Email form MoveOn.org

I got this email from MoveOn.Org - an outfit I 'joined' to keep an eye on the bad guys:

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Right-wing health care lies are making their way into mainstream news coverage. We need to set the record straight. Can you write a letter to the editor of The Rockford Register Star about the need for health care reform with a real public option, now? Click Here

Dear MoveOn member,

Right-wing mobs aren't just disrupting congressional town halls—their outlandish lies are now making their way into mainstream news coverage, too.

We need to set the record straight. The majority of Americans support real health care reform. And no wonder, given the incredible cost of inaction.

In Wisconsin alone, 230 people lose their coverage every day. And for those with insurance, yearly premiums will hit $22,986 in a few years if we don't act.

We can't let right-wing extremists ruin the biggest opportunity in a generation to get real reform. Can you send a quick letter to the editor of The Rockford Register Star—or another local paper—about the urgent need in Wisconsin for Congress to pass health care reform with a real public option?

Click here:

http://pol.moveon.org/lte?campaign_id=116&id=16803-10080683-D0Zaw8x&t=3

Our tool makes writing a letter really simple. You can send the letter right from our website—it only takes a few minutes.

If you've never written a letter to the editor before, now is the time to send your first. The letters page is one of the most widely read—and most important—in local newspapers. Members of Congress and their staffs read it to understand how their constituents are feeling. And since members are all home in the district this month—and paying close attention to the health care debate in particular—your letter will make an even bigger impact.

Here are some talking points specific to Wisconsin you can use in your letter:

• We can't afford to wait for reform: Each day, 230 people in Wisconsin lose their health care coverage. And without reform, those who still have insurance will see their yearly premiums go up by $9,515 in the next decade—to a staggering $22,986.


• Reform with a real public option is key to expanding coverage: Under current legislation, which includes a strong public health insurance option, 375,000 people in Wisconsin—and 37 million Americans nationwide¹—will gain coverage by 2019.


• A real public health insurance option is crucial to lowering costs: With premiums projected to hit $22,986, we need to get costs down. By spurring competition, a public plan will help bring down out-of-control costs² for individuals, families, and small businesses.

Can you send a letter to the editor of The Rockford Register Star, or another local newspaper, as part of our "Real Voices for Change" campaign? Just click here to get started:

http://pol.moveon.org/lte?campaign_id=116&id=16803-10080683-D0Zaw8x&t=4

Thanks for all you do.

–Nita, Kat, Eli, Wes, and the rest of the team

Sources:

All state-specific figures: "Why We Need Health Reform," Center for American Progress, July 31, 2009.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51750&id=16803-10080683-D0Zaw8x&t=5

1. "Coverage for America: We All Stand to Gain," Families USA, July 2009.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51751&id=16803-10080683-D0Zaw8x&t=6

2. "Why We Need a Public Health-Care Plan," The Wall Street Journal, June 24, 2009.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51737&id=16803-10080683-D0Zaw8x&t=7

Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

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PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to Charles Kuecker on August 13, 2009. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.
Here's my 'letter' to the Rockford Register Star:

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MoveOn.org asked me to write you about the proposed health care bill, so here are my comments:

I think that the important thing to remember about anything the government gets involved in is exactly how efficient and sensible they are at what they have already put into action.

As President Obama says - just look at the US Post Office - and think how great the same management would make our health care!

We sure as heck can wait for everyone to completely understand this monstrous bill, and all that goes into it before we allow our representatives and senators to vote 'yea'. Any congress member who votes on a bill of this magnitude without personally reading and fully understanding it is a traitor, and deserves what traitors deserve.

Mr. Obama has already established quite a track record for outright lies and distortions about his pet legislation. How can we expect anything different in this bill?

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I wonder if they will even see the text of that - I need to watch that paper...

After hitting 'send', this came up:

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Thanks for taking the time to act. Your letter has been sent!

Also, in about a week, you'll receive a followup email, checking in to see if your letter was published.

As you can imagine, most papers receive plenty of letters and can only publish a few. However, even those that don't get printed are very important -- they make it clear what issues and positions are on people's minds, and in turn influence what letters are selected.

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Feel free to emulate me.