This is an excerpt from very interesting article about Howard Dean on Politico.

On a Florida progressive listserv, one poster urged readers to donate to DFA instead of the DNC, which in the days before the Senate’s pre-Christmas vote to pass health reform, urged the 13 million subscribers on Obama’s campaign e-mail list to call their senators in support of the Senate bill.

A week from tomorrow (November 17), the Monroe County Plan Commission will meet to discuss the proposed Monroe County Comprehensive Plan (also known as the Growth Policies Plan). The purpose of this document is to guide development in Monroe County in such a way that our rich natural heritage is preserved for generations to come.

People For the American Way is a fine progressive organization that was founded in 1981 by Norman Lear, Barbara Jordan, Father Theodore Hesburgh, and Andrew Heiskell. Their mission is, in their own words, dedicated to making the promise of America real for every American: Equality. Freedom of speech. Freedom of religion. The right to seek justice in a court of law. The right to cast a vote that counts. The American Way.

For the past couple of years, I have been receiving e-mails from them. This past Wednesday, they sent out an excellent analysis of last Tuesday's election by their President, Michael Keegan, and I thought I'd share it with you (emphasis added by me).

During the past five years, Democracy for Monroe County has been hard at work promoting policies that will bring us a strong community, broad prosperity, effective government, education for all, and a better future. Through our activism, discussions of important issues at our monthly meetings, and our on-going training programs, we have supported and promoted the mutual goals of the Democratic Party, Organized Labor, and other progressive organizations by reaching out to the ordinary citizens of our community and recruiting them to become active in the important issues of our time.

Currently, we are focusing on the health care legislation that is moving through Congress. We strongly believe that the heart of the final bill must be a robust Public Option that will

Last Thursday I hand delivered to Sen. Bayh over 230 signed petitions DFMC had gathered at the Bloomington Farmer's Market along with over 2800 names of Hoosiers that had signed DFA's online petition supporting a public health insurance option.

Call Baron Hill's office - 202-225-5315

IU College Democrats President Shawn Walter is currently interning at Democracy for America headquarters in Burlington, Vermont. In furtherance of our mission to help train grass roots activists, Democracy for Monroe County gave Shawn a matching grant of $100 to help defray his expenses.

In response, Shawn wrote a very gracious letter of thanks to us. With his permission, I am posting it here, because he talks about a very exciting project that is in the works at DFA.

Dear DFMC,

Dear Republicans,

Do you think that maybe it's finally about time that you STFU about the "sanctity of marriage"?

Yours,

Eric

You may have already received the e-mail, but I'm posting it here just in case you didn't.

For years, candidates for Congress and elected members of Congress told you they needed to be elected and re-elected so they could lower health insurance costs and provide health care for all. Along the way, you kept working for and voting for those candidates and members of Congress until, at long last, after the 2008 elections they formed wide majorities.

Now, as that new majority drafts legislation designed to lower health care costs and provide

coverage for all, wide swaths are on board for real health reform. But you deserve a commitment.

Will your Senators support a meaningful public health insurance option? One that meets President Obama's goals of lowering cost and keeping the insurance industry honest?

It is up to us to find out.

Email your Senators the following four short, specific questions on where they stand on a public option. The link below takes you to a page that allows you to do just that:

http://www.standwithdrdean.com/WhipCount