Senator Burris at your service

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Tonight I wrote some letters to elected officials insisting that they unequivocally support a meaningful Public Option in the healthcare bill now being worked by the Congress. To my Senators I wrote:

Dear Senator,

I want you to know that I and the voting members of my household consider the Public Option to be non-negotiable in any reform of the nation’s healthcare system.

It is clear to me that the opposition to the Public Option in the Senate consists mainly of Senators from small states in which a single healthcare insurance provider has an actual or virtual monopoly on the health insurance insurance market. Health insurance reform will not work, period, without injecting the field with actual competition. Without competition, insurers will continue to have a free hand in fixing premium rates artificially high in order to extract more “overhead” resources from healthcare consumers. I’m certain you are aware of the numerous “horror stories” about individuals who have been denied coverage, or who have even had their policies canceled without notice, on the eve of major, necessary medical procedures. The costs are ruinous for these people, as you must be aware.

At this point I do not feel it is enough for you to simply commit to supporting the public option. I ask that you use every advantage your seniority provides to convince reluctant Senators that it is in the best interests of the nation to support the public option --- even if it means taxing the employer-provided benefits of more affluent beneficiaries (including myself). I will back my opinion on this with campaign contributions to primary challengers in any state where a Democratic Senator has worked to defeat or undermine an effective Public Option in the healthcare insurance reform effort.

I do appreciate your work toward solving our healthcare insurance and cost crises. Please use your considerable persuasive powers to get everyone possible on board with this critical provision.

Sincerely,
Stupor J. Mundi

The above message was to Dick Durbin. A similar note (without references to senate seniority) went to Roland Burris, the junior Senator from Illinois who was, by U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Chicago), declared not to have "one iota of taint" when appointed to the post by Blago back in December. Tonight Burris was really johnny-on-the-spot for his constituent, with a lightning-fast reply even before I'd finished modifying the note for consumption by our U.S. Representative (who actually looks like he suffers from consumption). The Burris response is a marvel of clarity, concision, and timeliness:

Thank you very much for contacting my office to express your views. I will take your opinions and concerns into consideration as we debate these issues in the United States Senate and address challenges facing Illinois and the nation.

The constituents of Illinois are of the utmost importance to me, and it is an honor to work on your behalf by representing you in the United States Senate.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact my Washington, DC office. Again, thank you and I am honored to serve you in the United States Senate.

Sincerely,
Roland W. Burris
United States Senator

Hurrah --- we're saved! That's some real constituent service, from one Senator without an iota of taint or an iota of class. Not even trying....