Those participating included a leader from
MobilizeforHealthcare.org, four students from Lieberman's home state of
Connecticut, and an ordained minister/talk radio host.
Kai Newkirk, a national coordinator for the Mobilization for Health Care for All (the group responsible for organizing the action), risked arrest and planned on staying in jail until Lieberman made the pledge.
"People all over are stepping up and are willing to go to jail,à � ? � � said Newkirk. à � ? ��...?I want to let everybody know how critical this is. We can't just laugh it off and say, à � ? �Ë?Oh, that's just the way things are,' when politicians are basically taking these legalized bribes,à � ? � � which are preventing real healthcare reform.
To date, the Mobilization for Health Care for All has engaged in 26 sit-ins in 23 cities and around 150 people have been arrested and more than 200 people have risked arrest.
à � ? ��...?What Mobilization for Health Care for All has done transcends what's been going on in Congress right now,à � ? � � said ordained minister and talk radio host Mark Thompson. à � ? ��...?It's one thing to have a public option. It's one thing to have a debate about single payer. But it's really critical that we hold politicians accountable and we hold private insurance accountable.à � ? � �
For the past month, the Mobilization has taken on insurance companies for putting a stranglehold on American democracy and preventing anything from happening that would change the healthcare system in America. This recent action (and a recent sit-in at Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's office in San Francisco) shows the campaign is beginning to address the other side of the problem.
à � ? ��...?Our political leaders are complicit. They are playing along in this game by which insurance companies are corrupting democracy and preventing any real reform,à � ? � � said Newkirk. à � ? ��...?Joe Lieberman is the poster-child of that corruption.à � ? � �
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