Kossacks, the public option "compromise" that's been floating around is not a good thing. Yes, Medicare buy-in is a good idea. But it's not a substitute for the public health insurance option. It would leave most of America at the mercy of private insurance. It's not a win.
So far, Senators and media personalities have weighed in on this idea. Now it's your turn. Senators must know that we are not giving up the fight for a public health insurance option. The House still has to agree to this deal. There's more fight to be fought.
So please, click the banner at the top of this page and tell us why you don't support this so-called compromise. Everyone in DC needs to hear from you today.
Follow through the jump for what your fellow grassroots progressives have been saying.
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 <span style="font-style: italic;">didn't go far enough</span>.
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.
(also posted at the NOW! blog)
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