I noticed at Saturday’s OFA healthcare rally that the pledge forms they were asking people to sign didn’t include the words “public option.” I asked OFA state director Ashley Walker about it and she told me it was probably just an old form they were using. I was skeptical. Now this from Talking Points Memo:
The Democratic party’s organizing arm, OFA, seems to have changed the language on it’s website, which used to be as firm as possible on the public option. The site used to say that health care reform “must… [g]uarantee choice – Every American must have the freedom to choose their plan and doctor – including the choice of a public insurance option.”
Now, it’s backed away from that insistence. The new language on the site urges members of Congress to support President Obama’s health care reform principles, which include a public option–but doesn’t characterize it as a make or break issue.
Please remember this when OFA and President Obama ask for your time and money. They led you to believe they were standing up for you. They never intended to.
Our job is to get as many Americans as possible engaged in the fight for comprehensive healthcare reform, so that we can put pressure on Congress to act.
The earlier three principles language was from a specific call to action – OFA asked people to join the President in telling Congress that healthcare reform must control costs, guarantee choice (including the choice of a public option), and give all Americans access to quality and affordable care. It other words, Americans were agreeing with the statement from the President to Congress about what kind of bill Congress should draft. Over 1 million people agreed with that statement about what healthcare reform legislation should do. OFA is out there organizing so the American people can make their voices heard on this.
Now we have legislation making its way through Committee and to the floor, and it is in 4 of 5 cases responsive to that language on the public option. The President in a major address to the nation, outlined his plan, which draws significantly on the existing bills. The current website language, which notably your article does not quote, says the President’s plan for healthcare reform “will” do certain things. It says the President’s plan “Offers a public health insurance option to provide the uninsured and those who can’t find affordable coverage with a real choice.” Now we are asking people to write Congress in support of the President’s plan and all its elements. Hundreds of thousands have already done so.
These two asks are in different contexts – one is the President saying to Congress “you must” and the other is the President saying to the American people “my plan will.” That’s all.
Nothing has changed. No one has ever told anyone on the ground to do anything but build support for all the core elements of reform. No one gave us magic instructions to suddenly stop advocating for the public option or to change anything we are doing in any way.
Yet again, we have a breathless game of jumping through hoops to find any possible ambiguity or change instead of looking at words with their reasonable meanings in mind. Why is everyone so invested in the story of tracking the health of the public option like the minute by minute ups and downs of the stock market? We are closer than we have ever been to passing comprehensive healthcare reform. All three House bills and one of two Senate bills include a public option. They also address other important aspects of reform that deal with access, affordability and cost control.
Ron,
See my new post. Sirota nails it.
I would agree with Ron’s descriptions and portrayals above. They’re honest. Obama always has and still gives the public option lip service but Obama has always been equivocal about it. He never pushed it, in the way Sirota speaks of. Weird how both Ron and Sirota are accurate about this. Just last week Tom Harkin said he thinks a public option would pass the Senate BUT Obama and the Senate leadership, ie. Harry and others, ‘aren’t pushing it’, to paraphrase if not use Harkin’s precise language.
Remember, Ron was hired, and his role is to carry out Obama’s Vanity Politics (TM) and hold off massive industry spending.
My prediction is that IF the Conference version includes public, which it could, but only with Obama muscle, even then it’s going to be this castrated withered skeleton shell of a plan limited to the smallest number of people and providing just bare bones coverage. Because of Obama’s Vanity Politics (TM) it will HAVE to be something that the insurance industry grudgingly accepts and poses no threat of ever becoming a significant competitor. This is what Ron and OFA are working toward. But heck, it’s better than nothing I guess.
I think anyone who believes and mistakenly so that the president is not in favor of the public option is misinformed . As a member of ofa i can say without equivication that our leader’s intent is still steadfast.I don’t believe that any meaningful legislation on healthcare reform that will pass the president’s desk will be absent the public option.
Suject: State officials conspire to convict an innocent man and gaven him a life sentence to appease a wealthy family.
Conviction is:
(1.) selective prosecution.
(2.) contrary to the evidences.
(3.) prosecutor misconduct.
(4.) confusing jury instructions on the law of self defense.
John W. Dobbs was given:
(a.) 2- different charge information ,(the first was given to John and Mrs. Dobbs,by way of PD Catherine Chien,unsigned , with the stamp Provided to Santa Rosa C.I. Dec 16,2007, for mailing ,Ms.Chien mailed Mrs. Dobbs the duplicate,and the other by way of John’s appeal attorney Kevin Holtz signed up on his dismissal,He also fax his copy to Mrs.Dobbs,
(b.) Unsigned Subpoenas- will be post on website soon.
(c.) 4- case numbers, for the one incident that ocurred on October25,2006
(d.) 2- different Adversary Preliminary Hearing Transcripts (APH): Both dated December 22,2006, 9:32 am, Before the Honorable Stan Stickland with different testimonies, they differ from each other page by page ( one has 85 pages,will be post on website soon, with caes no.48-2004-CF-15201-0 and the other has 65 pages, case no. 48-2006-CF-15201-0.
(e.)2- different Sentencing Proceedings Transcripts, both dated March 8,2007,Before the Honorable Lisa T. Munyon ,both has 42 pages, and testimonies differ from page to pages,
Continue: Celeste Dobbs (3 October 2009 at 17:18
Subject: State officials conspire to convict an innocent man and given him a life sentence to appease a wealthy family.
(f.) John W. Dobbs, inmate no.was changed fromm C00618 to O00618, by the Fifth District Court of Appeals (in his Case Docket).
Thank You, for your support
Mrs. Celeste Dobbs (a mothers cry for help, for her only son)
CC; Govnor CRIST,U.S. Senates Siplin and Nelson,FDLE,Judicial Q ualification Commission:Brooke Kennerly,National Bar Ass. LT.Jeff Kottkamp, ACLU of Florida,Congresswoman Karen Thurman,FBI: Special Agents, James Casey and Christopher Davis (in Olando),Nation of Isalm: Ramzy Kilic
Continue; Celeste Dobbs (3 October 2009 17:18
Suject: State officials conspire to convict an innocent man and given him a life sentence to appease a wealthy famly.
Please contact me at: “dobbsceleste@yahoo.com,” or at “amku@hotmail.com” and (951)259-7127.
Thank You, for your support
Mrs. Celeste Dobbs ( a mothers cry for help,for her only son)