Mr President YOU NEED TO LEAD: Former Obama Staffers Are Standing Up for a Robust Public Option

[kpete]

Former Obama Staffers Are Standing Up for a Robust Public Option
by HRCDemographic4Obama
Mon Sep 07, 2009 at 07:03:59 AM PDT

I and my fellow Obama for America staffers are coming together to demand that the change we worked seven days a week, 16-18 hour days for, is the same change President Obama told us we can believe in.

....................

...The President told us:

"I promise you if everybody in this hall is willing to keep doing what you guys did over the last two years, then I am optimistic about America. I may make some mistakes, but you'll set me right."

.....................

I close this diary with a letter to the President.

Dear Mr. President:

Your former staffers did not expect you will get everything out of Congress, but we do expect for you to put up the good fight. The same good fight staffers, volunteers, and donors put up to get you elected. There were some tiring days, days we wanted to quit, and take the easy route. But we didn't. We stood up for what we knew this country needed. A new direction.

Mr. President this is your first domestic test. You never accepted half-ass from us as staffers and we cannot accept half-ass from you as President. It is important that you fight for your very own vision just as we are fired up and ready to do. The public option has to be robust and tied to medicare rates.

Mr. President, your former staffers did not fight hard to put you in office so that one lone republican ends up writing the health care bill. Health care has already been triggered. You have said yourself, the current course is unsustainable and that medicare will be in the red in a decade if nothing is done. Sounds to me like every trigger has been met.

Mr. President we need you to lead.

Sincerely,

Your Former Campaign Staffers.

more:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/9/7/778148/-UPDATED:-Former-Obama-Staffers-Are-Standing-Up-for-a-Robust-Public-Option

[OneGrassRoot]

1. Huge K&R n/t

[flamingdem]

7. Buck the bucking republicans nt

[jeffbr]

2. The word "bipartisan" should be banned from the White House

simple as that

[Orwellian_Ghost]

9. Carlin's take on that...

"Bipartisan usually means that a larger-than-usual deception is being carried out."

- George Carlin

[RainDog]

3. the lesson of Gore 2000 seems to have been lost on democrats

you don't pander to the Liebermans of this nation and win elections. if you ignore the base once you're in office, you will have a one-term administration.

[HughMoran]

4. Yeah! I think he should do something highly unusual and call a combined session of Congress

...and give a speech pushing his agenda.

lol

[Wilms]

5. k&r n/t

[cilla4progress]

6. The Fighter and the Conciliator

I am reminded of the very cogent distinction made between HRC and BO during the campaign for the Dem nomination. She was the fighter; he was the conciliator. I think she articulated this distinction, most explicitly. Now I am wondering why conciliator sounded so good at the time? In order to appeal to independents, I suppose. E.g., to get more votes.

Now we need a fighter. Politics need to be put aside (although I could argue taking a firm stand on health care, banking, etc., is the wise political move) and the right thing done.

Like many others here, I find myself terribly disappointed right now. I will reserve judgement until Wednesday p.m. I am prepared to lay down my activism that night however, and turn my focus either inward, or to areas when I can make a difference, since the writing is on the wall in terms of who our country and our government stand for.

[Ken Burch]

8. You're forgetting that HRC was sharply to the right of Obama on all issues

And was running as a white resentment candidate, which would have meant she'd have had no right to ask the Rainbow to vote for her in the fall. Also, it goes without saying that she wouldn't have had a real victory(that is, she wouldn't have taken over 50%).

HRC disqualified herself as a Democrat with her George Wallace-style West Virginia campaign.

Besides, she was the one who lost the healthcare fight LAST time, which means she'd be certain to lose it again.

[misanthrope]

12. Also with HRC in the general election...

...McCain wouldn't have picked Palin as his VP which was his most crippling move. Facing Hillary, he very well would have chosen someone far less offensive to many fence straddlers.

I just don't think HRC would have won. It was either going to be Obama or McCain.

[blm]

17. Bush needed opposing on some major issues for 8yrs. Which fights did Hillary lead opposition?

Maybe you can explain why you THINK she is a fighter....maybe because media and Clinton campaign SEZ SO?

[cilla4progress]

18. Calling it out

I think this is part of Obama's reticence to be seen as an "angry black man." HRC does not seem unwilling to "let down her hair" from time to time and speak with a stridency that brings her much criticism and disdain.

I hope Obama will get mad tomorrow night. This situation calls for it.

[joeycola]

21. mad for what? "any" bill just to claim a victory? I think so.

[blm]

22. She has only done it FOR SHOW for her campaigns - NEVER to oppose Bush or fight FOR a Dem issue

If you actually THINK about her senate career and how she acted WHEN she had the duty to do so, you would realize that you repeat a crafted meme that she is a 'fighter' no differently than Republicans' repeat the meme that Bush was a straight talker.

When Clintons were supposed to 'fight' for healthcare bill, they both rolled over without a fight and never brought it up again, not even for Bill's re-election.

[placton]

23. I am soooooo glad

that Mr. Obama will not roll over like that! He will show us on Wednesday when he comes out for the public option that 90% want! :sarcasm:

[blm]

24. The exchange is about the 'HRC is a fighter' meme used by posters claiming SHE would fight

like hell for public option where Obama won't.

There is NOTHING in her senate career that supports that claim, and, in fact, her record supports the exact opposite view, that she was OVERLY conciliatory towards Bush's agenda, especially on the major issues of his terms.

[bobbolink]

10. Those are staffers I can believe in!

:applause:

Unfortunately, he doesn't seem willing to listen.

:(

[Mithreal]

11. K&R nt

[lib_wit_it]

13. K&R

[democracy1st]

14. K & R

[DeeDeeNY]

15. K & R

[bertman]

16. Thank you, Staffers! You express exactly the sentiments of many of us who worked in the

"trenches".

Recommend.

[Echo In Light]

19. Staffers apparently learning a crucial lesson re our phony democracy

[joeycola]

20. This was Bill Moyers message also. Spot on!!