A couple days ago, I received another telephone solicitation from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. I told the caller I'm not making another contribution until Congressional Democrats get enough backbone to stop compromising on health care reform - but I felt a little guilty. After all, I certainly don't want to indirectly help elect a Jim DeMint or Mitch McConnell from North Dakota.

But then I read about Kent Conrad's statewide tour pitching his "co-op" scheme for health care reform, and my guilt vanished. No, I don't want to un-elect Sen. Conrad, but I do want to send my hard-earned money to someone who will stand up and fight for real reform: single-payer health care for all.

I've read some about the co-op proposal and am convinced that it's a political cop-out. Even Howard Dean, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, says Conrad is wrong about the co-op proposal. I agree with Dean that "this is a compromise designed to deal with problems in the Senate. But it doesn't deal with problems in America … it's time for the Senate to stop playing politics, do what has to be done."

I read several other authorities stating their opposition to health care co-ops, because, as former Labor Secretary Robert Reich said: "Nonprofit health care cooperatives won't have any real bargaining leverage to get lower prices because they'll be too small and too numerous."

I read that an executive of Kaiser's Group Health co-op admitted that the co-op's rates are similar to private insurers' and its payment structure is also "pretty much" the same.

I've concluded that Conrad's co-ops would be no different from the "not-for-profit" health plans that have us at their mercy right now - not the least of which is North Dakota Blue Cross!

I hope Sen. Conrad will decide to dump the co-op scheme. Meanwhile, I'll keep sending my contributions directly to Democrats like Dennis Kucinich who are fighting for single-payer health care.