The Beltway Inside Out — #1 — May 4, 2009
A Campaign Strategy Blog from HCAN's National Campaign Manager, Richard Kirsch
It really is a different world inside the Beltway. Up till four months ago I'd spent my entire organizing career — 33 years — outside of Washington, D.C. I'd always known that the Beltway was a different place, with its own culture, dominated by lobbyists and disconnected from America. On a couple of occasions I'd sat in a strategy meeting with representatives from the Hill and found it an out-of-body experience. I was in a conversation that was talking about America but totally disconnected from America. At least the America I knew — the concerns of people in their daily lives.
The heart and soul of Health Care for America's campaign is based outside the Beltway. We believe that we can never compete with the lobbyists and campaign cash of the other side. We think we'll win by turning the Beltway inside-out, by making Congress listen and respond to the voices of people at home. That's why we based our campaign on the labor, community, online and constituency groups that have the greatest ability to move people at the grassroots and netroots. Why we have 120 organizers in more than 40 states, based in locally-rooted organizations with the demonstrated history and capacity to move people into action on local and statewide politics. Why we are building a coalition that of April 30th hit the 1,000 group member milestone; 848 of our members are state and local organizations and businesses in 46 states.
But make no mistake about it, we need to play inside the Beltway too and play big. We have to understand the conversation in D.C. and respond to it both inside and outside the Beltway. This takes a fully coordinated strategy — and a lot of translation.
Here's an example of how reality looks different based on where you sit. A couple weeks ago NY Senator Charles Schumer was reported by national AP to be promoting a compromise on the public health insurance plan that would allow private insurers to play a big role. Our folks in NY heard that and reacted strongly. They assumed — as I would have too just a few weeks ago — that Schumer was being pressured by the private insurance industry to cave. But the reality is more complicated, a lot more complicated.
Bear with me a little on the details here.
Senator Schumer has been asked by Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus to take the lead on developing the legislative approach on the public insurance option. There's a lot of push back against the option by the insurance industry, hospital lobby and Republicans. Senator Baucus, who supports a public health insurance option, works closely with the ranking Republican on the Committee, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, who is a fervid opponent of the public insurance option. Into this mix comes Len Nichols, from the New America Foundation, who floated a paper on a possible way to structure a public option that Republicans could stomach. Len's focus is on how to create traction inside the Beltway. Meanwhile Senator Schumer, new assignment in hand, is starting to educate himself on the issues and meets with Len. Senate Finance holds a hearing and Senator Schumer asks about this approach.
Now enter our friends in the press. You've got to understand the game they play. They want to fan controversy and they try to be the first to say which way the wind is blowing. So the AP reporter grabs Schumer's question and makes it a big deal in his article and the headline writer blows it up even more.
Understandably the HCAN team in NY read this, took it at face value, and responded rapidly and appropriately (strongly) to what they read.
But the reality is Senator Schumer hadn't decided to push a compromise. He was just starting to meet with experts. He was scheduling meetings with policy heavyweights who are champions of a strong public health insurance option, including Karen Davis of the Commonwealth Fund and Jacob Hacker. And his health care staff person was about to meet with the HCAN coalition to go over our recommendations.
Now I want to make it clear that the push back from folks in New York wasn't harmful. Once we in DC talked with HCAN in New York, we came up with a response that was a little more measured but still let the Senator's staff know how much that headline alarmed people and how much we expected of him. And at the next Senate Finance Committee meeting Senator Schumer went out of his way to defend the public option. And he signed onto the letter circulated by Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown endorsing the public health insurance option. All to the good.
For me this story illustrates the strength of our national campaign. We have groups on the ground that members of Congress care about, that can rapidly mobilize grassroots and grasstops. And we have a Washington team that is working the Congress and press inside the Beltway bubble. We do best when we get the two working together most closely.
In my next The Beltway Inside Out, I'll review with all of you the current state of play in DC on health care and how that shapes our strategy.
Keep on organizing!
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