B-b-b-but Glen Greenwald unequivocally claims that Democrats are deliberately embracing bipartisanship because the watered down bill is what they really want.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. This is really important because if any of the progressives were thinking about weaseling on their pledge, she's cutting off their escape route.

Sounds like the lady finally got some cojones. Lets see if this really is meaningful or just some political hot air.

Pelosi rocks.

The public option is core.

And rumors of its demise are greatly exaggerated.

Let the waffling senators know!
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/observer2/2009/08/public-option-senate-contact-l.php

Good. Let the Blue Dogs crack for once. They're the ones at the most risk if health care fails in 2010, not the progressive caucus.

Can she do a mind/backbone meld with Obama and Reid?

Let speaker Pelosi know:

http://speaker.house.gov/contact/

In the Senate the health care reform bill has been controlled by a committee chaired by Max Baucus, of Montana, a state which represents .3% of the population of the entire country. Worse, Baucus has accepted (according to accounts I have heard) $1,600,000 from the major health insurance companies, big pharma, and for-profit health care companies, all of whose CEO's are paid millions of dollars a year in salary and stock options. Baucus holds hearings in private, and negotiates directly with the Republicans on this issue. Baucus has several times announced that a single-payer system, or a public option, will not be considered.

Who does Baucus represent? His constituents? Ordinary Americans who are facing bankruptcy because of medical expenses? Or Wall Street interests? If he were a judge in a court of law, he would be forced to recuse himself because of the money he has accepted from the health care industry. Yet he is allowed to control the legislation that is so important to so many people.

No Republicans will vote for health care reform, so the Democrats will need all 60 votes in the Senate to pass any legislation. Thus, a single senator, for example Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a strong advocate of a single payer plan, could kill any bill which did not contain a strong public option.

If the health care reform bill goes down to defeat, too bad; but a health care reform bill without a public option would be a far worse outcome. There is always next year, which is an election year. I think those legislators who support a public option would win re-election; many of those opposing it would find get thrown out.

Something bothers me.

How can patriotic Americans pay even one second of attention to a person who says they health care when, at the same time, believe it is okay to torture other human beings?

Remember folks. Pelosi took punishment off the table for important people who promoted and carried through with atrocities...

Of course, so did many other opportunists who promised voters equal justice and rule of law.

I hesitate to continue to believe folks who lie, and when they also protect the powerful who have destroyed this nation's credibility.... I no longer consider them decent human beings.