Mr. President: Time to Issue a Direct 'Call to Action' to Your Grassroots Supporters

Great pitching will always beat great hitting, and vice versa. --Casey Stengel

Two months ago President Obama was strongly urged to get concrete about the health care reform package he wanted, to campaign actively and on television for support, to remind Democratic members of Congress that they face far more political danger in passing nothing or not much of anything than they do by banding together, to keep asking why Congress gets better health care more cheaply than the American people and... and... to make a direct call to action to his 13 million supporters.

He has done all of the above (with more, but as yet incomplete, concreteness about the reform he supports) except issue a direct call to action

The entire system is arrayed against reform. Most in Congress were there before President Obama was elected, and will be there after he leaves, so that any President's direct influence goes just so far. Our sorry system of campaign finance provides those making money off the current system the resources to buy the status quo. Human nature resists change; there is an old saying, "everyone favors progress; no one likes change".

As the Tobacco industry showed for decades after the Surgeon General concluded that cigarette smoking caused lung cancer, all the entrenched political system needs is a small doubt to justify paralysis. Their line: the relationship between cigarette-smoking and lung cancer is "merely statistical", and they were correct because laboratory animals were not stupid enough to inhale tobacco, so the proof was the vastly increased incidence of lung cancer among cigarette smokers and the relationship to how much they smoked. Their tactic: provide then Majority Whip, now Minority Leader, John Boehner with checks he handed out to the on the House Floor. It worked.

The Republican yapping machines are entrenched, effective and incapable of being embarrassed by lies or hypocrisy. They throw everything at it, and pursue whatever seems to be sticking, even if it contradicts what they said in the preceding sentence. They are both for and against Medicare and for and against covering all seniors' needs under Medicare. If you want a position on Medicare that agrees with your own -- you can have it. For them, it is a matter of survival: if meaningful health care reform passes, the Republicans will be politically irrelevant for at least two generations.

During the 2008 primary and general election campaigns, candidate Obama reminded us that "we are the change". That is because he knew well the barriers to reform.

But, Mr. President, we will not be change if you do not call us to direct and specific action. Yes, I get emails from David Plouffe, and have met with DNC Chair Tim Kaine exhorting me to cough up cash to support the President's drive for health care reform so we can "show the Republicans by our fundraising by the Sept 30th deadline" that we mean business.

Instead, how about showing the nation we mean business by actually passing meaningful health care reform, and render the Republicans irrelevant for at least 2 generations?

Only you, Mr. President, can galvanize your supporters, and go over the heads of Congress to show them the army they face if they to do not deliver. Getting crowds "fired up and ready to go" is wonderful, but you have to ask the nation to do something specific.

My suggestion is an "Earth Day" type of event. People should organize in their cities to come out on the street all over the country on a particular Sunday to show they want healthcare reform, and they want it now. The tea-baggers had 70,000 demonstrators--we could get 7 million or even 17 million if you would lead the charge. Earth Day, without a President's exhortations, surfaced 20 million people who gave a damn about our planet, and even forced Richard Nixon to sign the major environmental legislation of our time.

Hint to the President: You will not get 7 million or even 700,000 people out in the public square to support the Baucus bill. That, alone, should tell you something.

A large number of your supporters are young -- the millennials. They are also the most active. To get them fired up to come out on a Sunday afternoon, focus on three numbers: 8%, 18% and 35%. Those represent the percentage of the average family's income health care premiums cost in 1999, 2009 and will cost in 2019, if we do not enact meaningful health care reform.

Or, to put it in words the Republicans have taught everyone to understand -- these premiums operate just like a tax, so that healthcare premium "taxes" on the middle class doubled under the disastrous Bush Administration, and will double again if we do not act. Rather than arguing with Stephanopoulos over the definition of tax, you should remind him and others that health care premiums are themselves a tax, and recite the percentages. The middle class is paying 18% of their income, today in 2009, for their health care.

The millennials will be paying 35% of their incomes on healthcare in a decade if we do not enact meaningful reform that improves outcomes and lowers costs.

But, Mr. President, if you do not issue a direct, nationwide call to action, your millions of supporters will remain largely inactive, bemused and frustrated by fringe fear tactics, and not become the change you told us during the campaign we were.

That is, Mr. President, it is time to go "all in" on health care reform. Having declared health care reform the defining mark of your Presidency, you have nothing to lose but defeat.

Comments

[dyspeptic]

I got asked, as a senior, to phone bank to other seniors for the Obama health care initiative. Told them to get back to me when it included a public option, available to all who want it. No triggers. No co-ops. Public option, available to all who want it.

Unless you have the public option, available to everyone who wants it, then even the so-called insurance reform parts of this thing are bogus. You may have closed off a small number of the tricks they use to give less care for more $$, but you will forever be playing whack-a-mole with every new idea they come up with to thin the soup and raise the charge.

Mr President, We learned the hard way on the Medicare prescription drug bill that "trust us" wasn't worth much. I quit the AARP over their going along with that stinker. We have one chance to do this with a broad brush. Do it right. Deliver what you promised: As good as what Congress gets.

[blindhog]

If the health care bill which the senate and the house is now proposing passes, the democatic party will go down in mass in defeat.

Today, I watched the Senate Committee on health care debating the bill (it was covered by C-span) and Debbi Stabenow, Democrat from Michigan (a state with citizens who could least afford this Democratic proposed bill) wondered "why in the wealthiest nation in the world" we couldn't..­.......

Senator Tabenow, what are you talking about?????­?????!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!! Maybe we might have the wealthiest 1%, but the rest of us can't afford to pay premiums to these for profit insurance companies!!!!!!!! You remember us, we are the 99% with one piece of the 10 piece pie.

Maybe the wealthiest you talk about could finally start paying for the raping of the middle and lower class that has basically been sanctioned by both democratic and republican administrations and congresses since the Eisenhower years!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!

[zemede2]

In fact, here is the message I received from the president and I responded "not without a public option".

My Name

I just finished laying out my plan for health reform at a joint session of Congress. Now, I'm writing directly to you because what happens next is critical -- and I need your help.

Change this big will not happen because I ask for it. It can only come when the nation demands it. Congress knows where I stand. Now they need to hear from you.

Add your voice: Ask your representatives to support my plan for real health reform in 2009.

The heart of my plan is simple: bring stability and security to Americans who already have health insurance, guarantee affordable coverage for those who don't, and rein in the cost of health care.

Tonight, I offered a specific plan for how to make it happen. I incorporated the best ideas from Democrats and Republicans to create a plan that's bold, practical, and represents the broad consensus of the American people.

We've come closer to real health reform in the last few months than we have in the last 60 years. But those who profit from the status quo -- and those who put partisan advantage above all else -- will fight us every inch of the way.

We do not seek that fight, but we will not shrink from it.

See my full plan and call on your representatives to support it:

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

[timm0]

The part that you're missing here is that Obama has to take the fight to the Republicans. He's started to talk tough about 'calling out' people for their lies. I'm not going to hold my breath for that.

He needs to publicly call out the industry, noting the millions they've spent on lobbying and campaign contributions to scam the system. He needs to highlight the actions of those who have been the biggest recipients, drawing the line between the campaign money and the lawmaker actions. He needs to read through the litany of transgressions (death panels, tax increases, inferences that insurance = care delivery, etc.).

He needs to remind the voters that he knows the goal of the repuggles is to kill any reform - that they hold 2010 election success above the exercise of their oath of office. And that Dems like baucus are no better.

In short, he needs to not ring my phone to tell me to get to work on this until he shows up on the skirmish lines himself.

[timm0]

Oh, here we go! First opportunity to "call 'em out" Mr. President:
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/health-care/anti-reform-group-unveils-death-star-ad-targeting-rockefellers-public-option-amendment/

We're waiting to see the fists-a-flying! (At least I am.)

[wildedge]

Obama tried to make his 'call to action' the past couple of weeks, but refuses to draw the line in the sand by a demand for a public option - without which there's nothing for progressives to fight for.

[freelyb]

Obama has indeed been "as yet incomplete [in his] concreteness about the reform he supports"

And that's a real problem. Actually what he supports is pretty clear, but he hasn't had the nerve to say it outright. He is behind whatever is necessary to keep industry funds coming to Dems. That seems to change from day to day as does his commitment to a truly useful public option. He would rather take his chances on appeasing industry than on the will of the people.

BTW, he may whistle for us progressive dogs, but we won't necessarily come this time. The bones have been woefully insufficient. If what he supported was in the best public interest, the majority of the citizenry would inherently be behind it.

[Oakland]

Obama hates the left. He despises the left of the left. When will Democrats wake up to the fact that this isn't their party anymore. The Democratic Party is the new Republican­/corporate party. Time to take Democrats down.

[freelyb]

Fanned. Obama found the left quite useful at one point in time. That's about it.

[Pema]

HCR is one of the top prioities along with climate change and economics, I dont think we can grow a strong economy without meaningful reform, where singler payer, public option have a rightful place. there are risks in creating this, but it pains me to know there is more risk staying status quo. there is no more playing it safe,. we either do this or give in. we did this before, one time. we fought and got barack in. i did it not because of his skin color but to the integrity espoused.
Hope has goals, its not like we just dont want what we have, its what we want, and if we arent seeing action towards those goals, if the smallest effort goals lie dadt are not adressed, if human rights violations go on under our orders in other countries around the world, if the planet isnt foufght for by all efforts, if these things are not adressed, we will still work towards those goals. people mistakenly say the dems cant organize, hey we got the first black president in office. top that. if the president digs his heels in, all will fight for the promised HCR or at least something concrete that is a step in the right direction, a decent sized step too. . until then, i cant stand on shifting sand. hes got to 100% say what he will and will not support.

[PhilipTaylor]

Nothing is Better than Anything!

Mike Lux said, “In the 20-plus years I have been working on the national health care issues, Baucus Bill is easily the worst single bill I have ever seen introduced by a Democratic member of Congress.”

A watered Down Bill will result in a 2010 loss for Congress because Americans are BECOMING TOO SMART and Informed to be pushed into a BAD BILL to satisfy EL1TISTS - anymore!

COULD BAUCUS RAMR0D THROUGH A BILL WRITTEN BY THE INDUSTRY LOBBYISTS in 1995?

Probably in 1995 he could have!

Today! NOT A CHANCE!

[iblogleft]

Well, he needs to come out and be honest.

We need a public Medicare like option, or a government sponsored public profit option, and both of those systems will take a bite out of GDP.

He will have to come out and tell us he will back one of those systems, but inform us there will be jobs lost in the interim, and corporations that do not adapt will suffer.

Then he needs to ask for our support for this sweeping change, and he can get 20 million to come out and rally. But we will never organize for corporate welfare.

[sandiegodreamer]

Let's go! Power to the people!

[Morgan Tahoma]

Yes, Obama should settle on an idea and take action as soon as possible. But if doing so makes it so "the Republicans will be politically irrelevant for at least two generations" its not worth it. Every individual needs their representation in government. It's their right. Not to mention the fact the government would become bias and republicans tuned out.
Considering how most of the young people today, who are the future, are mostly in the middle when it comes to politics, are the ones needing persuading, there should be an emphasis on the benifits for them. besides the claimed changes to the "8%, 18% and 35%. Those represent the percentage of the average family's income health care premiums cost in 1999, 2009 and will cost in 2019". Sure the costs will go down, but the successful, hard working people who get paid over 250,000 a year will feel the pressure from the health care reform.
In a way its as if Obama is just transferring the cost to those deemed wealthy.

[freshnotbitter]

Look at what Reagan did with the Japanese Car import problem in the 80's:

He didn't put tariffs on Japanese cars like Detroit wanted. Detroit was complaining about Japanese having an unfair advantage on labor costs because Japanese labor was cheaper (not entirely true but we will not get into that). Therefore, said Detroit, they could make better cars.

Instead of putting a tariff on imports, Reagan told the Japanese they could sell as many cars as they wanted to in the USA if they built (assembled) them in the USA. Then he exempted the SUV's and trucks from CAFE mileage restrictions so Detroit could compete in that segment where they made all their profits anyway.

The result is that we had a two track system where Japanese produced low mileage sedans that America wanted using American labor and people could continue buying their GM trucks.

So everybody was happy: Japanese, Detroit, consumers, environmentalists, economists, you name it.

Why can't Obama create a similar model in the health care field? Why are we reducing a universal issue like health and automobiles to a partisan battle? Why can't O put a plan on the table that keeps everybody happy while reducing costs and introducing efficiencies in the system?]

Make the public option attractive to doctors by including malpractice in the insurance premium the insured pays. Now you have doctors on your side and the trial lawyers can still make their bucks in the employer sponsored side of the insurance business.

[stell]

The money, the enthusiasm, etc., was all about making history. Now that history has been made, the work is done.

[jemeagirl]

No, it was not.

People were hoping he was going to attempt to do what he says he would. But he is not. People who supported him do not think he is on our side, by supporting the banks and big corporations.

And Paul, he cannot issue a direct call to his supporters because a lot of them will not work for the Baucus bill, which he is now praising. I know I would not.

So that is where the enthusiasm is lacking

[Allwx]

The Baucus bill is a foul pretender. Better no reform laws are passed at this time. Let the system collapse under its own weight. Meantime blame the Republicans.

[several]

Time to get on the OFA email list Paul.