More Politics of Health Care

A couple of our recent polls suggest that Democrats who vote against health care might get some of the blame for it back home anyway. In Dan Boren's Congressional district only 30% of his constituents could correctly identify that he opposed it, with 32% thinking he voted yes, and 38% unsure. In Larry Kissell's only 29% knew he voted against it with 44% under the impression he had supported it and 28% unsure.

There's no doubt- at least in these two districts- that the Congressmen should want their constituents to know they voted no. Boren leads Daniel Edmonds just 39-37 with people who think he voted for the bill, but has a 45-26 advantage with those who know he voted against it. Kissell trails Harold Johnson 47-45 with people who think he supported the health care plan but leads 60-33 with the ones who know he voted against it.

It looks like Boren and Kissell will have to spend a lot of money this fall touting their independence from Democratic leadership on some of these key issues, because for now their constituents just aren't aware of it. And if the message that they aren't lockstep Pelosi voters is what they want to get out, they need to define themselves before their Republican opponents get the chance.