Make It Clear, Vote No On The Public Option, Face A Primary

Written by: Something The Dog Said on Oct 20, 2009 2:50 PM EDT

It is coming down to the wire on Health Care Reform, but that is not news for anyone. Last week Keith Olbermann spent an hour laying out the rational and emotional case for the need, requirement really, for a robust public option insurance plan, or better yet Medicaid for all. It is in this spirit the Dog writes this morning. We have seen the problems with trying to get reform from a Senate and House who have far too many members who are out of touch with the reality of health care in the United States today or are too impressed with the money the Phrama and Insurance lobbies have donated to them over the years.

45,000 Americans will die this year because they do not have health insurance. That is a number so big as to nearly be incomparable. For the killing of less than 3,000 Americans we went to war in Afghanistan and used the same reason, though there was and is no connection as the reason to go to war in Iraq. For the deaths of 3,000 Americans we have already spent, as of today, $918,000,000,000. This is more than enough money to cover the cost of giving all citizens’ access to Medicaid.

For spurious reasons we went to war in Iraq. We were told it was about weapons of mass destruction, we were told it was about 9/11 and how the deaths of those 3,000 Americans made it vital that we spend nearly a trillion dollars, so far. Yet in the 9 years since we invaded Afghanistan and then Iraq 405,000 Americans have died from being unable to get or afford health insurance. 135 times the number we felt was justification for two wars, and yet we are in danger of doing almost nothing against the companies who kill at a level and regularity Al Qaeda could only wish for in their wildest dreams!

The time to stand up to the Insurance cartel is now. We know this, we are getting further than we have ever before, but we can not let a single avenue of attack go by, since it is sure the Insurance lobby will not. They have six lobbyists for every member of Congress. Even without the money they have spent in anticipation of this very fight that amount of talk would have the effect of swaying those who are out of touch with the reality of what health care and its costs are like in America today.

We must make it clear to all Democrats that this is the issue which they can not ignore us over. Many on the Left have said they are done with the Democratic Party if it fails to come through on this critical issue. Usually the Dog is one to caution this is not a good way of persuading policy makers, this is still true today, but he does have an idea which combines this commitment with an action all incumbents will pay attention to.

Starting today the Dog is running a petition for those who believe this issue is too important to let slide. The petition says in part, “We the undersigned commit to supporting with our time, money and votes a primary challenger to any Democratic lawmaker who votes against a robust public option.” We have worked to hard to create a large Democratic majority in both Houses of Congress to allow condone its failure on one of the most critical issues of public policy of our time.

The petition is going to run for the next three weeks. You can find it at this <a href="http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/poprimary">link</a>. If you are serious about health care reform, if you are tired of feeling like the money is trumping the will of the people, if you believe we have to have accountability from our lawmakers, then please, go, sign the petition and tell all your friends to do the same. Knowing there are thousands and thousands of Democratic voters who will make re-election hard for incumbents who fail to represent their Party is one of the best ways to get the attention of lawmakers.

Over the next three weeks the Dog will update you on how many signatures we have gathered and how we will be delivering them to the Congress.

The floor is yours.

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