Organizing for America as a huge goal of over 150,000 phone calls to Congress today in support of healthcare reform, as Femlaw explains in this diary. They've been shattering goal after goal, with calls pouring into Congress. Head on over to Femlaw's diary to see how you can participate.
Meanwhile, Congressional Democrats are asking for some help back. Yesterday, Brian Beutler wrote at TPM:
Last week, at a meeting between Senate health care principals and Obama administration officials, the White House basically told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid it would be leaving most of the big legislative decisions on reform to him. This week, Reid is faced with an onslaught from pressure groups, including labor and the grassroots, demanding that he include the public option in the health care bill he brings to the floor.
In a sign that Reid may be willing to acquiesce, if only the White House helps him whip the caucus into shape, a top Capitol Hill aide tells me "Right now, we don't have 60 Democratic Senators in lockstep with one another on the public option...we need the president to send a strong signal to those in the room negotiating the merger, that the public option is, really, what he wants in the final bill."
Backing that up, Sam Stein reports today,
There is a growing sense on Capitol Hill that the White House's refusal to weigh in more forcefully in the health care debate could come at the cost of a public option for insurance coverage.
Democratic aides said that a "handful" of senators who are skeptical of a public plan likely could be persuaded if not to support it then at least to oppose a Republican filibuster, if the administration were to apply a bit more pressure -- or even guidance.
"There is a clear sense that it would be helpful," said one senior Democratic aide. "Throughout this entire debate the White House line has been 'We will weigh in when it is necessary'.... Well now we need 60 votes. So if it's not necessary now, then when will it be?"
"I think folks in general in Congress were looking to the president to clearly define his feeling on the issue," another aide said. "And I don't think he has done that on the public option from the get-go... With a lot of senators nervous because of elections or other political dynamics, it would be helpful for the president to send a strong signal that this is what he wants in the final bill."
The lack of clarity on the public option is bursting out all over, with very strange messages being sent from Harry Reid.
A reporter tried to pin Reid down by asking whether negotiations were moving towards, or against, the inclusion of the public plan.
"The negotiations are leaning about a public option," Reid said.
Asked for clarification by puzzled reporters, Reid added: "We’re leaning towards talking about a public option."
All those calls pouring into Capitol Hill offices today are clear. All of the polls are clear. The majority of Senate and House Democrats are clear. It's time for both Reid and Obama to start fighting hard for real healtcare reform, including the public option.