In the past year, we have had some wonderful highs and awful lows in the health care reform debate. As of late, it has been largely seen as on life support, despite a February 25 bipartisan health care reform summit the President is hosting at the Blair House. The media has largely claimed that reform is dead, Republicans have claimed they'd killed it, and even some Democrats seem to be seceding defeat. Thru all of this, it still has a heartbeat.

Not only is Health care reform not dead -- the Public Option seems to have a new life breathing in it. And this is where it gets interesting. As of yesterday night, 14 senators have signed on to a Public Option thru reconciliation. They are:

*** This list is from Update lX (see below) ***
Daniel Inouye (HI)
Debbie Stabenow (MI)
Tim Johnson (SD)
Robert Menendez (NJ)
Arlen Specter (PA)
Jeanne Shaheen (NH)
Chuck Schumer (NY)
Frank Lautenberg (NJ)
Barbara Mikulski (MD)
Bernie Sanders (VT)
Al Franken (MN)
Patrick Leahy (VT)
John Kerry (MA)
Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)
Dianne Feinstein (CA)
Roland Burris (IL)
Barbara Boxer (CA)
Jack Reed (RI)
Tom Udall (NM)

The original signatories:
Michael Bennet (CO)
Sherrod Brown (OH)
Kirsten Gillibrand (NY)
Jeff Merkley (OR)


Why now? I am not sure. I suspect it has a lot to do with the summit being publicly televised. I also suspect it has even more to do with stories like this That's right, it's just the tip of the iceberg. The longer congress procrastinates, the more companies will try to get away with this outrageous behavior.

One thing that has gotten lost in this whole Health Care reform mess is is the bill is passed as it is these astronomical rate hikes will be disallowed. It's a pale comparison to the bill the House passed last August, but passing what we have with reconcilliation is still better than nothing. Hearing new talk of a Public option is wonderful news, and hopefully it will be corrected in the next week or so. Doing nothing isn't viable anymore. From the report: If Republicans could pass the Bush tax cuts thru reconciliation, the Dems can do this. Maybe it is because of these increases that senators are returning to the idea of a public option. The insurance companies are not even trying to hide their price gouging anymore.

Please Sign this letter, call and make your voice heard. Thank your senator if they are on the list. Sometimes they do deserve a little love... and if they aren't on the list, well you all know the drill.

Also for your moment of GOP hypocrisy... now Cantor and Boehner say they want transparency, just not at the health care summit. this in spite of the fact that Boehner ASKED C-Span to have it televised.

Neither health care reform NOR the public option are dead. The media is trying to tell you otherwise, the GOP is trying to muddy the waters with stall tactics, and the insurance lobby is pumping huge amounts of money to stop it. It's not dead yet.

And yes, I am tired of the ups and downs -- but I will not give up. Too many people are suffering. We have come farther than we ever have before and even against all odds, this reform is not dead. Yogi Berra said, "It ain't over till it's over" -- and this isn't over.

and
Raine


UPDATE: Public Option, Medicare Buy-In May Be Headed To Senate Floor

UPDATE ll: MSNBC is reporting that Senate and House are close to merging the Health Care Reform Bills.

UPDATE lll: Barbara Boxer, Jack Reed and Tom Udall have signed onto the public option.

UPDATE lV: (2/19/10) Senator Schumer is number 17 -- he has signed the letter.

UPDATE V: Obama will back the public option if Harry Reid does.

UPDATE Vl: (2/19/10) Shaheen Signs Public Option Letter, Becomes No. 18

UPDATE Vll: (2/19/10) Reid Signals Support For Reconciliation Vote On Public Option.

UPDATE Vlll (2/19/10)Arlen Specter has signed the Public Option reconcilliation letter.

UPDATE lX (2/23/10) 23 Senators have now signed the list.