I understand the frustrations of those who are ready to become Independents. I'm pissed, too, and may drop out of Democratic politics myself. But not yet. Not today.

No one who reads TPM should be surprised that Sen. Conrad has written off the Public Option and the White House is going soft. The fact is, we've let this get out of control. Not Obama, not Congress. We did.

Some are even shocked to learn that the outcome could be the worst of two worlds. I posted about the goal of the insurance companies over a week ago:

By killing the government-run Public Option but including a personal mandate to purchase insurance, the insurance companies will FORCE those 47 million onto their rolls, reaping huge profits at the expense of taxpayers. Under their plan, you will be REQUIRED to buy their products.

Thank God it hasn't come to that yet. The good news is that Conrad is one of the Gang of Six negotiators on the Finance Committee and just because he says the Public Option is dead doesn't mean it's true. The better news is that the White House hasn't joined him in dismissing it entirely.

The bad news is we have days, not weeks, to prevent Conrad from being right, to keep the White House from caving and to preserve the Public Option. Pay attention: We have two, maybe three, days. You, me and every activist in the world.

Go to the White House website, as someone suggested in an earlier thread, and write the president a firm, polite letter: The Public Option is not negotiable. Do the same with every senator and representative you have. Email this post and repost it to every blog you belong to.

Even if you already have worked hard for reform, do it. And if you haven't worked your ass off to get reform passed, don't even think about complaining how things are going.

"It ain't over till it's over." -- Yogi Berra