I was surprised to see last night that many people interpreted yesterday's post about Organizing for America as a call to "sit out" the battle over health care reform. That wasn't my goal at all. As I've argued many times, we need to push for reform that will solve our problems and not settle for a bipartisan bill with no public health insurance option or a fake public option.

President Obama appears eager to sign any bill that Congress passes, and Organizing for America is setting up rallies for health care reform without regard to what's in the bill. I have no interest in participating in this useless activism.

Instead, I'm reposting part of a diary I wrote a few days ago on five ways to fight for the public option:

  1. Thank the Democrats who have pledged to insist on a public health insurance option.

2. Give money to Blue America's fundraising drive for Democrats who stand strong for a public option. They've raised more than $400,000 as of Tuesday evening.
   
3. Encourage more House Democrats to join them (not just Populist Caucus members, though I think they are mostly good targets).
   
4. Keep contacting the Democratic senators who can get us to 50 votes, enough to pass health care reform using the budget reconciliation process. (See also here.)
   
5. Get your local Democratic group (county Democrats, Drinking Liberally or Democracy for America chapter) to "adopt the Public Option Resolution demanding inclusion of a strong public health insurance option in any health care bill passed this year."

I'm not naive about the "Progressive Block" strategy for getting a better health care bill. It could fail if we can't find 50 votes in the Senate for passing a good bill through reconciliation, or if House Progressives are bought off to support a bad bill out of conference. However, I don't see any other strategy more likely to get us the change we need.

The White House could improve our prospects if Obama would start twisting arms or offering carrots to senators wavering on a public option.

A few commenters yesterday implied that I am hoping these efforts will fail because I didn't support Obama in the Democratic primaries. On the contrary, I would love to see Obama exceed my expectations. If he got us a groundbreaking health care bill that changed this country forever (the way Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid left a lasting imprint), I'd happily agree that he's one of the top 10 presidents of all time. My problem is, Obama seems content to settle for health care reform that would be no more effective than the 1996 Kennedy-Kassebaum bill and potentially much more unpopular if it included an individual mandate to buy private insurance.

I encourage the president's defenders not to delude themselves into thinking that his critics are just bitter people still living in the primaries. Most of the activists behind the Progressive Block strategy supported Obama over Hillary Clinton. Many early Obama supporters are just as upset as I am about the president's failure to state clearly that he won't sign a bill without a strong public option. Here's icebergslim:

Barack Obama is listening to a Chief of Staff that is on the 90s, Clinton Adminstration mode.  That worked in the 90s, but this is 2009 and not only has this country voted for a black man to be POTUS, but we voted for CHANGE, PROGRESS.  The shit that Emanuel is doing in the White House is disastrous.  You don't have the President of the United States continue to compliment, praise the very Republicans that are tearing him down in the national press and on television, DAILY.  What the fuck kind of shit is this?  Again, this is 2009 not 1993.  For the Chief of Staff to the President of the United States repeatedly having him go out there and praise the very persons who are determined to undermind him at every turn is looney and I am being nice.  [...]

I am one of those on the left that raised over 12K for the Obama Campaign under the grassroots fundraiser, I am one of those who knocked on hundreds of doors for the Obama Campaign, I am one of those who was swinging a big stick over here EARLY at Daily Kos for the Obama Campaign, I am one of those who worked across state lines for the Obama Campaign, and I am one of those who are PISSED at the Obama Administration.

I am one of millions who took a chance on change, not this weak milquetoast performance that I am witnessing out of the White House.

This is 2009, not 1993 and millions voted for change, not this tap dance we are witnessing from the White House.  Change also means bringing forward THINKING along, not this 1990s shit we are witnessing from Rahm and Friends.

Here's an Iowa Democrat:

From the very beginning of the Obama caucus campaign continuing through the general election, I gave more money, more time, and stuck my neck out further than I ever had before for a Presidential candidate, and I've worked hard for quite a few.

I will not invest my energy in a cause that has no bottom line, no goals which the president will not compromise, nor any clear cut progress toward true reform.

I respect Barack Obama for the great things he HAS done, but I refuse to work for his version of health care reform when he has no clear goal other than to pass something - anything - that may get through Congress, regardless of content.

The job of President, when it is applied to the greatest issues before us, is not to explain stuff to us, nor is it to cut backroom deals, all though that's part of it. The job of the leader of the free world is to demand accountability from congress, and to lead the entire country forward. The job isn't a legislative one, it is an executive one, but the President seems to want to serve as the chair of a phantom legislative committee where he observes from above and makes a few suggestions while the members of his own party fall out of line. [...]

I'm ready to fight, to work, to give, to risk failure - but only for something worth winning.  

Don't sit out the health care reform battle. Put your energy toward getting a better bill out of Congress.

UPDATE: Democracy for America is hiring "public option field organizers" in 12 states: Montana, Iowa, Maine, North Dakota, Florida, Oregon, Virginia, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Georgia, and Arkansas. I'm not sure why Georgia is on the list. The other states all have senators who are playing key roles in writing health care bills or may be on the fence regarding a public option.

This is a short-term position but does include health benefits. The full listing and application form are here.

Click here to see the list of 64 House Democrats who have promised to vote against any health care reform bill that does not include a public health insurance option. Click here to donate to Democracy for America.