This is a big piece of momentum for real health care reform advocates.
As the Progressive Change Campaign Committee continues to whip Senators on passing a public option with reconciliation, Democratic Senate candidates in Arkansas and North Carolina are taking a populist tone as they start campaigning on the public option. Mother Jones published a piece on this yesterday morning:
North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, who is looking to challenge Republican Senator Richard Burr, has become one of two Democratic Senate candidates to sign onto a letter ... urging the Senate to pass the public option through reconciliation in the current reform bill. The other is progressive favorite Bill Halter, who has issued a high-profile primary challenge to Senator Blanche Lincoln in Arkansas.
Full disclosure, I am consulting on Elaine Marshall's campaign. But as you can see, it's easy to work for candidates who are willing to take strong progressive stands.
Elaine was the first candidate in the country to sign onto this letter and is proud to join other health care progressives like Bill Halter. She remains the only candidate in the race who is running toward and on the public option -- and this isn't the first time she's made it a point in her campaign.
She's spoken about it several times on Daily Kos, and even launched a petition in October calling the Senate to pass a public option right away. Here is an excerpt from the petition:
As North Carolina citizens and voters, we call upon Senator Richard Burr to put aside politics and vote in support of the public option and health care reform. At some point in the past two years, 34.5 percent of North Carolinians went without health coverage...
The current health care bill being debated in the U.S. Senate is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make real, effective change for America.
Elaine understands what real health reform looks like and isn't afraid to push forward and do what's right for the people she represents. I hope you'll join me in supporting her as North Carolina's next Senator.