Protesters Demand Wyden Include A Public Health Care Option

Dozens of protesters chanted outside Sen. Ron Wyden's office (1220 SW 3rd Avenue) this afternoon for 30 minutes to demand the Oregon Democrat consider a public health care option.

Wyden has worked for a long time on a health care system overhaul, as he explained in this WW interview, in hopes of providing individuals with more and cheaper health care options. But he has taken a good deal of heat from the left for not including a public option despite a recent poll showing 72 percent of Americans support a public health care option.

Today's demonstration was the latest example of that heat as about 40 protesters mumbled catchphrases like, "Keep it simple, keep it fair: give us public health care!" Demonstrators cheered when cars honked at the crowd, as the "volunteer host" from Moveon.org - Lisa Caballero -delivered a petition with signatures from 6,300 Oregonians to Wyden's staff.

"Wyden has been involved in health care for a very long time," Caballero said. "He's part of a small group of senators reaching out to Republicans, and they don't support health care reform with a public option."