Are we out of time? Has the health care reform, promised to us by Barack Obama in last year's campaign, died the death of a thousand paper cuts?
From where I sit, the president started the whole process with the $80 billion give back to Big Pharma. The boys from Pharmaceutical stopped by the White House early on to meet with the president when he still had all the chips, and the drug companies may have cut the best deal for themselves.
The mandate that every American will have to purchase health insurance without benefit of the prophylaxis of the public option is a lovely hostess gift to the 'for profit' insurance industry. Jeez Louise! What is wrong with this picture?
I have heard the reasons why the public option won't make it out of committee. The loyal opposition, schilling for the insurance industry, would like you to think that the myriad issues are far too complicated and only beltway insiders and policy wonks understand the minutia ... cock your head like the RCA dog and keep asking why.
Three words: Campaign Finance Reform
All the money politicians raise from special interest and large business are for one reason only ... to promote their endless candidacy. Here's the rub ... the money is to secure your vote through advertising. You own your vote, no middleman needed, ergo the bums are dispensable.
The protests were a good start, but a crowd is by its very nature anonymous. It's time to pick up the phone, citizens! Today, not tomorrow! ... give your senators and representatives an earful. They have staffers standing by at their Washington offices waiting to take your call and duly note your blinking outrage. Use your minutes! This can't wait!
After you get off the phone, while you are waiting for it to cool to the touch, write a real paper and pen a letter to the president at his residence, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and tell him that you insist ... and you can fire him in 2012 if he fails to deliver on health care.
Do you recall the perennial favorite Christmas movie A Miracle On Thirty-Fourth Street?
A department store Santa claiming to be the real Father Christmas is committed for being delusional. At his sanity hearing, Santa's lawyer introduces as evidence thousands and thousands of letters from children attesting to their belief in old Saint Nicolas. The judge, barely visible behind the vast pile of letters, was persuaded by the grand showing ... everyone lived, as they say, happily ever after.
Imagine the powerful visual of an onslaught of mail from registered voters arriving at the White House ... all demanding that the public option be included. A holographic letter, signed by you, trumps any form of protest! It counts more than the petition, e-mail, fax or even the phone call. Show the president that you are paying attention and that you vote.