The Plum Line has a letter from Andy Stern, head of the SEIU, to his membership in which he vowed to fight to make the Senate bill better.
The Morning Plum: SEIU Denounces Health Care Bill
Mr. Stern also had a message to President Obama:
President Obama must remember his own words from the campaign. His call of "Yes We Can" was not just to us, not just to millions of people who voted for him, but to himself. We all stood shoulder to shoulder with the President during his hard fought campaign. And we will continue to stand with him, but he must fight for all the reform we all know is possible.
Letter from Andy Stern
I don't think the President can hear. Progressives, President Obama just is not into you. More, after the fold
After a long internal debate, the SEIU has decided not to withhold support for the Senate health care bill or come out against it — the union is vowing to "continue to stand" with the President — but it is strongly criticizing the bill and demanding that Obama and Congress step up and do better.
In a letter to members sent over by an official, SEIU chief Andy Stern denounced the bill for falling short of "real and meaningful" change, for failing to tackle costs, for its tax on benefits, and for its lack of a Medicare buy-in or public option.
snip
[Stern called on the] President to "fight like hell to deliver real and meaningful reform to the American people."
The Morning Plum: SEIU Denounces Health Care Bill
The entire letter is worth reading:
Entire letter here.
While Andy Stern stands with President Obama, hoping that it will somehow be made better, I stand with Howard Dean and Keith Olbermann:
Update I: Meteor Blades had a good comment:
I think this over-reaches on what ... (4+ / 0-)
Recommended by:TomP
...many progressives are saying, although some will, of course, always take it too far. I don't think the real problem with America is the President.
However, Barack Obama vowed to listen to all sides on the issues, to collect ideas from all sides. While he has done so on energy to some extent, so far, on other issues, he has repeatedly listened to the Republicans, the Conservadems, the Blue Dogs, the center-of-leftists. But he and his chief lieutenants have repeatedly ignored or even dissed the left during those 11 months of office.
And now we're being told that the failure of this mediocre (I am being generous) piece of legislation will be our fault?
Don't tell me what you believe. Tell me what you do and I will tell you what you believe.
by Meteor Blades on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 07:05:20 AM PST
My bold added.
I think progressives really need to read this book and at least consider this possibility:
He's Just Not That Into You!
Harsh words from the best-selling dating book may set single women free.
By Denise Mann
WebMD FeatureReviewed by Louise Chang, MD
After a magical first date, Susan was so sure that she would hear from Stephen again that she even boasted to friends that she'd met "the one."
Two agonizing weeks later, she was shocked that she never did.
"Maybe he got back together with his ex," one friend piped in. "Maybe he was too intimidated by you," another said. "Maybe you should call him," offered another. "Maybe he's gay," suggested yet another.
Or maybe ... he's just not that into you. Sure, these words sound harsh, but according to a best-selling new dating book, these six words can save women like Susan from a lifetime of heartache and stress.
He's Just Not Into You!
Not saying for sure, but maybe he's just not into progressives? It's a possibility.
That does not mean he is our enemy. I plan to vote for him in 2012. But it means we support good polices and oppose bad policies. We pressure Congress to make change and stop waiting by the phone for Barack to call. If he does call, we'll get the message. Meanwhile, WE have to work for change. WE have to have HOPE. We have to be FIRED UP AND READY TO GO. Yes We Can! Even if he never calls.
Update II:
In 2008, while campaigning for the Democratic Party nomination, Barack Obama compares mandating universal health care to forcing the homeless to buy houses: