Remember a couple weeks ago when I reported that progressive groups were organizing a campaign–including television ads–to pressure Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to include the public option in the Senate health care bill, and to enforce party unanimity against GOP filibusters?
Well, check out a new letter, available below the fold, from the Progressive Change Campaign Committee to its supporters.
Bold progressive Congressman Alan Grayson (D-FL) helped us deliver nearly 90,000 petition signatures to Sen. Harry Reid on Wednesday….
We demanded that Reid stand up to conservative Democrats who are threatening to help Republicans block an up-or-down vote on the public option. CNN, ABC, Huffington Post, Washington Post, and others covered the event….
This weekend, we’ll be filming a TV ad in Nevada featuring one of Reid’s constituents who desperately needs the public option. It will be powerful. More on that next week…
PCCC has run some of the hardest-hitting ads in states represented by key public option skeptics in the Senate. So it’s probably safe to expect them to aim something similar at Reid.
Earlier this week, the group, along with progressive firebrand Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) delivered 90,000 petition signatures to Reid, demanding he stand up to conservative Democrats who are threatening to derail the public option. Reid’s office has dismissed the groups activities as ill-conceived and unlikely to sway anybody, let alone the Majority Leader.
Other activists aren’t as convinced Reid needs to be strong-armed. Yesterday, I reported that two progressive health care leaders say Harry Reid is working the inside game for the public option.
XXXXX,
Bold progressive Congressman Alan Grayson (D-FL) helped us deliver nearly 90,000 petition signatures to Sen. Harry Reid on Wednesday.
We demanded that Reid stand up to conservative Democrats who are threatening to help Republicans block an up-or-down vote on the public option. CNN, ABC, Huffington Post, Washington Post, and others covered the event.
During the delivery, we ran into Sens. Russ Feingold (D-WI), Herb Kohl (D-WI), and Kent Conrad (D-ND) and talked with them about the petition! Oddly, Kent Conrad was holding a poodle during the entire conversation — you have to see it.
Click here to watch a video of our petition delivery to Harry Reid with Alan Grayson.
This delivery was just the first step.
Harry Reid is increasingly proving that he needs more pressure to stand up to conservative Democrats.
After our event, Keith Olbermann reported that Reid is “pushing back against progressives” and “setting expectations low for the final product.” But why? Nevadans and Americans overwhelmingly want a public option!
Grayson told Olbermann, “The leadership is placating Republicans…at the price of what’s in the public interest. They have to find the courage of their convictions or we have to find it for them.” Exactly!
This weekend, we’ll be filming a TV ad in Nevada featuring one of Reid’s constituents who desperately needs the public option. It will be powerful. More on that next week…
For now, check out the video of our petition delivery with Alan Grayson.
Thanks for being a bold progressive.
–Adam Green, Stephanie Taylor, Andrew Perez, Max Berger, and the PCCC team
