In this video, you'll catch the second set of questions I submitted (as EverydayCitizen) to him on stage! Is that cool or - is that cool?

Like all proponents of the public option, Howard Dean wants to preserve the private delivery of healthcare, making sure that hospitals and doctors can remain independent. He wants to preserve patient choice and protect patient freedom. He advocates that doctors and hospitals operate in a free market and that patients should always be able to choose their own doctor, choose their own treatments and make all of their own decisions about care.

Dr. Dean has seen the healthcare industry from the inside, just like I have. He is acutely aware of the fact that in today's current healthcare "market" that patients really don't have choice. Their options are limited by the rules set out by the insurance industry. The insurance industry dictates what kind of procedures and treatments a patient can have.

Real reform must give the power back to patients. Both "public option" and "single payer" plans return power to the people. Single payer takes power completely away from the insurance industry and gives it to the patients and their doctors. Public option does the same by giving citizens opportunities to choose between plans offered by the people (public plan) and plans offered by insurance corporations.

Dr. Dean knows that huge problems exist in how healthcare is funded, not in how healthcare is provided by doctors and hospitals. He wants to shift power away from the insurance industry and put it squarely back into the hands of patients and their doctors. He knows that only way this can be accomplished is if we offer alternatives to patients by not giving insurance companies all the power.

He spoke at Netroots Nation on Friday morning, emphasizing (and I agree with him) that the "public option" plan is already a compromise and a step down from the best plan.

The absolute best plan, of course, is "single payer" because single payer alters the financing of healthcare in such a complete way. Single payer funnels our money back into actual medical services that we receive rather than siphoning it into the huge profit buckets of the insurance giants.

"Public option" is not as good as single payer, but it's still a step in the right direction. We'll accept it. We will fight for it. However, it's necessary to point out that when we accept public option, we are already compromising in a huge way from single payer, the optimal reform plan. If we were to compromise beyond public option (such as by accepting the non-profit cooperative instead), we would no longer be engaging in reform. Therefore, don't expect us to compromise any further! Public option is the compromise.

Dr. Dean also talked about the misinformation that the insurance lobbyists have been spreading and gave tips on how to straighten it out.

On this page (below) I offer you the four videos, in hopes you will be inspired, too. The first two offer parts one and two of the rousing keynote speech that Dr. Dean gave on Friday morning. The third video begins with my second question to him. And, the fourth video was taken Friday night by Jane Hamsher of Firedoglake.com.

In fact, in the last and final video below, when you hear the intermittent "Yay!" and the exuberant "Yeah!" and "That's right!" and "Woo Hoo!" - you are definitely hearing me! My voice is the loudest! (I'm standing just three feet directly in front of Howard and I'm about five feet away from Jane's microphone!) At the very end of the last video, when the cam pans the crowd, you'll see me there - front and center - clapping (the one with sunglasses on my head, shoulder length brown hair, etc.).

I couldn't contain my enthusiasm. I was thrilled to be there. It was a hopeful atmosphere.

Dr. Dean, thanks for answering my questions and also for the autographed copy of your book, Prescription for Real Healthcare Reform. But even more so, thank you for providing much needed inspirational leadership in healthcare reform. We need your clarity and determination now, more than ever. I absolutely stand with you and so do millions of other Americans!

Lastly, I mentioned Jane Hamsher above. She was the one who took the last video with her Flip Mino camcorder at the restaurant. I think she was fired up after Netroots too. I know she's a supporter of single payer and public option. Today, Jane was interviewed on MSNBC talking about the public option plan. She does a great job:

(The first graphic above, the one with arrows and boxes, was provided courtesy of Cinnamon Rollover)