Kinda' shows just how powerfully money talks in Washington. The grassroots may want health care reform, but these guys just can't resist using this as an opportunity to instead establish the "Health Insurance Industry Profits Enhancement Act of 2009."

I can only imagine the kind of energy policy reform we get once the oil and coal lobby get done with these whores.

"The Democratic party's organizing arm, OFA, seems to have changed the language on it's website, which used to be as firm as possible on the public option."

I can haz website with stiffiness?

It appears that the Democratic party's organizing arm is relaxing its language on the Public Option. Where once unequivocal support of the Public Option appeared, there now exists equivocation.

Put the link to the new language on the words now exists or equivocation; and if possible, a link to the old version (google cache or the wayback machine) around unequivocal support.

Wanted: National Leader for New Progressive Party.

Whatever you do, don't let the good be the enemy of shit.

I don't know who they think the grassroots are in this piece. The people in my community that worked for Obama for over a year, that donated, phone banked, door knocked, organized and raised money are not left wing zealots or overly dramatic, but to them, absence of a public option is an Obama deal breaker. It would simply be a fundamental betrayall. These are informed people that know that healthcare today is beyond broken, and without a public option (which is the compromise) we are driving off the economic cliff. Health insurers and big pharma will NEVER satisfy their greed. It is oppositional to their business model. Only a public option can provide an outside element of competition. Every insurance company IS THE SAME with only a different name. We must have a new insurance instrument to compete. Congress will do only what serves it's own self interest. It's up to us to show the WH and Congress that shilling for industry is not in their interest.

Very generous, and politick of you, Brian, to direct web traffic to a friend/peer/associate at "The New Argument". However, you only got Evan and TNA unwanted but well-deserved criticism and the critiques have merit.

I volunteer and organize, very locally now as my mobility/disability issues and social security-only income limit travel, even regionally.

I always, always ask in our conference calls "Does the [new] pledge contain support for the public option?" The answer, last night, is "YES". The web site includes the public option, and our pledges are based on the site, which is based on Obama's statement.

You ever consider that Obama, once again, played this just right? He let congress write their bills, Baucus produced the only bill without a public option, and that bill provides a contrast that the public - and the media - needs to absorb a complex debate. Baucus gave us a clear target that shows that not having a public option means all subsidies go to private insurers.

One thing was also clear from our state's conference call: Our legislators were hedging because progressives were not calling our legislators - we were outnumbered up to 5-1 some days by the anti-reformers. Sooo, would you write a front-page article that tells people "Stop reading this and all progressive sites, Tweeting your lunch plans and FBing "weird news", for 10 or 30 minutes a day, and actually call your legislators, now!" I make my calls to my legislators first, then read what's on the grapevine, then call voters to get their pledge, ask them to volunteer, then organize yet another pledge-gathering event.

Our progressive media is joining MSM to push disappointment and a sense of betrayal - on no concrete basis, on chess moves - when people need to be fired up and working, acting like a democracy requires civic people to take civic actions. You're making me use stronger language than I'd like to fight the despair you're all pushing. Check what you're selling before you post.

Oh, btw, yesterday I also Tweeted 35 legislators, Dem and Repub, w/a link to the Cigna ex-exec's statements before Congress. I post daily on FB asking people to call and sign up to volunteer. What have you and your dear readers actually done to get what we want passed, today?