Tuesday, July 28, 2009

It is time for members of congress to feel the HEAT

The bloggers have done a damn good job of putting the pressure on congress, getting involved, making phone calls, talking health care to our friends and neighbors, explaining the public option. We need to pat ourselves on the back; we did and are doing well.

Now, it is time to "pump up the volume."

It is that time of the year for our lovely congress critters to go home for a month, paid for by us, the U.S. taxpayer.

At home they can catch up, walk their districts, drive their districts, go to parades, participate in local functions, and even have town hall meetings to address their constituents concerns.

Town hall meetings, gatherings with a congress critter, you get the picture?

There is no excuse for any of us not to participate in any town hall meeting. These congress critters will have these meetings set up all through their districts and throughout the state. There is no reason why we should not be there to voice our concerns about maintaining a solvent, viable, solid public option.

I am writing this because writing will only do so much.

When I decided to support Barack Obama, writing about it was great but eventually I had to get up and take action. I had to go to Iowa and knock on doors. I took a week off work and worked the caucus week in January of 2008. I had to pick the phone up and call people that I did not know and present the Obama Campaign position. I raised over $12,000.00 as a grassroots fundraiser for the Obama Campaign. I did all that and you know what? The shit made a difference. Hell, he won!!

Now we need to do this to congress and mobilize. The congress critters need to feel the damn HEAT when they go home and it needs to be about health care, public option and where they STAND. All these congress critters are running to get out of Washington, D.C., but going home should not be cozy. They need to feel the heat and that is the heat of you, their constituents.

Every single one of these congress critters will have public outings, town hall meetings, something to gather and talk to constituents. You need to be THERE.

And even if your congress critter is on board, solid for health care and the public option at these events, you need to be there to thank him or her for standing with YOU.

Congress is bought and sold. The lobbyists are spending 1.4M a day or more to kill this health care plan, to remove permanently any public option for the public. The only way to battle this is with voices and I mean in front of these congress critters so they know what the deal is.

President Obama said that health care was going to be the hardest legislation to move. Seeing the obstacles, HE AIN'T LYIN'. But, we were told that a man by the name of Barack Obama would never become president, and look what happened.

Power is in numbers and voices. We did this once; it is time to do it again. Mobilize and be heard.

Contact your local districts of your congressman or woman, here. Just call the local office and find out about the public outings, town hall meetings, etc., and show up.

Contact your U.S. Senator, here. Find out when they are going to see their constituents and show up.

Communicating on the blogs is wonderful, exhilarating, exciting, but these congress critters don't hear blogs, they respond to PEOPLE. If you want this health care reform, TELL THEM and let them know who you are.

If members of congress don't hear you, don't feel the heat, they will continue to work with the status quo, which equals the lobbyists.

It is just that simple.

Cross-posted @ Daily Kos

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