Tell us what you thought -- and what we should do about it.

Yesterday, the media was filled with reports that Washington insiders called Governor Dean "irrational," he's throwing a "tantrum," and he's "irrelevant to the entire healthcare debate." D.C. insiders want to frame the fight for real healthcare reform as Howard Dean vs. the White House. But this isn't about Dr. Dean and it isn't about the White House.

It's about Americans vs. Insurance Companies and Governor Dean is working to make sure Americans win.

While none of these insider Democrats are willing to take on Joe Lieberman and demand real reform, Washington politicians are working hard to throw Dr. Dean under the bus.

What they don't seem to understand is that Governor Dean speaks for you and me.

CONTRIBUTE $30 TO GET HOWARD'S BACK AND FUEL OUR CAMPAIGN FOR REAL REFORM

If there is any question where the Governor stands, I've included the full text of his statement to the Washington Post below:

Insiders attack Governor Dean because they are afraid of him and the power we represent. Now is the time to remind them why and back him up with the resources to lead the fight for real reform.

GOVERNOR DEAN SPEAKS FOR ME -- CONTRIBUTE TO GET HOWARD'S BACK RIGHT NOW

Thank you for everything you do,

-Charles

Charles Chamberlain, Political Director
Democracy for America

I'll get straight to the point.

If Democrats remove the choice of a public option, they can't force Americans to buy health insurance.

Here's the deal, Senate leaders are all over Washington claiming they finally have a healthcare reform bill they can pass, as long as they remove the public option. After all, they say, even without a public option, the bill still "covers 30 million more Americans." The problem is that's not really true.

What they are actually talking about is something called the "individual mandate." That's a section of the law that requires every single American buy health insurance or break the law and face penalties and fines. So, the bill doesn't actually "cover" 30 million more Americans -- instead it makes them criminals if they don't buy insurance from the same companies that got us into this mess.

A public option would have provided the competition needed to drive down costs and improve coverage. It would have kept insurance companies honest by providing an affordable alternative Americans can trust. That's why, without a public option, this bill is almost a trillion dollar taxpayer giveaway to insurance companies.

We must act fast. Both Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid and Democratic Senators need to hear from you. Please stop whatever else you are doing and make the calls right now.

Senator Harry Reid
DC: (202) 224-3542
Carson City: (775) 882-7343
Las Vegas: (702) 388-5020
Reno: (775) 686-5750

Call your Democratic Senator too -- Senate Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 

REPORT YOUR CALL AND TELL US HOW IT WENT

Without the choice of a public option, forcing Americans to buy health insurance isn't just bad policy, it's political disaster for Democrats -- a ticking time-bomb for years to come.

Does anyone think Republicans won't use this against Democrats in 2010?

What about in 2014 after the mandate goes into effect and the press reports all the horror stories of Americans forced to choose between paying their monthly health insurance bill to Aetna or paying rent?

The mandate is toxic and Democrats will own it. By the 2016 presidential election, is there any wonder how this will play out for Democrats?

CALL SENATOR HARRY REID NOW AT (202) 224-3542 THEN REPORT YOUR CALL HERE

The message is simple: No public option? No Mandate!

Thank you for everything you do,

-Jim

Jim Dean, Chair
Democracy for America

I bet you know someone who wants to work on a campaign next year. Maybe they are already a super volunteer or they want to get a job as paid staff? Maybe even this person is you?

If so, I've got the perfect gift.

We have dozens of overstock training manuals from our 2009 training season. We need to clear them out to make room for next year's manuals for our 2010 schedule. These 180-page books are full of everything you need to know to run a winning grassroots campaign. That's why, every attendee of a DFA Campaign Academy weekend gets their own to keep to use again and again.

This holiday season, we're making our overstock training manuals available to everyone for a special discount.

Our training manual will show the activist in your family:

• How to determine exactly how many votes a campaign will need to win
• Tips about making successful fundraising or volunteer asks
• How to build and grow an effective organization from scratch
• Best practices for writing emails and organizing online
• Tactics for holding your elected officials accountable on progressive issues

And that's just the first few chapters!

We'll ship your manual free of charge as soon as you make your order to ensure it arrives in time for the holidays.

We only have a limited number of these books available so order yours now

And of course don't forget, we have dozens of our online Night School trainings available on DVD. You can browse our extensive selection covering everything from in-depth field planning to fundraising to leveraging online media and beyond.

Night School on DVD is the perfect gift for any activist -- get it in time for the holidays!

Have a happy and healthy holidays!

Thank you for everything you do,

-Matt

Matt Blizek, Training Director
Democracy for America

P.S. We're still planning out our 2010 Campaign Academy schedule -- you can put in an application to help host one in your town here.

Annise knows Houston is facing tough times, but she has the experience to tackle these problems head-on and lead the city through the challenging times ahead. She's saved taxpayers millions of dollars as City Controller -- rooting out waste and fraud and reinvesting in after-school programs, public safety and new jobs.

Working together for this final push, we'll put Annise over the top this weekend.

President Obama gave Senate Democrats a healthcare "pep talk" at the Capitol this weekend. He also gave them a clear message: Get it done.

But Americans have something to add to the President's message: Get it right.

Real healthcare reform must include the choice of a public option. But Insurance Industry Democrats are working on a new "compromise" to destroy the public option.

We're done negotiating. The public option in the current Senate bill is our final compromise. It's time Senate Democrats stop negotiating with defeat and reject all amendments that weaken the public option.

Call your Senators right now and make sure they get the message: No triggers. No co-ops. No amendments that weaken the public option.

Senate switchboard: (202) 224-3121

Click here to report your call: DemocracyForAmerica.com/GetItRight

It doesn't matter if you've called before or if your Senators are Republicans or Insurance Industry Democrats. Even big insurance sell-outs need to get our message. Whether it takes just one call or all of us working together, when they get calls supporting a public option it weakens their commitment to speak out or stand up against us.

And even if your Senators are public option champions, you need to call today. Healthcare Heroes like Senators Bernie Sanders and Sherrod Brown need to know we're depending on them to not back down.

Call your Senators today and tell them where you stand:

• America stands with Healthcare Heroes who fight for a public option, not Insurance Industry Senators who care more about the insurance interests who fund their campaigns than providing every American real healthcare reform.
• We're done negotiating. Enough is enough. The public option in the current Senate bill is our final compromise.

TELL US HOW YOUR CALL WENT

Don't let a handful of Insurance Industry Democrats screw this up. Call your Senators today.

Thank you for everything you do,

-Charles

Charles Chamberlain, Political Director
Democracy for America

P.S. If you haven't already, be sure to sign our petition demanding Senate Democrats reject any further amendments that weaken the public option: DemocracyForAmerica.com/EnoughIsEnough

Reports from The Hill in Washington D.C. are that Democratic Senators are preparing to offer a "compromise" amendment to the healthcare bill as soon as next week that would destroy the public option.

It's likely to include every one of the insurance industry's greatest hits -- a trigger, state-based co-ops, and could even replace the already bad Opt-Out clause with an even worse one that would require states that want a public option to Opt-In instead.

And what should come as no surprise to anyone, they're likely to still call this new sell-out to the insurance industry a "public option."

No matter what they call it, enough is enough. It's time to stop negotiating with defeat and reject all amendments which weaken the public option.

CALL ON SENATORS TO SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH AND REJECT ALL AMENDMENTS WHICH WEAKEN THE PUBLIC OPTION

Some Healthcare Heroes have already decided whose side they're on. Speaking for the American people, here's what Senator Sherrod Brown said about these last-minute attempts to kill real reform:

Senators Bernie Sanders and Roland Burris have made similar statements, but these three Senators can't stand alone. They need us to back them up. Every member of the Democratic Caucus needs to know where we stand.

America stands with Healthcare Heroes who fight for a public option, not Insurance Industry Senators who care more about the insurance interests who fund their campaigns than providing every American real healthcare reform.

We're done negotiating. Enough is enough. The public option in the current Senate bill is our final compromise.

ADD YOUR NAME RIGHT NOW

Don't sit these final weeks out no matter how frustrated you are with Democrats in Congress.

We've worked too hard -- invested too much -- to let them screw this up.

Make sure your voice gets heard. Please add your name right now.

Thank you for everything you do,

-Charles

Listening to the pundits these days, one might think that 2010 is going to be tough for Democrats.  The truth is that we are poised for victory all across the country next year, but it's going to take hard work and skilled organizers to make sure Democrats get out and vote.

That's why DFA is gearing up to launch our biggest year of campaign trainings ever.  Our 2-day Campaign Academies are designed to super-charge a local progressive community by giving hundreds of activists the skills to beat any Glenn Beck or Sarah Palin wannabes who try to run in their town.

Apply to host a DFA Campaign Academy!
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/trainingrequest

Do you want to bring one of these events to your community?  We are currently scheduling dozens of Campaign Academies for 2010 and are recruiting dedicated teams of volunteers to help us organize these events.

A DFA Campaign Academy brings some of the best political talent in the country to your community.  11,141 progressives have been empowered by DFA training over the last five years.  We've organized 109 trainings in cities large and small across the country.

Is yours next? Apply today:
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/trainingrequest

Hosting a DFA training is a perfect project for your local DFA group or Democratic organization.  We'll be announcing our first round of campaign trainings in January so stay tuned to hear about a training in your area. 

First, the good news: Senator Harry Reid has finally presented the text of the merged Senate bill and started procedures to pass the first set of votes as soon as this weekend. The public option is in the bill as promised and, even better, it has not been further weakened—instead it's almost the exact same as the version passed by the late Senator Ted Kennedy's H.E.L.P. Committee earlier this year. 



The bad news is that it only takes one Senator from the Democratic Caucus to support a Republican filibuster and kill the whole bill. To make it worse, Republicans are expected to filibuster the bill at every step in the processes so there will be many chances for betrayal by a turncoat in the Democratic Caucus.



Today's the day we need to deliver our message loud and clear.

If ANY member of the Democratic Caucus joins a Republican filibuster of healthcare reform with a public option, the Caucus must immediately strip that Senator of all Committee Chairmanships.

Since we launched this campaign just three weeks ago, MoveOn members have joined us in demanding accountability. Now, we're merging our campaign with signatures gathered by our friends at CREDO Action and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee too and together we're ready to deliver signatures for 410,649 Americans today. 


SIGN UP TO DELIVER PETITIONS TO YOUR SENATOR

It was only three months ago when the public option was declared dead and we were all told to accept defeat.

Now, we're only weeks away from finishing what we started on March 25, when my brother Howard and I launched the Stand with Dr. Dean campaign. We stood up to draw a line in the sand, demanding inclusion of a public option in any healthcare bill passed this year and you stood with us.

You got the public option this far; now we need to bring it home to win.

We can't let one turncoat Senator kill the bill. Take the time out of your day—over your lunch break—on your way home from work—tomorrow on your way to work—as soon as you can—and deliver the signatures to your Senators.

SIGN UP TO DELIVER NOW

I'm counting on you. Because, when we work together, we're unstoppable.

Jim Dean, Chair

Democracy for America

Passing healthcare reform in the House of Representatives a week ago came at a high price to women. While the overall bill is the largest expansion of women's access to healthcare services in history, there is one area in which the bill took a giant leap backwards: reproductive rights. 



That's because right before the House voted on the entire bill, they first passed an amendment that dramatically expanded the ban on federal funding of abortion services. The amendment bans even private for-profit insurers from covering abortion as a part of women's reproductive healthcare for all plans in the insurance exchange created by the healthcare bill. 



Millions of women will be affected if it remains in the final bill that goes to the President's desk. 



And to make it worse -- 20 of the 64 Democrats who joined with Republicans to pass this amendment were previously pro-choice. All 20 are men who ran on and have a record of casting pro-choice votes in the past. These Democrats were elected by voters who never expected their representative would take America back to an era of coat hangers and back alley abortions. 



We're joining with CREDO Action to send them a message: reconsider your vote and demand Congressional leadership strip the ban from the final bill before it comes back to the House for the final vote. 



To make sure this is one message these men won't miss, we're not stopping there. CREDO Action will send these Reps a coat hanger for every person who signs the petition.


SIGN THE PETITION -- AND SEND A COAT HANGER NOW

We're not being subtle and we're not mincing words. If the ban isn't stripped out in merging negotiations between the House and Senate bills during the conference process, then the final bill would take reproductive rights back to the dark ages.

Whether you're pro-choice or not, it's legal. So, it's up to all us to make sure it's safe. Join CREDO Action's campaign today and make sure these formerly pro-choice Democrats get the message.

You've probably heard by now, when the House of Representatives passed healthcare reform with a public option last Saturday night, one Republican voted 'YES' with the Democratic majority. His name is Rep. Joseph Cao. 



Republican Joseph Cao represents part of Louisiana. That's the same state Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu represents. Yet Senator Landrieu is considering siding with a Republican filibuster to kill the Senate version of the bill.



That's right, Louisiana Republican Joseph Cao chose to stand up with President Obama, the majority of House Democrats, and the majority of Americans to pass historic healthcare reform, while the Democratic Senator from the same state might be the one Senator who stands with Republicans to kill reform. 



We can't let that happen.



It's time to turn up the heat on Senator Landrieu and remind her that real lives are at stake -- real Americans who are depending on her to pass real reform. When we raise $100,000, we can blanket the airwaves in Louisiana with a personal, heartfelt message she can't miss.

WATCH THE AD AND CONTRIBUTE NOW

Thanks to you, we're over a third of the way to the goal. With an average contribution of $30, we've raised $35,424 already from over 1,168 generous DFA members. If we can get half way to the goal by tomorrow morning, then we can hit the airwaves in Louisiana starting this weekend.

Senator Landrieu has a choice to make. Stand with the Democratic Caucus against a Republican filibuster and we'll stop running the ad. But stand with Republicans to kill healthcare reform and this ad is only the beginning.

It's up to us to turn up the pressure on Mary Landrieu back home before she decides how to vote in Washington D.C.

We've worked hard to pass a public option in the healthcare reform bill this year -- and we're winning. We have the majority votes needed in both houses of Congress to pass real reform.

The bad news is -- even though we're winning -- we could still lose.

All it would take is one senator in the 60-member Democratic Caucus to support a Republican filibuster and healthcare reform with a public option could be stopped dead in its tracks. We're not going to sit around and hope that it doesn't happen. It's up to us to be pro-active and stop a potential turncoat senator from killing President Obama's number one domestic priority.

Today, we join MoveOn members, in pledging support for a primary challenge of any Senator in the Democratic Caucus who supports a Republican filibuster of a public option. Here's how it works: You tell us how much you would give in support of a primary challenge. Then, MoveOn and DFA will make sure the media, Senate leadership, and conservative Democrats know just how many of us are willing to support a challenge against anyone who blocks reform.

You don't have to enter your credit card info. Just click on an amount below to pledge your support:

PLEDGE $25

PLEDGE $50

PLEDGE $100

PLEDGE $250

PLEDGE MORE THAN $250

Since Monday, MoveOn members have already pledged over $3 million in support of a primary challenge. With our help, we can reach $4 million by the end of the week.

There's no reason any senator should betray the caucus. Every member of the Senate Democratic Caucus should vote to pass a public option with majority votes. But if this nightmare scenario happens, we'll encourage viable primary challengers to come forward. And when they do, we'll make sure all of us who've pledged have a chance to support them.

In other words, potential primary challengers will know there's a huge group of Americans who are ready to help. And we'll deliver a warning shot to right-wing members of the Democratic Caucus they can't miss.

They'll know this is not something we will take lightly. Primary challenges happen once in a blue moon, generally when a candidate is terribly out of step with voters in their party. And if a Democratic senator helps block the most important progressive bill in a generation, voters in their state will be looking to support someone better.

Will you let us know how much you'd pledge right now, and ask all your friends who want health care reform to do the same?

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT NOW

Working together, we will pass real reform with a public option this year.

Over the last two weeks, we've delivered some hard hits to DC conventional wisdom. DC Insiders and media talking heads have repeatedly claimed right-wing Democrats like Senators Blanche Lincoln, Evan Bayh, and Ben Nelson should vote against a public option because voters back home don't want it.



The problem is it's not true. 



So, we joined with our friends at the PCCC and commissioned a few polls from a respected polling firm. Guess what? In all three states, more voters want a public option than don't. To top it off, if their Democratic Senator votes against a public option or supports a Republican filibuster, almost 50% of Democrats would be less likely to vote for their reelection. 



But polling alone isn't likely to be enough. We need to pull out all the stops in pressuring right-wing Democrats to do the right thing. So, we're calling on the 60 member Senate Democratic Caucus to strip all committee chairmanships from any Senator who supports a Republican filibuster of a public option.

ADD YOUR NAME AND SEND RIGHT-WING DEMOCRATS A MESSAGE

Already our polling is having an impact. Here's what POLITICO reporter Glenn Thrush wrote in his second story on the Indiana poll only hours after his first story releasing the results:

"Hours after POLITICO posted results of a poll showing a possible backlash by Indiana Dems, Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) backed off of previous statement saying he was considering siding with the GOP on a public option filibuster."

Here's just a sampling of some of the more than 50 media hits we're generating both nationally and in each Senator's home state: 



Arkansas News: "Arkansas voters support public option, poll finds" 

Talking Points Memo: "Poll: Arkansas Voters Disagree With Lincoln's Public Option Skepticism"

CBS News: "Poll: Amid Bayh's Skepticism, Indiana Voters Back Public Option"

South Bend Tribune: "Bayh now supports health-care debate on Senate floor" 

Examiner: "Nebraska Senator Nelson clashes with constituents on public option" 



Our campaign is working. Let's back it up with action. Sign the open letter and we'll deliver all the signatures directly to each member of the Democratic Caucus. 



SIGN THE OPEN LETTER NOW 



Are these Senators going to listen to the voters in their states? It's up to us to make it clear: if they want to be reelected, they don't have a choice. 



We will not let up until we win.