Senate health care pledge

Here's a pledge that you all should be asking your Senators to sign:

My Pledge to My Constituents on National Health Insurance

1. I will not vote to expand the bankrupt Medicare program unless and until it is first placed on a sound actuarial basis.

2. I will not vote for any national health insurance legislation that includes a public plan unless I am prepared to enroll myself and my family in the public plan. If a national health insurance bill with a public plan passes the Senate with my vote in support, then I pledge to enroll myself and my family in that public plan.

It's pretty simple: if the public option will truly make quality health care available to the people, the first to be bound by it should be the president and the 535 members of congress.

Yes, the president has already said he would not allow his family to be covered by the plan (in his June 24 ABC infomercial), but this is a chance for Congress to show the principle than he lacks on this issue.

Any public official who would not have the public option cover his family should tell us why, and why our children should not be allowed the same coverage as his children.