Moving The Goalposts In Our Favor On The Public Option

Sherrod Brown is at it again putting pressure on the ConservaDems to come in on the public option.



I really think if we can get more Democrats to echo his sentiments we can finally get the message back for our side. And his rhetoric essentially mimics the talking points I put forth a week or so ago:

1. Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, has already said a health care reform bill will not pass the House if it doesn't include a public option.

2. The Blue Dogs in the House have already negotiated on a public option and have not blocked any bill from coming out of committee which includes one.

3. So far there have not been ten Democrats in the Senate who have come out and said they would vote against a bill which includes a public option so any speculation that it wouldn't pass in the Senate is just that, speculation.

4. Ted Kennedy's committee passed a bill out of committee in the Senate with a robust public option.

5. The question really should be would ten or so Democrats would really be willing to vote against a bill with a public option that the overwhelming majority of people in America support and the overwhelming majority of Democrats in Congress and the President support?

6. Majority rules in this country as Judd Gregg reminded us a few years back when he was fighitng for reconciliation, so what is wrong with Democrats using it?

7. If over 200 Democrats in the House and over 50 Democrats in the Senate are willing to vote for a health care reform bill with a public option in it, then wouldn't a bill without a public option actually be the fringe ideal?

8. Ask the question of any one interviewing, name ten Democrats in the Senate who have committed to vote against a health care reform bill that includes a public option. Make them name names or admit they don't know of ten Democrats who have committed to do such a thing.

Democrats, Liberals, and Progressives who support a public option should be pushing these talking points relentlessly. The fringe position has to be defined as opposing the public option in the Democratic caucus in order to put the pressure where it rightly belongs. Lets see how many ConservaDems want to answer the question "Are you willing to kill health care reform just to oppose a public option". And whe I say lets see, I mean send letters, emails, tweets, and leave voicemails asking that very question to any Democrats in the Senate who are oppose a public option.

Let's turn up the heat!