SEIU demands Health Care bill changes and calls Obama out.

This is a refreshing turn of events in my view.

For the past few days we have been learning of the massive concessions that the White House and the Senate are making to appease the slimy service of Joe Liberman. Not only has the Public Option been axed, but the Medicare Buy-In option has been removed as well. The same option that Lieberman himself supported a measly 3 months prior. It was said that Lieberman promised support of the current bill if the Medicare option had been removed and after it was, he has still refused to express his support. Which, may or may not be a blessing in disguise. Depending on which report you read, the current bill in the Senate is either a mediocre solution to a massive problem or nothing more than a boon to the insurance industry. While Nate Silver has expressed support for the current bill, based solely on the numbers, I am much less enthusiastic.

The president of one of the countries largest labor unions, Service Employees International Union, penned a rather stern letter to the White House and Obama in particular. Andy Stern, president of the SEIU, wrote Obama, politely demanding changes be made to the current bill and that Obama utilize the motto of his own campaign, namely bringing about the change he so often touted. Although he came just short of saying that SEIU would abandon support for the current bill as it stands now, it is widely assumed that they, along with other labor unions will undoubtedly do so.

A portion of the letter.

President Obama must remember his own words from the campaign. His call of “Yes We Can” was not just to us, not just to the millions of people who voted for him, but to himself. We all stood shoulder to shoulder with the President during his hard fought campaign. And, we will continue to stand with him but he must fight for the reform we all know is possible.

Our challenge to you, to the President, to the Senate and to the House of Representatives is to fight. Now, more than ever, all of us must stand up, remember what health insurance reform is all about, and fight like hell to deliver real and meaningful reform to the American people.

While many larger labor organizations need the support of lawmakers for further battles, it would come as no surprise if they abandoned this bill and withdrew their support as quickly as lawmakers watered it down. After spending millions of dollars and wasting countless man hours, many organizations are seeing their hard work being ripped out of  their hands.

In the final statement of the letter, Stern wrote.

“SEIU does not accept that this monumental effort — that this reform that is so necessary to the health and well being of our economy, our families and our future — can be over without a fight. A fight to make it work for you and your families,”

I hope that Obama is listening to the outcries of frustration and anger by those who so passionately supported his cause. I will say it here and now, Mr. President, if you do not support the Health Care that this country so desperately needs, you will be  a one term president and a failure.

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