'cuz I know you're dyin' ta know...

... here's my note to Congressman Boehner:

House Republican Leader Boehner:

We the People of United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

"We the People of the United States, in Order to... promote the general Welfare... do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Article I: The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States...

Again that phrase: “the general welfare”.

I note in passing that Article I - the very first thing the Framers established - was the Congress. Not the Executive Branch, not the Judicial Branch, but the Legislative Branch of our government.

And in the very first sentence detailing Legislative powers, our Constitution states,

The Congress shall have the power to... provide for the... general welfare of the United States.

The general welfare: the welfare of "We the People". Not the welfare of big corporations, or the welfare of the bottom-line of insurance companies, but the general welfare.

And I ask: if timely access to affordable, high-quality healthcare doesn't count as "the general welfare" of "We the People", what does?

You stated that you had not heard from any just regular folks who supported the Public Option in the healthcare reform debate.

Now you have.

I’m a 57-year-old retired statistician, U.S. Army veteran, registered voter, husband, and father.
I strongly support a robust Public Option in any healthcare reform bill.
(Note: recent polls suggest that at least 60% of my fellow citizens agree with me on this!)

Sincerely,

I sent basically the same note to Senators McConnell, Baucus, Conrad, Lincoln, and McCaskill (she who twittered that her support of the public option was conditional on making "sure private market can compete.")

Yes, I know - phone calls, emails, faxes... they're futile! BUT: it makes me feel better knowing that I've at least tried!!!

That contact info again:
House Republican Leader Boehner (R-OH; who has heard from no just-regular-folks who support the Public Option):

phone #: 202-225-4000
email (webform): http://republicanleader.house.gov/Contact/
[House Republican Leader]
fax: 202-225-5117

[Please contact him to let him know that you, just a regular American citizen, favor a robust Public Option in the healthcare reform package now under debate.]

Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-MT):

phone: (202) 224-2651
Fax: (202) 224-9412
email (webform): http://baucus.senate.gov/contact/emailForm.cfm?subj=issue
[Chair, Senate Finance Committee]

Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND; member, Senate Finance Committee):

Phone: (202) 224-2043
Fax: (202) 224-7776
Online: http://conrad.senate.gov/contact
E-mail (webform): https://conrad.senate.gov/contact/webform.cfm
[Sen. Kent Conrad]

Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR; member, Senate Finance Committee):

email (webform): http://lincoln.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
[Sen. Blanche Lincoln]
[note: no phone or fax info provided on Senator's webpage!]

Again - yes, I know - calling, faxing, writing... all are futile... BUT: try it! You'll feel much better!!!