I'll admit it. I felt a little down for a few hours last night after it looked like the President could be bigfooting the public option out of the reconcilation fix conversation once and for all. But today, I feel recharged in helping the fight for a better Senate Bill. I joined the Virtual March and called Speaker Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Reid and the White House. I'll call them again tomorrow along with my Congresscritters Kerry, Brown and McGovern. I am thrilled with the news on calchala's diary(and the front page) that the anti-trust exemption repeal bill passed the House. More after the jump.
Tomorrow if we manage another 1,000,000 calls we will make them realize that the public strongly wants a public option, and their best shot for re-election is to include it in the reconciliation package. We could also push for a Medicare buy-in since it is easy to pass through reconciliation. Kent Conrad and Bart Stupak proved that they were jerks once again today, but you know what? We can deal with them. If Conrad insists on obstructing health care reform, we can build up for a grassroots primary effort against him. I also think we have enough time for some progressive hero in Michigan to run against Stupak and get him out of office. I could certainly make a list of "fake Democrats" that we should gear up to get out of office, but that is for another time. Today, we need a better Senate bill with or without the public option.
I am not a Kill Bill'er, I have never been a FDLer, a PUMA or a Naderite, I am just one member of the Democratic wing of the Democratic party. I would rather focus my energy on working to help candidates like Jennifer Brunner, Marcy Winograd, Alan Grayson, Joe Sestak, and Kirsten Gillibrand than trying to work with the likes of the Blue Dogs in the House and the Senate. I salute the candor of Bernie Sanders and Anthony Weiner. I wish we had more like them. I won't ever say that health care reform is dead. Giving up is just helping the Tea Party gain strength, and we cannot let them take over this country. I thank the tireless work of slinkerwink, nyceve, TomP, mcjean and many other Kossacks. I feel honored to be in such company. I will rest up for tonight so I can work really hard tomorrow.