The grassroots responds to the public option "compromise"
Posted on December 9th, 2009 by Jason Rosenbaum in Congress Watch
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At 4:45 pm last night, Health Care for America Now sent out an email asking our supporters to oppose the so-called compromise being negotiated in the Senate. Four hours later, over 30,000 people had signed on. This morning, we're up well over 40,000.
The response has been tremendous. Here's what people are saying opposing this so-called compromise:
- From Patti in California: "My son needs the public option! Please remember that young adults (part-time students & part-time work) need to have health care too!"
- From Cheyenne in Ohio: "Do not let the public option die! Please fight."
- From Michelle in Texas: "Tell Sen. Lieberman NO! It would be nice to know how much money he's received from insurance monopolies to betray his party and the American people on the Public Health Care Option."
- Nancy in New York: "The vast majority of the American People WANT a public option. Give it to us or we will remember this in Nov 2010!"
- Lois in Texas: "How can one guy stop the whole process that millions of Americans want! NO!"
All of this points to a fact those in the Senate considering this "compromise" would do well to remember: The public option is extremely popular in America, and a significant portion of those who say they oppose health reform say so because this plan does not go far enough.
For example, a Quinnipiac poll released today showed that voters disapprove of the health reform proposal under consideration by a 52-38 margin, but voters support giving people the choice of a public option by 56-38.
Nate Silver wrote about the fact that a good amount of disaproval is coming from the left, using a recent Ipsos poll:
Ipsos, however, did something that no other pollster has done. They asked the people who opposed the bill why they opposed it: because they are opposed to health care reform and thought the bill went too far? Or because they support health care reform but thought the bill didn't go far enough?
It turns out that a significant minority of about 25 percent of the people who opposed the plan — or about 12 of the overall sample — did so from the left; they thought the plan didn't go far enough.
Senators need to keep in mind these trends because the grassroots has spoken. If anything, the reform plans on the table don't go far enough. Any further compromise - especially a"compromise" which just replaces the public option with private insurance and leaves those under 55 at the mercy of these profiteering companies - has been thoroughly rejected by the American people.
Add your name to the growing grassroots chorus against this so-called compromise. Tell the Senate that they can't let one Senator - Joe Lieberman - stand in the way of what America overwhelmingly wants.
We delivered a first batch of names to the Senate last night, and we'll be doing more over the next few days. They will hear your voice. Click here to sign and make your voice heard.
The Senate won't be swayed by a grassroots petition. The way forward seems to be to have the House vote down this proposal. Then if Obama wants health care reform, he'll have to advocate for something good with a public option. That will probably mean going the budget reconciliation route in the senate.
This is all about getting everyone in Congress - House and Senate - to realize what people think.
Jason, you lost this debate because you talked politics, rather than policy. Instead of picketing lobbyist conventions every week, HCAN should have used its resources to explain to middle-of-the-road Americans why a public option would work to control costs. Waving signs outside hotels and putting out glossy ads about the evil industry did nothing but preach to the choir.
I pretty heavily disagree. Most of America supports the public option, and they got sold on the idea during the Presidential campaign. They continue to support the idea. So I don't think the issue here is one of America not wanting or understanding the policy.
The issue here, truly, is the insurance industry. Right now, they've got a Senator deeply in their pocket, and we can't get what we want with that situation in place.
Now that's a pretty bold statement. "Most of America supports the public option." More and more American's are waking up to the financially impossible reality of social programs. And an option that everyone has to pay for, but only some receive is a little thing called redistribution of wealth. Stay out of my pockets.
Go looking for the root of the problem. Look into the regulation that has turned healthcare into "the healthcare system". Like that cesspool is an official institution or something. Then take a look at how the insurance companies take advantage of it to take you and the companies that you work for to the cleaners. It's sickening.
Aside from the financial impossibility, all you end up doing is creating a path for the government to funnel money into the healthcare system. Yeah, that's going to fix things.
I came to this website to see what reasoning folks have for this and all I found is political slogans and rhetoric.
It's really not a bold statement. Every poll says it's true.
Trevor, I'll never understand why conservatives always believe that the public agrees with them, when in fact this is demonstrably untrue. You believe that all government programs are evil. I have news for you: the majority of the public disagrees with you.
Hold the health insurance industry accountable. They do not have to report any data regarding operations, they are exempt from fair trade laws, they are able to buy any kind of legislation they want, and their business practices of promising a lot but delivering far less amounts to capitalizing deceipt. Competition is another example of deceipt because they do not deliver anything of value to systemic management of healthcare.
Lieberman and his type: 1) I have money but YOU pay for my coverage. 2) I talk the family values-compassionate conservative talk but my fellow man can't afford coverage? Too bad. I have coverage, I don't care about anyone else. Poor American citizen, screw you, DIE QUICKLY! A rich conservative needs the doctor more than you!