Boston Globe: Liberal Groups Bolster Obama Healthcare Plans

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Liberal groups bolster Obama healthcare plans

By Lisa Wangsness, Globe Staff
June 2, 2009

WASHINGTON - Leaders of the country's largest and most influential liberal groups said yesterday they are poised to spend $82 million to help push through sweeping healthcare legislation this year.

Gathering at a conference to discuss how to promote President Obama's agenda, the leaders said Americans voted for major change last November, and that liberals would fight to help the Obama administration keep its promises on providing universal access to affordable healthcare, as well as immigration reform and education.

"Progressives are fired up and excited about the possibility of what could be the greatest era of progressive reform since 1960," said Richard Borosage, codirector of the Campaign for America's Future. "We do this with the wind at our back."

Joining the effort are two major labor organizations, the AFL-CIO and Change to Win; Health Care for America Now, a coalition of healthcare providers, consumer groups, and activists; MoveOn.org, the massive online activist organization; and other groups that claim a total of 30 million members.

Howard Dean, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee during Obama's campaign, the former Vermont governor, and author of a forthcoming book on healthcare, said liberal groups would insist that any health legislation include a Medicare-style public insurance option for people under 65.

Forcing insurers to compete with a government plan, Dean said, is the only way to lower premiums dramatically. Asked whether it was more important to have a public option than to have healthcare bill with bipartisan support, Dean said, without hesitating, "Yes."

"I think bipartisan is wonderful, but what is the point of having a crummy piece of legislation just because it's bipartisan?" he said.

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http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/06/02/liberal_groups_say_they_will_spend_82m_to_push_through_healthcare_legislation/