my email to Sen. Bingaman

Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) is a member of the Senate Finance committee, chaired - as we all now know - by Sen. Max Baucus (D?-MT).

Here's the email (largely cribbed from PrivateBuffoon):

Senator Bingaman:
The U.S. is the only developed country that does not provide some form of government-subsidized universal health insurance.
We pay more per capita and more as a percent of GDP for health care than any other developed country, but on almost all measures of health outcome (life-expectancy, infant mortality, etc.) we are in the bottom half or lower.
(See, e.g., U.S. Health Care Spending:
Comparison with Other OECD Countries
CRS Report for Congress
September 17, 2007
[http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34175_20070917.pdf])

If the Democrats in the Senate - you included - cannot provide a bill that includes a robust public option, what good are you???

I realize that you do not come up for re-election until 2012, but I'll be watching your rhetoric - and your votes - on this issue very carefully, and could well be a 'single issue' voter in 2012!!!

Please - don't be afraid of the 'socialism' epithet!
Socialism is good!
Who's to blame?... for

child-labor laws?
the Pure Food & Drug Act?
the 40-hr, 5-day work-week?
women's suffrage?
the Civil Rights Movement?

Pinko, commie, muckraking liberals, socialists and progressives! - that's who... including socialist, God-hating labor unions!!!

Pure, unbridled capitalism brought us:
- 8-year-olds losing fingers, hands, & arms in industrial looms
- the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire
- 80-hour work-weeks
- the Great Depression... and - oh, yeah! - the current economic meltdown!!!

Me? I'm rather in favor of the government protecting me from pure capitalist greed!

Sincerely,

Some blogger recently noted that the Republicans & Blue Dogs fear no consequences if meaningful health-care/-insurance reform fails. My one vote doesn't matter, but if more folks let their Senators know that position on health-care/-insurance reform is dominant "single-issue", maybe the Senate Dems would get the message.

p.s. note: the threat of "single-issue" vote in 2010/2/4 need not be sincere. ["Always be sincere whether you mean it or not."]