It's truly now or never! The Democrats are in the midst of a last ditch effort to pull off some sort of victory in the name of health care reform. Two dozen senators have signed on to a push to put the Public Option back onto the table. If it's not done, the hopes of Democrats winning in November will be swept completely away.

Passing a package that doesn't seriously address already wildly unaffordable insurance premiums will not win elections. Big insurance is already celebrating it's expected victory in this battle by raising rates in California by almost 40%.

This hike isn't the exception. It's the new normal. Stories of 30 - 100% hikes are now surfacing all over the country. This is yet another example of allowing the conservative war on industry regulations to set the middle class up to be plundered mercilessly and label it free enterprise.

The insurance industry product has proven to be hopelessly cost prohibitive for millions of Americans and has made much of American business less than competitive in the global market place because every other industrialized nation provides health care through government service rather than burden their industries with this needless expenditure. The only practical alternative is a strong public option that removes the lust for profit from the health care equation for those that choose to participate in such a plan. The conservatives have what they apparently want, which is a private health care insurance industry. Now let the rest of us have what we want, which is an option to not use their industry. It's what we voted for.

For more on health care, see www.flipocrat.com

"Where Is Our Tommy Douglas?" September 7, 2009
"National Healthcare" March 25, 2009