Here's why the Dems aren't making lots of progress towards health care reform (vs the Pubes)

I get a call from OFA today to try to get my name added to a petition. I add my name to it. Couldn't hurt, I figure.

But then they want me to help canvas outside a grocery store and get more signatures. The gist of what the petition says is that "we support choice in health care, we support controlling costs in health care, and (something else I can't remember)."

The petition is to be presented to our representatives.

Well, what a WEAK thing for a petition to say! We support choice? Of COURSE we do. EVERYONE does! The Republicans are saying, "We support choice! So don't vote for a public option!" We support controlling costs? Of COURSE we do! EVERYONE does!

And the representatives to whom this petition will be presented? Solid Republicans who aren't going to vote for a Democratic health care reform bill, no matter WHAT it says. I'm in TX, where John Cornyn is a Senator. He's not just a solid Republican. He's a LEADING Republican in the Senate. And Pete Sessions is my U.S. Rep. Another solid Republican.

I believe in petitions and being proactive. But this is a waste of time, it seems to me. All this calling of people and canvassing to get signatures could be better spent on a petition that's more strongly worded, or has more DIRECT wording of what they mean, and presented to people who would actually VOTE for a health care reform bill.

There is the House Bill, which has not been finalized, and these is going to be a Senate Bill.

We may move ahead without the Public Option, or we may not.

Everyone is saying something different every day.

What we need to say, or to petition is:

1. Too many people are without access to health care. These are not just young people and illegal immigrants; these are real people who either cannot afford to purchase their own, or prevented from purchasing their own because of pre-existing conditions, or lost their insurance after they lost their jobs.

2. There are too many people declaring bankruptcies because of mounting medical bills. These are people with health insurance.

What I would add is that it is unfair to expect employers to pay for our health insurance. Employers are there to provide services and products at an efficient and honest way.