Presidential candidate Barack Obama promised over and over, and over, and over, and over, again not to negotiate healthcare reform behind closed doors, to bring all parties together and to broadcast those negotiations on C-SPAN “so the American people can see what the choices are. Obama promised the healthcare negotiations would be on C-SPAN:

• He said it at Google –November 14, 2007

• He said it at the CNN Democrat Presidential Debate — January 31, 2008

• He said it during an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle — January 17, 2008 [the same interview during which Obama said his cap and trade plan would bankrupt anyone who builds a coal-powered plant and electricity rates will skyrocket.]

• He said it at an Ohio Town Hall — March 2008

• He said it during an interview with the St. Petersburg Times — May 2008

Watch the following video to see Obama’s now broken promises for transparent healthcare negotiations:

It is truly unfortunate that President Obama did not keep those promises, but instead, chose to meet privately with healthcare executives, cut a deal with drug firms in secret, and outsourced the drafting of the Obamacare legislation to the highly partisan, Democrat-controlled Congress, thereby ensuring a very partisan Obamacare bill unacceptable to many, if not most of the American people.

Obama was correct about the involvement of the American people:

“Part of what we have to do is enlist the American people in this process.” — Barack Obama, CNN Democrat Presidential Debate, January 31, 2008.

Look at those town hall meetings. The American people have enlisted. I hope Obama is also right about Congress can be shamed into doing the right thing:

“I would not underestimate the degree to which shame is a healthy emotion and that you can shame Congress into doing the right thing if people know what is going on.” — Barack Obama, San Francisco Chronicle — January 17, 2008

Can you hear them now? You work for us. Hear our voice. Don’t close the door.