Today, I got a fundraising email, titled "Heckling the President?", from James Carville on behalf of the DSCC. This mail contained the following request:
The DSCC is coming up on an important goal, and we need your help to
elect senators who will protect the American people, not pander to
the right-wing fringe. Meeting our $3 million goal is so important,
that your gift will be matched by a group of senators, doubling your impact.
As the Republican Senators represent the cited right-wing fringe more than ever, it is galling that their Democratic counterparts do not recognize that they themselves are chosen to represent their constituents. Rather than fruitlessly trying to appease the GOP, they should work with President Obama to implement and pass a reform plan that is squarely aimed at implementing true reform as was so eloquently put forth by Barack Obama this week.
With our funds and efforts, we've elected 60 Democratic Senators. They have to give us some change, instead of asking for it. Until then, I can no longer support the DSCC. So, I let them know:
From: Geert Bosch
To: info@dscc.org
Subject: Re: Heckling the President?
To: James Carville, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Senators
While I have supported you before, and may support you again in the future, that time is not now. You have to do some things first. Right now is the time for the Democratic senators, whose number reached 60 with our money and hard work, to unite and get squarely behind President Obama and his health reform plans.
More than two thirds of the country (including even Republicans) knows there should be an alternative to buying overpriced and hollowed-out insurance from the same old companies out there. Any trigger has been
pulled long ago, Blue Cross Blue Shield already is a co-op by the letter of the law in Alabama, where they have a near-monopoly. Plans for co-ops and public option triggers are not reform.
Some influential Democratic senators, notably including Max Baucus, whose plan is about appeasement instead of change, do indeed pander to the right-wing fringe, including pharmaceutical and insurance
companies, and therefore make it impossible for me to continue supporting your committee financially.
Real reform pressures the health care industry to deliver an affordable product that benefits our long-term health. Right now, it is profitable for insurance companies to spend about 20% of our premiums on administrative overhead: trying to deny claims patients and contesting payments to doctors and hospitals is
lucrative. As a result doctors spend too much of their time dealing with these companies instead of their patients, and patients spend too much of their time getting reimbursed,or forgo necessary care when too sick to deal with their administrative burden.
Ideally there would be a single payer system. I know this is not feasible at this point. However, a public option is. The democratic party, in full control of the white house and congress, can do this now. Essentially, allow people to buy in into Medicare at cost. (Not subsidized.)
As you noted, Joe Wilson heckled the president. So, we gave Max Miller an extra million dollars. Let this be clear now: if Democratic senators don't get on board, and if Harry Reid doesn't show some backbone soon and produces a timely senate bill that ensures comprehensive reform including a public option, some of the senators you represent will not only forfeit my support, they will be the target for primary challenges.
The senators HAVE BEEN elected. Now THEY need to act. Give us some change. Don't ask for it.
-Geert
PS. If anyone has James Carville's address or email address, please let me know, so I can write him personally.