Nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers spend their days providing life-saving medical care. But, as they are busy working with patients at hospitals across the nation, the fight over health insurance reform rages on, often without them.

The voices of these legions of healthcare workers must brought back into the reform debate. That is one of the main goals of the Partnership for Quality Care, which includes 1.1 million SEIU healthcare workers and the nation's leading healthcare providers. In order to advance that goal, PQC launched the "Every Patient Matters" Campaign, which culminated today with a rally on Capitol Hill.

"Every day, healthcare workers see how a broken system makes it harder for them to deliver quality care," PQC Chairman Dennis Rivera said during this afternoon's rally. "We can't afford to wait to fix our healthcare."

In August, healthcare workers around the country were asked to sign surgical scrubs with their healthcare story and their call for reform. Today, hundreds of these scrubs were brought back to Washington, DC and displayed in front of the Capitol during a rally featuring Sen. Harry Reid and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. After the rally, these scrubs were delivered to members of Congress, urging them to listen to the voices of those working on the front lines of healthcare in America.

"Every Patient Matters is more than a slogan. It is a mission that brings us to work every day," SEIU Executive Vice President Mary Kay Henry said during the rally.

Other SEIU leaders also spoke urgently about the need for healthcare reform. Dr. Toni Lewis, President of the Committee of Interns and Residents, reaffirmed that doctors are just as committed to reform as the nurses, who have been at the forefront of the scrubs project. Additionally, Nurse Alliance President Diane Palmer underlined the SEIU nurses' belief that healthcare is a basic right, one which is not being met in America today.

During one of the most moving moments of the rally, 30-year nursing veteran Donnetta Miller from SEIU Nevada presented a signed scrub to Sen. Reid. During his statement, prior to the scrub presentation, Reid noted that, just like the President, he too has a deep admiration and respect for nurses.

"I admire and respect the healthcare delivery workers, especially the nurses," he said.

To further show their support for healthcare reform, a number of SEIU members attended the event, traveling from near and far. Debbie Wilkes, a member of Local 1199 from Maryland, came to the rally because she works in a newborn intensive care unit. She wanted to make sure that Congress heard her message: the children she works with not only need healthcare reform today to help them get better, they need it for the rest of their lives to make sure they stay healthy.

Denice Bischofberger, who came from 1199 NW in Seattle, also wanted to share her message with Congress: "Don't let us down."

To see more photos, check out our gallery from the event!

As the health care reform debate heats up, doctors are joining the fight on behalf of their patients. Monday, doctors' groups representing more than 500,000 physicians nationwide, including the SEIU Healthcare's Committee of Interns and Residents, Doctors Council and National Doctors Alliance, convened in Washington, DC to announce their new ad campaign.

In an unprecedented joint endeavor, representatives from a variety of prominent doctors' groups came together to create an ad that will run in the print and online editions of Roll Call this week. This ad is just another way in which SEIU doctors have voiced their strong support for health care reform.

"Doctors have a real stake in this effort," said Dr. L. Toni Lewis, President of the Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU Healthcare. "We have put off reform in the past, only to see even more patients unable to afford the care we prescribe, even more of our judgments overruled by insurance companies, and even fewer investments in primary care, prevention, health IT, and developing the physician workforce of tomorrow. Now is the time for dramatic change to improve the welfare of our communities and the financial health of our hospitals."

In addition to the SEIU groups mentioned above, the ad also features endorsements by the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Physicians, the American College of Surgeons, the American Medical Association, the American Medical Student Association, the American Osteopathic Association, Doctors for America, the National Medical Association and the National Physicians Alliance.

Throughout the August recess, thousands of nurses, doctors and healthcare workers across America signed medical scrubs in support of healthcare reform. Over 10,000 scrubs emblazoned with the message "Every Patient Matters" carry personal stories like this one from Jennifer Solovay, an ICU nurse from Northridge, California:

"I know of patients playing 'doctor' meaning, they would literally cut their blood pressure pills in half to stretch the medications simply because they cannot afford it. It's the choice of putting food on the table or buying expensive medicine."

On Wednesday, September 23, nurses, doctors, and SEIU healthcare workers will join Dennis Rivera, Dr. Toni Lewis and activists in a rally on Capitol Hill to deliver the hand-signed scrubs to members of Congress.

You can RSVP to this event, in Washington DC, by clicking here.

With Labor Day just around the corner and only six days left of Congressional recess, Locals across the country are gearing up for a busy weekend. But, amidst the upcoming celebrations, SEIU members are still working hard for health care reform.

OHIO: SEIU nurse Barb Montgomery joined the Organizing for America Health Insurance Reform Now bus tour during its stop in Columbus, OH on Monday, where over 2,000 activists rallied and paid tribute to Senator Kennedy's legacy on health care reform. At the event, Montgomery shared both her own story and that of family members and friends, further illustrating why Americans need health insurance reform.

RHODE ISLAND: Rep. Jim Langevin joined doctors, nurses and health care workers at Rhode Island's Women and Infants Hospital (the only maternity hospital in the state!) as they signed scrubs with their message to Congress: we need health insurance for all Americans. The event was covered on a variety of blogs, including a great post on Rhode Island's Future.

MAINE: At an an event organized by SEIU Maine Change that Works, AFSCME, the Maine People's Alliance and Organizing for America, a passionate group of healthcare activists delivered more than 35,000 letters, postcards, emails, and online petitions from all over the state to urge Senator Olympia Snowe to stand up for quality, affordable healthcare for every man, woman and child. Senator Snowe was not the only one who heard our message--the front page of the Bangor Daily News the next day featured a front page story with pictures of our activists and the headline "Health care reform fans blitz Snowe with 35,000 messages." Read more.

FLORIDA: More than 1,200 people from across Florida gathered on Saturday to help jump-start the reform debate. "There's a Washington debate, but now people in Orlando can get involved," said SEIU Healthcare Florida president Monica Russo. Community members, people of faith, retirees, union members and healthcare workers arrived in buses and cars from Tallahassee, Tampa Bay, Miami, Broward County, Jacksonville and Palm Beach to pack a gym in downtown Orlando sending a message to Congress: healthcare reform can't wait! Central Florida's 7th, 8th, 24th congressional districts together have 403,000 people without health insurance. Watch video.

CALIFORNIA: In Los Angeles, SEIU United Long-Term Care Workers (ULTCW) has scheduled a free screening of Michael Moore's movie Sicko, followed by a panel discussion with health care professionals and special guests. After the event, attendees will also be able to engage in a variety of actions, like calling elected officials and taping their own personal health care story, in support of health care reform. More details here.

On a related note....don't forget to vote for your favorite video of Congress members at town hall meetings debunking the lies and refocusing discussions about healthcare reform. Vote here.

Doctors, nurses and other health care workers provide comfort and care to some of the sickest Americans, rarely able to leave their posts for any period of time because lives are at stake. As a result, their voices have been largely absent from the debate around health care reform.

But, through the Scrubs campaign "Every Patient Matters," healthcare workers around the country have been able to send their message to Congress. Check out this video from Prince George's Hospital Center in MD to see what they said:

This Wednesday, about 50 Mainers gathered outside of Senator Snowe's Bangor office to deliver the message: Maine can no longer wait for heath insurance reform. With them, our activists brought over 35,000 letters, postcards, emails, and online petitions from all over the state, urging Senator Snowe to pass health insurance legislation as soon as possible. By delivering these letters, our supporters and activists are sharing what many Mainers already know: delaying health insurance reform means higher costs and less coverage for our families. The crushing cost of our current health insurance system makes it impossible to strengthen our economy. With families and small businesses struggling to make ends meet because of the enormous burden of medical bills, we cannot afford to wait another day for the reform that we need.

Across the country, nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers providers are partnering with their hospitals and healthcare facilities to sign surgical scrubs with stories and messages about our broken healthcare system--and why healthcare reform is needed.

Since the national launch of "Every Patient Matters" campaign with the Partnership for Quality Care the second week of August, numerous SEIU Locals with members working in health care facilities have already held scrub-signing actions at health care facilities their members work at.

When lawmakers return to Washington in September, nurses, doctors, and other caregivers will deliver tens of thousands of these signed scrubs to the Capitol to ensure the voices of front-line caregivers and the stories of their patients are heard in the debate over healthcare reform.

Looking to get involved in the Every Patient Matters campaign? Let us know.

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The Partnership for Quality Care (PQC) is a national labor-management coalition committed to ensuring quality, affordable healthcare for everyone in America. It includes public, private, religious, teaching and nonprofit hospitals nationwide and integrated health systems; and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Our members care for more than 60 million patients annually.

Over the past month, members of Congress have returned home to hear the voices of their constituents through town hall meetings. They've listened to patients' stories, which illustrated so clearly why America can't wait for health care reform. But they've also heard from people who've twisted the facts and distorted the truth.

Every nurse, doctor and healthcare worker has a story: Now, they need to hear healthcare stories from front-line caregivers and other healthcare workers about their patients, their families and even themselves.

SEIU, as part of the Partnership for Quality Care, is sending surgical scrubs to nurses and health care workers across the country. We're asking them to write their stories on the scrubs and send them to Washington. At the end of the month, we're going to welcome Congress back to Capitol Hill by delivering the stories that have been written on scrubs to their offices.

Sign up now to receive your scrubs: http://action.seiu.org/page/s/scrub

The scrubs we've already collected, like one from a nurse in Nevada, show the clear need for health care reform. She wrote that after being diagnosed with severe kidney disease, she was almost driven into bankruptcy by the cost of her treatment. Though she has insurance now as an SEIU member, she is still trying to pay her previous medical bills. Others wrote about their patients who delayed care until it was too late, or were unable to receive any care at all because of their insurance situation.

Join thousands of nurses and health care workers and share your stories today: http://action.seiu.org/page/s/scrub

Americans--health care workers in particular--know that there is too much at stake to put reform off. That know that being forced to choose between filling your prescriptions and filling your refrigerator isn't a choice anyone should have to make. Make sure that your member of Congress knows that as well.

Front-line caregivers see the results of our broken healthcare system everyday. They see too many patients lose coverage because they lost their job. They see patients who bought insurance on their own for years suddenly unable to afford it. They see sicker patients and more crowded ERs.

That's why nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers across the country have launched the Every Patient Matters campaign with the Partnership for Quality Care to ensure the voices of frontline caregivers and the stories of their patients are heard in the debate over healthcare reform.

Providers are partnering with their hospitals and healthcare facilities to sign surgical scrubs with stories and messages about our broken healthcare system and why healthcare reform is needed.

Here's one message from SEIU District 1199 New England member Wendy Laprade, a nurse at Woman and Infants Hospital in Providence, RI.

"Woman and Infants is where almost all Rhode Islanders enter the world and we see firsthand the impact that SCHIP and RIte Care has made in getting prenatal care for woman and newborns here in our state. Good preventative and primary care saves money for the system and results in better quality of life for the patient. We need to extend this to ALL of our people. That is what this debate is about."

Rep. James Langevin will join members at a scrub signing event in Rhode Island in early September.

And in Nevada, SEIU Local 1107 members launched their campaign this week at Catholic Healthcare West St. Rose Hospitals. Already, they've signed nearly 200 scrubs with story after story illustrating why healthcare reform is critical to improving patient care.

When lawmakers return to Washington next month, nurses, doctors, and other caregivers will deliver tens of thousands of these signed scrubs to the Capitol with one simple message: Every Patient Matters. Pass Healthcare Reform Now.

The video above is an example of good work by the White House to rebut smears that the right-wing has used to create a sense of fear in their base supporters. Linda Douglass, who leads White House communications on healthcare, responds to the false accusations that President Obama is seeking to abolish private health insurance and is pushing for legislation that would prevent individuals from choosing their own doctors. Obviously both are false--and Douglass does a great job of going point-by-point to defend Obama.

What's even more effective is that the video features cuts of President Obama himself stating clearly what he thinks reform should and should not do. For example, the President has consistently said that if you like your insurance plan, your doctor (or both), you will be able to keep them--and he's even proposed eight consumer protections relating specifically to the health insurance industry.

Not surprisingly, the right-wing doesn't have a leg to stand on when they are left dealing with facts and not fear tactics.

Video crops out truth of Obama's comments on healthcare

As chronicled by Media Matters, some of the fabrications on Obama's health care reform plan are so blatant they make you want to jump up and yell "Liar, liar, pants on fire!" at the talking heads, politicians and corporate lobbyists. For example: On August 2rd, a YouTube video surfaced of from an SEIU/CAP event in 2007 featuring Obama discussing health care--specifically, the then-Senator was discussing how health insurance could transition away from a system of primarily "employer coverage."

Cut to Drudge Report and Fox News declaring, "Uncovered Video: Obama Explains How His Health Care Plan Will 'Eliminate' Private Insurance" and "2007 Video! Did Obama Say He Wants to Kill Private Insurance?," respectively. Funny, we were at that event in 2007, and that's not quite how we remember it.

Here's Media Matters for the fact check:

Contrary to cropped video, Obama did not suggest "employer coverage" would be "eliminate[d]" in 10 to 20 years. Nor did he suggest it would be eliminated by his plan. What Obama actually said [YouTube video cropped the comments in italics]: "But I don't think we're going to be able to eliminate employer coverage immediately. There's going to be potentially some transition process. I can envision a decade out or 15 years out or 20 years out where we've got a much more portable system.

Obama stated during forum that under his plan, employers "still have the option of providing coverage." Following the remarks included in the YouTube video, Obama stated that under that "much more portable system": Employers still have the option of providing coverage, but many people may find that they get better coverage, or at least coverage that gives them more for health care dollars than they spend outside of their employer. And I think we've got to facilitate that and let individuals make that choice to transition out of employer coverage."

Later in forum, Obama stated that under his plan, pooling options would exist "in addition to the employer based system." Obama stated: "[O]ne thing that I think is important is to recognize that there are a lot of small employers who would like to get health care for their workers but they themselves can't afford it because they don't have access to large enough pools to allow them to save money. That's why I think it's going to be important for us in whatever system that we set up to make sure that in addition to the employer based system that we've got an alternative system that individuals who aren't getting it through the job can access."

This is the most important time in the movement to fix health care; we need to continue shining a light on the distortions and biased stats. When all else fails (i.e. the facts), the right-wing always resorts to what it knows best. Could it be because they're hoping you'll be so scared, you won't ask for any?

In the movement to fix health care, we've just entered into a new phase. Health care legislation passed huge hurdles in the House and Senate last week, and experts predict a full vote within weeks. The New York Times declared, "this is a bill worth fighting for," but threats to this legislation appear to be growing with each day.

Because of this, Dr. Howard Dean has issued an emergency conference call on Wednesday, July 22 at 6:30 p.m. ET with nurses and doctors to discuss elements of the House and Senate bills, and how they will impact health care professionals. Most importantly, Dr. Dean wants to talk directly to nurses and doctors about the role they must play during this critical moment.

Are you a nurse or doctor? If so..... Click here to join the call.

In the fight to fix health care, Dr. Howard Dean is a stand-alone figure. A doctor, governor, and currently, a vocal advocate for a public health insurance option--Dr. Dean has brought fresh ideas and leadership to the often stale air of Washington, D.C. For the past year, he's been rallying Americans to band together to fix health care - and now he wants to talk to you.

President Obama recently said, "few understand why we have to pass reform as intimately as our nation's nurses." It's true. We see the emergency room care, the short-staffing of nurses and aides, the burdensome amount of paperwork, and the denial of coverage by insurance companies. We're the eye witnesses to the best and worst of our health care system - and now it's our job to speak up.

With nurses and doctors working together, there's no limit to what we can do. RSVP for this week's call with Dr. Dean: http://action.seiu.org/drdean

A new blog, www.examinebarnabas.org, was launched last week to help the Bronx community get the full story about St. Barnabas Hospital, a 461-bed acute care hospital and Level I Trauma Center that thousands of patients depend on for critical care.

Given St. Barnabas's declining revenue, the resident physicians at the hospital are concerned certain members of the staff are being paid excessively high salaries--for example, the top 5 executives at St. Barnabas Hospital received aggregate pay increases of 35% between 2002 and 2007. So if St. Barnabas executives got raises, it must mean they deserved it because they improved the hospital's financial performance, right? Not quite.

A quick look at the hospital's financial statements over the past four years suggests that financial performance is getting worse, not better. In 2008 alone, St. Barnabas posted a loss of $10 million on hospital operations and additional $30 million loss on investments.

Between 2005 and 2007, St. Barnabas ex-CEO Ronald Gade's post-retirement yearly salary of $1.2 million per year would have made him one of the highest-paid hospital employees in New York City. Yet this was the salary Gade received when he was no longer even employed with the hospital--rather, this was the yearly payment he received as a consultant in 2005, 2006, and 2007.

So who pays the price for executive raises? While St. Barnabas executives have been receiving increases, they have used the hospital's declining financial performance as a reason to cut back on benefits and health coverage offered to hard-working health care professionals at St. Barnabas. (Here are copies of memos to employees announcing benefits cuts.)

In a letter sent last week to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, CIR President Dr. Nailah Thompson asked for an investigation of executive pay at the struggling Bronx hospital. Hospitals like St. Barnabas are essential to the health of the communities they serve--and the hospital's revenue is largely thanks to the public, as this is the type of funding most of the hospital's revenue is derived from. The question is, how much of American taxpayers' dollars are executives keeping for themselves? "With so much of our economy in flux, now more than ever, the people of New York need to be reassured that the institutions we rely on are worthy of the trust that we put into them," said Dr. L. Toni Lewis, president of the Committee of Interns and Residents.

"Examining St. Barnabas" will provide information and commentary about the hospital's fiscal health, executive salaries and patient satisfaction. The blog will also follow the hospital's efforts to expand to new areas of the Bronx, as well as seek input from site visitors. What do you think about millionaire "non-profit" CEOs in the Bronx? Visit www.examinebarnabas.org and share your thoughts.

On Wednesday as Senator Jeff Bingaman joined his colleagues on the Senate HELP Committee to vote for sending a comprehensive health care bill to the Senate Floor, he was joined by dozens of New Mexico doctors, nurses, and health care providers assembled to show support for a robust public health insurance option in 2009. Seventy-two percent of Americans say they want a public option that competes with private insurance companies and keeps them honest--and that number includes 50 percent of registered Republicans.

"One thing we've learned from our patients is that they don't want the government doing everything when it comes to health care," said Dr. John Winters, an Internal Medicine physician and CIR member. "But they do think government should advocate for them, and that it should set and enforce the rules so that private insurance companies can't put profits before our health."

Senator passes check-up with flying colors! Outside of his Albuquerque district office, the doctors and activists presented the Senator with a "Health Care Reform Check-up," an examination of Sen. Bingaman's progress to date. Based on the positions the Senator has taken in the Senate, the healthcare providers awarded him with a 'clean bill of health.'

"In New Mexico, two insurance companies hold 54% of the market," said Dr. Shadi Battah, an Internal Medicine physician and CIR member. "So it's no wonder that premiums have skyrocketed 92% over the past 7 years. No one's holding their feet to the fire. I want my patients to have a choice between public and private - and I'm glad to see Sen. Bingaman wants to give us the choice as well!"

We hear everyday from folks who want healthcare reform and those who don't. We hear facts, figures and we hear information that can't be backed up by facts and figures.

While at the Mission of Mercy dental clinic in Nebraska this weekend, I asked two doctors--one a Republican and one a Democrat--if we needed reform and when we needed it.

Check out the video above to see what comes straight from the doctors' mouth

We do not need any more studies. We do not need to wait and see if things get better.

The words "slow down" or "need more studies" were not words out of these Doctors' mouths and they were not words out of the hundreds of Nebraskans who were there to get the care they need.

Join us on our weekend canvass or at our next community forum and help us make sure all of our Members of Congress hear us, and the medical experts, voices loud and clear.

We can't wait for reform!

In his 50 minute address to the American Medical Association today at the group's annual convention in Chicago, President Obama reiterated his strong support for a truly national public health insurance plan, calling the current state of the nation's health care system a "ticking time bomb." Obama declared health care reform an urgent priority, saying "If we fail to act, premiums will climb higher, benefits will erode further, and the rolls of uninsured will swell to include millions more Americans."

As President Obama made his case for a health care system overhaul, he touched on several ways to cut costs we had yet to hear him address within a single public speech: he promoted preventative care instead of disease management and advocated for health IT (specifically, switching from paper to electronic health records). He urged examining inefficiencies in the Medicare program and introducing competitive bidding into the Medicare Advantage program, as well as exchanging doctors' current fee-for-service based pay system for a more outcomes-based system.

Prior to President Obama's AMA address today, doctors and physicians-in-training put out a statement in support of the creation of a public health insurance option signed by eight organizations: CIR/SEIU Healthcare, the Doctors Council, AAFP, AMSA, Doctors for America, NPA and SNMA. The groups--whose members combined represent 215,000 physicians and physicians-in-training--also hosted a conference call with key reporters to express their support for President Obama's goals for healthcare reform. "We believe we need a truly robust, quality public health insurance option," said Dr. L. Toni Lewis, President of CIR/SEIU Healthcare (CIR). "Quality is something I really want to stress here, meaning: our patients would have a public option that provides them with the care they need."

"The thousands of devastating stories of Americans unable to get care can make it feel impossible to practice medicine some days," says NPA President Dr. Valerie Arkoosh. "But these stories also serve to remind us every day of our ethical duties to put our patients' care ahead of insurance companies. Competition provides us with choice and makes our market better--and a strong, national health insurance option would do the same."

"I need your help, doctors"
President Obama told attendees of the AMA conference today that no reform effort could be successful without the buy-in of the nation's doctors, declaring at one point, "The public option is not your enemy, it is your friend." The President also labeled those who call his plan "socialized medicine" naysayers and fear mongers, reassuring his audience that those who claim he is trying to bring about government-run health care are "not telling the truth."

Dr. Nikhil Wagle, cofounder of Doctors of America, says the number one priority for doctors in fixing our broken healthcare system is doing what's best for patients--and this includes the choice to keep the insurance they have or sign up for a robust, public healthcare option. "As doctors, we see the effect of our broken healthcare system and what happens when our patients are denied the care they need," said Dr. Wagle. "It's the real experience with doctors and patients that must be what guides us in this effort towards healthcare reform."

"To say it as plainly as I can, health care reform is the single most important thing we can do for America's long-term fiscal health. That is a fact," said President Obama. Read the transcript of his entire speech here.

Other notable parts of Obama's June 15 speech to the AMA after the break.

Two new TV dramas about registered nurses - Nurse Jackie on Showtime and Hawthorne on TNT - premiere during the month of June. They join a host of TV programs that are set in hospitals, such as Grey's Anatomy, House and Scrubs.

The portrayal of the medical profession on TV: I've heard this topic discussed on more than one occasion by people going through residency themselves, or that work in a hospital. They've all said that Scrubs--unlike many other medical TV shows--does capture the training process, the profession, and the essence of a hospital setting with surprising accuracy. On the surface, Scrubs may seem like 30 straight minutes of slapstick comedy, absurd fantasy sequences, and slightly inappropriate jokes. However, the show is also about what happens at hospitals between life-and-death crises--the thought processes and insecurities of being a young doctor in training, the way doctors and nurses handle ordinary cases and never knowing what kind of case will come through the doors.

Tell us what you think: Do any of the programs accurately depict the lives of healthcare workers, and is your situation reflected in any of these programs? Share your opinion in the comments section (below).

Nearly 100 doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals gathered Friday in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in support of quality, affordable health care for all.

Two hundred and thirty-two years ago, our nation's leaders came together in this same spot to affirm certain inalienable rights: the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

These days, though, far too many Americans are denied their pursuit of happiness, grappling with a health care system that obstructs the vision outlined in the Declaration of Independence.

Watch Dr. L. Toni Lewis, resident physicians from the Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU Healthcare and other health care professionals explain why they're rallying for health care reform in Philadelphia this weekend.

Rick Scott's group, Conservatives for Patients' Rights (CPR), responded today to SEIU's written request to CNN and FOX News for removal of the group's ads. The ads, which were created by the same PR firm behind the now widely-discredited "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" ads in 2004, contain false statements and distortions that are intended to mislead the viewing public.

Below are two of the inaccurate claims made in their ad:

• Rick Scott misleads viewers about the Federal Coordinating Council , claiming: "not only could a government board deny your choice in doctors, but it can control life and death for some patients." This statement is demonstrably false.
• The advertisement further deceives viewers by blatantly misrepresenting the positions of two physicians.

Here's the kicker: CPR failed to address a single point made in our case for removal.

Instead, CPR posted a blog entry that is nothing more than an ideological red-herring. (Read it for yourself, here.) We can only assume that their response is an attempt to distract us from the fact that they cannot defend their own ad.

SEIU welcomes a robust debate on the merits of health care policy-what we do not welcome is false, misleading advertising that scares people.

Once again, CPR has demonstrated how little regard they hold for the facts. We hope that CNN, which has given CPR five business days to respond, considers CPR's public comment on our case to be their official response.

Sign our petition calling on FOX News and CNN to to quit airing CPR's irresponsible, false ad.