I don't believe for a second that the American Medical Association reversed their position on the public option after coming out so strongly against it earlier today. What they'd really prefer to see in place of a strong, robust Medicare-like public option that requires doctors to participate and reimburses physicians 10% above the normal Medicare rate, is a public option along the lines of the Schumer so-called "public option" compromise and the Conrad so-called "co-op" compromise as pointed out by mcjoan here at Dkos.
Neither of these two proposals are acceptable for me. And they shouldn't be acceptable for you either.
Why? They're designed to placate a few scared Democrats and to secure Republican votes for the sake of "bipartisanship." And I say, screw that. Too many Americans are hurting today to be jerked about by these Senate Democrats and Republicans.
It's time to hold the line in the sand. That line in the sand is a strong, robust Medicare-like public option.
However, it's a good sign that the Schumer so-called "public option" compromise has been dropped since it seems that Senator Schumer hasn't been successful in appeasing Republicans and that he's faced fierce opposition from us as well, and that Kent Conrad is now the latest Senate Democrat chosen by Senator Baucus to try to float this proposal for the sake of Republican votes.
Now, it's time to shoot down the Conrad so-called compromise as well.
And to ask our own doctors to stand firm against the AMA or revoke their membership with AMA due to their opposition to a strong, robust Medicare-like public option.
Please ask your own doctor, and have your friends ask their own doctors tomorrow to register their opposition to the AMA's stand against a strong, robust Medicare-like public option.
They're scared of us in the Senate. And it's a good thing that they're scared. It's time they face the fear that too many of us have felt in fighting private insurance companies, filing for bankruptcy due to unaffordable medical bills, and watching our family members die without medical treatment while private insurance companies denied their doctor's pre-authorization request for surgery, a transplant, a medical device, and crucial medicine.
Quite simply, it's been a long time in coming for these private insurance companies, and their little lackeys in the House and the Senate to get a taste of their own medicine.
Our health shouldn't be sacrificed for the sake of bipartisanship.
It's time to stop that.
The line in the sand has finally arrived, and we'll keep on holding that line all summer and fall.
And yes, we'll be kicking asses left and right in doing so :-)