upport for the public health insurance option is surging in the Senate. It began with three freshman Democrats in the House, Alan Grayson (Fla.), Chellie Pingree (Maine) and Jared Polis (Colo.). The campaign has taken place almost exclusively online.
Grayson organized an online petition calling for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to include a public option in health care reform using reconciliation, process that requires only fifty votes plus a tie-breaker from Vice President Joe Biden. Pingree and Polis persuaded more than 100 House members to sign on to a letter urging Reid to do the same.
The entire effort has been organized on the outside by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Democracy for America and Credo Action. The members behind the movement have been rewarded by online donors.
On Tuesday, four Senate Democrats joined the effort, urging Reid to pass a public option using reconciliation. The group was led by Sen. Michael Bennet, facing a primary challenge in Colorado. Sen. Kirstin Gillibran, facing a primary in New York, was also one of the initial four. Sens. Sherrod Brown (Ohio) and Jeff Merkley (Oregon) rounded out the foursome.
We've been following the growth of the movement and updating below as more and more Democrats sign on to the call to action. Find out where your senators stand here.
UPDATE: Friday, 10:00 AM -- MSNBC highlighted the renewed push for the public option Thursday night, with both Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow weighing in.
Maddow hosted Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and asked her if the president would fight for the public option, which 18 senators were by then calling for.
"I think if it's--certainly, if it's part of the decision of leadership to move forward, absolutely," Sebelius said. "The president said from the outset he thought that was a great way to provide cost reduction and competition moving forward, but if that is not the choice of the majority moving forward, I think there are other ways to get there."
Olbermann, meanwhile, hosted Sam Stein and the two counted votes, making educated guesses as to where those who are undeclared might come down, coming up with a possible 52 votes, two more than needed.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/17/dianne-feinstein-signs-on_n_466435.htmlIt's sad but i don't think it's going to get through. It should but unfortunately people here are too fu*ked up to care about others and their well being. These articles are like a tease, giving you a feeling that maybe, just maybe something could be done to end the insanity of health care in this country.