You don't know me, even though I worked on your campaign for almost the entire year of 2008. Your telephone staff certainly knows me, I've called numerous times, begging, cajoling, threatening even. There must be a strong public option from day one. Sounds simple, doesn't it? That's what you ran on, and it's one of the major reasons I worked so hard for you.
I've sat and watched as so-called moderate Democrats (I call them what they are - Corporatist Democrats) and the media try to frame me as the fringe left, because, well because I want a health care system that actually works to contain costs. Nothing could be further from the truth. I'm a former Republican who's pretty much in the center of the political spectrum.
The reason I'm writing to you is that I'm not happy with the message (or lack thereof) that I'm getting from you. I'm so unhappy, that I feel it necessary to make sure others know why I'm unhappy. Because, as a typical representative of the political center, you need to know how close you're coming to blowing all the hard work I and many others gave to put you where you are. Mr President, you're losing the center.
Yesterday, you brought a number of doctors and nurses to the White House and you gave a compelling speech on the need for reform. Mr President, you've convinced the public, there was no need for that. What is needed is not convincing the public, what's needed is convincing some of the Democrats in Congress, those moderate (corporatist) Democrats who like the money they receive from the insurance industry more than they like the people they serve.
What you or someone from your staff needs to do is convince Max Baucus of the importance of real reform, and of your campaign promise to have competition. Has anyone spoken to him? Because if you have, it sure doesn't look like the message got through.
Let me interrupt myself here to talk about Rahm, who everybody seems to recognize as lacking in full support of a public option. There's no doubt he does lack in support, but I'm of the firm belief that the buck stops with you, and if he isn't doing his job, it's your job to make sure he does. So I'm not going to blame Rahm if there's failure, I'm going to blame you.
What about Blanche Lincoln, who made the ludicrous assertion that she supports a public option, but not one that the government runs? Has anybody told her that a public option is, by definition, government run? The list goes on, Ben Nelson, Evan Byah, Tom Carper, Mary Landrieu. Where have you been doing your job to convince these people of the rightness of your three point plan? Because, Mr President, I don't see it. Stop talking to us and start talking to them.
I hear there's talk of 'some kind of public option' that will get passed. Even if it doesn't do what we all expect it to do, we'll be placated because the words 'public option' will be in the bill. Let me assure you, Mr President, that everybody's paying attention, and we will not be placated. One of the things I liked most about you is your ability and willingness to treat Americans as intelligent, thinking Americans. Don't lose that ability now, and don't buy anyone telling you we can be cornswoggled. We can't.
You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned Republicans. They want you to fail, that's their entire rationale. Olympia Snowe does, too. She wants you to fail. Once you recognize that, there's no point in trying to accommodate either her or any Republican. To do so is to weaken the bill, not reform health care, and they'll run on your failure.
Organizing for America has asked me numerous times to make phone calls on your behalf about health care. I've refused every single time, and will continue to refuse. Before I make that first phone call, I want to see the bill I'm asking people to support.
Mr President, your election was historic on so many levels, most of all in how it inspired people. Inspiration alone is not going to keep your presidency alive, it's going to take accomplishment.
I did my job, it's time for you to do yours.