Chris Bowers at Open Left is reporting:
From a Reader:
I work with Organizing for America, was on a call with Mitch Stewart tonight, and he's said "at this point, the public option is detrimental to our efforts." Code for the public option being dead. Now I'm rooting for the public option, I hope that's not the case, and I believe it will be in the bill before 2013, but I wanted you to hear it from the mouth of OFA. I think that being unified around a bill that extends coverage to 31 million people, ends pre-existing conditions, reduces the deficit, etc. is a good thing so I understand OFA's position on this.
I understand that Organizing for America is Obama's organization, so making the public option an irrelevant "sliver" is hardly surprising.
What is surprising, however, is that OFA has now gone so far as to make this erroneous claim that an up-or-down vote on the Public Option as a separate issue is a "detriment" to the larger bill.
Whenever there is a serious attempt by the citizens of this country to actively push to keep the public option alive (such as last week), the President slaps it down, while claiming to be a huge supporter. I don't know whether it's because of prior deals with Pharma and/or the insurance industry - and frankly I just don't care anymore. Obama has lost me. I truly want good health care for all our citizens, will not give up on the Democratic party nor quit fighting for injustices and liberal causes, but I no longer trust our President on a personal level.
Sadly, as I read the statement from a commenter on the Open Left article (below), it summed up exactly what I, friends, family and fellow colleagues of the public-education community (an entire different Obama policy issue), are now feeling:
It should be evident to any sentient being within 20 parsecs that Obama (and his Neo-Liberal buddies) identifies more with the Republicans than the liberals and progressives. That's why, no matter how many times he gets rebuffed he still tries to find ways to get the Republicans to sign off on his policies. He wants to form a coalition government with them and repeatedly ignores the more liberal and progressive members of his own party. In the mean time the country goes to hell and he and the Democrats who sail in him will get all the blame.
I will probably get criticized for writing this article, but I wanted to make you aware of OFA's push against the PO today. The rest is simply my personal opinion, and I genuinely respect the rights of all whose opinions differ.
Updated: Chris Bowers followed up on the OFA call and provided a transcript of the relevant passage, which clarifies Mitch Stewart's statement. It is as follows:
The President laid out his plan and the public option is not in that and I know a lot of people - not only on the phone here - but a lot of the folks that you talk to feel very strongly about the public option, but this is what I would say... This is our best shot at getting health insurance reform; comprehensive health insurance reform passed and while its not going to be exactly what everyone wants. This bill - the President's plan - accomplishes 90% of what I think all of us agree is a step in the right direction. So I would just talk about what is at stake. Sitting on the side lines based off of the public option - at this point is going to be absolutely detrimental to our efforts as we move forward. We have a lot of conversations about that and just say what's at stake - is that the sole reason why you support health insurance reform? You know, pose that question to folks. If we don't get this done now, literally it will be a decade before anyone brings this back up again and our country can't afford that - businesses, families, individuals and our government - local, state and federal - can't afford to put this problem off for another decade so that is what I would say to folks. I know it isn't a perfect answer. I know a lot of people feel extremely strong about that issues, but that's the best answer I can give you all tonight.
The message for Organizing for America reminds me of what my mother used to say: "You will like it because I said you will like it". Sigh.