When I was in college, a lecturer, who used to be a senior Republican aide in Congress, liked to tell a story about Ronald Reagan asking people to call the Democratic chairman of the Ways & Means committee in support of Reagan's tax cuts.
Unsurprisingly, things started to move after folks contacted Congress.
Obama just sent out an email asking you to contact your representatives. You should contact YOUR representatives tonight or tomorrow, regardless of where your representatives stand right now on health care reform.
Below, his email, and why I think it's important to do this through OFA...
Obama's email:
I just finished laying out my plan for health reform at a joint session of Congress. Now, I'm writing directly to you because what happens next is critical -- and I need your help.
Change this big will not happen because I ask for it. It can only come when the nation demands it. Congress knows where I stand. Now they need to hear from you.
Add your voice: Ask your representatives to support my plan for real health reform in 2009.
The heart of my plan is simple: bring stability and security to Americans who already have health insurance, guarantee affordable coverage for those who don't, and rein in the cost of health care.
Tonight, I offered a specific plan for how to make it happen. I incorporated the best ideas from Democrats and Republicans to create a plan that's bold, practical, and represents the broad consensus of the American people.
We've come closer to real health reform in the last few months than we have in the last 60 years. But those who profit from the status quo -- and those who put partisan advantage above all else -- will fight us every inch of the way.
We do not seek that fight, but we will not shrink from it. The stakes are too high to let scare tactics cloud the debate, or to allow partisan bickering to block the path. Your voice, right now, is essential.
See my full plan and call on your representatives to support it:
http://my.barackobama.com/...
Ours is not the first generation to understand the dire need for health reform. And I am not the first president to take up this cause, but I am determined to be the last.
Thank you,
President Barack Obama
We like to talk about leverage over members of Congress. The reality is that the members of Congress who aren't supporting health care reform or are being difficult are generally in places where Obama didn't do well.
One area where Obama has leverage is in being able to say that he can mobilize the masses to do advocacy (which translates into electoral work later). I do think that Organizing for America is the best tool for everyone to use, because collectively, the numbers that Obama/OFA can mobilize is way more than what bloggers on their own can do. People who are going to contact their members of Congress and report back to OFA, are people the WH can point to and say, if these people are contacting you, they'll probably be voting when you're up for reelection. (This is a similar reason why unions and other progressive organizations have the leverage they have (see Trumka's recent warning).) OFA sent out a call to action tonight, and if a lot of people flood Congressional and district offices tomorrow, it will show members of Congress that the president can engage the public into action.
So contact your representatives. (And yes, just yours, no matter who they are.)
Senate offices: http://senate.gov/...
House offices: http://www.house.gov/...