Obama's Health Care Problem: Which Side Are You On Boys?

SEIU prez Andrew Stern is threatening to "go independent" on local races to oppose Dems who oppose Prez Obama's healthcare reform bill. New York is a fusion voting state, which has empowered third parties like the New York Independence Party, Conservative Party and Working Families Party.  Meanwhile, former Dem La Plata County Colorado Commissioner Joelle Riddle didn't threaten -- she went independent for real.

HEALTH CARE, OBAMA AND LABOR

• Health Care, The Final Act (Talk Talk with Fred Newman and Jackie Salit)
• Union Chief Warns He’ll Back Independent Candidates Against Democrats Opposed to Health Care (By STEVEN GREENHOUSE, NY Times/The Caucus)
• Liberals warn Dems on health care (By: Ben Smith and Gabriel Beltrone, Politico)
• SI rep under pressure on health care reform (Richmond County Elections 2010 Examiner, John Signoriello)

COLORADO

• Caucuses picking delegates today (by Garrett Andrews, Durango Herald) And though the herd of Democrats running to replace Joelle Riddle as La Plata County's District 1 Commissioner won't be thinned today, the party might get a better idea of how the candidates will fare at the County Assembly, Walter said. Riddle - who cut ties with the Democratic Party in August 2009 and is suing to have her name listed as an Independent on the November ballot - is slated to appear as a write-in in November. She currently faces a field of four Democrats: Dryside water lawyer Bruce Baizel, south Durango resident Chris Dolphin, former Durango City Councilor Scott Graham and cattleman author Jeff Mannix.

NEW YORK

• Paladino heads for crucial meeting, Hopes to win over Conservative leaders (By Robert J. McCarthy, BUFFALO NEWS POLITICAL REPORTER) The Independence Party, expected to eventually back Democratic Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo for governor, now occupies the critical third line on the ballot — behind the Democrats and Republicans. Occupying the third line is considered extremely beneficial as the state’s “major minor party.”
• Fusion Voting in New York, the Working Families Party & Close Elections (by: DavidNYC, Swing State Project) There are fewer small parties today than in the past, and only three of them matter: the Conservative Party, the Independence Party, and the Working Families Party.
• Panel to revise New York City Charter to host first public meeting this week (By Tom Wrobleski, SI Advance)
• Long's Dilemma (BY ELIZABETH BENJAMIN, Daily News/Daily Politics) The Working Families Party, usually allied with the Democrats, still has the US attorney's probe hanging over its head. Ditto for the state Independence Party, which endorsed Eliot Spitzer for governor in 2006 after its founder and patron, Tom Golisano, decided against a fourth statewide wide.

BLOGOSPHERE

• No More Politics as Usual! Get Political News and Views for Independent Voters at PoliticalCentrist.com (Press Release, PoliticalCentrist.com) "Reasonable ideas from reasonable people"
• Exploring The Mood Gap (Hotline)