I work for the Courage Campaign

This is a year unlike any in recent memory for the prospects of progressive progress and reform. There’s an opportunity to take huge steps towards fixing the damage done by the Bush Administration and make positive change towards a country that simply takes better care of its citizens.

But as Democrats, we’re going to have a much tougher time getting there if we don’t all travel together. Which is why, with millions of Americans unable to get basic health care, it’s so distressing that former DNC Chair Terry McAuliffe is cashing a big check from the insurance companies in San Francisco June 19.

We know all too well that insurance companies don’t spend a dime on actually providing health care to the sick and injured if they can help it, which is why it’s such a concern that McAuliffe is willing to accept this money that should be spent on medical treatment.

But, not surprisingly, Rick Jacobs said it much better than I ever could earlier today:

This is personal.

I was quite surprised when I learned that Terry McAuliffe was going to appear at a major convention of health insurance corporations in San Francisco on June 19.

After all, how could the former Chair of the Democratic National Committee show up as a guest of health insurance executives — much less accept any money for his appearance at the AHIP (America’s Health Insurance Plans) convention? This appearance seems inappropriate at best, especially after Barack Obama and Howard Dean courageously directed the Democratic National Committee last week to reject contributions from lobbyists, including the health insurance industry.

And now it’s personal. My sister, who suffers from severe and rapidly deteriorating hearing loss, just told me that she has been denied useful health care coverage. Again. Why? Because her hearing problems have been diagnosed as a “pre-existing condition,” precluding her from receiving cochlear implants so she can hear again.

The last I checked, being able to hear is not “optional” medical care. Unfortunately, my sister is one of over 100 million Americans who either have no health insurance coverage or are underinsured. My entire family worries about her, but the system is designed by these health insurance executives to keep her out — not to help her.

I know Terry McAuliffe. When I was the California chair of Howard Dean’s presidential campaign in 2003-04, I interacted with Terry on a number of occasions. While we have differences of opinion from time to time, I think he might listen if enough people appeal to him and the morals and values the Democratic Party is supposed to represent.

So, I wrote a letter to Terry McAuliffe. The simple message: “Just don’t do it, Terry. Don’t go to the AHIP convention and please don’t accept a speaking fee.” Can you add your name to my letter so that we can deliver as many signatures to Terry McAuliffe as possible on Tuesday?

http://www.couragecampaign.org/TerryMcAuliffe

Here’s an excerpt from my letter to Terry:

“Did you know that Assurant Health — listed as the sole sponsor of your joint AHIP speaking appearance with former Bush spokesperson Dan Bartlett — was just fined $3 million by the state of Connecticut for illegally denying care to hundreds of patients? That is just one example of how the health insurance racket in America has a death grip on our health care system. Using nearly unlimited resources from our monthly premium payments, it has single-handedly blocked every health care reform proposal in recent years, including “Medicare for All” or single-payer health care.

No Democrat, least of all the former Chair of the Democratic National Committee, should support these corporations by appearing on their stage, and no progressive should allow himself to be paid in blood money “earned” by withholding treatment from sick patients.”

I know that’s strong language. But it’s the truth.

If you agree, please join me, the Courage Campaign and the California Nurses Association in asking Terry McAuliffe not to appear at — or take a speaking fee from — the AHIP convention on June 19. We need you, your friends and your family to sign this letter now so that we can deliver thousands of signatures to him on Tuesday:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/TerryMcAuliffe

You know who else will be at this convention, lending their “legitimacy” to this cabal of health insurance executives? Bill Frist, the former Republican Senate Majority Leader. And Tommy Thompson, President Bush’s former Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Of course, there’s no point in asking Dr. Frist and Mr. Thompson not to show up, given that they oppose health care reforms that would restrict the role of, or remove, the insurance industry from the management and delivery of health care. But I hope that Terry McAuliffe decides, on behalf of my sister and everyone else who suffers from the callous policies of greedy insurance companies, to stay away from the AHIP convention.

If you agree, please forward this message to your friends now. We don’t have much time to collect thousands of signatures to remind Terry of the first rule of health care: “first, do no harm.”

Thanks, again, for doing everything in your power to make 2008 a new era for progressive politics in California.

Rick Jacobs

Chair

P.S. It’s time to take a stand for universal health care and against health insurance corporations. That’s why thousands of Californians will be protesting outside the AHIP convention at Moscone Center in San Francisco, starting at noon on June 19.

Led by our friends at the California Nurses Association, a strong coalition of health care organizations and reformers will gather outside the convention, rallying to support H.R. 767 and S.B. 840 — federal and state bills supporting single-player health care. To find out more about this rally, as well as sign my letter to Terry McAuliffe, please click here:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/TerryMcAuliffe

AHIP, America’s Health Insurance Plans, decided downtown San Francisco would be a good place for the health insurance company lobbyists and executives to hold their convention. Not surprisingly, thousands of people will take to the streets at noon on June 19th at the Moscone center to protest getting ripped off by the health insurance companies and rally for SB 840 in California and HR 676 nationally.

One of the key people being protested is none other than former DNC Chair Terry McAuliffe who is a keynote speaker for the industry. Which adds some context to his quotes in yesterday’s New York Times on the Clintons’ enemies list and rewarding of friends:

“The Clintons get hundreds of requests for favors every week,” said Terry McAuliffe, the chairman of Mrs. Clinton’s presidential campaign. “Clearly, the people you’re going to do stuff for in the future are the people who have been there for you.”

Finally, we’ve recovered from McAuliffe’s disaster as DNC Chair when he ran it like the DLC and was proven incapable of moving beyond transactional politics to a post-McCain/Feingold fundraising party that isn’t a subsidiary of special interests. And yes, we’ve also moved beyond his success in perfectly executing a Clinton campaign strategy that took her from undisputed presidential front-runner to junior senator. But there is he is, using his name and connections to help out those who have helped them while Americans suffer.

In my opinion, one of the most important outcomes of Clinton’s loss was that they won’t get back control of the DNC — which is great news for Democrats. But T-Mac is a reminder that we all need due diligence in the process of choosing the next California Democratic Party Chair so that we can reform the CDP to also move into the 21st century.

Currently, there are 1,904 pledged attendees at the rally according to the neat online organizing tool. Check to see which groups have currently pledged how many, get your group involved, and join in this important event.

450 – California School Employees Assn.

400 – California Nurses Assn.

200 – California Alliance for Retired Americans

200 – California Universal Health Care Organizing Project

100 – Cindy Sheehan for Congress

54 – Others

50 – Green Party SF

47 – Health Care for All-Marin

40 – American Medical Student Association

30 – Gray Panthers SF

25 – Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club

25 – United Educators of San Francisco

20 – Amer. Fed. of Teachers, local 2121

20 – Neighbor to Neighbor

20 – West Country Seniors

20 – Senior Action Network

20 – Older Women’s League of San Francisco

20 – Hermanson for Congress

20 – HAT

20 – Green Party San Meteo

15 – California Physicians Alliance

15 – Socialist Action

14 – Health Care for All-Santa Cruz

12 – International Longshore and Warehouse Union, local 6

10 – California Alliance for Legislative Action

10 – Office and Professional Employees International Union, local 3

10 – San Francisco for Democracy

9 – American Postal Workers Union – SF

9 – UC-Santa Cruz students for Single Payer

5 – Chris Jackson for Community College Bd

5 – Young Workers United

4 – Health Care for All-Sonoma

4 – FORUM SF