Not an exact likeness of Rep. Jim Matheson

It’s time to let Rep. Jim Matheson know what we think of his votes for the poison-pill Stupak Amendment and against the House health insurance reform bill, the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act. We are paying his South Salt Lake district office a visit on Friday, November 13, at 4:30 pm. See the MoveOn.org website for details.

From MoveOn.org:

The House bill isn’t flawless. It includes a compromise version of the public option and an ugly anti-choice amendment. But it’s a huge step forward: it would expand coverage to 96% of Americans, offer more choice through a national public option, and help end Big Insurance’s stranglehold on our health care system.

And the only way we’ll get anything like it through the Senate is if we all come out right now and demand it.

Less than a month ago, conservatives and Big Insurance were gloating that health care reform with a public option was dead. But millions of us showed up and spoke out, and we proved them wrong.

Congressman Matheson voted with the Republicans, in committee and on the House floor, to kill reform. That is not acceptable. What would be a short, pithy message that can fit on a small protest sign?

UPDATE: The rally was well worth going to, KSL was there, but Matheson’s staff closed the office early and fled (see continuation).

UPDATE: The Salt Lake Tribune has a very good article about the rally.

Richard Lafon, a regional coordinator with the liberal MoveOn.org, said the event was one of 133 taking place across the nation.

“As you all know, the public option has been declared dead so many tmes,” Lafon said. “But here we are again and the public option is still alive.”

When the final legislation does come up, Lafon said he hopes Matheson reconsiders and votes for “real health care reform.”

Supporting the public option outside Rep. Matheson’s office

The rally was loud and enthusiastic, with about 40 people gathered outside the door to Rep. Matheson’s office sharing health care horror stories and demanding that Congress pass the public option (the only element of the health insurance reform bill that offers hope for controlling the cost of insurance). Without the public option, the insurance industry will reap windfall profits as people are required by law to buy their insurance at near-monopoly prices.

KSL covered the rally, dividing the number of people by two and soft-pedaling the fact that Matheson and his staff closed the office early and fled to avoid having to answer questions about his votes.

The host, Richard Lafon, reminded everyone that another recent rally rattled Senator Orrin Hatch. Hatch made national news by reacting testily when MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell asked him what he thought about his constituents protesting in Salt Lake City. “[T]hey’re not gonna smear me without getting kicked in the teeth by me,” Hatch said.

Afew days later, the MoveOn folks returned to Senator Hatch’s office to see if he wanted to make good on his threat…