Obama rallies grassroots support on healthcare

With momentum appearing to grow for a healthcare overhaul, President Obama is calling once again on his grassroots army to push Congress over the finish line this year.

Obama's backers received an email appeal overnight to sign an online declaration of support for his core principles: reduce costs, guarantee choice, and ensure all Americans have quality, affordable healthcare.

Mitch Stewart, director of Organizing for America, noted that on Monday healthcare industry leaders offered to cut costs by $2 trillion over 10 years.

"The health care crisis is not new, but it's getting worse," Stewart wrote the 17 million supporters. "For decades, real health care reform has been blocked by special interest lobbying and political point-scoring. We simply cannot go any further down this dangerous road of delay and denial. But we don't have to.

"The most important reason this round of health care reform will be different is you. Last fall millions of regular people came together and did the impossible. Now, we've got to roll up our sleeves, join hands with those new to our movement, and do it again," he added.

"Congress is already hammering out the details of the health care package, and it could still go any number of ways. Our representatives need to understand that when the President lays out these three bedrock principles, Americans of every stripe are standing with him."

(Via Boston)