Obama backers plan grassroots healthcare action

Organizing for America tapped President Obama’s campaign email list again Friday to distribute a message seeking volunteers for a nationwide action to “kick off” healthcare reform on June 6.

“Remember this date: Saturday, June 6th, 2009. We will look back on that day as the moment when the fight for real health care reform began in your neighborhood — perhaps even in your own living room,” reads the message, attributed to David Plouffe, Obama’s campaign manager who now oversees Organizing for America, a Democratic National Committee-affiliated off-shoot of the campaign.

“On June 6th, in thousands of homes across the country, we’ll gather to launch our grassroots campaign for health care,” the email says, going on the explain that participants who sign up will get access to a conference call featuring remarks by Obama

“These gatherings on June 6th are just the beginning of a battle between those who fought and believe in change and those who would protect a broken status quo. The stakes for our country could not be greater,” the message says.

Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress have vowed to enact a comprehensive healthcare reform bill by the end of the year. The first real tests will come in June when congressional committees introduce the first drafts of the legislation.

– Jeffrey Young

Full email after the jump.

[NAME] —

Remember this date: Saturday, June 6th, 2009. We will look back on that day as the moment when the fight for real health care reform began in your neighborhood — perhaps even in your own living room.

On June 6th, in thousands of homes across the country, we’ll gather to launch our grassroots campaign for health care. We’ll watch a special message from the President. We’ll build the teams and draw up the plans for winning health care reform the same way we won the election: Building support one block, one neighbor, one conversation at a time. And we’ll put those plans into action.

These kickoffs are so crucial that President Obama will join confirmed hosts and attendees on a live conference call.

Sign up today to host or attend a Health Care Organizing Kickoff.

There’s no prior experience required. We’ll send you the details for dialing into the President’s call and provide you everything you need to make your meeting a success.

After the election, people gathered at over 9,000 meetings across every state to set priorities for health care reform. Our voices were heard. Now the race is on to make sure Congress produces a plan that reflects the President’s call for reduced costs, guaranteed choice, and quality care for all.

To make that happen, we need to build a groundswell of support in every district and every state, and we have no time to lose. All summer we’ll be reaching out to our neighbors, knocking on doors, serving in our communities, and building a grassroots network strong enough to win.

These gatherings on June 6th are just the beginning of a battle between those who fought and believe in change and those who would protect a broken status quo. The stakes for our country could not be greater.

Some call this strategy pie-in-the-sky. They say we’ll never have enough volunteers to make a real impact; that you need insiders and Washington lobbyists to make a difference. But you and I know firsthand how wrong they are. Starting June 6th, it’s once again time to show this country how bottom-up change is done.

Please sign up today to host or attend a kickoff near you.

http://my.barackobama.com/HCkickoff

These kickoffs will be both effective and fun. You’ll meet likeminded supporters in your neighborhood, share stories, enjoy good company and a shared mission, and know that no matter what this effort requires of us, if we work together we’ll be ready to face it and persevere.

I look forward to joining you and the President to chart our course.

David Plouffe
Organizing for America

P.S. — This week, President Obama asked us to send in our personal health care stories. Hundreds of thousands of people have already responded, and the stories are simply incredible. Here are just few that help remind us what we’re fighting for:
I am a single parent and have lost my teaching job effective in June. I’m scared to death because my son has a serious pre-existing condition (Neurofibromatosis) and can’t go without medical insurance. However, my employer has just informed me that continuing my family coverage under COBRA will cost $1,400.00 a month! That’s a house payment for me. Or three times my car payment! How can I keep my family covered without going under financially?

–Cathy
Apple Valley, Minnesota

Since I lost my job in 2006, I have had no health insurance. After paying for insurance through my employer for 30 years, I have no major medical. But now that I am approaching 60, I may need insurance more than ever. I have not had a mammogram for three years because it would be too stressful to find anything suspicious. Risky but true.

–Kathy
Macon, Georgia

My husband isn’t getting enough hours at his job to qualify for health insurance so we have been looking around for a provider. He has a pre-existing health condition (non-epileptic seizures) and he is being denied left and right. We don’t make a lot of money, about $23,000/year and we can’t afford to not have insurance, in case he needs to go to the doctor. And it looks like we can’t afford to have it either. We are stuck.

–Amanda
Pasadena, California