As The MA Ashes Continue To Smolder

I probably should have my head examined for linking to this, but I'm doing it because, as Dr. Dean said last night, this is how we should respond to the loss of Ted Kennedy's Senate seat instead of participating in a circular firing squad (this is from Democracy for America)...

Yesterday, we released a poll we commissioned from Research 2000 taken immediately after voting ended on Tuesday night in Massachusetts. The results send a clear message to Democrats in Washington: Be bold, fight for more change -- not less, and pass healthcare with a public option.

The poll results are such a shock to out-of-touch leaders in Washington and talking-head blowhards on T.V. that they're still pushing back, instead of listening.

But DFA members, and our partners at the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and CREDO Action, got it immediately and took action. In less than 24 hours, we've already gathered 150,000 signatures demanding Democrats be bolder.

Can we get to 250,000 before we deliver this emergency petition and all the signatures to every Democrat in Washington?

CLICK HERE TO ADD YOUR NAME

So, what are out-of-touch Democrats saying in response to the MA poll results?

They're saying "the majority of voters for the Republican wanted to kill healthcare altogether, not pass it." Obviously, but of course, they're missing the point. This isn't about what the majority of Republican voters wanted.

This is about why the Democrat lost the election and it comes down to the new swing vote: Stay-at-Home Voters and Obama-Voting Independents who turned this election over to the Republican.

Both sets of swing voters don't think the current Senate bill goes far enough and over 80% of them want a public option. That's what the poll shows. If a public option was in the Senate bill then these swing voters would have delivered victory to the Democrats. It's as simple as that.

It's up to us to make sure Democrats in Washington not only get the message, but hear it. Turn up the volume and sign our emergency petition right now.

ADD YOUR NAME -- THEN PASS IT ON

After you sign, you can take it a step further and call the Democrat in Congress who represents your district (if you have one) or Speaker Nancy Pelosi and tell them where you stand.

We need to make a public whip count of who in Congress will stand up and demand the Senate use the special rules of "budget reconciliation" to pass healthcare and a public option with 51 votes. If enough Healthcare Heroes in the House of Representatives demand the Senate use Reconciliation then the Senate will be forced to listen.

But we can't win without your calls. We'll e-mail the phone numbers to call and reach your member of Congress after you sign the emergency petition.

PLEASE SIGN THE EMERGENCY PETITION NOW

We know getting Democrats in Washington to wake up and get the job done is a long shot, but the only way we can guarantee it never happens is if we never demand it.

The fight for real reform is not over unless we quit. But DFA members don't quit -- we always work to win.

Thank you for everything you do.

-Charles

Charles Chamberlain, Political Director
Democracy for America

Yes, I know there are way too many "corpocrat" Dems who don't deserve our support. However, giving up on these life forms only guarantees their flip over to the Republican Party (see Adler, John), in issue orientation and voting preference if not in an official, formal process.

The corporate media drum beat for "bipartisanship" with stories featuring how wonderful Evan Bayh, Holy Joe Lieberman and President Snowe supposedly are (and Bob Kerrey of course, who hasn't belonged to Congress for years) will only grow louder. That's why we have our work cut out for us.