If only one member of the 42 member Congressional Black Caucus had half the spine of say — Bart Stupak (D-Michigan).

You know what would happen?

Instead of abortion, people would be talking about single payer.

Fully 33 members of the 42 member Black Caucus have signed on to the single payer bill (HR 676) introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-Michigan).

But nary a one — not even Conyers himself — will stand up and fight for it — the way Stupak has been fighting for his anti-abortion language.

Not one of the 33 pro-single payer members of the Black Caucus has joined Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) to fight for single payer.

Not one.

Not Donna Edwards (D-Maryland).

Not Keith Ellison (D-Minnesota).

Not even Conyers himself.

There are a number of reasonable explanations for this.

But the number one reason?

As we have documented, the Congressional Black Caucus is bought and paid for.

(Also, check out a more recent New York Times article documenting the money flow.)

Bought and paid for by the corporate interests that dominate their member campaigns.

And that control the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.

Today, the Black Caucus took a bus down Pennsylvania Avenue to meet with President Obama about health care.

As the members were coming out after the meeting to get back on the bus, Single Payer Action was across the street demanding that they put single payer back on the table.

As they boarded the bus, members of the Black Caucus looked across the street to see what the shouting was about.

And they heard — put single payer back on the table.

Don’t cave to the insurance industry.

As we left, we were stopped by a group of visiting students.

They wanted to know — what is single payer?

They had never heard of it.

Had the Black Caucus taken a stand — a la Stupak — maybe the students would know that single payer is the only health care reform that both controls costs and covers everyone.

Shame on Obama.

Shame on the Democrats.

Shame on the Congressional Black Caucus.