Before she became First Lady, she was a hospital executive in Chicago.

So Michelle Obama knows better than most what ails America’s health care system.

Today, she was at the Upper Cardozo Community Health Center in Washington, D.C.

She was highlighting the hundreds of millions of dollars for community health centers like Cardozo contained in her husband’s stimulus package.

God knows, the community health centers need the money.

But Michelle and Barack Obama also know only single payer health care will knock out the rapacious health insurance corporations, relieve the incredible pressure on community health centers, and give all Americans — rich and poor — equal access to care.

That’s why Barack Obama was in favor of single payer back in 2003, before he was opposed to it in 2009.

And that’s why Single Payer Action’s Russell Mokhiber and Matt Zawisky were there today to confront Michelle Obama in northwest Washington.

As Michelle Obama’s entourage of SUVs left the community health center through a back alley, Mokhiber held a sign that read: “Michelle Obama — Single Payer Now.”

And he made sure she heard it too — Michelle Obama: Put Single Payer on the Table Now.

“Sixty Americans die every day from lack of health insurance,” Mokhiber said.

“Only single payer will save enough money to cover everyone and control costs. Everybody in. Nobody out. Single payer is not only the best answer, it’s the only answer.”

“Michelle and Barack Obama know this already. Why have they taken single payer off the table?”