OK, so this diary has nothing to do with Nazis or Socialists, I just thought it was needed in order to get anyone to read this.
Yesterday, Dr. Steve Kagen (D-WI) received a petition signed by at least 21,000 residents of his district - the fairly conservative Northeast Wisconsin. The petition encouraged Dr. Kagen (a very successful medical doctor) to support health care reform with a public option. Signatures were collected through a variety of means, including at local churches (probably not churches with values though).
21,000 people - part of the silent majority - demonstrated support for a public option without name calling, yelling, carrying guns, or whining about the government.
What did this peaceful demonstration of support get them?
Statewide coverage: Wisconsin Public Radio had a very brief (10second) mention during their news breaks.
Local coverage.
285 words on the local ABC affiliate (WBAY) and a very brief TV spot.
WBAY "We need to let the insurance companies know that they can't just cherry pick out all the healthy people and leave the rest of us go, because to me that's just euthanasia of the under privileged and that's not fair," said Luana Matthews, who's unable to get health insurance.
"The only way to keep the health insurance industry honest is to have a strong public health insurance option that they have to compete with. So that puts downward pressure on costs and that also prevents them from returning to their previous business practices such as cherry picking and denying claims," Citizen Action program director Robert Craig said.
Local Fox station (Fox 11) 338 words and a brief TV spot
"I think that percentage at 21 thousand is a large enough number that it shows very broad-based support for Health care reform in Northeast Wisconsin," said Robert Kraig, program director for Citizen Action.
...
"Some have said they want single payer, some said no government at all and so what I’m looking to do is guarantee you have access to the care you need, when you need it and at a price you can afford," said Kagen from his 8th District Green Bay office.
...
Brown County republican chairman Vern Krawczyk opposes socializing healthcare, but admits some changes could be achieved with democrats and republicans working together.
That's it. No AP story, No reporting at the national level. Fox News Channel, the Fair and Balanced (TM) truthtellers to "real Americans" didn't cover it. How could they miss it?
The perception - perpetuated by the media and the Republican party - is that there is a HUGE revolt against the public option and health care reform. According to these folks, the "majority" of Americans don't want the Democrat's version of reform. Please, don't let facts get in their way. The polls be damned. Forget about the 29,000 Americans in tiny conservative Northeast Wisconsin even though it is more than 1/3 of the number of people that showed up at "national scale" protest in Washington D.C. - in a metropolis with population in the millions. What B.S.
These 29,000 people should have signed a petition saying that Republicans are Satan's footsoldiers and carried Glenn Beck is a witch doctor signs. Perhaps then they would have gotten some attention.