Senate Vote to Spotlight Swing-State Dems

Sen. Mitch McConnell has apparently succeeded in forcing a Senate vote on the repeal of Obamacare, which he has offered as an amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill. Harry Reid says the vote will take place between 5 and 6 p.m. tomorrow, eastern time.
The Hill reports that heavy pressures are being brought to bear on Democrats who are up for re-election next year:

The Tea Party group FreedomWorks is calling on activists to flood the office phones of Sens. Nelson, Tester, Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Jim Webb (D-Va.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) to call on them to vote for the repeal amendment. …
“There are a number of Democrats up for reelection in 2012 who need to hear from the American people right now,” [Senator Jim] DeMint wrote in an e-mail to supporters Tuesday, singling out Ben Nelson, Tester, Webb, McCaskill and Manchin. “They may not want to listen, but it’s important that they know you will repeal them at the ballot box if they don’t help us repeal the bill.”

All 47 Republicans are expected to vote for repeal. The Democrats say they are confident all 53 of their members will vote No, but here is a prediction: at least two will be given permission to defect in order to preserve their chances in 2012. In Missouri, for example, where Claire McCaskill is up next year, a ballot initiative to exempt the state from Obamacare’s individual mandate passed with more than 70 percent of the vote.

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