Pols Start Grassroots Hybrid to Lobby for PPACA

The Democratic governor of Massachusetts and a former Democratic governor of Wisconsin are helping to start Know Your Care — a 501(c)(3) educational group — and Protect Your Care – a 501(c)(4) grassroots lobbying group – to defend the Affordable Care Act.

The lead founders of the Washington-based nonprofit groups are Gov. Deval Patrick, D-Mass.; Jim Doyle, who decided against seeking a third term as governor of Wisconsin; and Neera Tanden, the chief operating officer of Center for American Progress, Washington, a liberal think tank.

The organizers of the groups say they want to protect the Affordable Care Act – the Money federal legislative package that includes the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (HCERA).

The Know Your Care arm will be able to accept tax-deductible donations, organizers say.

Know Your Care "will educate people about the Affordable Care Act's life-saving consumer and patient protections that are already benefiting millions of Americans and will benefit millions more in the coming years," organizers say.

The grassroots lobbying arm, Protect Your Care, which will not be able to accept tax-deductible donations, "will be a grassroots lobbying effort to champion the Affordable Care Act and defend it from being repealed or defunded," organizers say.

PPACA "is under attack by well-coordinated and well-funded organizations that spread misinformation in order to take away people's benefits by repealing health care," Patrick says in a statement.

"This campaign will be an aggressive effort designed to explain and promote these rights as well as protect against other attacks such as attempts to privatize Medicare and Medicaid."

One of the groups' senior advisors will be Paul Tewes, who was Obama's state director for the Iowa caucuses, organizers say.

The list of initial staffers also includes Tanya Bjork, Eddie Vale and Jim Margolis.