As many activists have said in the past few days, the time has long passed for compromise on health-care reform. The country needs a single-payer system. It's the only system that makes sense. Single payer was off the table in Washington from the get-go, so we've already compromised.

Now members of the Obama administration are backing away from a public-option component. As Bob Herbert said in this morning's New York Times, "This is reform?"

Public option isn't perfect. There are lots of unknowns about the plans being considered (including who would be eligible for a public plan - not a small issue). And some progressive critics say that it won't generate the competition with private insurers that its supporters hope.

But from what I'm reading, public option is an important step in the right direction, and anything less is too weak a tea to consider. (The American Prospect has a good discussion, pro and con, of public option here.)

Rochester's Metro Justice activist group is urging people to contact Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, asking them to work to keep public option in any reform bill. Do that. Absolutely.