You'd be surprised how many unapologetic liberals never bother to call their congressperson about issues that are important to them. Many aren't even aware that any issue can be affected by them, outside of an election, nor even what they can do to change the outcome of a congressional vote. I should know, I'm one of these people.
But this time is different. I feel that the public option is an issue as important as the election itself. I'm sure that most of my friends and family feel the same way.
Below the fold you will find a copy of an email I will send to every person I know whom I feel might be influenced by my urging. It gives them a plan, the phone numbers, and encourages them to do more if they can.
Everyone must try to reach those friends who are sympathetic, but who normally never bother to call their congressperson. Like my mom who hates Republicans but has a certain fatalism regarding politics and people-power. Like me, on most days.
It's not enough that the usual group of agitators makes their usual noise amongst themselves. We must increase the noise exponentially. Our noise is the only antidote to the Insurance Industry's smokescreen, and the smoke is laying thick over DC right now.
I'm going to send this to everyone individually. I think that will have a greater impact than a spam.
Dear ______;
This email is about health care reform, congress, and what you can do today to affect it. Congress has begun work on Health Care Reform, and the Republicans and the Insurance Industry are working very hard to kill it by many means. You can change that. Please forgive the length, but there's a lot of information to convey.
Surveys show that around 60% of Americans want a single payer style health care system. Congress has effectively killed a single payer system, citing numerous "difficulties".
But there is still hope to salvage something from this congress, and there are many allies in both houses who are working to make this happen - not to mention the efforts of President Obama himself. The goal now is called The Public Option. It means a medicare-like health insurance plan that will be available to everyone, competing with all the private insurance plans currently out there.
Simply put: The Strong Public Option is health insurance you can afford that will accept you without restrictions. It's what we've wanted all along.
But even this victory is not certain, as the Insurance Industry is fighting it tooth and nail. They have nothing to lose. They are spending lots of money lobbying our elected representatives. With the help of the Republican Party, they are muddying the waters, spreading lies and misinformation, and confusing your representatives. They are trying to kill the public option outright, or water it down so much as to make it ineffective.
You need to take some actions. They are not difficult, and they will help tremendously. If you can take the time to fill out an absentee ballot or go to the polls on election day, you can do this.
You need to call your elected representatives, and tell them how you feel. Call your US Senators and your congressperson. Call them at their Washington DC office, or their home district office. You can also send an email, fax or write a real letter, but a phone call is the most effective.
We all must tell our congresspersons, in no uncertain terms, that we want them to support Representative Pete Stark's Plan for a Strong Public Option in the upcoming health care reform debate. Say that without at least a very strong, medicare-like public option, there will be no true health care reform, and congress will just have to take up the issue again in the future.
(Emphasize "Strong" Public Option; this means unrestricted by rules or regulations that make it less competitive and more expensive. We want it to be the strongest competitor to the Insurance Industry. They want it to be weak and ineffective.)
Tell them you oppose the Schumer compromise plan, which is a very weak and ineffective alternative, approved by the Insurance Industry.
Mention that the Public Option should take effect now, not after any "Triggers". Tell them you oppose any kind of "Trigger" for the public option. (The "trigger" amendment is designed to delay implementing a public option unless a set of vague conditions in the future aren't met, thereby effectively killing it. It is an Insurance Industry proposal.)
The single most important thing you can do is to call your congresspersons and say these things in your own words. You can find your congressperson's phone number, fax and electronic contact here:
http://www.visi.com/...
Or, you can also find your representative's contact information here, main offices' phone numbers, mailing addresses and email addresses. Look for the "My Elected Officials" box on the left hand side, and enter your zip code.
http://www.congress.org/...
It's really not very difficult to make these calls. The staffers are there to take your comments and record your opinion. These phone calls work (even if some staffers sound tired or jaded).
Call your rep even if she or he is a Republican! It has an effect.
If you really want to be helpful, there is more you can do! Below you will find a list of key senators who sit on an important committee. They are pulled in every direction by this issue, but they will take your opinion seriously if you feel strongly enough to take the time to call. If you call only one on this list, make it Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, who has stated that he will go whichever way he is pushed the hardest.
Senator Max Baucus at (202) 224-2651
Senator Charles Schumer at (202) 224-6542
Senator Edward Kennedy at (202) 224-4543
Senator John Rockefeller at (202) 224-6472
Senator Ron Wyden at (202) 224-5244
Senator Kent Conrad at (202) 224-2043
Senator Jeff Bingaman at (202) 224-5521
Senator John Kerry at (202) 224-2742
Senator Blanche Lincoln at 202-224-4843
Senator Debbie Stabenow at (202) 224-4822
Senator Maria Cantwell at 202-224-3441
Senator Bill Nelson at 202-224-5274
Senator Robert Menendez at 202-224-4744
Senator Thomas Carper at (202) 224-2441
Now this is the next most important thing you can do: Copy the content of this email and send it on to all of your friends who also want real health care reform, and urge them to make phone calls as well. The whole purpose of this email is to generate thousands of phone calls, and to make thousands aware of what's being debated right now in congress.
Its important that you simply cut the content of this email and paste it into a new email to send, rather than "forwarding" this email. Forwarded emails have far less impact.
This is how public opinion gets conveyed to elected officials. This is what must be done now, for this is the most important bill that will come before congress this year. The Public Option can, if properly enacted, prevent thousands of bankruptcies, reduce suffering and save lives, not to mention saving you money. Winning this will prove to our frightened elected officials that they have nothing to fear but us on election day.
Here's more information about the Stark Plan:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Here's more information about public option "Triggers":
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/...
http://www.salon.com/...
Please make these calls. Please copy this email and send it to your friends. Don't just forward it: Copy it and paste it in a new email, and feel free to change the wording into your own style.
Finally, if you really want to get active about this, join Organizing for America, Obama's campaign plan for public input on this and other congressional issues.
http://www.barackobama.com/
We can achieve a great victory and it will have a direct effect on your bank account. Thanks for your time.
Sincerely,
-
I'm recommending the Stark Plan, because it appears to be the strongest Public option on the table. But I'd rather not get into a debate about that right now. If you don't like the Stark Plan, you can change it.
I am urging all Kossacks to do this: copy this email or write one of your own, send it to your less-than-activist friends, and strongly urge them to take these steps. Again, as I tried to convey in my last diary, many Kossack irregulars and liberal sympathizers want this to happen, but have no idea what to do.
Reaching out beyond Kossacks and activists is a very important thing to do right now. There's a vast, untapped resource out there without a clue that this debate is raging, that it's going to affect them greatly, or even that they might not get any health care reform at all. They will respond with a little encouragement. They're your friends, your family. Please send them a friendly note.
That's my idea, anyway.