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The meeting was pretty raucous.  Max came on to urge party unity, but county chairs, like myself, demanded substance for our support.  Time and time again we reminded the Senator that basically "when in the course of human events it becomes necessary for people to reform health care bonds,"  principle and people must take precedence over process and politics.  While Max emphasized Medicare costs or doctors' costs that must be reined in, most chairs pointed to insurance company overhead as the culprit.While Max emphasized the needed 60 votes that had to include Republicans, we asked him to abandon that idea.

After the call, it became clear to many Central Committees that in order to fulfill our obligations to our precinct members and for the greater good of all the people in our counties, we must unify for real health care reform and hold our Senator accountable.  A coalition was formed and a press release went out today.

An Alliance of Montana County Democratic Central Committees

August 23, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


FOLLOWING RANCOR AMONG THE RANKS,
BAUCUS ASSURES MONTANA CONSTITUENTS:
"I WANT A PUBLIC OPTION TOO"


U.S. Senator Max Baucus has finally broken his silence regarding his personal position
on including a public option in health care reform legislation. Last Monday night (8/17),
in an unprecedented conference call to Montana Democratic central committee chairs,
the powerful leader of the Senate Finance Committee told his strongest supporters that
he supported a public option. While discussing the obstacles to getting a public option
through the Senate, he assured his forty listeners, "I want a public option too!" The
conference call was groundbreaking in that none of the recipients could ever remember
this kind of call ever happening before. The teleconference was set up seemingly in
reaction to rising discontent among the local Democratic leaders with the Senator's
failure to take a clear position on the issue.
The discussion, which became contentious and rancorous at times, also touched upon
the wisdom of creating insurance cooperatives as an alternative to a public option.

When several of the county chairs objected, commenting that they did not trust the
health insurance companies to police themselves and limit their outrageous corporate
profits, Baucus commented, "Neither do I."

In the aftermath of the teleconference, a coalition of eighteen Montana counties in the
Senator's home state decided to move forward with their plan to issue a Unified
Statement accompanied by a joint press release. The statement sends a loud and clear
message to their Senator: Any health care reform package coming out of his Senate
Finance Committee must contain, at a minimum, a provision for a strong public option.
The action is a show of unity not previously seen in Montana political history. The
statement asserts, "Here in Montana, the need for real health care reform could not be
greater. Families, small business, and small ranches and farms are suffering and
being crushed by the rising cost of health care. Thousands of Montanans are
uninsured, and many more are losing their homes, businesses and ranches due to
exorbitant medical bills."

Calling themselves the Coalition of the United Montana Democratic Central
Committees, the group's statement announces it has "established a position in support
of a strong public option as an essential element in health care reform." In specifying the
necessary components needed for such a public option, they list:

• National Coverage
• Availability to all Americans
• Portability, which includes maintaining coverage even if one loses his or her job
• No exclusions for preexisting conditions, denial of coverage if one gets ill, or
develops catastrophic costs
• Publicly run and administered with full transparency and accountability to
congress
• No triggers
Christina Quijano, a Billings physician, is Chair of the Carbon County Democratic
Central Committee. Carbon County is located in south-central Montana not far from
Yellowstone National Park. Speaking for the Coalition, she pointed out, "For this
number of counties from all across Montana to join together sends a strong signal to our
representatives in Washington that their constituents here in Big Sky Country are unified
and stand firm in their insistence that a public option be included in any health care
reform bill." Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont) has said he would not vote against a public
option, while Montana’s sole US representative, Denny Rehberg (R-Mont) remains
opposed to such a measure. Max Baucus, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, has
emerged as a key player in the ongoing health care reform deliberations and, until now,
has remained quiet about his personal view. In the final portion of the Coalition's
Unified Statement, Quijano emphasizes Senator Baucus’ significant role in this piece of
legislation: "We are counting on Senator Baucus to use his influence and leadership to
create the most meaningful legacy of our times, real health care reform. 'Max,
Montana's Senator', please don't let Montana down!"

Among the other counties in the Coalition is Missoula County, where Baucus got his
start in politics as a State Representative. Also joining Carbon and Missoula Counties in
adopting the Unified Statement are Beaverhead County, Dawson County, Fergus
County, Golden Valley County, Hill County, Jefferson County, Lake County, Madison
County, Meagher County, Ravalli County, Richland County, Roosevelt County,
Rosebud County, Sheridan County, Sweet Grass County, and Teton County.

_____________________

The unity action coming from the actual grass roots instead of the state party bosses has not been seen in anyone's recent memory. Party politics was centered around county central committees serving as foot soldiers for whoever was running for public office.  They were doorknockers and phone callers.  They gave spaghetti dinners and bingo nights.  They went to conventions and wore funny hats.  But a realsay in what being a Democrat in Montana meant and what policies would be advanced was crafted from above.

But something started to stir after 2000 in the hearts of many democrats herein Montana.   In 2004 they joined the campaigns of Dean, Kucinich, and Edwards who all seemed to be in rebellion to the status quo.    After electing Brian Schweitzer  who ran on a populist message many newcomers stayed and joined the old Democratic central committees.  My county never had a central committee so we formed one.  Two years later we elected Jon Tester.   Two years after that we did pretty darn well for Barack Obama.

This year all this new energy plus some of the old fighting populist spirit of the People's Party of over a hundred years ago began to coalesce around the civil rights issue of health care.  And it seems that Max was unprepared for the rebellion that occurred in the central committees.  Hence, the conference call.

The "Unified Statement of the Coalition of United Montana Democratic Central Committees on Health Care Reform" follows here:

An Alliance of Montana County Democratic Central Committees
UNIFIED STATEMENT
OF THE
COALITION OF UNITED MONTANA DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEES
ON
HEALTH CARE REFORM
Across this vast and diverse country, Americans agree that we are in a severe health care
crisis. Our nation’s economy, security, stability, sustainability, and ability to lead into the
future are undeniably dependent on fixing our inefficient and high priced health care
system.
For the first time in the sixty year history of this dysfunctional system, we have the
potential to move forward with meaningful reform. The need for real health care reform
could not be more urgent. We cannot afford to wait.
Here in Montana, the need for real health care reform could not be greater. Families,
small business, and small ranches and farms are suffering and being crushed by the rising
cost of health care. Thousands of Montanans are uninsured, and many more are losing their
homes, business and ranches due to exorbitant medical bills.
Montanans from all walks of life, and all corners of this great state are making their
voices heard. What is being shouted loud and clear is that Montanans NEED health care
reform and they need it NOW.
We, as officers of Montana's Democratic Central Committees have heard the cries and
pleas of constituents in our counties. We have listened to the nightmares and horror
stories. In doing so we have been moved to passionately take on this crucial cause. Over
the past few months many of the central committees have discussed and researched this
issue. Many central committees have established unanimous resolutions, or positions on
health care reform. Countless central committees and individuals have written letters and
made phone calls to our representatives, particularly our senior senator, Max Baucus, who
holds a key position as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.
In order to collectively express our strong desire and demand for real heath care reform,
we have formed the Coalition of United Montana Democratic Central Committees. Our
goal is to use one clear voice, that hopefully will ring louder than the special interests, to let
our representatives know what we expect and demand from them.

We the Coalition of the United Montana Democratic Central Committees have
established a position in support of a strong public option as part of any health care
reform. The broader goal of a strong public option is to provide a high•quality, affordable
insurance option to all Americans, and provide a means of cost containment. Although
many central committees initially preferred a single payer plan, we all concluded that a
strong public option was a feasible compromise that could meet these goals and provide
Americans with a choice. In order to achieve these goals, a strong public option must
contain the following core concepts:
• National Coverage
• Available to all Americans
• Portability, which includes maintaining coverage even if one loses his or her job
• No exclusions for preexisting conditions, denial of coverage if one gets ill, or
develops catastrophic costs
• Publicly run and administered with full transparency and accountability to congress
• Emphasis on prevention, and primary care, and a reduction in administrative costs
• No triggers
By unifying our position, and our voices we hope to let the public, the media, and our
representatives know where we solidly stand on this critical issue. We would like to
encourage Senator Tester, and Representative Rehberg to support a strong public option,
and private insurance reform, and to assure them that our Coalition is firmly behind them.
While we await the Senate Finance Committee’s bill, we urge Senator Baucus to listen to his
constituents, and the unified voice of his central committees, and support a strong public
option, and private insurance reform. Senator Baucus has done so many great things for the
State of Montana. We are counting on him to use his influence and leadership to create the
most meaningful legacy of our times, real heath care reform. “Max, Montana’s Senator”,
please don’t let Montana down!