It's time for everyone to contact your congresspeople and let them know your thoughts. It's an outrage that the plan presented by Max Baucus ignores the opinions of a majority of U.S. citizens who favor a public option. Why are they afraid to give everyone more choices? I think the answer lies in the MASSIVE contributions they receive from the insurance industry.

I completely agree. I just called Max Baucus' office to express my feeling about his garbage plan - (202) 224-2651

I thought President Obama's speech tonight was excellent. And I was appalled at the behavior of some of the congressmen, especially SC Rep Joe Wilson yelling "you lie"! If I lived in his district, I would be so embarassed now.

Diane, you're not alone in feeling that way. Here are the results of a poll published on the National Women's Law Center website:
Reproductive Health Coverage in Health Reform
A national opinion survey conducted for the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) demonstrates that Americans strongly believe that health insurance should include women’s reproductive health services and that medical experts – not politicians – should decide the details of a benefits package.

Findings from the survey of 1,000 likely voters conducted by the Mellman Group include:

Voters overwhelmingly support the broad outlines of reform and requiring coverage of women’s reproductive health services. Seven-in-ten (70%) favor a proposal that establishes a National Health Insurance Exchange with a public plan option. If the reform were adopted, voters overwhelmingly support requiring health plans to cover women’s reproductive health services (71% favor-21% oppose).
Absent coverage for women’s reproductive health services, majorities oppose reform. If reform eliminated current insurance coverage of reproductive health services such as birth control or abortion, nearly two-thirds (60%) would oppose the plan and nearly half (47%) would oppose it strongly.
Supporting coverage of comprehensive reproductive health services would benefit Members of Congress. A plurality (45%) would feel more favorably toward their Representative if they voted to cover reproductive services, while 24% would feel less favorably, and 32% said it would make no difference.
Voters would feel much less favorably about their Representative if they voted to cover services like Viagra for men, but excluded reproductive services for women. Voters overwhelmingly reported that they would feel less favorably toward their Member of Congress if they voted for reproductive services for men and not for women (71%), while only 9% would feel more favorably toward their Representative.
Voters want an independent commission to make coverage decisions, not politicians. A strong majority of voters (75%) prefer that an independent commission of citizens and medical professionals make decisions about what should be covered under reform rather than the President and Congress (17%). Fully 73% of voters want an independent commission to decide whether abortion should be covered, while just 16% want the President and Congress involved.
Even in the face of opposition arguments, majorities support requiring coverage of abortions under reform. After hearing strong arguments both for and against covering abortion under reform, two-thirds (66%) support coverage, agreeing that health care, not politics, should drive coverage decisions. A majority of voters (72%) reported that they would feel angry if Congress mandated by law that abortion would not be covered under a national health care plan.
Voters want rules to stop insurance companies from discriminating against women. Even in the face of industry claims of too much government interference, 62% agree that reform should establish new rules to treat everyone fairly and stop discrimination, while far fewer (32%) side with opponents’ claims.

Here's a good comment about Joe Wilson, from the Huffington Post:

"Wow- I did not think Joe Wilson could be any more of a tool and then, I read the article that he is currently on government run healthcare, that he loves the program and that he wants to make sure it isn't touched in the reform that he is trying to shutdown. Joe is so clearly out for his own self-interest and touting the party line that it cannot be any more obvious. He is pretty much saying, I deserve better care than everyone else in the country and I would rather block the rest of you from getting great care like I do. The prototypical congressman and the reason this country despises government officials at times with their lies and corrupt nature. He embodies that greedy, egotistical, ignorant, lazy, pathological liar who gets into government for his own selfish gains not caring about the people or a better society in the least. GET OUT OF OFFICE JOE! You slimeball!"

Things are really heating up now! The insurance companies are pulling out all the stops and doing everything they can to scare people about healthcare reform. Their latest target is older people, the insurance comapnies want to convince them that healthcare reform means they lose benefits, the ads are deliberate lies.

It's good news from the House, but it's a tragedy that women were sold out in the adoption of the Stupak Amendment that limits coverage for reproductive rights. We need to work on overturning that ASAP. Still, this is a start.

I was dismayed (but not surprised) at the Republican men in the House shouting the Democrat women down - http://thinkprogress.org/2009/11/10/kilroy-gop-sexist/ - how do Republican women rationalize this? Compete violation of rules, and basic civility. It brings up a lot of memories of boorish, sexist behavior on the part of some men, I hoped it was a thing of the past.

The Senate bill is a huge disappointment, the so-called "public option" is so watered down, and it's not really an option for most people. It would only be available to those who don't have insurance, etc., etc. What a scam!

Yes Terry, there is reason to be optimistic. But I'm seeing a huge push by conservatives and the insurance industry to haul out all the old scare tactics again. So we need to keep up the fight now, don't get complacent.