Gov. Dean & Others ask: Where's Public Option in Obama Plan? (action update)

"'Public Option' is the term for allowing at least some additional people to opt-in to some form of Medicare. While it falls far short of 'Expanded & Improved Medicare for All,' it at least offers the possibility of putting the private insurance companies on notice that they are going to have to compete to actually provide access and care. It was a critical part of the Edwards proposal during the campaign, and was in the subsequent Clinton and Obama campaign proposals. It has become the rallying point for HCAN, Hacker and others."

As of now, it is missing from the Obama/Baucus blueprint. Where are the minimally needful "Community Rating" and "Guaranteed Issue"? Without ALL THREE OF THESE, there is no reason for liberal or progressive support!

Action Items:
Call President Obama, the White House number is: 202 - 456 - 1414.

Call your Representative & Senators, the Capitol Switchboard number is 866 - 338 - 1015.

• Senators Kennedy and Dodd are most critical.
• Baucus should be shamed and put on the spot as much as possible over this.
• All Democrats should be able to support Public Option + Community Rating + Guarantee Issue.

Ask for a single payer bill in the Senate:

• Bernie Sanders has specifically promised activists that he would introduce a single payer senate bill, though not necessarily as a direct companion bill to Conyer’s HR-676.
• Merkley ran on single payer and should be held to that campaign promise.
• Tom Udall (NM) was a co-sponsor when was in the House.

Beyond that, there are the usual assortment of liberals (Boxer, Brown, Feingold, Harkin, Kloubacher, Leahy, Stabenow, Whithouse, etc.) and economic populists and/or economic populists (Dorgan, Casey, etc.) who should be lobbied to put their name on a senate single payer bill.