Get a spine Harry!

Hi Jane! If Harry Reid can’t be pulled into doing the right thing, then we have to push him toward it or push him out of the way. I’m with you, Jane!

Jane having trouble with that link. Hope you are well.

Ot

I spent several hours in Senator Voinvich’s office when I was in D.C. recently. Hoping you will turn your laser like intellect on voinovich. Took lots of notes as i sat with the aide Angela. he has his concerns but the door is not closed down to the public option. Keep encouraging folks in Ohio to walk through that door and push Voinovich to do the right thing during his last year in office.

Have contacted a few of the Ohio organizations for health care reform. Keep bringing up how a large rally at the Ohio statehouse in Columbus focused on Vonovich, and our congressional Reps might be a rallying effort. Have suggested trying to get Wendell Potter, Kucinich, Senator Brown (know he would come) and you as speakers. Congress woman Kaptur would be another great speaker.

Do you have any direct contacts with Health Care now?

Glad you’re back for this push, Jane, will do it.

Sorry ’bout that — links fixed.

Reminder: the phone bank won’t work until noon ET, so right now you can register.

Thanks, Ruth. And thanks to everyone who handled things on the blog so well that I could take some time off and say goodbye to Kobe.

I’m pretty happy that this is my come-back post. Had to make it good, right? Kobe was a fighter and I think he would approve.

Jane, I was sorry to hear of your loss of Kobe. it is never easy to lose a special friend.

Jane, I didn’t know Kobe because I’m fairly new here. Seems like others here felt like they knew him, like he was part of FDL. I’m sorry for your loss.

This phone bank is excellent. Your wrote above that it won’t work until noon eastern, but I logged in and already have the first number to call. Should I wait until noon because of the time difference?

Thank you Jane for all you do. We’ve missed you here, but I appreciate you for including us with your twitter account. There must be many like me who usually lurk and don’t comment, but whose hearts were with you and Kobe every minute… and still are.

(((((((((((((Jane)))))))))))))))))))))

If there are numbers then the wizards have said it’s okay, so go ahead. Thanks Knox, appreciate it.

Kobe was the firedog in firedoglake. He was the one who liked to lie by the fire with me and watch the Lakers. He had a huge, compassionate heart and was fiercely protective of those he loved. He lives on in the blog and everything we do.

Sorry for your loss Jane. I wondered about your absence. I am sorry it was because of your friend.
Off to kick butt!

Thanks so much, smartlady. Can’t tell you how much it meant to have people come out of lurkerdom and express their support during this time. I’m still trying to think of a great way to honor Kobe’s life. He’ll let me know when I find it.

Let the phone bank effort begin! Making calls now.

Yeah butt kicking!

I worked through cancer and my mom’s death but I have to say this one was especially tough. Being with Kobe in the hospital in the final days just tore me apart. Fortunately Mary Jane M. came down and we’ve just been taking some time. But I’m back now.

Lots of work to do, so let’s get it done!

That is so great Knoxville. Thanks so much.

Gosh I really love this place.

I appreciate it, Matt. It marks a transition — just not sure of what that transition is yet.

I guess we’ll all find out, huh?

I remember the photo of Christy’s Peanut and Kobe, so cute.

Is anyone else making calls? It’s much more difficult than I imagined…

AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…

Citizen Hamsher and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:

Welcome back Sister Jane, you been a busy subversive lately and we’ve missed yer messages from inside the beast. Now where do we stand in the House of Representatives on the Medicare Plus “Part E” bill? As you may remember I was beatin the drums for concentratin’ forces over there early to get us to the point we are right now earlier…but whatever. It seems to me that Obama has been playin this just right both in his own political self interest and to make sure that the bill didn’t get branded as “Obamacare”. Now the entire effort in the Senate hangs on the majority leader who Obama’s got tied up tight as a nun’s vagina and to whom folks like you are administerin’ an instructional beating.

Again,what’s happenin’ in the House because now the entire effort to get this done before Xmas hangs on the House bein’ able to deliver a strong bill before the Senate gives up a stillborn.

KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE AMMUNITION, NO PLACE TO HIDE NOW!!

Give’em hell Hamsher!

RRRAAAWWW!!!111

it gave me a caller right away and it is not noon yet.
i hesitate to call before 9 am in NV.

what is the hard part, smgumby?
from my experience, running OB phone banks, you practice on the calls and get better and better.
you even learn your own version of the script.
these lists are going to be of super-friendly supporters. you wont be calling goopers.

Citizen Hamsher:

Oh Shit!! I missed the announcement that Kobe left us, I’m so sorry for your loss…damn, Sister, lean on us, your life is gettin a lotta new beginnings now if you can hold on to the strength you’ve shown up to now.

Jane, I was away and did not go through the experience with you. I had a similar loss years ago, and it left a very bereft spot for many years. Just seems to be that way.

I did some writing about Emily + issues the grief & rage seemed linked to (this was one of the “murdered” cat stories.) I am sure you will find ways to honor, remember, and celebrate. Do not hurry. Our vet was a delight & counsel.

Number 16

have gone to that pic a dozen times when I was out of gas and needed motivation to keep on keepin’ on – so representative of why we fight

Mornin’ All

David Dayen has a fresh cross-post up for all who are ready: “The Doctor’s Fix Debacle”

Maybe following the script? The guy I talked to was nice enough, just not interested in talking about it. He said he was watching the debate, but with Medicare and Tricare for life it just didn’t affect them much, and told me to have a nice day.

After hanging up I (of course) thought of a hundred replies that could have maybe drawn him into a discussion, but was pretty nervous on the phone. Should I have tried to push the issue a little?

Several of the people I’ve called so far have taken the number and said that they’d call.

But one guy said NO to the public option and hung up.

The next person gave me some insight into such opposition. This next person was genuinely confused about what a public option is, asking me in a very concerned voice, “It’s a choice, right? No one would be required to have it, right?”

I’m sure our friends on the dark side of this issue will pat themselves on the back because they have confused some people with their lies. They’re wrong. They know it. And they’ve had to turn to b*llsh*t in their efforts to block real reform. Ok, making another call.

Jane, quick question: Is it possible to add a “Not sure” option for the 3rd question? For one thing, I’m focusing on getting people to make the call. But when I do ask whether they’d support a challenger to Reid if he fails, a couple of them seemed unsure.

what we usually say at the phone bank is dont waste time on the folks who dont want to do it. Be courteous. Thank them.
if you see an opening engage.
But the real bang for the buck is volume of calls and reaching folks who WILL do it.
If you persuade someone and they were doubtful, there is a greater chance that they will just not call.

would you agree, Jane?

here’s the latest I could find this am

I knew Clyburn was hedging when he said they didn’t quite have the votes, and not just because his lips were moving. sounding like they do indeed have the numbers – although I’ll wait for Grijalva/Woolsey to confirm

fwiw – the clearest sign for me is all that Blue Dog moanin’ and groanin’

ymmv

Jane, scratch my question about adding a third “not sure” option.

I’ve found the way that’s easiest for me to follow from the second question to asking the third about whether they’d be willing to add their name to the list of people who would oppose Reid if he fails.

Thanks, I think practice will help. (The kids finally off to school will help as well) Your right, spending time persuading someone to listen will probably just result in that… …listening. We want to get people to make phone calls!

FDL – THANK YOU for this tool! I feel so helpless in this debate most of the time! This is something tangible that can be done quickly and (with practice) easily! I’m sure I can get in a few more calls before bed. (Nightshift syndrome)

I ran hundreds of phone banks during the general election last year. Here are a few tips I hope you will find useful.

1) Read the script a couple of times before you start, so that you feel you understand the concept. If you don’t feel comfortable reading off of it verbatim, don’t. Make it your own. Make it conversational.

2) You’ll only reach 15-20% of the people you attempt to call at any one time. Most will not be home. Some numbers will be wrong. This is normal for every phone bank, and it’s why we ask so many people to make calls, because it usually takes several attempts to reach a voter.

2) If someone is unsure, feel free to tell them why you personally support a public option. You don’t have to site a bunch of facts and figures. For instance, I tell people that I want a public option because my brother in law joined the army 15 years ago because his wife was pregnant and they couldn’t afford insurance. 15 years and 3 kids later he still can’t. He’s about to be sent to Iraq for the third time. No one should have to make that choice.

3) If someone says they don’t know if if they’ll call or write, I would recommend marking them as “not home”. That means someone else will call them later and try and persuade them again.

4) Don’t take rejection personally. Even a “no” is valuable information and will help refine the list down to real supporters.

Hope this helps!

Jane,

just wondering if a certain Las Vegas based Labor organization would be interested in joining in – or does that open a can a worms we don’t want right now ??

and may I say that’s a lovely set of handcuffs you’ve knitted the Majority Leader, wherever did you get that pattern ?

While Reid is busy getting “jacked” by AMA lobbyist promises, muscled around by big big insurance and bitch slapped by blue dogs on getting a public option in the senate HCR bill another 122 of our fellow Americans died yesterday – They could not afford and did not have health insurance.

Today there will be another 122, tomorrow the same and on and on.

Reid’s spinelessness and impudent “leadership” coupled with his LDS-infected intellectual thought processes are killing Americans! Stop this madness!

Lets dump this chump and get some real sentate leadership before it’s to late! If HCR and a strong PO fails I’m for running this killer of American innocents back to his elders in Salt Lake City on a rail, complete with tar and feathers…

Absolutely. The script is there because we need answers to particular questions, but bringing your own knowledge and (respectful) enthusiasm to the calls is really important.

Great job!

While Reid is busy getting “jacked” by AMA lobbyist promises, muscled around by big big insurance and bitch slapped by blue dogs on getting a public option in the senate HCR bill another 122 of our fellow Americans died yesterday – They could not afford and did not have health insurance.

You left out that he’s also busy having his hand held by Rahm Emanuel, Peter Orszag and Kathleen Sebelius, whose sole purpose for being in the room while the Finance and HELP bills are being merged appears to be making sure real health insurance reform is blocked.

WTF is the Obama Administration thinking?

Putting this pressure on Reid now and letting him know what’s to come if he fails as a leader is key to the public option’s success in the Senate!

Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score’s the baucus plan at $829 Billion over a 10 year period, that is paid for. The CBO also states that it will lower the deficit by $80 Billion and it would be much lower if there was a public option.Criminally corrupt politicians are the reason the U.S. is ranked near the bottom of every catagory when ranked next to other modern, industrialized nations. Time for publically funded elections. lieberman $12.6M, mcconnell $7.8M, baucus $7.7M, cornyn $6.7M, kyl $5.6M, grassley $5.4M, ensign $5.2M, conrad $5.1M, cantor $4.9M, nelson $4.9M, burr $4.8M, boehner $4.4M, hatch $4.4M, lincoln $4.1M, vitter $3.9M, carper $3.6M were paid by the Medical Industrial Complex to kill Health Care Reform. (Source: OpenSecrets.org, Aug. 09)Follow the Money: LinkCall Congress and demand, Single-Payer Health Care for All!(Toll Free # House and Senate)1-866-338-1015 _____ 1-866-220-00441-866-311-3405Sign Single-Payer, Public Option and Health Care as a Civil Rights Petitions: Link Link Link kucinichpetition Don’t let the Medical Industrial Complex steal your Health Care from you and your family by donating huge sums of money to Crooked Politicians in order to maintain the Status Quo. Keep up the good fight.SEMPER FI!

Watch Out Congress. She’s back, and she’s not pleased with some of you.

What has been working for me is to skip the first question and go to the second. If they say “yes,” I can click that they said “yes” to both the first and second questions.

This way enables me to ask the two key questions:

Will you call to tell Senator Reid that you will support him if he brings a real health care reform bill to the floor for a vote?

If he fails, would you be willing to add your name to a list of constituents who would support a Democratic challenger to Harry Reid in the 2010 primary?

Jane, is this approach ok?

I just called Reid’s office myself to tell him that I’ve been a moderate Democrat my entire adult life (nearly 2 decades), that I’ve lived in 4 different states since the early 1990s (New York, Michigan, California, and Tennessee), and that Democrats across the country know that he is the Senate Majority Leader and that this is his time and that he needs to show us that he can be strong and effective.

If you call, they will take down your comments and ask you where you are calling from.

The guy who took my call sounded like he’s been answering similar calls all morning. He was polite, but sounded like he’s been hearing many rants like mine all morning. *g*

Ok, back to calling the good people of Nevada!

hey Jane.

I accidentally checked one of the did-not-make-contact boxes.

But I DID!!!!

How do I uncheck it???????????????????

It’s funny that Harry Reid has so much influence over this issue but two years from now he won’t even be a senator anymore.

Dearest Jane …hope the Va. address is good for a small package coming your way….When any of my furry children…leave this life,i shall surely be devastated,but when your ready ,please get another critter…they NEED us badly,and we NEED them….each has a different personality,and they make us stay attached to the natural world and its rhythms,goddess bless you!Saint Jane

Today after partially cleaning out one of the out buildings on our property, I sat down in a beautiful field surrounded by maples, sycamores, poplars, chestnuts, walnut trees doing the outrageous fall color change and wept for the young Taliban men who suffocated to death in the Convoy of Death after they had surrendered to Afghani and US forces. Wept for the millions dead in Iraq. Wept for the American soldiers sacrificed based on a “pack of lies” and the thoughtless and brutal killings in Darfur and for Janes loss.

How does that go what does not kill you often makes you stronger? The folks at FDL and the amazing level of commitment to social and human justice issues gives me so much hope. Thanks

Hey Jane,

Sorry for your loss. I hope someone who loves me crawls in bed to hold me as I pass from this world. You were a good pal to Kobe.

Is the phone bank continuing? I couldn’t get the registering link to work.