UPDATE: Use this directory to contact members of the House. Or just call the switchboard at (202)224-3121 and ask for your member of Congress. Tell them to pass the Senate bill NOW and fix it later, per SEIU's Andy Stern.
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People keep talking about the base being demoralized. Well here's a newsflash:
I'm the base. My family is the base. My friends are the base. We're all Democrats. Maybe we're not like YOU. Maybe we don't think like YOU. But we're Democrats. We donate to Democrats, work for Democrats, and root for Democrats. We've been feeling ok about the Democrats all year. We haven't given up.
But I'll tell you one thing: if the House doesn't pass the Senate bill (with future revisions promised), we will be PISSED. We will be demoralized. And we will probably start tuning all of this out...
Maybe we're just simple people. We're not as liberal or as pure as others. We don't fixate on small provisions and throw shit storms every week about various legislative compromises. We're also not interested in triangulating, posturing, or compromise. We're looking at the big picture. Here's what we're fixated on:
RESULTS. INSURING THE UNINSURED.
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Listen up you weasily idiots (House Democrats - both liberal and conservative): PASS A BILL. Give us results. Give us something to hang our hats on, then go on the road defending the bill. There will be tough parts to defend. And there will be AMAZING parts that blow people away. Go do it.
We're not fools. We know there have been about 1,000 small accomplishments during Obama's first year. We're not going to whine and demand a pony.
But we want healthcare reform. We want insurance subsidies for the uninsured. We want a good old fashioned WELFARE PROGRAM FOR THE POOR, because this is a moral imperative. We don't care about all of these academic theories about bending the cost curve, creating more competition, incentives, disincentives, etc. WE JUST WANT YOU TO PROVIDE INSURANCE TO THE UNINSURED. We want congress to step in and say, "No more" to insurance abuses.
If you don't do that, then I will be demoralized. So will my friends and so will my family. We've stuck with you through the last year, because we understand the legislative process always involves dozens of compromises. We're not in league with those whiny people crying for their pony.
All we want is this small thing. Either PASS THE BILL and MOVE ON or go fuck yourselves.
PS: There are millions of Democrats out there who BARELY FOLLOW POLITICS (they don't have a pony nor do they want one). They didn't follow all of the stupid back and forth on the internet or in DC. Many of them don't have insurance. Many do, but they know people who don't. All they want is for you to do something about it. If you fail, then you can pretty much write off the entire party.
You've already lost the pony people. It'll take years to win them back. Don't lose the non-pony people too.