They came, they sat, they chanted:
8 Protesters backing a universal health care system briefly occupied Sen. Joe Lieberman's office this morning.
Protesters were arrested, one by one, and dragged out of his office amid chants of "Everyone in and noone out, universal healthcare now!" and "Represent Connecticut, not AETNA!"
Activists hopefully moving the Overton Window - in our case leftward - because too many Democratic party politicians were too stupid to do that on their own at the start of the healthcare debate.
Many in the Blogosphere had already set the long term strategy table for using Single Payer as a focus to keep dragging a compromise leftward. Part of why it made no sense to push single payer aside and settle on the compromise out of the gates.
The strategy was left there unused to the detriment of the entire cause.
8 people are sitting-in the office of Sen. Lieberman!8 people are sitting-in the office of Sen. Joseph Lieberman demanding that he stop taking money from the insurance industry. The massive campaign donations and lobbying spending of the insurance industry is blocking real reform that would provide everyone in America with access to health care. When 45,000 people are dying annually due to lack of health care it is a moral imperative that America act now to provide health care to all. We are able to do this for senior citizens, why not for all Americans?
Please take the following steps:
1. Call Lieberman and tell him to stop taking insurance money. His numbers are: (202) 224-4041and (860) 549-8463.
2. Sign the petition urging Lieberman to stop taking insurance money. Click here to sign the petition now. Urge everyone you know to sign the petition.
3. Make a donation to support the Mobilization. Donate for bail money for those sitting in Lieberman’s office.
Since beginning just over one month ago thousands have signed up to participate in “Patients before Profits” sit-ins and over 920 have signed up willing to risk arrest. By the end of this week the Mobilization will have held 32 sit-ins in 28 different cities with more than 150 arrests and over 220 risking arrest. We started out wanting 100 people to risk arrest at “patients before profits” sit-ins and now more than 920 have done so. The Mobilization needs to continue to grow in order to achieve health care for all.
There is anger growing in the country at the failure of Congress to put forward a national health care plan that provides health care to everyone in the United States. It is important that people speak out now to push Congress and the president to achieve this urgent moral imperative. When President Obama ran for office he raised hopes in Americans that health policy would be reformed so that no one would go without health care. When the reform process began he talked about universal coverage now millions will go without health care access ten years from after the reform bill is passed. That is unacceptable. We need to demand that health care reform achieve the basic goal – that no one go without health care in a country as wealthy as America. We can achieve that goal if we speak up now and demand action. The United States has been effectively providing health care to senior citizens for 40 years through Medicare, we can do the same for everyone.
Thank you for your support. Please take action now.
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wow wow wow
single payer kabuki indeed
I'm really impressed at the size this mobilization has
swelled to. I think it might just become a thing- a movement, maybe.
Nothing is true; everything is permitted.
Building on the mobilization
I would love to see a few of the state single payer movement Montana develop into a few third party runs for 2010 under a National Healthcare Party banner. I think in smaller states, such a move could pick up enough votes to get some attention. Hell, given how much anger there is by Dems and Reps at the establishment, they might even win one.
"Do what you feel in your heart to be right -- for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't. " - Eleanor Roosevelt
Now THAT is a good idea.
Hell, I'd travel up to Montana to work on something like that. I might just spread that idea around...
Nothing is true; everything is permitted.
Spread away
Max may have money, but Montana is small and it's possible to do a lot, IMO, with volunteers (there's already an active single payer movement) and local media (which should be cheaper than in big media markets). And people are pissed off and ready for outsiders, IMO.
Indiana, which is clearly unhappy with the GOP, having gone for Obama, and with Evan Bayh (or should be) is another prime target, IMO. As are, I'm sure, a few Congressional districts.
The key is not to do too many of them or get in over your head in a big expensive race.
"Do what you feel in your heart to be right -- for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't. " - Eleanor Roosevelt
Why Montana?
Why not Iowa?
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
isn't
IA friendly to insurance interests? A Midwestern CT?
Why Iowa?
I don't object to Iowa, but it's late and maybe I'm slow and not sure who would make a nice symbolic target there in 2010.
Max Baucus, who is not only in the pockets of the healthcare industry but also was Obama's initial go-to guy, seems like a nice symbolic target. Add in the healthy and active single payer movement in Montana and a Governor famous for his healthcare advocacy (he once took a bus load of seniors to Canada for drugs as part of a campaign). It seems like a place where a National Healthcare Candidate could do well and the target is not only a worthy one, but a symbolic one. And even if all the healthcare candidate did was play spoiler for Baucus, would anyone miss him in the Senate. He's practically a Republican in his voting, only he's worse because he chairs the Finance Committee so he's in a position to do much more damage than another Republican.
"Do what you feel in your heart to be right -- for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't. " - Eleanor Roosevelt
Why, to game the caucuses, of course!
Eh?
(And I was thinking 2012, not 2010. But I think wampum is right, things should start now.)
Yeah, in 2010, take down Bad Max.
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
Are the caucuses worth gaming?
I appreciate Wampum's point, but think Clinton's mistake was in contesting Iowa in the first place. I'm not sure you can out organize Obama in Iowa given how easy it is to ship people in from Illinois and the money advantage he's likely to have. Hell, Edwards practically moved there and looked what happened to him? However, New Hampshire - where McCarthy came within less than 10 points of beating LBJ, where Bush almost went down to McCain - that's a place that screams out for 2012, IMO.
"Do what you feel in your heart to be right -- for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't. " - Eleanor Roosevelt
New Hampshire is where LBJ knew he had lost.
I remember that from Fear & Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72. If we can spook Obama in New Hampshire we might just dissuade him from running altogether.
Nothing is true; everything is permitted.
Both good arguments
And NH is an open primary, no? Heh heh. What's the percentage of women in office?
The Governor of New Hampshire is John Lynch (Democrat). New Hampshire's two U.S. senators are Judd Gregg (Republican) and Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat). New Hampshire's two U.S. representatives are Carol Shea-Porter (Democrat) and Paul Hodes (Democrat).
2/5 of all (20%) but 2/4 (50% on D alone). Hmmm. Could work for our left Latina...
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
good luck on montana
...there is only one Rep. Seat for the state which is notoriously beholden to the incumbent. Baucus just got reelected and Tester unseated Conrad Burns in 2006. Its not exactly a state prime for opprtunities to target.
Neoliberalization has led to the financialization of everything. (Harvey, A Brief History of Neoliberalism, Chapter 1).
let me qualify my last comment....
...as a former longtime resident, I can say that Montana is a bad state to target. The power of the incumbent is extremely strong there. In 2006 during tester vs burns, with Burns tied to Abramoff, the firefighter scandal (as well as others) and not to to mention being known as a general drunk and buffoon....he still almost won againt Tester.
B aucus is also one of the most comfortable and safe incumbents in the senate. In 2008 he was reelected by 73% of the people. This despite his real lack of.a record for anything for the common man AND a challenge by popular house rep denny rehberg.
Neoliberalization has led to the financialization of everything. (Harvey, A Brief History of Neoliberalism, Chapter 1).
Thanks for the background
it's always helpful to get info from people more personally associated with a state.
"Do what you feel in your heart to be right -- for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't. " - Eleanor Roosevelt
National Health Care Party
excellent notion, I have been thinking the same. Our best chance might be Indiana, where the Senator from Wellpoint and his Republican challenger will divide the conservative vote and a single payer advocate could walk away with the eleciton.
What really pisses me off is that
some public option supporters are trying to claim they were there to support the public option. Fuck
that. Just a quick scan of the "Mobilization for Health Care For all" website would expose the silliness in that.
Then again, if you just want to get a story out....
... targeting Baucus is not a bad idea. He tends to have people arrested when under pressure. And the Montana media environment is small.
Maybe somebody should go to a local MT blog and ask?
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi