So yesterday, after the vote, I get an email from Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois:
Dear name that is not really kyeo,
Moments ago, the Senate voted to begin its full debate on historic health care reform legislation instead of obstructing it with a filibuster.
Tonight's vote marks the biggest victory to date for our grassroots effort to pass health care reform with a public option. We cannot give enough thanks to the over 100,000 signers of our petition at CitizensForAPublicOption.com for helping to fundamentally shift the momentum towards meaningful reform.
Not long ago, the public option seemed like little more than a pipe dream. Now it's part of health care bills in both the Senate and the House....
But despite this good news, the fight for meaningful health care reform is not over. As we debate amendments to this legislation in the coming weeks, we will work with our colleagues to ensure it continues to address the "Three C's" of meaningful reform: competition, choice, and cost reduction. And we will firmly oppose any effort to eliminate the public option.
Sounds good, right? A nice little note after the depressing spectacle that was Lincoln's grandstanding Saturday night. Something to make us feel like he's in our corner.
But let's note the language. Durbin says he will oppose efforts to eliminate the public option. Nowhere does he say he will resist attempts to neuter or water it down, like the trigger proposal that I assuredly don't have to remind you of.
Pfah, you say! Technicalities! Semantics! He's with us in spirit!
Maybe. But then there's this business from CNN today:
Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the chamber's second-ranking Democrat, acknowledged he was open to changing the bill's controversial government-run public health insurance option favored by the left.
"We are open because we want to pass the bill," Durbin told the NBC program "Meet the Press."
Ahh, yes, that's the fighting Democratic spirit I know. Announce your willingness to cave at the outset of the struggle! Because that never leads to the other side making even more demands.
Call Senator Durbin at (202) 224-2152. Let him know that when he makes us a promise, we expect him to keep it, not just half-ass it.