One day before we celebrate the birth of our nation, Nebraskans gathered at a scheduled healthcare roundtable to call on Senator Johanns to support an American solution to our healthcare crisis.

Instead of greeting the teachers from NSEA, veterans, and SEIU workers Senator Johanns' staff called the police, ordering the Nebraskans to leave the Medical Center grounds.

"Johanns' voters-- teachers, members of the armed forces, and SEIU members-- set up a table with apple pie and signs welcoming the Senator and urging him to support a uniquely American solution to healthcare reform," explained Jane Kleeb, SEIU State Director. "Instead of coming by and saying hello, the Senator walked right by us as we were surrounded by police, and the Senator said 'good luck with that.'"

SEIU received advanced permission from the Nebraska Medical Center to greet the Senator as he started his day of roundtables on healthcare reform. Instead of greeting the healthcare reform advocates at the table, the Senator's staff called the police.

Just as our founders realized the time for hard decisions was upon them, SEIU and our partners know we can not afford to wait any longer to reform our broken healthcare system.

Nebraskans need policies that will make healthcare affordable and accessible for everyone. With our families and businesses struggling, the future of our nation depends on the solutions being debated in DC. It is not a time to slowdown, it is a time to act.
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For more pictures of today's event, visit Nebraska's Change that Works Facebook album. To learn more about what we do, visit our website.

Update: Here at TPM, Jane Hamsher confirms that the police told her Johanns' staff were the ones who called.
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Crossposted on MyDD, OpenLeft and Daily Kos.

Earlier this week, the enemies of health care reform came to Lincoln. And we met them there, head-to-head.

The DC lobbying group, called "Patients United," held a rally in Antelope Park where they spread their fear tactics and lies about President Obama's health care plan. Meanwhile, a group of Nebraskans--young, old, insured, uninsured, city and rural--gathered to protest from the other side of the street. Holding home-made signs and waving at the passing traffic, these concerned citizens spoke up for real reform and stood strong against the distortions peddled by the other side.

Apparently unhappy to see such strong support for reform, the Chairman of the Nebraska Republican Party, Mark Fahleson, took to his Twitter page and dismissed the crowd as "rent-a-goons." Personally, I didn't meet any goons in our audience, just Nebraskans who aren't happy with the status quo.

For instance, here's Chuck, a reverend who lives in Beatrice, who is looking for bold leadership, not the status quo:

Our opponents would like you to believe that Chuck and people like him are "goons," but that's just not true. They're concerned Nebraskans who are standing up for reform, and you'd better believe that they're making their voices heard and will continue to until we get health care reform passed.

To join them in their fight for real reform, please join our Facebook page. There you can learn more ways to become involved.

Together, we can fight the lies and meet our opponents head-on.

All the best,
Jane Fleming Kleeb
SEIU: Change That Works Nebraska

Fifty-one Senators are open to a public healthcare option, and the fight is gaining steam. SEIU has stepped up a campaign that allows Open Left readers a unique way to fight for the public option while simultaneously supporting Open Left: we will donate $1 to Open Left for every person who signs up for their healthcare campaign.

SEIU's Andy Stern discusses the campaign and why you should get involved:

SEIU.org is proud to be able to help Open Left maintain their operations--please take a moment and add your name to the fight: http://action.seiu.org/page/s/openleft