Last chance for a public option on the White House website.

[Cleita]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/

On the health care links on the top of the page, there are various questions and answers about what the President will offer to Congress in health care reform. Basically it will be an exchange of private insurance companies. There is a place to submit questions. I asked if it would be possible to buy into Medicare as part of the exchange if we are under sixty-five and don't want to buy private health insurance from a corporation. Of course my one little question out of millions means nothing. However, if we all go in there and ask for a public option like Medicare in the exchange, maybe the White House will sit up and take notice. It's a long shot but worth a try.

[Winterblues]

1. Right now the Whitehouse has a strategy of trying to gain some Republican support.

When that fails as we all know it will, then Democrats are positioned to go the Conciliation route and make it a Democratic Bill. For the Public's sake though Obama has to make it seem completely Bi-Partisan especially while the cameras roll.

[Cleita]

2. So what's wrong with telling him what you want, anyway?

[Winterblues]

7. He was campaigning for three years, I suspect he knows what we want

Doesn't mean for a minute that he will give us that though..

[Cleita]

9. He won't give it to us for sure if he isn't feeling constantly nagged

and this is what we need to do. If we go away like they want us to, then they think they have won.

[kenny blankenship]

3. The only interest they ever had in the PO was as a HOOK to keep Democratic constituents bought in

and to keep them pacified while they brokered the giveaway. As soon as they got a basic agreement for the size and terms of the insurance industry guaranteed profits act, they dropped all talk about a public option even in pathetically diminished versions.

This "reform" is about STOPPING anything like the public option, and locking in insurance industry predation -they hope- forever.

[Cleita]

4. Listening to Thom Hartmann right now and he is suggesting the same thing.

He also said never underestimate the power of the people if they move against the corporations in a large and loud voice (paraphrasing here). So it's worth a try and it's in a place that is specific to health care reform not the general email submission link.

[zipplewrath]

5. I did that last week

I'm fairly sure it is a pointless effort. Rahm doesn't want the Public Option. Obama has decided he doesn't need it. There is little to indicate the White House pays any attention to us at all. But I keep pissing into the wind anyway.

[Cleita]

8. Thanks. If enough of us piss in the wind, there might be a flood that they

can't ignore in the end.

[SlingBlade]

6. Reconciliation is the only hope for a Public Option

The White House knows this.

[Cleita]

10. So keep putting that bug in their ear.

This way they can't ignore you no matter how much they try.

[SlingBlade]

11. Constantly :)