In addition to tonight's health care town hall at the UW with Congressman Jim McDermott, this week brings two gatherings at Westlake Plaza that unintentionally highlight the question among Democrats who've been fretting as the president's health insurance reform push stalls:

Do we rally or do we mourn?

In Seattle, it turns out, we are doing both. On Wednesday at Westlake Plaza, MoveOn.org is holding a 7:30 p.m. "vigil for people suffering under current health care system"—an event that fits with the more somber mood among some liberal health insurance reform activists. Then on Thursday, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Westlake Plaza, Barack Obama's former campaign organization, Organizing for America, offers a more feisty approach, holding a rally to "Stand up for health insurance reform at Westlake!"*

Take your pick, but I'd say a vigil (no matter how well-intended) is not something Democrats want to be holding in connection with health insurance reform right now.

*And, by the way, shifting the conversation from "health care reform" to "health insurance reform" is about the only smart strategic move Democrats have made in the last few weeks. If August proved anything, it is that most Americans can only process simple messages on this topic. That's unfortunate, since this is not a simple topic, but that's the reality. To talk about "health care reform" is to invite confusion among people who kinda like their health care as it is, kinda know that the larger system is broken and kinda think things could be better, but kinda don't understand how anything's really going to change and definitely don't want their own personal health care reformed for the worse. But to talk about "health insurance reform"—well, when you talk about that you're not talking about someone's doctor or employer but rather about something that every American hates: the health insurance industry. Reform them? Now you're speaking words people want to hear.