Obama's bold statement

Dear MoveOn member,

Since taking office, President Obama hasn't said much about a key plank of health care reform—the public health insurance option. Some worried he had backed off from his support of it.

Yesterday, all that changed. Obama said: "I strongly believe that Americans should have the choice of a public health insurance option operating alongside private plans. This will give them a better range of choices, make the health care market more competitive, and keep insurance companies honest."1

This is a huge deal. It's Obama using some of his massive political capital to take a crucial stand. And it's going to make a bunch of Republicans and insurance company lobbyists pretty angry at him. In fact, they're spending $20 million to crush this key part of his plan.2
A public health insurance option is the heart of real health care reform. And with the right wing united against it, we need to show Congress just how many Americans stand with Obama on this. Can you sign the petition supporting Obama and the public health insurance option?

Clicking here will sign your name:

The petition says: "I strongly believe that Americans should have the choice of a public health insurance option operating alongside private plans. This will give them a better range of choices, make the health care market more competitive, and keep insurance companies honest."

The public health insurance option, which will provide coverage for all Americans and help bring costs down, is a crucial component of health care reform—and it's Republicans' number one target. As an article in the D.C. newspaper Roll Call put it yesterday:3

"Senate Republicans, realizing they don't have the votes to stop a Democratic health care bill on their own, are relying on a strategy designed to win the public relations battle over defining what it would mean to create a public plan. By the time the Democrats introduce a bill on the floor, Republicans hope to have made it politically impossible to vote for anything that includes a public plan."

This is a critical moment on health care. A key Senate committee is just days away from releasing a first draft of reform legislation, and the right-wing attacks are aimed at making sure it's watered down.

But if hundreds of thousands of us speak up, we can show Congress that Americans demand real health care reform—with a strong public health insurance option. As the President also said yesterday, "In 2009, health care reform is not a luxury. It's a necessity we cannot defer."

Sign the petition today and show Congress that Americans stand with President Obama on health care reform. Clicking here will sign your name:

Thanks for all you do.

–Patrick S., Joan, Ilyse, Peter and the rest of the team


My MoveOn, We Don't Want Your Opinion, Chump response:

Uhh... Competitive? How is government entering the business of insurance somehow going to make insurance more competitive? HA!

Know anyone with flood insurance? Where do they get it from? Right, ultimately it's from government. Why? Because private insurance knows that underwriting most of these homes on the coastlines (you know, rich people beach houses) is financially disastrous, so they refuse. In steps government.

Now even people who live in the Midwest can't get flood insurance unless they go through government. Why?

Because government can subsidize insurance with taxpayer money. So instead of operating like a real business, which has to balance risk with income savings, government can just charge whatever they want and then use forced payments from taxpayers to make up the difference when the shit hits the fan.

So you can keep your "public health insurance" bullshit to yourself. If you want it so bad, go get Medicare or enroll in the Veteran's Administration and use that public health care. Leave mine alone.

Oh, you don't think that'll work? You don't think the Medicare system works right? Medicaid is too complicated, doesn't pay enough, and isn't easy to use? Ya, well, welcome to government-run health care.

Good luck getting well, sucker.

Why do you think Canadians come to America for major surgery and "elective" medical work?

Yep, their government won't cover that or puts them on long waiting lists to do it. Even if it's really needed. Oh, by the way, Canada has fewer doctors per capita than we do. Why?

Probably because medical practice no longer pays. The government decides how much they get and few can justify 10+ years of schooling (and the costs associated) for the money they'll be paid upon their exit.

F THAT, buddy. You can keep your government-run health care and insurance. Thank you very much.