Obama’s Political Operation Pressuring Congress To Back Public Option
Okay, this is interesting: Obama’s political operation is about to unleash a wave of emails pressuring members of Congress, Democrats included, to vote for the House health care bill. And, notably, it explicitly singles out the bill’s provision containing a public option.
The move is interesting because Organizing for America — and Obama himself — have been criticized for not throwing enough weight behind the provision.
The new email, to go out from OFA chief Mitch Stewart, calls on Obama’s supporters to flood their members of Congress with calls in support of the House health care bill:
The House’s first full vote on health reform legislation may come as early as this week. It’ll be the first time in more than 60 years that the full body votes on comprehensive reform, and we expect it to be very close…
Can you call your representative right now and tell them to vote in favor of real health insurance reform?…
The House bill incorporates the best ideas from Democrats and Republicans to guarantee security and stability for those with insurance, provide affordable options for those without — including the choice of a public insurance option — and reduce costs for families and small businesses, all while decreasing the deficit.
Many representatives are standing with the President and fighting hard for reform. They need to know that they have our thanks and our support.
To be sure, the final tell will be whether Obama puts his prestige on the line to persuade centrist Dems to get behind the public option if the Dem Senate leadership can’t put together 60 votes for a bill with a public option in it, and subsequently, when the House and Senate merge their bills in conference.
But public option enthusiasts should be cheered by the fact that Obama’s political operation is explicitly calling on lawmakers to back the public option and describing it as “real reform.”
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“o be sure, the final tell will be whether Obama puts his prestige on the line to persuade centrist Dems to get behind the public option if the Dem Senate leadership can’t put together 60 votes for a bill with a public option in it,”
Maybe for you. He’s pushing for it – Jeez. When is enough enough?
And as soon as I receive that email, I will make the calls — and will get all my friends and relatives to do so as well.
Greg, I am cheered, thanks for joining me in the spirit of positive thinking today.
Meanwhile, Bachmann continues to rally her troops for Thursday on Fox and Friends or Fox News or whatever we call it these days. Interview by none other than her former babysitee.
“During the Fox infomercial “interview,” Bachmann employed her usual colorful, over-the-top commentary to decry health reform. The health care vote is the “Super Bowl of freedom,” she said, and voters must mobilize to defeat the Democrats’ “crown jewel of socialism.”
http://thinkprogress.org/
Tena, I’m never satisfied.
greggy, it’s not your job to be satisfied.
“the “Super Bowl of freedom,” ”
O I really hope that means she’s going to dress up as a cheerleader.
Good to know. I think.
So, has Fox Propaganda Network been talking much about the special election going on in California?
Maybe they did. I just might have missed it.
California is trying out vote by mail? Kewl.
Sources around me are saying Mickey Mouse is so let down by Obama’s lack of bi-partisanship, he’s voting for McDonnell in VA this week.
“The House bill incorporates the best ideas from Democrats and Republicans to…reduce costs for families.”
?
I haven’t heard of anything in there that will lower my premium or reduce the cost of health care.
Timing. It’s called “timing.” It’s a concept lost on self-described “progressives” but it’s kind of important.
well we he call for support of the Kucinich and Sanders amendments allowing state single payer initiatives or not. Pelosi, the sneak, pulled the Kucinich amendment from the House bill last Thurs without discussion. Call her at 415-556-4852 telling her to reinstate it please
The GOP is a wholly owned subsidiary of Corporate America.
The fact remains that big insurance by refusing care to patients and reimbursement to doctors over typos has ticked everyone off. They have a monopoly over the whole process and a well financed lobby team (including Lieberman’s wife) and representatives on both sides of the isle.
A friend of mine recently laid off just he and his spouse is paying $2,500.00 dollars a month for his COBRA. Health insurance costs more than his mortgage. Anyone taking up the insurance industry’s cause doesn’t know what they are talking about.
If you think the insurance companies are going to voluntarily lower their cost while having a monopoly over the process – you are being disingenuous …Over 60% of all US bankruptcies are attributable to medical problems. Most victims are middle class, well educated and have health insurance – (The American Journal of Medicine)
The insurance companies and their representatives in Congress would love to perpetuate a business model that is crippling our overall economy – a bunch of great Americans aren’t they?
90% of the wealth concentrated in 1% of the population is no way to run a country but a heck of a way to establish a royalty ruling class. Yacht sales can not sustain 350 million people. I’m for the public option, competition and a level playing field or break up the big insurers like we did AT&T.
Paul Burke
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