It doesn't surprise me how stupid some Democrats can be, and how incredibly tone-deaf they ARE to our pain as Americans in having to wade through the bureaucracy of private insurance companies, fighting denial of claims, working to raise money through our families to cover what they refuse to cover, and having to drop dimes and pennies into that plastic tip jar at 7-11 for that little boy or girl who has cancer.
When these so-called Democrats have lived in the Washington bubble for so long, enjoying their heavily subsidized [by us the taxpayers] private health insurance under FEHBP, they become immune to our pain. It's time to let them know we're ANGRY AS HELL that they're trying to sell us out on the public option by working to have it as a "fall-back" plan and watering it down for the benefit of the murder-by-spreadsheet private insurance industry.
Enough is enough. The public option IS the line in the sand for me. It's time for us to beat their asses down on this today. Their stupidity cannot and will NOT be tolerated by me.
This is Senator Ben Nelson from Nebraska, who is proudly one of the most stupid Democrats in the United States Senate. Here's what he saidabout the public option as an essential part of health care reform yesterday:
Senator Ben Nelson, a Nebraska Democrat and another member of the finance committee, said he favors the idea of a "trigger" that would expand government-provided health insurance only if other new attempts at expanding health-care coverage through the private sector appear inadequate. Nelson said he is wary of a big expansion of the government’s role in providing care.
The public option, he said, should be seen as a "backup."
You know what? Pardon my language, but f*ck that. The public option should NOT be a back-up or used as a trigger after SEVEN years, as Senators Nelson and Snowe wants it to be, if the private insurance companies fail to offer us comprehensive, affordable coverage.
Please CALL Senator Ben Nelson below at (202) 224-6551 and let him know that you don't agree with him on using the public option as a back-up.
- Tell Senator Ben Nelson that you DO NOT want the trigger for the public option, and that you want him to support a strong, robust Medicare-like public option.
Senator Max Baucus, the pet stooge for the murder-by-spreadsheet industry, seems to agree with Senator Nelson on the possibility of the public option as a "fall-back":
Committee Chairman Max Baucus, a Montana Democrat, said the idea of treating a public plan as a fallback is under consideration. "That’s an option," he said. "It’s on the table."
Please CALL Senator Max Baucus at (202) 224-2651 with this message below:
Tell Senator Baucus that you DO NOT want a strong, robust Medicare-like public option as a "fall-back" option, and that you WANT the public option RIGHT NOW in health care reform, and that it won't be real health care reform without a strong, robust Medicare-like public option.
I also heard that Senator Sherrod Brown is helping lead the 30 Senate Democrats in support of a strong, robust Medicare-like public option. I'd like for you to please CALL him at (202) 224-2315 with this message below:
Thank Senator Brown for supporting a strong, robust Medicare-like public option and that you want him and the 30 other Senate Democrats to vote against any health care reform bill that does NOT include the public option or has a watered-down public option or has the public option as a "trigger" or "fall-back" option.
Also, please CALL Senator Charles Schumer at (202) 224-6542 with this message below:
Ask Senator Schumer to support a strong, robust Medicare-like public option, and that you want him and the 30 other Senate Democrats to vote against any health care reform bill that does NOT include the public option or has a watered-down public option or has the public option as a "trigger" or "fall-back" option.
Now, the good news is that Senator Edward Kennedy is coming back to the Senate in June, and I think it's time for us to ask him to help lead by supporting a strong, robust Medicare-like public option. So, please CALL Senator Edward Kennedy at (202) 224-4543 with this message below:
Say how glad that you are that Senator Kennedy is back to help lead the fight for health care reform. Ask him to support a strong, robust Medicare-like public option because you need it as an American. Ask him to lead this effort to support the Medicare-like public option, and that you want him and the 30 other Senate Democrats to vote against any health care reform bill that does NOT include the public option or has a watered-down public option or has the public option as a "trigger" or "fall-back" option.
If you would like to call more Senators and the White House in support of a strong, robust Medicare-like public option, please check out my diary from yesterday which contains their phone numbers and the phone number of the White House.
I'll include the comments line for the White House here again. Please ask President Obama to fight for us in support of a strong, robust Medicare-like public option in health care reform, and that you need him to lead on this. Tell him the public option is the line in the sand for you, and that it won't be real health care reform without the public option.
CALL the White House at: 202-456-1111 and E-MAIL them as well!
Remember, we're up against the murder-by-spreadsheet industry who's scared of the public option, and they're gearing up a HUGE media attack on the public option.
We can do it. We can FIGHT for a strong, robust Medicare-like public option. You with me? You with millions of Americans ready to fight the mother of all battles on this? Great!
Make those calls today!
EDIT: Please also take the time to VOTE UP these questions below to ask the Congressional Progressive Caucus tomorrow night as Darcy Burner mentioned they'll be doing tomorrow night:
Will you vote AGAINST a reform plan without the public option?
Will you fight inevitable watering down of HC legislation?