Let's state the obvious: Getting to universal, accessible, affordable health care is upsetting a lot of vested interests, including insurers, health care providers and their Republican toadies in the U.S. Senate. But we've seen this movie before.

In 1935, opposition to Roosevelt's Social Security Act was strongest in the business community, and as biographer Jean Edward Smith notes, "In the procedural motions that preceded final passage, House Republicans voted almost unanimously against" the bill. But Roosevelt stood firm, and in doing so, says Smith, he redefined the responsibility of the nation to its citizens.

"If, as our Constitution tells us, our federal government was established among other things ‘to promote the general welfare,'" said FDR, "it is our plain duty to provide for that security upon which welfare depends."

Now, it's Obama's turn to redefine the responsibility of the nation to its people. In doing so, he will define his presidency.

Berkshire Brigades urges him to provide the same leadership and direction on universal health care that Roosevelt provided on Social Security. This opportunity was three generations in the making. Of course, the bar has been lowered. We are no longer talking about true universal health care. Now, it's the "Public Option," a government-run, mini-Medicare that has yet to be fully defined. But, still, under Obama we have a real opportunity to move the ball down the field toward the goal of universal

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health care; let's not blow it on a misguided attempt at bipartisanship.

Indeed, as E. J. Dionne wrote recently in The Washington Post, "Where did we get the idea that the only good health-care bill is a bipartisan bill?" Or, as comedian George Carlin noted, "The word bipartisan usually means some larger-than-usual deception is being carried out."

Accordingly, we urge the president and the Senate Democrats to let the Senate Republicans filibuster the Public Option. In fact, let's show them to the podium.

Let them talk till they drop (in which case they will no doubt avail themselves the platinum-plated health care program available exclusively to members of Congress). Let them explain to the American people how the Public Option, which would give Americans an alternative to employer-provided health insurance if they currently have a job -- or a safety net if they don't -- actually limits their health care choices.

Let them explain how Republicans -- who (1) see competition as the foundation of American prosperity and (2) constantly complain that government can't do anything well -- now fear competition from the Public Option.

Clearly, cost is an issue, and congressional Republicans cheerily glommed onto a report from the Congressional Budget Office that put a huge price tag on health care. Of course, the fact that neither of the plans the CBO studied contained a Public Option eluded TV news anchors, who simplemindedly portrayed the report as devastating for us Public Option advocates.

That report further rattled conservative Blue Dog Democratic senators. Incredibly, they are balking at the Public Option even though, as The New York Times' Paul Krugman notes, most of them come from small states, where just one or two private insurers dominate the market. Although these opponents of the Public Option say they're defending market competition, Krugman points out that, "what they're actually doing is defending lucrative local monopolies."

So where does this leave us? Nate Silver of the blog fivethirtyeight.com has studied the matter statistically, and he sets out three things we absolutely need to make the Public Option happen:

1. A good CBO score for the House Public Option bill

2. Successful intervention on behalf of the Public Option by Obama

3. The willingness and/or ability to proceed in a 50-vote environment, a.k.a. reconciliation. In other words, to heck with bipartisanship.

No. 1 is beyond our control, but a day after Obama stood up for the Public Option, he seemed to signal that he valued a bipartisan bill even more.

"My big fear about Obama," says Krugman, is that "his vision of himself as a politician who transcends the old partisan divisions will lead him to negotiate with himself and give away far too much."

He did it with the stimulus, and now he's headed down that same path with health care. If you want the Public Option -- and it's really our only hope for controlling health care costs and expanding coverage -- then help us stiffen Obama's spine. Call the White House today: 202-456-1111.

Lee Harrison is chairman of the Berkshire Brigades, the county-wide Democratic
organization.