Thank you to everyone who offered suggestions as to what to include in my letter to the St. Petersburg Times rebutting Rep. Adam Putnam's July 20 opinion piece. What made it really easy in the end was Obama's interview with Jim Lehrer last night. I made notes and matched Obama's talking points with Putnam's assertions and pointed out some omissions as well.

As Obama pointed out yesterday, every false or misleading statement has to be refuted. There likely will be many opportunities for TPM readers to write letters of their own to set the record straight in the coming weeks. I offer my letter up for constructive criticism in the hopes it might give other people ideas for writing letters of their own. Exposing the weaknesses of mine, and I'm sure there are many, might help other letter writers do better.

One thing I'm keenly interested in is message strategy. I'm off from work for a few weeks and meet my dad every morning to walk our dogs in the park. He's a retired marketing professor, and before that was an advertising executive and message strategist. He mentioned this morning a strategy memo by Frank Luntz that's been leaked. I can't wait to root through this, but in reading the review at the Wonkroom (some of which I disagree with), it's likely a must read for anyone who might end up debating opponents of progressive health care reform.

I'm reminded of the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi's A Book of Five Rings the Classic Guide to Strategy. In it he says, 

Knowing the times means, if your ability is high, seeing right into things. If you are thoroughly conversant with strategy, you will recognise the enemy's intentions and thus have many opportunities to win. You must sufficiently study this.

I can think of no better place to start than Luntz's memo.

Here is my letter, such as it is. Whether it gets published or not remains to be seen -- it's long. Nonetheless, it was a good exercise.

Rep. Adam Putnam stated in his opinion piece on July 20 that decisions about one's choice of physician and the kind of care and treatment one receives would be influenced by a "new bureaucracy" under the proposed health care reform legislation.

President Obama has clearly stated, and said so again Monday, that people would not have to give up health plans or doctors they already have if they want to keep them.

Mr. Putnam did not mention that people with insurance, particularly those with individual policies (as opposed to large group policies), contend with a bean counter bureaucracy rationing their health care right now. When claims, procedures, or treatments are denied, that's rationing. By denying claims or canceling policies using "gotcha" techniques which often involve fine print or confusing questionnaires, insurers save money and increase their bottom line. This makes shareholders happy. Meanwhile, the people denied benefits often get sicker without treatment or go deep in debt to get the treatment they need. Bankruptcies caused by illness have reached unprecedented levels.

Mr. Putnam dismisses people between the ages of 18 and 24 who do not have health insurance "because they tend to be healthy." However, when they do get sick or have an accident, they often end up in the emergency room for treatment. The costs for that treatment, and treatment for other uninsured patients who pass through that emergency room, are passed on to people who do have insurance in the form of higher premiums. According to a study commissioned by Families USA, approximately $1,000 of the annual premium for a family of four goes toward paying for the uninsured.

Mr. Putnam says to "hold on to your wallet." The new health care system would "require wholesale tax increases to fund it." President Obama on Monday said that rather than raising taxes on the highest income earners, he would prefer to see a cap on deductions instead. Small businesses would not see an increase in their taxes to pay for health care.

Mr. Putnam does not mention that employers are increasingly hard-pressed to maintain the levels of coverage to which their employees are accustomed. Because of skyrocketing health care costs, many employers periodically weigh the costs of plans offered by different companies. Employers can and do change insureres to save money and their employees can do nothing about it. They are stuck with whatever the new company offers.

The proposals under discussion in Congress will allow people to keep the same plan, doctor, and hospital, if they choose to, even when they change or lose their jobs. If they want to make a change, however, they are free to do that, and they won't be denied access to coverage if they have a pre-existing condition.

As President Obama said Monday, the American Medical Association, the nation's nurses, hospitals, AARP, and even WalMart are now supporting health care reform legislation underway in Congress. Health insurers, understandably, are still balking. Changing how they do business and reigning in excesses will affect their bottom line. But isn't making health care a right, not a privilege worth it?

Well, there it is. If you see fit, pick away!