Calling All Legislators!

So I got a couple of phone calls today, asking me to call my congresspeople and urge them to support health care reform. Sure, I said. Happy to do it. Apparently there were some details I didn't get - like, after I made the phone calls, I was supposed to record that fact at the Organizing for America website, etc., but I figured that out too. I watched to see if my name came up at all on the OFA website - "Beth B. from Spokane, WA, just called Rep. McMorris Rodgers," but after half a minute I let it go. It'll show up or it won't, but I'll never know...

It was an interesting process. I made my phone calls before realizing that I was supposed to ask if they support the health care reform plan. I did of course explain nuances of why it mattered to support the public option in particular. Probably went on too long for some of the folks answering the phones! But then I went to fill out the form that said I'd made my phone calls and realized I hadn't asked the congresspeople's position on all that I was talking about. Oops.

I knew my senators supported it (Cantwell and Murray), so I marked "yes" that they did without calling back. And I mean, for the love of all that is good and right, I was sure Rep. McMorris Rodgers did not. But hey, before checking the "no" box, I should ask, right? So I called back (the D.C. office instead of the Spokane one) and asked that burning question: what does my congresswoman actually support?

Now, I didn't phrase it "does she support the Obama plan," because that would necessarily receive a "no" answer and - besides - I'm mostly concerned about the premium-supported public option anyway. So I asked about that. The nice young woman on the phone (they are so nice at McMorris Rodgers' offices - she hires well) wasn't exactly sure, and offered to have a legislative aide contact me at some point. Great, I said - because I write about this a lot on my blog, and I want to know what she thinks, and where her concerns might lie...

I cannot imagine there will be a meeting of the minds here. But - and to her credit (and I give her this credit), McMorris Rodgers was one of the few Republicans who urged people to stop scaring each other with talk about death panels (which do not exist), and talk about the real issues instead. Have a dialogue. So I guess that's what we might be doing. One way or the other.

Just checked the log of phone calls this afternoon, on the OFA website. 182,774 - and counting.

photo credit: Jeremiah Aguilar, found here