Primaries and Pressure II

Commentary By Ron Beasley

Dave discussed pressure on the blue dog Democrats below and now we have an example of it working.  I heard someone from the Democratic Party in Montana explaining how they were putting pressure on Senator Max Baucus to support the Public Option.  They told him if he wanted support from the state Democratic Party there had to be a Public Option in the reform bill.  Well, it would appear it worked.

U.S. Senator Max Baucus has finally broken his silence regarding his
personal position on including a public option in health care reform
legislation. Last Monday night (8/17), in an unprecedented conference
call to Montana Democratic central committee chairs, the powerful
leader of the Senate Finance Committee told his strongest supporters
that he supported a public option.

While discussing the obstacles to getting a public option through
the Senate, he assured his forty listeners, "I want a public option
too!"

The conference call was groundbreaking in that none of the
recipients could ever remember this kind of call ever happening before.
The teleconference was set up seemingly in reaction to rising
discontent among the local Democratic leaders with the Senator's
failure to take a clear position on the issue.

The discussion, which became contentious and rancorous at times,
also touched upon the wisdom of creating insurance cooperatives as an
alternative to a public option. When several of the county chairs
objected, commenting that they did not trust the health insurance
companies to police themselves and limit their outrageous corporate
profits, Baucus commented, "Neither do I."

In the aftermath of the teleconference, a coalition of eighteen
Montana counties in the Senator's home state decided to move forward
with their plan to issue a Unified Statement accompanied by a joint
press release. The statement sends a loud and clear message to their
Senator: Any health care reform package coming out of his Senate
Finance Committee must contain, at a minimum, a provision for a strong
public option.

The action is a show of unity not previously seen in Montana
political history. The statement asserts, "Here in Montana, the need
for real health care reform could not be greater. Families, small
business, and small ranches and farms are suffering and being crushed
by the rising cost of health care. Thousands of Montanans are
uninsured, and many more are losing their homes, businesses and ranches
due to exorbitant medical bills."

This my friends is grass roots Democracy in action.  The little guy beats the insurance company oligarchs.