This just in from my local single-payer activism source on Thursday's DC trip (which I missed because of illness, isn't it ironic). This just goes to show what what happens when you refuse to be ignored. Names have been removed to protect the heroic from their employers. This is the aftermath of a meeting with Spector's aide:
After our meeting, we passed the Senator's office, whose door was ajar, and some of us noticed he was at his desk, not on the phone, and apparently alone. Back in the reception area, TK decided she was going back to his office and ask to meet with him. (BRAVO, T!) I followed, and suddenly Regina [the aide] inserted herself in front of the half-open door and said she would have to speak to him; we could not enter, please wait back in the reception area. We did so, calling in the others half-way to the elevators, to come back.
After about 5 minutes or more (and some of our folk had to leave to visit Doyle), Sen. Specter came out, with two male aides and addressed us for about 1 minute, saying he believes all options should be on the table, including single-payer, but that single-payer didn't have any support in Congress. I responded that it had support from the people, he rattled off something about Sen. Schumer (D-NY), which I cannot recall, and indicated he had to leave, quickly walking out with his two aides on either side of him. I rushed to follow him out the door, calling to him "Senator Specter, will you join Sen. Schumer in asking the CBO to do a cost analysis of S. 703 and HR 676, the single-payer bills?" to which he turned his head to me and replied "Yes, I will," and to his aides "Make a note of it!" before taking off again.
I'll be beyond amazed if Spector ever supports single payer, but I expect him to keep his promise. In fact, I'll be watching.
Contacts with our other Congress persons went like this:
Mike Doyle met personally with the group.
Tim Murphy [a hopeless case, I'm afraid] cancelled his appointment and would not offer an aide.
Kathy Dahlkemper and John Murtha both provided aides for meetings.
Jason Altmire met with his constituents; reports are it was standing room only but we haven't heard yet what was said.
Sen. Casey provided an aide who met with about 50 constituents. He did not send his healthcare senior counsel; this is upsetting since Casey has failed to respond to repeated contacts from our group.
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"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
Tim Murphy held a town hall meeting on health care
last weekend, which I attended. It took a fair amount of hand-waving, nearly standing on my chair in the auditorium and the kindness of an older woman pointing to me and saying to the Congressman, "call on him," but I got called on. Basically, I told Murphy that I wanted him to support HR676 because Obama's public option is weak and I find it vulgar that human well-being in this country is placed at the mercy of for-profit insurance companies. As expected, I was told that he agreed with my goals but opposed any form of "government run" healthcare.
Still, I find the victory was in that I actually got to say my piece, potentially reassuring others of like mind that they weren't alone and perhaps opening the minds of those who didn't realise there was an HR676.
I think those in the group screaming "Obama is a socialist" are a lost cause. Also, as everyone was shuffling out, I had one woman tell me that I shouldn't have come since I didn't vote for Murphy. I told her simply, "he's my representative too." A look came across her face as if a light had been flipped on in the attic. For the most part though, I had a handful of people come up me and shake my hand, thanking me for saying what I did. One elderly gentleman even added a "God bless you" to the end.
The Weird Thing About Our Over-Propagandized Society
is that a lot of people who scream Obama is a socialist, probably love Medicare and would be thrilled if they had access to it (assuming they don't already).
I keep intending to pull all of my thoughts on third party movements into a single post, but one of the benefits of trying to form a National Healthcare Party to challenge people in a few contested races is that it gets beyond the propagandized hatred that has spewed forth, dividing mostly poor people from one another. You hate Democrats, but love Medicare? Great, here's your chance to vote for someone who isn't a Democrat. You hate Republicans, but are frustrated with Democrats? Great, here's your chance to push the Democrats that doesn't require you to vote for the GOP. Put another way, it's a chance to stick it to Obama and John Boehner. To Max Baucus and Mitch McConnell. To Rahm Emanuel and Roy Blunt. To both parties and their corporate sponsors. Now that's post-partisanship worth fighting for!
Given that most Americans support single payer, including in some polls most Republican voters, there's a huge opportunity to make some progress here. If only people will quit talking about Obama's birth certificate and Sarah Palin's marriage.
"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
Tim Murphy is against Medicare? VA? Medicaid? Well, the last
one gets dissed bcz it's assocaited with poor people, but I don't know anyone who's against Medicare except wingers and no one's against the VA health care but might want it better funded.
Did Murphy vote for Weiner's "sarcastic" amendment to kill Medicare so Repubs could live up to their claim to tolerate no government run health plans? Teehee.
ARGH!
I hate that "government run" health care line.
Don't these people understand that single payer(Medicare for All) isn't a "government run" plan like NHS in Britain, but a "government funded, privately run" plan. I mean, as I tell my friends, I'm a stoner, and I get it*, you'd think our elected officials would be smarter than I am.
*My friends have all suggested that I run for office, and have that be my slogan. Whatchathink?
He who will not reason is a bigot; he who cannot is a fool; and he who dares not is a slave.
- Sir William Drummond
Don't worry
Medicare isn't a government program.
That makes selling Medicare for all a snap.
I like the slogan. Why not?
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
Well, the plan is to go for school board first
And it might be a liability there, but in a more expanded race, I probably will ;D
He who will not reason is a bigot; he who cannot is a fool; and he who dares not is a slave.
- Sir William Drummond