Oh how the times have changed...

Welcome back Harry and Louise!

We originally "met" the middle-class couple in 1993 as part of a series of national television ads during President Clinton's proposed health care plan. The original ad showed Harry and Louise sitting at the kitchen table, questioning elements of President Clinton's plan.

This time, Harry and Louise are back at the kitchen table, but they're humming a different tune as they sip their coffee. In the new commercial, the two discuss the need for affordable, reliable health coverage that people can keep if they change or lose their jobs. According to Louise,

            "A little more cooperation, a little less politics and we can get the job done this time."

The script that Harry and Louise are reading from this time around is one that most Americans can relate to. People realize that, although they may have coverage today, there is no guarantee that they'll have it tomorrow. Even those with insurance aren't immune from rising costs.

A recent New York Times article provides some insight into Harry and Louise's support in overhauling health care:

"The early-middle-aged Harry and Louise in the 1990s ads were concerned about their own welfare and their own pocketbooks. They were white middle-class me-generation professionals scripted to raise red flags about the fear of losing private health insurance. Now, the mellowed AARP-eligible Harry and Louise of this campaign seem more charitable and outward-directed. They even invoke the plight of the uninsured."

Harry and Louise's pro-reform message couldn't have come at a better time. With every passing day, more Americans are losing their health coverage - adding up to 44,230 Americans losing their coverage each week.

We agree with Louise that it's about time we get health care reform. Thankfully, Congress is working hard to pass legislation this year.