And please read and rec slinkerwink's diary with updates on how massive this has become.

My plea to you, yes, I am on my knees, is quite simple.

PLEASE PARTICIPATE.

ITEM - The for-profit insurance industry destroys American families:

And if you still need yet another reason to get off your ass, how's this? The scum insurer Anthem Blue Cross is thumbing its evil nose at the entire nation--you, me, the President and the terrified citizens of California. this vicious company announced today that it is going ahead with its egregious violation of the public trust and proceeding with its 39% rate hike.

ITEM - Be a part of history today:

When you go home tonight, tell your children that you took time today because you don't want them to grow up in a country where so many of us (despite being "insured"), are one illness or injury away from financial ruin. You want all of our children to inherit a country they can be proud of, and where no citizen will ever again go without guaranteed and affordable healthcare.

ITEM - The U.S. healthcare system is broken:

The United States of America is a grotesque health care outlier. We must not allow this situation to go uncorrected on any longer. The unAmerican and unpatriotic thugs at AHIP are determined to see President Obama fail, we must not let that happen.

ITEM - Motivational blog post on today's action :

Before I give you talking points which you can use or not, whatever you want, I want to show you this fantastic blog post from Micah Sifry at Tech President. If everyone lends a hand, we know this will be an historic day.

ITEM - Healthcare is a core Democratic issue:

Health care is a core issue that gets Democratic base voters to the polls, so it is incumbent on us, not to simply talk about re-electing Barack Obama in 2012, but insure his victory by making today a turning point for the health care rights movement.

ITEM - You choose the message you want to deliver:

A word on messaging. Some of us agree with the sentiment expressed by Ministry of Truth in this excellent diary.

We are deeply troubled and concerned about how voters will respond to Democrats (who will own this legislation), if we are forced to turn over our hard earned money to the private insurance industry without being given an option. This is an electoral issue, and is why we continue to fight for a public option.

Many of you do not share this concern, we respect this honest difference of opinion. The point being, today we all must PARTICIPATE, and we offer you some generic talking points, which you are free to use if you'd like.

Suggested Talking Points For Calls to Washington: The US Capitol switchboard: 1-800-828-0498

1-866-338-1015

1-866-220-0044

1-866-311-3405 Senate phone directory House of Representatives Directory If you want to pass the Senate bill as it currently stands, you are welcome to advocate for that in your phone calls. What matters more than any specific message, is that these politicians in Washington, D.C., hear LOUD AND CLEARLY from all of us about the need for comprehensive health care reform! Just tell them to finish their job on health care reform. We all can agree on that. And thank you for taking a stand for health care reform! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: When you call your Representative, ask him or her to pass the reconciliation bill, and then to pass the Senate bill after the fix is passed by the Senate. "I’m calling to demand that you support the passage of the reconciliation fix package as proposed by President Obama, and to pass the Senate bill after the reconciliation fix is done by the Senate." You can include these additional asks for the reconciliation package in your call: · Inclusion of the public option · The Medicare buy-in · Fixing the excise tax · Front loading the legislation so it kicks in before 2013 · National exchange · Drug re-importation · Drug price negotiation in Medicare Part D · Increasing subsidies. SPEAKER PELOSI: (202) 225-4965 - Washington

(415) 556-4862 - District Office When you call Speaker Pelosi’s office, please tell her to get everyone on the same page on the reconciliation fix and to pass the Senate bill. "I'd like to tell Speaker Pelosi that I support the reconciliation package proposed by the President and I want this bill passed and signed into law." Let her know that Americans are dying, need access to affordable health care, and that the crisis is too great to allow delay on this great issue of our time. If you want a public option, please also say: "I want a public option because I believe in competition, I don't want an individual mandate without a public option and because only a public option will keep the private insurance industry honest" SENATE: Tell your Senator, you demand passage of healthcare reform. If your Senator is one of those who has signed the Bennet public option letter thank him/her. If your Senator has not signed the Bennet Letter, ask that they do so immediately. If your Senator is a Republican, remind them that they work for you, and that you demand and are entitled to the same health care they have. If you do not support the public option then tell your Senator to get the job done and pass health care reform. Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid: (Nevada constituents, please call!) Washington: 202-224-3542

District: 775-686-5750 775-882-7343 702-388-5020 If you support the public option: If you call Senator Reid, tell him to put the public option in the reconciliation package, and that he can do it! Tell him not to be afraid,but to be bold, and remind him that the people in his state overwhelmingly prefer the public option to the Senate bill. WHITE HOUSE:



White House Comment Line: 202-456-1111 (9:00 AM - 5:00 PM ET) When you call the White House: Support the Public Option: " I support the public option. I believe in competition, and I think only a public option will keep the private insurers from harming the American people. I urge President Obama to support the public option, which the overwhelming majority of Americans still support, and which can pass the Senate via reconciliation if he throws his weight behind it" Don't support the public option: "I support the Presidential Summit, and I want President Obama to use reconciliation and all the powers of his office to fulfill his campaign pledge of guaranteed and affordable healthcare for all Americans." For everyone: "No more bipartisan compromises that Americans don’t want---just stand up and FIGHT for the majority of Americans on real comprehensive health care reform!"

Some statistics:

* In Nevada, only 34% support the Senate bill, while 56% support the public option. * In Illinois, only 37% support the Senate bill, while 68% support the public option. * In Washington State, only 38% support the Senate bill, while 65% support the public option. * In Missouri, only 33% support the Senate bill, while 57% support the public option. * In Virginia, only 36% support the Senate bill, while 61% support the public option. * In Iowa, only 35% support the Senate bill, while 62% support the public option.

Story continues below *In Minnesota, only 35% support the Senate bill, while 62% support the public option. * In Colorado, only 32% support the Senate bill, while 58% support the public option. http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/...

And Open Left is the best place for updates on which Senators have signed the Bennet Public option reconciliation letter.

I make you this pledge. If God forbid health care reform does not pass, I will work day and night, to start a movement to strip every member of Congress and the Senate of their taxpayer subsidized health benefits. If those we elect to do our business fail on this again, they will have ceded their right to have the health care they deny us. This is not a threat, this is a promise, which I hope we will not have to execute.

Here's the press release from Fenton Communications. It went out this morning and describes this unprecedented coalition of the largest progressive organizations in the country working together to make today a huge success.

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 Progressive Groups Launch Massive Health Care Push: Congress To Receive A Million Messages Today Urging Action On Health Care MoveOn, ProgressiveCongress, HCAN, SEIU, DFA, TrueMajority, USAction, UFCW, EQUAL, Campaign for America’s Future, MomsRising.org and FixItandPassIt.com Launch Joint Campaign Via Phone, Fax, Email, Facebook, Twitter and Petition Groups Will Send More Than One Million Messages To Congress Today The nation’s leading progressive organizations are joining forces today for "A Virtual March on Washington" to send Congress one million messages urging action on health care reform. This will be the single largest day of action yet in the health care fight. "The Virtual March on Washington: A Million Voices for Change" campaign is bringing together some of the largest progressive organizations in the nation including, MoveOn.org Political Action, Progressive Congress Action Fund, Health Care for America Now (HCAN), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Campaign for America’s Future, Democracy for America (DFA), TrueMajority, USAction, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), EQUAL, MomsRising.org and FixItandPassIt.com. The virtual march will happen a day before the White House health care summit and on the same day Melanie's March will be arriving in DC from Philadelphia and holding a rally on Capitol Hill. The organizations released the following joint statement: "As Washington plays politics as usual instead of fixing our broken system, people are dying. Americans simply cannot wait for comprehensive health care reform - it's time for Congress to stand up to Big Insurance and their conservative allies, and get reform done right. During the Virtual March for Real Health Care Reform, we'll send a million messages to Congress to make sure they know that voters want them to get to work and get health care done. Our message is simple: It's time for Washington to stop stalling. Pass real health care reform now." Congress will receive messages today via phone, fax, email, Facebook, Twitter and petition.

If your circumstances allow, we welcome your support, there is much work ahead. And if you have already donated, thank you so very much.

The funds donated to the Progressive Congress Action Fund, a 501(C)4 not for profit, will be used to advocate on behalf of the progressive agenda, to advance progressive legislation, and may include payments to individuals engaged in fund raising.