Today’s Q’s for O’s WH – 6/18/2009
EmailTAPPER: We've talked about this before a little bit, but there's been more recent polling indicating that while President Obama's personal popularity is still quite strong, there are concerns among the American people and less support for some of his policies, specifically his economic policies, whether it's spending proposals, the bailout of the auto industry, the deficit, stimulus package. And I'm wondering what you think is going on, whether you're — you guys haven't made your argument as well as you could, or what exactly the dynamic is that Americans, although still a majority supporting the president on some of these economic policies, seem to — there seems to be something of an ebb.
GIBBS: Well, look, I think — I think — I think you can look at recent polling from the past day or so. You can go back a week or so. I think the American people are rightly frustrated with where the economy is and how we ended up where we did. I think the American people and the president both are greatly concerned about the deficit. I think that, you know, look, numbers in different questions bounce around. But when you look at something like the auto industry — I mean, look, the president knew that wasn't a decision that was based off of something that was wildly popular.
But the president believed it was something important to do to ensure the viability of an American auto industry; to ensure that towns and communities and companies had a chance to thrive again. And thought it was part of — part of what we had to do to get our economy back on track. Some of those things are popular.
Some of those things aren't popular. I think the president would tell you that he's going to do what he thinks is in the best interest of the American economy. Some of those things will be, as I said, more popular than others. But, look, I think the American people are rightly anxious and concerned about the economy, just as the president is.
TAPPER: Just one other question: There seems to be some wrangling right now between the Treasury Department and the special inspector general of TARP, Neil Barofsky, about how independent Barofsky's office SIGTARP is. And based on a letter that Senator Grassley sent, and response from Special Inspector General Barofsky, it seems like the independence of his office has been challenged. He hasn't been able to get all the documents he's wanted from the Treasury Department. And Grassley even suggested that an outside agency has been — or an outside entity of some sort — has been asked to weigh in. Can you tell us what exactly is going on?
GIBBS: I have not seen Senator Grassley's letter. So I'm not — I'm not as familiar with that. I will look into it. I know the president is — has talked about whether it's in recovery or TARP or other programs, making sure — ensuring that there is the type of accountability that Americans expect when we're using their tax dollars. So let me take a look at it.
TAPPER: So Special Inspector Barofsky should be able to get whatever documents he needs.
GIBBS: I think we want to ensure that there's sufficient accountability. I don't know any of the details on this, but let me check.
TAPPER: OK. Thanks.
– jpt
Obama: 'Now Is the Time For Common Sense Action' 
Romney Takes Aim at Conservatives
===GIBBS: Well, look, I think — I think — I think you can look at recent polling from the past day or so. You can go back a week or so. I think the American people are rightly frustrated with where the economy is and how we ended up where we did. I think the American people and the president both are greatly concerned about the deficit. I think that, you know, look, numbers in different questions bounce around. But when you look at something like the auto industry — I mean, look, the president knew that wasn’t a decision that was based off of something that was wildly popular.===
Jake,
If you can understand any of that, you are a better man than I am. Well, I’m not a man, but you get my drift.
Posted by: Axey | June 18, 2009, 4:08 pm 4:08 pm
You should have asked about this…
Two Japanese men are detained in Italy after allegedly attempting to take $134 billion worth of U.S. bonds over the border into Switzerland.
Where’s the media?
Posted by: andylancaster | June 18, 2009, 4:39 pm 4:39 pm
Too funny…
Nothing quite as exciting as Chicago Dodge Ball.
Snark off.
Posted by: Ordinary Sadie | June 18, 2009, 4:42 pm 4:42 pm
How about this question:
“The least costly health care option is also the one that would provide the most health care, and is more popular with the American people than any other option. Why isn’t a single payer plan on the table?”
Posted by: Flash Override | June 18, 2009, 5:04 pm 5:04 pm
Gibbs is an idiot. He never answers any of the questions and looks lost doing it. I think if he sadi, “Look we aren’t going to answer your question” he would have more credibility.
Posted by: CPO | June 18, 2009, 5:10 pm 5:10 pm
Flash Overdrive, now that would have been a hilarious question and answer if Mr. Tapper had asked your question the way you posed it. Of course, he would not have asked it that way because he is not trying to push an agenda of his own, but to ask the questions in a objective manner and report the answers. Your “question” was loaded with opinions and those opinions are based on your liberal philosophy and not borne out by evidence.
By that I mean, having a single-payer program with the government in charge of health care, as you suggest, would be a total disaster and certainly NOT the least expensive option in the long run. And the majority of the American public does not want government-run health care. You can word your poll questions carefully and use your imagination in interpreting the answers given to get to your statement, but it is not something that actually pops out in people’s comments about health care, because it is not actually what those of us who do not line in Daily Kos Obamaland actually want.
DIrect that question to Howard Dean. He does not have to get re-elected to anything. The White House is, I hope, willing to be more pragmatic than you want them to be in order to get some health care reform passed.
Posted by: moderate | June 18, 2009, 5:26 pm 5:26 pm
ABC News – You are COWARDS with no journalistic integrity left. You all should be ashamed! All you are is a walking advertisement for OBAMA. What are you thinking about when you stop opponents of the Obama Health Care Proposal. Well your right about one thing, if Americans saw the bitterness of this pill, there wouldn’t be enough sugar on earth to coat it.
Posted by: Rachel | June 18, 2009, 5:42 pm 5:42 pm
andylancaster, Financial Times online is reporting they are counterfeit
Posted by: pauldia | June 18, 2009, 5:49 pm 5:49 pm
“moderate”
Total health expenditures per capita, 2003
United States $5711
Australia $2886
Austria $2958
Belgium $3044
Canada $2998
Denmark $2743
Finland $2104
France $3048
Germany $2983
Iceland $3159
Ireland $2466
Italy $2314
Japan $2249
Luxembourg $4611
Netherlands $2909
Norway $3769
Sweden $2745
Switzerland $3847
United Kingdom $2317
Of course, this comparison is unfair to the countries outside the US, because the costs are PER CAPITA TOTAL, not just those with health insurance.
“moderate”, you can debate how much more we need to spend over the $5700 to get the quality that Finland gets for less than half that, but then you would be just as silly as the media that refuse to pose this most important question.
Posted by: Flash Override | June 18, 2009, 5:50 pm 5:50 pm
“By that I mean, having a single-payer program with the government in charge of health care, as you suggest, would be a total disaster and certainly NOT the least expensive option in the long run”
Single payer is how the overwhelmingly majority of 1st world country’s healthcare systems operate.
Their costs are far less than ours and their healthcare systems rank higher than ours.
Posted by: Ryan C | June 18, 2009, 5:51 pm 5:51 pm
Mr. Tapper, sometime you should print the whole briefing transcript just for comparison’s sake. (Yes, I know it is available, on delay, at the WH website) I am just curious about whether Gibby has ANY more luck answering other reporters’ questions than he does answering yours. I doubt that is the case, but when I read his daily dodges here and take note of the fact that he never seems to have any of the relevant information needed to give you a substantive question, I have to wonder how he remains employed. I have to hope that you just intimidate him so that he has no information for you, but he actually provides information at other points in the exercise. Given the transcripts I have read in the past, however, I think that’s a false hope.
So, btw, are you still waiting for the information on the waiver letters? How about an update?
Posted by: moderate | June 18, 2009, 5:52 pm 5:52 pm
“let me check” = “let me punt on that one.” Does the man ever actually “check” on any of this stuff?
Thanks for the questions, Mr. Tapper. I really wonder why there is not more concern being shown generally about whether or not those charged with independent oversight of the flow of money out of the government (IGs) are actually being allowed to do their job without hinderance or intimidation. I know that IGs have never been popular with the administrative branch (not just since Obama took office) and I would not be surprised to see Obama come out with some proposal to scrap the IG system and trot out some different sort of “oversight” more to his liking. I hope Congress resists any such efforts, should they develop.
Posted by: moderate | June 18, 2009, 5:56 pm 5:56 pm
Flash, how many of those countries have doctor shortages?
Posted by: WhereWasThePress? | June 18, 2009, 6:06 pm 6:06 pm
AP polling data:
Do you consider yourself a supporter of a single-payer health care system, that is a national health plan financed by taxpayers in which all Americans would get their insurance from a single government plan, or not?
54% – Yes
44% – No
2% – Refused / Not Answered
Posted by: Flash Override | June 18, 2009, 6:09 pm 6:09 pm
WhereWasThePress? -
I wonder about your question. Since there are many areas of the US which have doctor shortages, how could we compare the overall availability of doctors, when many here have none, and some here have too many?
Overall, the quality of the US healthcare system isn’t any better, and often much worse than all of these counties. The US is 50th highest life expectancy and 46th lowest infant mortality.
If they did have doctor shortages, that would merely suggest that the availability of doctors has no impact on the quality of care, which I find to be counter-intuitive.
Do you have any data on doctor shortages?
Posted by: Flash Override | June 18, 2009, 6:18 pm 6:18 pm
Flash..52% approve of single-pay health plan..That is very interesting. Accordng to an article published by medscape dated July 7th of 2008, 65% percent approved (AP poll)..Guess the more people look into the realities of universal health care cost/taxes 13% changed their minds. Wonder how many will change their minds next month..
Posted by: Parallex View | June 18, 2009, 6:50 pm 6:50 pm
Universal Health equals Health Maintenance Organizations, HMO, times 100…You bet, sign me up…NOT
Posted by: Parallex View | June 18, 2009, 6:59 pm 6:59 pm
“A single government plan, or not?
54% – Yes
44% – No
2% – Refused / Not Answered”
How many people want someone else (a taxpayer) to pay their credit card bill?
How many people want someone else to pay their mortgage?
How many people want someone else to pay their utility bills?
How many people want someone else to pay for their car?
How many people want someone else to pay their health care costs?
There. I bet we get that 54% and better for just about every question.
“When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.” – Benjamin Franklin
Posted by: WhereWasThePress? | June 18, 2009, 7:01 pm 7:01 pm
Flash Override, in response to your stating that the us is ranked 50th in life expectancy and 46th in infant mortality you do not seem to recognize that not all countries report their numbers the same way and incidentally, it actually proves that we have a superior health care system. Our health system is able to keep preemies and other very sick babies alive longer than other countries, so we count them as live births and then some inevitably die. When a preemie or very sick baby is born outside the US, they know the chance for survival is very slim and they hold off on reporting it as a live birth until they are certain it will survive, thus their numbers are skewed. The life expectancy numbers are more as a result of people not taking care of themselves by eating healthy, and of course violence and car accidents play a role. These are personal liberty choices made by those people and not a result of poor health care. I think we all agree we would like to increase the life expectancy, but I am not willing to do so by mandating what people can and can’t eat. We try to limit deaths by accident and crime, but again, those are choices people are making that are independent of our health care system. Someone else mentioned how there are an overabundance of Docs in some areas, I am betting that problem is very rare. We are short handed all across the board because there are not enough incentives to make up for all the disincentives we put out there. More money does equal better outcomes. Less money means we will see poorer care and even rationing.
Posted by: Jason | June 18, 2009, 7:33 pm 7:33 pm
WhereWasThePress?
Since we have established that single payer is cheaper, your statement makes absolutely no sense.
Posted by: Flash Override | June 18, 2009, 7:33 pm 7:33 pm
Jason, the numbers I reported came from the CIA fact book. There is no evidence supporting your view that some countries do not report live births.
Why don’t we look at the survival rate after medical procedures? That should tell us the effectiveness of each system.
The NYTimes “Economic Scene” column the last couple of days has been hashing these out, and the conclusion is “Over all, the survival rates for many diseases in this country are no better than they are in countries that spend far less on health care.”
More to the point, “Given that the United States devotes far more of its economy to health care than other rich countries, and gets worse results by many measures, it’s hard to argue that we are now rationing very rationally.”
Posted by: Flash Override | June 18, 2009, 7:42 pm 7:42 pm
Your survival rate for breast cancer is a bit better in the US. but if you have a need for a kidney transplant, or you have childhood leukemia, or colorectal cancer, you are better off in Canada. Their 5 year survival rate is substantially higher than the US.
Posted by: Flash Override | June 18, 2009, 7:47 pm 7:47 pm
Wow Flash Override. What sources are you citing? Yesterday your responses were as if you had been in the room at the mtg the IG is supposed to have been “senile” in. Also regarding single payer healthcare what role (regardless of expenditure) does the government have in healthcare decisions? Just because no frills brands are cheaper doesn’t mean we want that as our only option. Besides FInland does not have NATIONALIZED healthcare it is handled at the local level and is not 100% by the gov’t.
Posted by: GO | June 18, 2009, 8:09 pm 8:09 pm
First let me say I love what Jake Tapper is doing. It appears we are down to single digits on journalists with integrity.
Every day I read the Q’s for O’s WH and EVERY DAY Gibbs is saying “I haven’t seen that,” “I don’t know about that,” etc.
I think a fine followup question on these occasions would be, “So to clarify, you are the White House Press Secretary and aren’t familiar with a letter sent by a US Senator sent (X) hours ago asking about possible political corruption and the Inspectors General? How is that possible?”
It’s ridiculous that he gets away with this.
Posted by: Melvin_Udall | June 18, 2009, 11:45 pm 11:45 pm
Speaking of things Gibby says, or attempts to say, at the press briefings– what are we to make of his continued campaign mode statements about Republicans? He was asked about Bush’s (actually quite mild) statements about the Obama administration and its policies on subjects like Guantanamo, and he pulled his usual “we had an election in November– we won” stuff. Note to Gibby– Bush was not on the ballot in November, although you guys got a lot of votes by convincing people he was. The guy running against you actually agreed with your positions on Guantanamo and on waterboarding. So what’s the deal? Interestingly, Gibby even said, “We kept score last November.” Criminee.
Posted by: moderate | June 19, 2009, 8:38 am 8:38 am