Progressive Change Campaign Committee co-founder Aaron Swartz just announced via email:
Urgent news: Multiple media reports say that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is very close to rounding up the votes needed for a public health insurance option, but “the White House is pushing back against the idea” in order to get the support of Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME).
Tell the White House that the support of one Republican isn’t worth a bad bill. PLEASE SIGN OUR EMERGENCY PETITION TO PRESIDENT OBAMA TODAY: http://yeswestillcan.org/p-dkos
“Every day, insurance companies deny care and let people die. Getting one Republican senator’s vote is not worth delaying reform — too many real lives are at stake. We need you to fight and state clearly that anything less than a strong public option is not change we can believe in.” Sign here: http://yeswestillcan.org/p-dkos
We’re also launching a new TV ad today to get our message across to president Obama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzNdyXHd0oQ
You can donate here to put it on the air in Maine: https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/obamafight?refcode=dkos(UPDATE: Our goal is raising enough for 100 ads. In just a couple hours, we’re at 91 ads!)
The Washington Post’s Ezra Klein reports:
On Thursday night, Reid went over to the White House for a talk with the president. The conversation centered on Reid’s desire to put Schumer’s national opt-out plan into the base bill. White House officials were not necessarily pleased, and they made that known. Everyone agrees that they didn’t embrace Reid’s new strategy. Everyone agrees that the White House wants Snowe on the bill…
More from Aaron’s announcement:
The Washington Post confirms that the White House “wants Snowe on the bill” and is seriously considering Snowe’s proposed “trigger” — which would delay, and effectively kill, the public option.
As Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) recently said, “Olympia Snowe was not elected president last year.” Even her own constituents in Maine support a public option 2 to 1, and overwhelmingly oppose a trigger! Only the insurance industry supports Snowe’s proposal.
We’ll deliver this petition to the White House and let the media know about it. The more people who sign by Monday, the more powerful a message we’ll send. Please sign today — together, we can have an impact. http://yeswestillcan.org/p-dkos
And for all of you awesome people who helped air our ad pressuring Harry Reid, there’s a very important P.S.
P.S. This petition comes on the heels of some amazing progress. Days after PCCC members chipped in to air a TV ad asking “if Harry Reid is strong and effective enough a leader to pass a public option into law,” Reid is now “furiously working the phones” in support of a public option, according to the Huffington Post.
The New York Times quotes a Reid aide saying, “There is a growing sense that we need to lead on this issue…The idea is that it’s better to show some fight.” Exactly! Congrats, everyone — our activism made a difference.
Now it’s time to give the same push to President Obama that we gave Senator Reid. Please sign the emergency petition today: http://yeswestillcan.org/p-dkos
Thanks for being a bold progressive.
