Healthcare Reform: Open Letter to My Senators

[Below you will find the text of my e-mails to my senators. I am fortunate in that my senators are both Democrats, so there is some chance that my opinion will count for something with them. My representative is a Republican, and those of you with Republican senators may wish to read my open letter to my Republican representative before writing your senators.]

Dear Senator Boxer/Feinstein:

I urge you to support passage of healthcare reform legislation with a strong public option using whatever parliamentary tactics (the reconciliation process, or the so-called "nuclear option" if necessary.) I further urge you to use your influence to persuade all other Democratic Senators to support the reform legislation as well.

Do not be afraid of the reactionary forces we saw at the town hall meetings and the 9-12 march on Washington. These frightened, angry and misinformed citizens form only a small, vocal, percentage of the electorate.

We liberals and progressives will be using the images from the town halls and the 9-12 march to get out the Democratic vote in 2010. We will not let the reactionary right choose our senators and representatives. And should healthcare reform go down to defeat because it contains the public option, we will use that to defeat more Republicans in 2010, and we can try for reform again.

Have faith and a strong heart, support healthcare reform legislation with a strong public option and persuade the "blue dog" Democrats to do the same. We, the American electorate, will have your back.

You can see my ongoing support at www.cafedemello.com.

Thank you,

Giles A. de Mello 

[I urge you to use http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

to find and e-mail your senators and tell them to support passage of healthcare reform legislation with a strong public option and to persuade other senators to do so as well.]