First, how do we thank you for your incredible generosity? We'll start by working even harder, every day.
We're going to continue to put up the donations page, because, truth be told, quite a few people slept better last night, and awoke energized, because you began to answer the serious and immediate need for funds.
So here again is the donations link: https://secure.firedoglake.com/...
If you have a few dollars to kick in, we're using it to Fight the Lobbyists.
Sadly, after a day in Washington, I need to report that health care reform is by no means guaranteed. There are huge, some would argue, almost insurmountable problems looming. What sort of bill will the Senate pass? How will the Senate and House be able to come up with a conference bill, given the huge chasm between the two versions that will likely emerge? These are huge unknowns filled with potentially deadly land mines.
We were told time and again, the only thing between us and defeat is huge citizen pressure--unbearable and uncomfortable pressure on those we elect to do our business. This is going to take manpower and funds.
So again, we are beyond grateful for the donations and we hope they will continue.
Before I recap the activities of today, here is what you need to know about where volunteers should wait on line for the Thursday markups. The consensus is that the real action will begin on Thursday. So volunteers are needed.
Thursday, July 16 Capitol Hill Battle Stations:
Ed and labor is 10am in Rayburn 2175
Ways and Means at 9am in Longworth 1100
Energy and Commerce at 2pm in Rayburn 2125
Like I said yesterday, if you can be there, please organize on the spot. Introduce yourself and try and ascertain whether others on line are also waiting for our side. If there appear to be a good number of people, then go to one of the other locations and scout out the situation. Give your cell phone number to whomever can be helpful in sorting out where volunteers are needed.
Let me say a word about making those in power uncomfortable, this is what it's all about.
The minute I arrived at Jane's house, she said, "well we must be doing something right, because I'm getting a ton of calls from people who aren't too happy." So our goal must be to keep the political class real uncomfortable. Americans who do not have access to healthcare--these are the seriously uncomfortable people, so to make a few politicians wince a bit, is my personal pleasure and our obligation as citizens.
Here's what happened today.
On the ground on Wednesday at Capitol Hill:
- Here's an email we just received. Friends, you have no idea what an emotional day this is for me and all of us. And look who is first on line. The bastards from Blue Cross!
Rob Hartmann is a hero. He was on line early, early this morning. We didn't get to the line until around 1Pm or so and there was Rob, holding a place for Hilda.
In case anyone needs to know, I'm here and it looks like I'm second in line (blue cross & shield has someone here already.)
- Rob Hartmann
Sent from my iPhone
- Here's a link to the Education and Labor Committee. This committee began its markup at 3PM and we were there.
Nataline Sarkisyan's parents were sitting in the front row, directly in front of the entire committee.
- Thanks to your generosity, we brought Nataline Sarkisyan's parents, Hilda Sarkisyan and her husband, to Washington last night. Hilda did an interview with Jim Acosta from CNN, and it will be on American Morning on Thursday. If anyone sees it please try and get it up on You Tube, and email me a link.
Here's Hilda Sarkisyan on MSNBC with David Shuster. This interview was live.
You guys made all this possible!
- Kent Conrad wants you to know that despite the fact that 76% of the American people want a public option, "there are not the votes in the Senate for it".
Jane and I managed to snag Mr. Conrad who was also doing an interview at the same time Hilda was talking to MSNBC. Here's what he said, I managed to capture it on tape.
Something is very fucked up with a political system where a politician representing a state with a population of 641,000 could make such a statement.
Now that you've had an opportunity to listen to Mr. Conrad extoll the virtue of his coop crap, you can understand the enormity of the fight. Conrad is a Democrat, and he's not nearly as bad as some like, Evan Bayh, Max Baucus, the two Nelsons, Ms. Landrieu, Ms. Feinstein, and don't get me started on Joe Lieberman. And I'm leaving our a bunch. Our own are straying way off the reservation and they need to know this is simply intolerable and unacceptable.
- And finally, here's nyceve and Jane talking to some insurance industry jackels.
Going forward, we will need relentless activism. When I say relentless, let me be even more direct, we need to devote every waking hour to communicating with our elected officials that we will end their political careers if they dare to vote against the American people on healthcare.
Late in the day, we met with Ronald Hikel. Ron is the Legislative director for Congressman Eric Massa. He said, our ace in the hole is that the primal fear of all politicians is losing. He said, "to lose an election is to die". Literally, to die, he reiterated.
We need to put the fear of God in these people. It's a tragic commentary that in the United States of America, this is what it takes to get the American people some health care, but this is our reality, and we must fight until the last man is standing.
Here again, is the donations link:
https://secure.firedoglake.com/...
More to come tomorrow.