Latest polls show that 62% still favor a public healthcare option, meaning Congresspeople can insist that they must vote according to the will of the people rather than those whose threats, violence and attempts to disrupt debate have forced cancellation of public meetings.

FWIW I met with a very senior African-American healthcare executive back when Clinton and Obama were still fighting for the nomination. We had a frank discussion about a number of topics, including his belief that America is not ready politically or economically for a number of things, including healthcare reform, until disaster is staring people in the face. Looks like he may have been right. FWIW, the same polls mentioned above show 61% believe that the rich should be taxed to pay for reform. Bearing in mind that many here would be regarded as rich, IMHO it is worth considering how such a large percentage would have this preference and whether this is the sort of issue that can mobilize the "many" who are expected to be politically disinterested.

This is a free republic (or is SUPPOSED TO BE ONE)....a majority doesn't have the "right" to take away individual (which includes ECONOMIC) rights. This is an irreducible primary in a free society.

As for whom you met - it is largely government involvement (along with a disgraceful history of litigation) that has led to the current health care situation. The type of "elitist-style" politics that we saw with Clinton and Gore was simply a more clever style of "culture of envy" that we saw with McGovern in 1972, with the belief that the "rich" are fair-game to bail out failed government practices.