Stand Up For The Public Option

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Other Politics
Posted on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 12:39:49 PM EST
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If you are so inclined, you can support the Progressive Caucus monetarily AND tell them expressly why you are so doing here:

These are the progressive members of Congress with the guts to stand up to Big Insurance, Big Pharma and to the pressure from their own party bosses. They stood with the American people and ordinary working families when push came to shove and both political parties decided propping up a disastrous health care system and a corrupt Insurance Industry was more important than keeping the promise made over and over to working families. These were the men and women who promised to vote against any health care reform bill that didn't include, at the minimum, a robust public option. 57 signed a letter to Speaker Pelosi and 18 took the FDL Pledge.

[More...]

Democratic members of Congress need to understand that a healthcare reform bill with a Public Option is simply not an option-- it's a requirement. The congressmembers on this list have said in no uncertain terms that they will not vote for a bill without a public option all the way through Conference. That takes courage, and we need to show them how much we appreciate them for doing so. Please make a contribution-- and thanks for everything else you're doing for the public option.

I think it is worthwhile and will be kicking in some dollars, something I rarely do (I am a cheap b*stard.) Speaking for me only of course.

< With "Supporters" Like This, The Public Option Does Not Need Opponents | Sen. Feingold: Won't Support Health Care Bill Without Public Option >

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Stand Up For The Public Option | 27 comments (27 topical)

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Interesting (5.00 / 1) (#10)
by jbindc on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 01:10:17 PM EST

Checking out a few on that list and their top 5 contributors for the 2008 cycle:

Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick - Blue Cross / Blue Shield of Michigan

Lloyd Doggett - Pharmaceutical Rsrch & Mfrs of America, American College of Radiology, Acute Long Term Hospital Assn

Bob Filner - American Chiropractic Assn

Jesse Jackson, Jr. - The Horton Group

Bill Pascrell - American Optometric Assn

Linda Sanchez - TwinMed

Pete Stark - American Academy of Family Physicians, American Assn of Clinical Urologists,
American Assn of Nurse Anesthetists,
American Assn of Orthopaedic Surgeons,
American College of Cardiology

Ed Towns - United HealthGroup, Pfizer, Inc.

Nydia M Velazquez - American Assn of Orthodontists

Thanks for the link (none / 0) (#1)
by dead dancer on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 12:43:45 PM EST

Thanks cheap b*stard (no disrespect intended). I will definitely kick in a few bucks.

Cheap or just economical? (none / 0) (#2)
by andgarden on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 12:47:56 PM EST

Something unsavory to me... (none / 0) (#3)
by kdog on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 12:50:40 PM EST

about that actblue page...pictures of reps with a dollar box next to their names. That's the game I guess, but it is kinda gross to look at, ain't it? Feels like they're asking for a bribe in a way.

We'll never even be able to match what big insurance and big pharma is putting in those boxes...that much I know. If it is all about the Benjamins we're gonna keep on losin' like we've been losin' for 60 years.

Well, (none / 0) (#4)
by bocajeff on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 12:55:15 PM EST

It can be matched by those on the progressive side. It just isn't being matched. George Soros and his friends have a few extra bucks laying around. Hmmm, come to think about it, I wonder why...


Soros is funding HCAN (none / 0) (#5)
by andgarden on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 12:59:30 PM EST

He just gave them $5M a week or two ago.


I guess... (none / 0) (#7)
by kdog on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 01:03:26 PM EST

but insurance and pharma are buying something tangible that is a direct benefit to them when they contribute...favorable legislation. It's a bribe.

Nothing in it for the rich libs of the world outside the industry except the joy of giving, and I'm sure they could do more good on the healthcare front giving to a free clinic than a House rep who may or may not deliver anything.


And what does Mr. Soros (none / 0) (#12)
by Jjc2008 on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 01:44:42 PM EST

get personally out of Health Care for All Americans.

If you cannot see the difference between Insurance lobbies buying legislators, and a well to do American supporting policies that benefit the middle class, then you truly are naive.


Personally... (none / 0) (#16)
by kdog on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 01:54:14 PM EST

I think George wasted that 5 million on HCAN, you could fund a free clinic for awhile on 5 million and do some real good.

I can't speak for all "political action commitees", but I worked for one as a door to door fundraiser(for one day) and all I could smell was "racket"...so I bolted as fast as I could. I just can't stomach selling promises I have no control over delivering.


: Well I worked for years (none / 0) (#27)
by Jjc2008 on Wed Aug 19, 2009 at 10:11:13 PM EST

for my teachers' organization. We raised money to lobby for things teachers thought were important. No promises. Just hard work. People who understand how democracy works should know there are no guarantees. But the truth is that if people don't work for what they think is right, then there is no democracy.

Explain please (none / 0) (#6)
by coast on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 01:02:15 PM EST

Why is one considered couragous for supporting a piece of legislation that only partly meets the standard set out in the party's own platform? Especially a platform that is supposedly backed by a majority in the House and Senate.

: Obama and the Democrats in Congress (none / 0) (#20)
by Cards In 4 on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 02:36:31 PM EST

know that no matter what is passed their supporters are not going to vote for Republicans. Their base is locked in and they only care about keeping the independents.
They will pass a weak tea bill and declare victory. Baucas and Tester and Nelson know the only danger to their positions is from the right and their left will have no choice but to vote for them since the alternatives are worse.

When they pass the legislation (none / 0) (#8)
by TeresaInSnow2 on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 01:06:11 PM EST

I'll contribute.

I'm abiding by the "make em buy the cow, don't give the milk for free" scenario.

Talk is cheap. They don't need my donation for that.

Lynn Woolsey just got a nice (none / 0) (#9)
by Stellaaa on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 01:08:01 PM EST

gift. Thanks for the link.

McDermott (none / 0) (#11)
by TeresaInSnow2 on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 01:27:45 PM EST

is the only member from Washington... huh.

: Pretty telling, isn't it? (none / 0) (#22)
by shoephone on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 02:57:33 PM EST

I'm very disappointed Jay Insleee and Rick Larsen are not offically signed on with this. As for two of the others, at least Baird and Smith have been talking to their constituents but they are "New Democrats," essentially the same as Blue Dogs.
Have you noticed that we have not heard one peep out of Norm Dicks on the health care issue? Pathetic. He only comes out to play when there is money being passed from the taxpayers to the military/defense industry in his district.

My congressman (none / 0) (#13)
by CST on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 01:45:01 PM EST

isn't there.

Michael "some of my constituents have robbed some of your banks" Capuono, who represents most of Boston is though - so I'll send him a present.

Do most cities divide into multiple districts? It seems weird to me that Boston does, it's not that big.

: Mine is there, but (5.00 / 1) (#21)
by Cream City on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 02:47:33 PM EST

based on experience, which I still value, I'll believe the vote when I see it.

: Easy to explain why (none / 0) (#14)
by andgarden on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 01:52:18 PM EST

lots of Democrats in Boston to spread around. Also, lots of MA Congressmen live in and around the city.
If you've got a big city with not many districts, you can assume that the Republicans drew the map.

: They do (none / 0) (#18)
by Ga6thDem on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 02:05:37 PM EST

it here with Atlanta.

Does anyone know the (none / 0) (#15)
by dk on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 01:52:35 PM EST

definition of "robust" in this sentence?

These were the men and women who promised to vote against any health care reform bill that didn't include, at the minimum, a robust public option.

I'm not being snarky. I'm actually curious. Were there specific parameters (i.e. number of people for whom the public option is available, etc.) provided?

"Robust" is like "porn" (5.00 / 2) (#25)
by TeresaInSnow2 on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 04:06:43 PM EST

You know it when you see it.

The steps as I'd like to see them

Establish the concept that a public option will exist, administered by the government.
Show me proposals of what and who will be covered.

I'll then take a look and tell them if proposals are robust/acceptable.

The "public option" is one place where I might accept some incrementalism. As long as it exists in a fairly robust (I'll know it when I see it) form, then the insurance companies will always be under threat that govt insurance could be expanded. The threat in itself may create enough pressure on them that it will control premiums.

I've been on the individual insurance market since about 1994. H. Clinton's healthcare push, even while not successful, may have been enough to "threaten" insurance companies during Bill's tenure, because my premium rates didn't go up greatly during that time. However as soon as Bush entered office, the sky became the limit.

I don't know the deals Obama made with insurance, but the insurance companies seem very, very happy. I suspect the only thing that will counteract those deals is a "public" option, in some form. I don't trust anything else.


: Priceless (none / 0) (#26)
by Militarytracy on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 05:59:12 PM EST

No, no one knows. They (none / 0) (#17)
by masslib on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 01:56:00 PM EST

will do hoops around it, but no one knows, because nothing coming out of any committee in Congress has anything more than what is a weak, and probably unsustainable, public option.


Heck, I'm still trying to figure out (none / 0) (#19)
by Anne on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 02:27:11 PM EST

what "public option" means as uttered by everyone from Obama to members of the House and Senate to the media and bloggers and commenters...

I think we're definitely through the looking glass now...

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less."
"The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things."
"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master - - that's all."
(Through the Looking Glass, Chapter 6)

And:

"I quite agree with you," said the Duchess; "and the moral of that is--'Be what you would seem to be'--or if you'd like it put more simply--'Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise.'"
"I think I should understand that better," Alice said very politely, "`if I had it written down: but I can't quite follow it as you say it."
"That's nothing to what I could say if I chose," the Duchess replied, in a pleased tone.
"Pray don't trouble yourself to say it any longer than that," said Alice.
(Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 9)

I may just have to re-read these books.


They often use the ... (none / 0) (#24)
by Robot Porter on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 03:45:49 PM EST

word to describe coffee.

Most coffee is weak and watered-down. Even the stuff they call "robust".

Expect the "robust" public option to be similar.


Wow, about half of them are members (none / 0) (#23)
by Militarytracy on Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 03:31:34 PM EST

of Rush Limbaugh's lazy black caucus. Amazing how they found the energy to stand up for the only thing that has a chance of benefitting all Americans. Also, do you have to be a minority in order to have guts in this country now? When it comes to doing the right thing, white people are strangely absent from this group standing up to corporations that are killing people for profit...WTF?