400 Former Obama Staffers: Don't Demobilize the Troops Before the Battle With the Insurance Industry

The first day of President Obama's administration, he made a promise to his former campaign staff at a party honoring their work:

"I promise you if everybody in this hall is willing to keep doing what you guys did over the last two years, then I am optimistic about America. I may make some mistakes, but you'll set me right," he said.

Over 400 former staffers have answered the call of the president to "set him right" demanding a strong public option.

In the past few days, these staffers, along with 24,000 volunteers and 39,000 donors from across the country, have added their names to the petition at YesWeStillCan.org. I've even talked with several current White House staffers disappointed in the president who said they would love to sign but feared losing their jobs. It has become clear in my dozens of conversations with former Obama staffers and volunteers that the President's supporters have lost the desire to fight for the president if he drops the public option. They are beginning to lose hope.

Our message to the president is clear: Don't demobilize your troops before the big battle with the insurance industry. You need us in order to beat their army of lobbyists.

I recently spoke with a former Obama staffer, currently working for Organizing for America, who said she is likely to quit, followed by her volunteers, should the President drop the public option.

Another former Obama staffer emailed me to say: "I'm volunteering now with Organizing for America, in Philadelphia, knocking myself out yet again, but I don't think I'll be able to do it again if the President doesn't fight for a strong public option."

As Cenk Uygur pointed out on his show, The Young Turks, what Washington insiders fail to realize is that while Democrats might not lose the votes of Obama's supporters by dropping the public option, they will lose their energy to fight for the President. With the tough battles ahead, the president will need his foot soldiers.

Our strategy for winning is quite simply to out-organize our opponent. It's how we won during the campaign. the Presidents needs his organizers and activists to do this now, just like he needed them during the campaign.

We have shown that we can beat powerful interests in the past. During the campaign, we beat two of the establishment's strongest political machines -- Hillary Clinton and John McCain. We did it in taking back the town halls after teabaggers threatened to sabotage them in the early part of August. We did it when we were able to get 51 senators on record saying they support the public option. We persuaded 77% of the American public to support the public option.

Don't give up now when the costs are so high and victory is so close in sight.

Last summer, at a training session for several hundred of Obama's field organizers, I said that the young organizers coming out of the Obama campaign were going to shape politics in the same way the organizers that who came out of the Civil Right's Freedom Summer did. I thought that we would come to dominate politics in much the same way that the veterans of the Civil Rights Movement have dominated progressive politics for the last forty years. Our ability to organize 400 former Obama staffers, 24,000 Obama volunteers, and 39,000 Obama donors in only a few days shows that our power is very real.

However, my generation, will turn away from politics if the first leader they truly believed in did nothing more than whatever every other politician does -- not live up to their promises. Mr. President, you could squander an entire generation of political activists.

We are here to do as we promised. We are here to set you right.

By dropping the public option you are not just demobilizing the troops for this fight, but potentially for the upcoming battles against powerful lobbyists. Without the troops out in the field advocating with the same enthusiasm and vigor that they did during the campaign, you will be forced to compromise with the powerful corporate interests on important issues after important issue. That downward spiral is not the type of change we can believe in.

Furthermore, Mr. President, we were community organizers during the campaign and know these communities best. In order to inspire them and the legions of activists needed to pass health care reform, you have to show the courage to lead by taking on the powerful health insurance industry in demanding a strong public option.

We can win but we have to fight.

Mr. President, we are fired up and ready to go!

We just need you to lead.

If you haven't already sign this YesWeStillCan.org petition and pass it on to your friends.

Also, feel free to email me (at [e-mail]) if you are a former staffer and interested in ways you can help organize other staffers to help set the President right, as we promised him we would. Thank you to all to the hundreds of people that have already emailed me, I appreciate your encouragement very much.

Follow Mike Elk on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MikeElk

Comments

[morgan1]

We know who Obama is. When his own people are afraid to sign petitions for change, then Obama is no different than Bush/Cheney. I am done with this man and am going to throw my energy into Independents and third party candidates. I got behind JFK and went to Vietnam as a result of his charisma; then it was Carter who was crucified by his own party and the GOP. Last it was this man reluctantly as the other options were horrible. I'm done. My energies are best spent out of both parties, and stopping them all in their tracks by activism for real progressives and CHANGE!!!!

[wonketteRAWKS]

It reminds me of "speak now, or forever hold your peace."

Don't take it for granted that Obama will stand up for you on this issue against corporate lobbyists.

Single payer....great!
Public option....­acceptable only if it is a STRONG one.

[PlaceboStudman]

I have a question and I'd like an honest upfront answer, please. What is insurance reform going to do for those of us who are critically or terminally ill, and been given the infamous "sorry, there's nothing more we can do for you but make you comfortable" speech by our doctor, even if we have insurance but there is no medicine or technology to improve our situation?

[LewDan]

I've a better one, we're all "terminal" why should we form a suicide pact because you fear your time is near?

My best friend is terminally ill. My dad died just two years ago. I've outlived far too many of those I've loved. My friend is hurting, scared, angry and depressed. It hurts me to see him that way and I can't pretend to know how he feels. But I don't see him as any less of a person. He can rage at me, right or wrong, I'm tough enough to take and its the least I can do for him; but I won't pretend he's right, I treat his as I always have, with respect not deference, reserving the right to call him on BS. I don't even know you.

Insurance reform may help some uninsured critically or terminally ill, it will not help most critically or terminally ill. We're trying to do what we can for those we can, including ourselves. We can not do everything we might want or anything we might want.

But many critically or terminally ill aren't even getting what we CAN do and THAT'S one reason we need insurance reform. Sit this one out if you want, condemn us if you must, but we're not going to hurt ourselves or anyone else just because you're hurting.

[standard]

Some situations, like yours, require far more research and development, so that medical science can deliver treatments it doesn't have now: it's a problem of capability. What's under national discussion are problems of logistics: making existing care more accessible, less costly and more reliable for most patients (through insurance reform) and more cost-effective for society (by reallocating existing resources). However, if less of our money is poured into billions of dollars of annual profits for a needlessly expensive, obsolete and unfair sysytem, more of our money can then go into the research and development that can and will save lives.

The benefit to you of the sort of health care reform now in the news will only be indirect, but that doesn't make such reform irrelevant. Were it not for military use of antibiotics in World War II, there would have been no subsequent pediatric use of penicillin after the war--and I and thousands of others would never have lived past age six. Sometimes even indirect and obscure changes can improve matters. That isn't the best news possible for you, I know--but it's still a reason to support making needed changes for the better now.

[max hp]

A PUBLIC OPTION - DON'T REFORM WITHOUT IT.

Without a Public Option, you are delivering more to Private Insurance.
Without a Public Option, we are at the mercy of Private Insurance.
Without a Public Option, there is NO COMPETITION.
Without a Public Option, there is NO COST CONTROL.
Without a Public Option, there is MORE CARE DENIED.
Without a Public Option, we will be worse off than we are today.
Without a Public Option, we bend over - AGAIN.

Without a Public Option, the US is doomed to mediocrity.

No Co-ops, No triggers, No mandates, No tax gimmics. A Public Option is not just a good idea, it's a NECESSARY REQUIREMENT. Anything less is unacceptable.

I have NO DESIRE to contribute to the Insurance companies' profits. I won't stop anyone from doing so, but don't FORCE me into it.

WHY IS THAT SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND?

[max hp]

A vote against a Public Option is a vote against you, me and the people's choice.
Target the Senate Democrats listed as ""Don't know" on the Public Option :

Source : http://standwithdrdean.com/where_congress_stands?chamber=Senate&party=D&state=&hc_status=0&commit=Filter

Sen Max Baucus D MT Phone: [phone]
Sen Evan Bayh D IN Phone: [phone]
Sen Mark Begich D AK Phone: [phone]
Sen Robert Byrd D WV Phone: [phone]
Sen Thomas Carper D DE Phone: [phone]
Sen Kent Conrad D ND Phone: [phone]
Sen Mary Landrieu D LA Phone: [phone]
Sen Blanche Lincoln D AR Phone: [phone]
Sen Bill Nelson D FL Phone: [phone]
Sen Benjamin Nelson D NE Phone: [phone]
Sen Mark Pryor D AR Phone: [phone]
Sen Jon Tester D MT Phone: [phone]
Sen Mark Warner D VA Phone: [phone]
Sen Ron Wyden D OR Phone: [phone]

[Hopeington]

Fired Up Ready To Go

[CommonSense21C]

I agree wholeheartedly. If President Obama caves on this then myself and many previously fervent supporters will no longer be able to support him. He will have quickly squandered an oppotunity to truly transform this country for the better.

Health reform without a STRONG public option will be nothing more than a giveaway to Big Pharma and the Medical insurance companies. Guaranteed. Which, of course, is exactly what Republicans and some bought-n-paid for Dems want.

[max hp]

That's good.

The more people agree to it and "Put it in writing", the more of a commitment t becomes.

[nicole473]

You all need to read this Jane Hamsher screed re why we are floundering on the PO, and re Van Jones.

http://campaignsilo.firedoglake.com/2009/09/06/van-jones-a-moment-of-truth-for-liberal-institutions-in-the-veal-pen/

[Imzadi]

I couldn't agree more! Fix the immediate issue. Overseas can wait.

[420]

If we kill this bill we will all pay the price. I am tried of paying out of contol medical bills. Forget the cost of this bill, think what may happen in the future. If we would have passed healthcar in the Clinton era have you any idea what how much we would have saved? Our Car industry would have competed. And we let the fear mongers win. I will fight for Obama. I am not going to let these right wing freaks take back the country. Srew them and their hate.

[toje]

Do you people always need large, organized groups to express yourselves? What ever happened to American individualism? For once, let Obama fight his own battle. See if he is truly a leader. Stop campaigning, and let him govern.

[MyDogJack]

His battle is our battle. By the way, it's called support.

[windup]

I'm wondering though if Obama really cares. I am beginning to think that he just wanted to get elected, and he no longer needs his army of supporters because in truth he is a president for the corporations, just like the rest of them. He talks the talk, but his actions speak volumes.

[Chernynkaya]

Huffpo mods- are you really gonna scrub the correct link that Mike Elk gave us?! Really? The link in the blog does not work. Sheeesh, dudes, support your bloggers!!!

[Chernynkaya]

Here's the link. The one referenced in the blog didn't work.

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5649/t/4951/content.jsp?content_KEY=2802&tag=pod_tw1

[BabaLou7]

THANK YOU, Mike Elk!