Archive for September, 2009:
“The cavalry, in white coats and scrubs”
From Organizing for America Director Mitch Stewart:
The cavalry is here -- and they're in white coats and scrubs: More than a half a million doctors and millions of nurses are joining forces to help pass real health reform.
Americans listen to their nurses and doctors when it comes to health reform -- and for good reason. If we can help them amplify their voices, it'll be a huge boost to our campaign for change.
So we're working on a new television ad featuring their voices explaining why doctors and nurses so strongly support President Obama's plan -- and asking Congress to pass it. We'll run the ad in key states and districts all around the country to show folks where health professionals stand, cut through the spin, and build even greater support for reform.
But to produce and air the new ad before the Senate starts debating a final bill, we'll need to raise $300,000 by Thursday. Can you donate $25 right away?
The American Medical Association, Doctors for America, and a dozen other physicians groups representing 500,000 doctors are endorsing reform. So are the American Nurses Association and other organizations representing millions of nurses.
They're speaking out because they see the shortcomings of our health care system firsthand, every day: patients denied the care they prescribe, families losing access to their doctors, and a system that forces them to spend more time with paperwork and less time with patients.
These voices need to be heard -- with so much deception out there clouding the debate, it's critical that medical professionals are able to focus the country on the simple fact that health reform is good medicine.
But the final congressional committee could vote on their reform bill as early as Wednesday -- and debate on final legislation could start by the end of the week. So if we're going to help make these doctors and nurses' voices heard, we'll need to do it right now. Can you chip in $25 or more to help get our ad on the air?
https://donate.barackobama.com/HealthAd
Thanks,
Mitch
Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America
“We’ve got to keep this great group together”
As September draws to a close, across the country volunteers are continuing their tireless, methodical work to push for health insurance reform. From phonebanks to canvasses, public rallies to meetings with members of Congress, they've continued to push for reform, while carrying on the tradition of campaign that was unlike anything the political world had seen before.
From the St. Petersburg Times in Florida:
Almost every day across Florida and the country, one can find volunteers marching into congressional offices, manning phone banks, knocking on doors and collecting signed pledges of support for Obama's health care reform goals. The group signed up more than 3,000 volunteers in August alone and has held more than 500 events across Florida since June 6, collecting nearly 100,000 forms from people showing support.
"We're getting our voices out there," Robin Rosenbaum, regional field director for Organizing for America, told about three dozen enthusiastic University of South Florida and University of Tampa students writing letters to Sen. Bill Nelson and to newspapers Thursday night. "The more folks we have writing letters, the more change we'll see."
... "I met so many cool, like-minded people. After the campaign ended, it was like, 'We've got to keep this great group together,'" said Safety Harbor artist Malanda Schmitz, whose group, United 4 Change, remains active and recently organized a 100-person health care rally on the Courtney Campbell Causeway. She works closely with Organizing for America.
"Every person that I talk to that understands health reform a little better," Schmitz said, "then they can talk to one other person and help them understand a little better and it will grow from there."
Announcing the “Health Reform Video Challenge”
Yesterday, OFA/DNC New Media Director Natalie Foster announced the kick-off of the Health Reform Video Challenge:
In many ways, the fight for health insurance reform comes down to a battle over information. The more people know about how broken the system is and the President's plan to fix it, the more they want change. But there are an awful lot of lies to cut through, and a whole lot of truth to get out.
So today, we're proud to announce a powerful new way for you to help: Organizing for America's Health Reform Video Challenge.
This is your chance -- you ingenious, insightful, funny people out there -- to make a 30-second ad telling the story about why the status quo has got to go, or explaining how the Obama plan will ensure we get the secure, quality care we need without breaking the budget.
The top submissions will be voted on by the public and a panel of experts, with the winning ad aired on national television. This is your opportunity to add your voice and creativity to the debate, get some great exposure for your work, and make a huge difference.
Click here to get started.
No experience is needed -- if you have an idea, we want you to give it a shot. And if you know someone who is especially handy with a camera, please forward this note along right away. Just make sure you submit your ad by October 18th.
Your video could be as simple as you talking straight into the camera, as complex as a full-blown production with a script and special effects, or anything in between.
We're looking for serious videos: You can tell your personal story about how the broken health insurance system has affected you. You can illustrate the big picture about what's wrong now and how the President's plan will help with animations, charts, and facts.
We're looking for funny videos: You can parody those trying to scare us into inaction (between the lying pundits and the insurance company spin doctors, they've given us some good stuff to work with).
And we're looking for new ideas we never would have thought of but we know will blow us all away.
We know that compelling videos can touch people in a way that words alone simply cannot. The messages that regular people put together will make a bigger difference than any false smears or slick ads the other side can dream up. And who knows -- your creative, powerful, or touching video could help tip the balance in favor of health reform.
So go get started today!
http://my.barackobama.com/videochallenge
I can't wait to see what you come up with,
Natalie
Natalie Foster
New Media Director
Announcing the “Health Reform Video Challenge”
Yesterday, OFA/DNC New Media Director Natalie Foster announced the kick-off of the Health Reform Video Challenge:
In many ways, the fight for health insurance reform comes down to a battle over information. The more people know about how broken the system is and the President's plan to fix it, the more they want change. But there are an awful lot of lies to cut through, and a whole lot of truth to get out.
So today, we're proud to announce a powerful new way for you to help: Organizing for America's Health Reform Video Challenge.
This is your chance -- you ingenious, insightful, funny people out there -- to make a 30-second ad telling the story about why the status quo has got to go, or explaining how the Obama plan will ensure we get the secure, quality care we need without breaking the budget.
The top submissions will be voted on by the public and a panel of experts, with the winning ad aired on national television. This is your opportunity to add your voice and creativity to the debate, get some great exposure for your work, and make a huge difference.
Click here to get started.
No experience is needed -- if you have an idea, we want you to give it a shot. And if you know someone who is especially handy with a camera, please forward this note along right away. Just make sure you submit your ad by October 18th.
Your video could be as simple as you talking straight into the camera, as complex as a full-blown production with a script and special effects, or anything in between.
We're looking for serious videos: You can tell your personal story about how the broken health insurance system has affected you. You can illustrate the big picture about what's wrong now and how the President's plan will help with animations, charts, and facts.
We're looking for funny videos: You can parody those trying to scare us into inaction (between the lying pundits and the insurance company spin doctors, they've given us some good stuff to work with).
And we're looking for new ideas we never would have thought of but we know will blow us all away.
We know that compelling videos can touch people in a way that words alone simply cannot. The messages that regular people put together will make a bigger difference than any false smears or slick ads the other side can dream up. And who knows -- your creative, powerful, or touching video could help tip the balance in favor of health reform.
So go get started today!
http://my.barackobama.com/videochallenge
I can't wait to see what you come up with,
Natalie
Natalie Foster
New Media Director
The President’s Weekly Address: Progress with the G-20 in Pittsburgh
Open Thread
(President Barack Obama chairs a meeting of the United Nations Security Council at the United Nations headquarters, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
“Mom, It’s Hokum. It’s a Bunch of Malarkey.”
On Wednesday, Vice President Joe Biden and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius hosted a town hall meeting with seniors at Leisure World, a retirement community in Silver Spring, MD.
In recent weeks, Republicans have been attempting to scare America’s seniors with false statements about what reform would mean for Medicare – namely, that the President’s plan would result in benefit cuts. Vice President Biden delivered a passionate rebuke of those scare tactics and set the record straight. He explained that reform will preserve and strengthen Medicare, lower prescription drug costs, make preventive services free and eliminate overpayments to private insurance companies.
A few key points on President Obama’s plan and Medicare:
• President Obama is committed to protecting and strengthening Medicare for America’s seniors -- Medicare beneficiaries will not experience any cuts in benefits as a result of reform.
• His plan doesn’t use a penny of the Medicare trust fund to pay for reform; instead, it eliminates waste, fraud and abuse to strengthen the financial health of the program.
• The President has proposed to eliminate waste from the Medicare Advantage program to strengthen the financial health of the overall program:
• Medicare Advantage is part of the Medicare program that allows beneficiaries to receive services through private insurance plans.
• Currently, private insurance companies that participate in Medicare Advantage receive significant subsidies from the government. Medicare pays those private plans 14 percent more on average than they pay traditional Medicare – but doesn’t result in any better care for seniors.
• Putting an end to these overpayments will strengthen the Medicare program, extend its solvency and lower costs for all beneficiaries.
• The scare tactics on Medicare are just the latest in a series of politically motivated attacks by some Republicans to stall and kill reform.
• Republicans have never championed Medicare – they’ve been waging a war against the program for years. In fact, as recently as last April, 80 percent of House Republicans voted to “end Medicare as we know it” by turning it into a voucher program that would have provided seniors a fixed sum of money to purchase private insurance, a plan one AARP policy official called “a very dangerous idea.”
Vice President Biden and Secretary Sebelius also released a new HHS report at Leisure World -- Health Insurance Reform and Medicare: Making Medicare Stronger for America’s Seniors.
Reality Check: Medicare Benefits Won’t Be Cut
A common lie being perpetrated about health insurance reform is that it will cut your medicare benefits. This simply isn't true. Reform will, however, eliminate unwarranted taxpayer subsidies to private insurers that do nothing to improve your quality of care, and cost all beneficiaries more. And these subsidies will only go up in the future! Mike Hash, from the White House Office of Health Reform, explains the reality in this video: