The more I've been thinking about the events of the last 36 hours, the more I'm convinced that instead of focusing on killing the bill, it might be a better idea to spend our energy on improving it.
As Pete Starr writes today, the fact remains that despite weakened legislation and disappointments, there are still hugely positive things in the bill for the poor and working classes especially -- bleeding over into the middle class. Mainly subsidies and an expansion of Medicaid.
I don't know if the progressive movement would benefit from stripping poor, working and middle class Americans of subsidies that would save them thousands of dollars per year.
The objective from here ought to involve improving the subsidies, improving the reforms, filling loopholes, fighting for a public option (attached to a budget bill perhaps) and the expansion of Medicare, and working to elect more progressives to Congress.
Adding... For example, a family of four earning $38,500 will qualify for subsidies that will reduce insurance premiums from around $9,880 annually to around $2,000. A family of four earing $60,000 will see their annual premium reduced from $9,880 to around $5,240 via subsidies in the Senate bill. This is very important. Do we endeavor to yank these subsidies away by killing the bill, or do we pass the subsidies and work to improve the bill?
Edited for clarity.