Call when the children are in bed, Can't call long distance call their local office, email and fax. Talk to their neighbors, friends, family, co-workers, facebook, myspace, what ever vehicle they can use for the mission. Then call others, use the white pages or any lists you have, call your family, friends and co-workers. Ask each person how many calls they can make. Chart your contacts to show everyone how the work we are doing is paying off. Maybe # of contacts can be posted on each state page and/or on the National home page. Get the C4L base activted. Contact everyone you can (the more contacts the more positive results) Main interest when calling .... are they against the current healthcare reform bill, if yes let them know we are attempting to call everyone in our neighborhood across the country asking them to call their u.s. senators daily if possible, ask them to call others to do the same....on and on and on. Show them who is boss... show them who will be voting in 2010. 1/3 of senators are up for reelction every two years. Let them know what we think, There are more of us (approximately 300 million people versus 100 senators........It's a no brainer. If National can't help do it anyway!! We can post our own numbers and we can check other states to see how well each state is doing. Or will we write blogs, complain, talk, scrutinize, read websites and take no action? I challenge all counties, across the land of the free and home of the brace. Then we can bask in our glory (not for too long though we have more work to do) when the Healthcare bill is stopped dead in it's tracks. We will succeed, we will win, we will be free! Standing for Liberty

Posted 11/22/09 7:30 PM m00nmaster Scotch Plains, NJ

There's no point in contacting the Senators in NJ. They are so far left that they will vote for anything, so long as it's the "Democratic" plan. We need to focus our efforts on the swing votes from the beginning to the end.

Posted 11/22/09 7:41 PM usapatriot Milton, VT

I feel the same way that many do in that the best I can hope for from my two senators and representative (Vermont) is that they might read the bills before they vote "Yes". I'll continue to do my part to spread the message of The Campaign for Liberty, but I think Glenn from Georgia has a point. The mass and momentum of those that support huge government, corporatism and irresponsible fiscal and monetary policy isn't going to be stopped overnight. While we work to spread the message of freedom, it would also be wise to prepare ourselves for the inevitable consequences of the government's policy decisions. People accuse me of spreading doom and gloom, but we have jaw-dropping federal deficits with no hope of a balanced budget in the near future. We have a ticking time bomb of Medicare and Social Security liabilities, and now it looks like more government spending on this healthcare monstrosity. The power elite in the country can try to put a positive spin on our economic prospects and the dollar, but I haven't yet heard a convincing argument. At any rate, I'm taking precautions against high or hyper inflation by keeping up my inventory of tangible supplies, mainly food and fuel which will be some of the first things to see the price shocks.

Posted 11/22/09 9:17 PM galtgulch9 Southborough, MA

It has been mentioned to buy gold and silver. I love them both but I have been reading the thoughts of Ted Butler, a long time silver analyst and advocate at the www.investmentrarities.com website, especially his articles entitled Industrial Panic for Silver and The Biggest Factor in the Future Price of Silver which have links under Special Reports on that site. Evidently there is a massive naked short position held by one bank, inherited from the Bear Sterns era, and at some point it must be resolved but doing so will drive the price of silver quite a bit up. One can still avail oneself of silver coins, bars, bullion at many sources. I like APMEX in OKlahoma www.apmex.com where you can order online and see every coin front and back, or obverse and reverse pictured on the site. They are reputable and reliable. Fun site to explore. It makes more sense than holding FRNs. Industrial demand exists and they only hold enough for week to week production.

Posted 11/23/09 08:53 AM cfox189 Princeton, NJ

Which states are likely to pass legislation to ignore the health care bill? I think I remember Arizona getting mentioned. I am starting to think we do need to concentrate our efforts at the state level. I've started looking into the Free State Project. Has anyone here heard anything positive or negative about the project?

Posted 11/23/09 11:43 AM NJGRLS4RONPAUL Oakhurst, NJ

This is so disturbing. I'm worried so much for my country due to the Marxist anti-American "representatives" that are pushing these horrible bills through. A friend of mine is going to be passing out literature during black Friday all day. Although I'm worried and pretty sure they will get some piece of crap health care bill through, I refuse to give up and just let it happen! We really do need to hold a huge protest in D.C. again...soon.

Posted 11/23/09 2:32 PM anarchocapitalist Acworth, GA

Remember the part of the Titanic where the end of the boat is sticking straight up out of the water with the hero and heroine clinging for dear life? That is were things stand. It is too late.

Posted 11/23/09 3:50 PM Ted Kirkpatrick Manassas, VA

cfox, Virginia is drawing up a law to exactly that and already has a sponsor lined up in the House of Delegates. It is working on a law similar to the Montana gun law and has a sponsor for that also. Check it out: www.va10thamendment.com

Posted 11/23/09 4:36 PM Paul S. Brighton, MI

The Senate is a different issue. There is a lot to be said for the original Constitution regarding appointment and counsel by the State Legislatures. Besides, the 17th Amendment doesn’t supersede the original wording. In a contract two conflicting clauses can be resolved. Contacting State legislatures with our concerns about a mandated participation in a Federal health care monopoly is important. State governments are struggling also as more and more of the income produced in the state is siphoned off to Washington DC. And never coming home. State legislatures can help. They can as legislators speak to our Senators. Groudswell it is.

Posted 11/23/09 4:52 PM anarchocapitalist Acworth, GA

There are so many problems with the way our society is organized it is hard to know where to start in the monumental task of correcting them. We must look to the source of the problem: Violence i.e. intitiated force. All statutory law is violence. The only valid law is natural and contractual. A constitution is not a contract, Paul S. I didn't sign it. Did you? The only way to do away with statutory law is to do away with the entities that create it. Constitutions create those entities so we need to get rid of them too. Seemingly paradoxically, the bottom line is that the only moral way to organize society is not to organize it at all. Let people be free to live their lives as they see fit as long as they don't harm another. Simple really.

Posted 11/23/09 10:07 PM cfox189 Princeton, NJ

Ted, Thanks for sharing that. It's great to see some of the states working to prevent the unconstitutional growth of the national gov.