With Transparency Comes Accountability

by: Chris Bowers

Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 17:19

A few hours ago, several advocacy organizations and progressive blogs launched a crowdsourcing campaign on where the Senate stands on the public option. It is connected to the Stand with Dr. Dean campaign from Democracy for America. So far, several thousand people have sent their Senators four specific questions on the public option, and demanded the clear, written responses to which we are entitled. Join in this effort here.

One of the most important aspects of this campaign is how it is the first attempt to really push Senators to make their position on the public option clear. More than one Senate staffer has written us to say that no one in the media has ever asked them such detailed questions on the public option before:

Do you support a public healthcare option as part of healthcare reform?

If so, do you support a public healthcare option that is available on day one?

Do you support a public healthcare option that is national, available everywhere, and accountable to Congress?

Do you support a public healthcare option that can bargain for rates from providers and big drug companies?

To date, Senators have been allowed to avoid real pressure by providing vague, almost open-ended responses to health care questions. This has allowed them to sound good to the base, but also provided them wiggle room to cut backdoor deals with health insurance companies.

Today, we are starting to put an end to that. Through your emails, we are going to get every Senator to provide clarity on where they stand on the public option. And with such transparency comes accountability.

And responses are already starting to come in. Senator Russ Feingold:

Hi, folks. This is Zach Lowe, Press Secretary for Senator Russ Feingold. I wanted to let you all know that Senator Feingold's response to all four questions is "YES!"

Here's what Senator Feingold had to say following the president's stop in Green Bay, Wisconsin last week. Thanks.

Thank you Senator!

Let's keep this going! Email your Senators today.

Chris Bowers :: With Transparency Comes Accountability

Tags: health care, activism, whip count, (All Tags)

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With Transparency Comes Accountability | 8 comments

I e-mailed Tom Harkin (4.00 / 2)

While he is on record as a strong supporter of a public option, I wanted to make sure he would not accept a "trigger" compromise. Haven't heard back yet.

I didn't bother writing Chuck Grassley, a leading voice of distortion on this issue.

Join the Iowa progressive community at Bleeding Heartland.

by: desmoinesdem @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 16:57:34 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

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Let's talk again when we see what this "public option" (if any) ends up being (4.00 / 1)

In an earlier thread, you said you support HR 676. Yet I see no reference to single payer in the various health care posts here of late.

I'm not going to hound you about it -- I'm done after this comment -- but I wish you had a better answer than "this is journalism" when I ask for the clearly superior plan to be included in these discussions -- and for pushback on Democrats who silence talk about it.

I think we're being rolled, that fixing on "public option" as our Overton-Window benchmark is a mistake. We'll see.

Rock on. Bye.

by: vastleft @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 17:03:30 PM CDT

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Done (0.00 / 0)

hopefully I will get some detailed answers.

John McCain: Beacuse lobbyists should have more power

by: Populista @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 19:12:00 PM CDT

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Durbin a NO??? (0.00 / 0)

Possibly...

http://www.dailykos.com/story/...

REID: Voting against us was never part of our arrangement!
SPECTER: I am altering the deal! Pray I don't alter it any further!
REID: This deal keeps getting worse all the time!

by: lord_mike @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 20:21:46 PM CDT

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Wow (0.00 / 0)

Amazing-dripping with contempt for Durbin (supposedly one of the good guys!), and on KOS no less.

I think it is safe to say the honeymoon is about to be over and the backlash is beginning.

by: John Halle @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 20:47:40 PM CDT

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wow! (0.00 / 0)

by: The Big Hurt @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 22:11:20 PM CDT

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I didn't expect this... (0.00 / 0)

by: The Big Hurt @ Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 22:12:04 PM CDT

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Would love to add a few questions (0.00 / 0)

First... Define "public"

Definitions of public on the Web:

populace: people in general considered as a whole; "he is a hero in the eyes of the public"
not private; open to or concerning the people as a whole; "the public good"; "public libraries"; "public funds"; "public parks"; "a public scandal ...
a body of people sharing some common interest; "the reading public"
affecting the people or community as a whole; "community leaders"; "community interests"; "the public welfare"
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

No healthcare proposal I have heard to date... deserves anything but derision for abusing the word public.

by: Eureka Springs AR @ Thu Jun 18, 2009 at 00:03:01 AM CDT

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With Transparency Comes Accountability | 8 comments