By Caitlin Taylor

Jul 22, 2009 8:14am

The Note: All In — Will Obama Get Pushy in Health Care Push?

By RICK KLEIN Here, among the impatient press corps, infighting Democrats, excited Republicans (including those who are giving heartbeats to straw men), and an increasingly skeptical public, President Obama has a chance to stand alone. He can call a press conference whenever he wants — and Washington, plus the public, will listen. (Though it helps if he has something new to say.) From the start, Team Obama has been better about signaling a new strategy than at actually carrying it out. (How many times did a top campaign aide say something about the gloves coming off, only to find them still firmly affixed the next time a street fight broke out?) The strategy can be the message. But when it’s all riding on one legislative push — when do we see some real pushing for the legislation? The next chance comes Wednesday night, with an 8 pm ET news conference in the White House East Room that aims to reestablish the health care conversation outside the media filter — and win back some of the public urgency the president talks so much about. The president’s opening remarks will again place health care reform in the broader context of the economy, per ABC’s Jake Tapper. The New York Times’ Sheryl Gay Stolberg calls it a “pivotal moment” for Obama: “How he handles the issue over the next several weeks could shape the rest of his presidency, shedding light on his political strength, his relationship with both parties in Congress and the extent to which he is willing to bend in fighting for his agenda,” she writes. “With some fellow Democrats balking over his insistence that both the House and the Senate pass health legislation before the August recess, Mr. Obama has a tough decision to make: Does he take a hard line, demanding that lawmakers stick to his timetable — and risk losing the support of Republicans and moderate Democrats? Or does he signal flexibility, allowing lawmakers to take their time — and give opponents the chance to marshal their case against the bill?” (And cue the fact-checkers and spinmeisters: White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel says the president will talk about “how we rescued the economy from the worst recession.”) A chance to slow momentum that’s slouching toward the wrong direction: “After weeks of bad news about costs, the defection of moderate Democrats, and a negative drumbeat from Republicans, President Obama will use a televised news conference tonight in a bid to shore up public support for his sweeping plan to cover the uninsured and reform the healthcare system,” The Boston Globe’s Lisa Wangsness writes. All in: “President Barack Obama is significantly raising his personal stake in the effort to overhaul America’s health-care system, as Democrats and the public express growing unease about the costs,” The Wall Street Journal’s Laura Meckler, Jonathan Weisman and Gerald F. Seib report. Said former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D.: “I think the risk of failure goes up consequentially if we don’t get it done by the August break.” Somebody tell the House Ways and Means Chairman: “No one wants to tell the speaker that she’s moving too fast and they damn sure don’t want to tell the president,” Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., told a fellow lawmaker Tuesday, per the AP’s David Espo. Plus, writes Espo: “It was unclear when — or whether — the White House or Democratic leadership would intervene in hopes of expediting legislation that has yet to materialize despite months of negotiations led by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont.” Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb.: “With all the misinformation and all the challenges of competing ads and the talking heads, people are traumatized.” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md.: “If we get consensus, we’ll move on it. If we don’t get consensus, I don’t think staying in session is necessarily necessary.”
Wednesday’s scheduled House Energy and Commerce mark-up was abruptly cancelled: “Not a good sign for the Democrats trying to report the bill out from committee onto the floor for a vote,” ABC’s Jake Tapper reports. “Seven conservative blue dog Democrats on the committee have said they can’t vote for the bill in its current form. Some of those Blue Dogs came to the White House [Tuesday] for a 2 1/2 meeting, an hour of which was with President Obama.” Can/will deadlines slip? “President Obama may have ratcheted up his rhetoric on health care reform, but late today it appeared Democratic support was wavering for the president’s goal of passing health care bills in the House and Senate before the August recess,” ABC’s Huma Khan and Jonathan Karl report. Said Hoyer: “Members have concerns, and they’re not just Blue Dogs.” “There’s, I believe, more to be squeezed out” in savings, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., tells USA Today’s editorial board. “After more than week of tirelessly pressuring Congress to move his top domestic priority, it appears increasingly likely President Barack Obama may have to settle for a fallback strategy on health care overhaul,” the AP’s Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar reports. “Instead of votes in the House and Senate by August, the best Democrats may be able to hope for this summer is action by the full House by the end of the month and some sort of agreement on a bipartisan plan in the Senate before lawmakers head home for vacation.” Some support from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, R-Calif.: “What I have said was, and I told this to the president, that I will support him 100 percent in healthcare reform, because I think it’s necessary,” he told ABC’s Chris Cuomo, on “Good Morning America” Wednesday. (Though he said he can’t support a specific Obama plan since there really isn’t one.) As for the surtax on the rich: “I don’t think so. I think that you have to come up with interesting ways of funding this healthcare,” Schwarzenegger said. Are Republicans playing politics? “Well, hello,” the governor said with a laugh. (And will Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., get more involved? “The question is if Senator Kennedy is capable to be out there campaigning because, as you know, he is fighting brain cancer,” Schwarzenegger said of his wife’s uncle. “And so I think he’s done his share. I think that now the people on Capitol Hill and the president have to pull it off and just, you know, close the deal.” Why deadlines matter, Part 1: “An Associated Press-GfK Poll shows that a majority of Americans are back to thinking that the country is headed in the wrong direction after a fleeting period in which more thought it was on the right track. Obama still has a solid 55 percent approval rating — better than Bill Clinton and about even with George W. Bush six months into their presidencies — but there are growing doubts about whether he can succeed at some of the biggest items on his to-do list. And there is a growing sense that he is trying to tackle too much too soon.” Part 2, via Gallup: “As the debate over healthcare reform intensifies, the latest USA Today/Gallup poll finds that more Americans disapprove (50%) than approve (44%) of the way U.S. President Barack Obama is handling healthcare policy.” Just what the debate needed: “A coalition of anti-abortion groups is set to open a new front against Democrats’ efforts to restructure American health care, claiming the plans open a back door to publicly financed abortions,” Politico’s Ben Smith reports. “The groups, which are launching a broad campaign on the issue this week, claim that existing health care proposals constitute a stealth ‘abortion mandate’ that will spend taxpayer money on abortions and require insurance companies to cover abortions — allegations that health care reform supporters call misleading.” Perspective: “In fact, despite the panicky tone of a lot of the coverage of the debate, all the White House really needs to do this week is to prod Congress into keeping the legislation moving along,” Salon’s Mike Madden writes. “Aides on Capitol Hill expect any bill to wind up being changed, possibly dramatically, in a conference committee once both the House and Senate pass it; what Obama wants right now is just to get it there.” Michael Gerson sees the moderates’ moment: “It is difficult to imagine that an overwhelmingly Democratic Congress will do nothing on health reform. But as deadlines slip, and moderate arguments gain momentum, the legislation is likely to disappoint liberal Democrats in several ways. . . . Some may accuse such moderates of lacking in boldness or ambition. It is better than lacking in responsibility and good judgment.” Outside the noise: “[Senate Finance] Committee members say they are trying to resolve potential controversies behind closed doors, to produce a bill that can withstand the close scrutiny. And on Tuesday, senior panel members expressed confidence that they could complete committee action on such a bill before President Obama’s Aug. 7 deadline — and, in the process, attract significant bipartisan support,” The Washington Post’s Shailagh Murray and Ceci Connolly report. Noise back home: “A week after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said it was a ‘waste of money to have Democrats running ads against Democrats,’ two liberal groups launch an ad tomorrow that takes on one of the Senate’s most powerful Democrats,” per ABC’s Elizabeth Gorman. “The new ad from the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy for America singles out Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., for accepting more than $3.9 million dollars – more than any other senator — from ‘health and insurance interests,’ according to the coalition.” Shutting down the noise: “Invoking an argument used by President George W. Bush, the Obama administration has turned down a request from a watchdog group for a list of health industry executives who have visited the White House to discuss the massive healthcare overhaul,” Peter Nicholas writes in the Los Angeles Times. (Flashback to July 2008, via Politico: ” ‘If he were elected president, his inclination would be to be much more transparent than this particular White House has been,’ said Greg Craig, a senior adviser to the Obama campaign. As an example, Craig said the secrecy surrounding Cheney’s energy task force ‘is not in Obama’s DNA,’ and that the Illinois Democrat would never go to such lengths — in Cheney’s case, a Supreme Court fight — to prevent the American people from learning the identities of people with whom their leaders have been meeting.”) If you’re keeping score, Wednesday will bring Senate speech No. 25 on health care for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. — this time emphasizing “the need to get it right rather than rush,” per an aide. From the other side: Democrats are launching a new Web ad, “Playing Politics,” highlighting the Republican strategy to ” ‘kill’ health care reform and ‘break’ the president while millions of Americans struggle under the burden of sky-rocketing health care costs,” per a DNC official. (Featuring Rush Limbaugh, Michael Steele, and senators Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Jim DeMint, R-S.C.) Also Wednesday, at the White House: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki meets with President Obama in the Oval Office. “This is the beginning of a long-lasting, normal bilateral relationship with a sovereign nation of Iraq,” an administration official tells ABC’s Jake Tapper and Sunlen Miller. A big win for the president — and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.: “Senators put the brakes on a controversial effort to buy seven pricey fighter jets with taxpayer money today, avoiding a showdown that had promised to set the stage for President Obama’s first potential veto,” ABC’s Z. Byron Wolf, Luis Martinez and Kate Barrett report. Tweets @SenJohnMcCain (in response to @jaketapper): “the F-22 amendment is a crucial vote on whether we can prevail over the Military Industrial Congressional Complex or not.” “Tuesday’s strong Senate vote to halt production of the F-22 fighter breathes new life into Pentagon procurement reforms and provides a much needed boost for President Barack Obama’s larger change agenda,” Politico’s David Rogers and Jen DiMascio reports.
Next fight up — and pay attention to the name on the amendment: “South Dakota Sen. John Thune will step into the national spotlight today when the Senate votes on his measure that would allow gun owners to carry concealed weapons across state lines,” The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza reports. “The legislation has draw huge attention in recent days — New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg called it a ‘misguided proposal’ on Tuesday — which has amounted to a sort of coming-out party for Thune.” Selling the stimulus: “The White House has dispatched senior aides to give key speeches and is contacting reporters from regional and national newspapers, offering a detailed slide show illustrating the economy’s progress,” The Denver Post’s Michael Riley reports. “In many ways, it is an effort at expectations management. One slide points out that in the past three recessions, job losses continued well after the downturns were officially over.” Over where unemployment has topped 15 percent: “Key White House advisers offered a spirited defense of the $787-billion stimulus bill Tuesday evening, with press secretary Robert Gibbs saying it was always intended to ‘cushion the blow’ of the recession, not solve it outright,” per the Detroit Free Press’ Todd Spangler. “The meeting with regional reporters came as President Barack Obama’s administration is trying to forge ahead on health care reform and beat back accusations from Republican critics that the stimulus legislation — passed by Congress and signed into law in February — has failed to meet expectations and stem job losses.” And: ” . . . the administration is sticking to its prediction that, in the end, the stimulus bill will save or create 3 millon jobs.” You didn’t think she’d go quietly, did you? “An independent investigator has found evidence that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin may have violated ethics laws by accepting private donations to pay her legal debts,” ABC’s Kate Snow and Kristina Wong report. “It’s the latest legal distraction for the former vice presidential candidate as she prepares to leave office this weekend, and one thick with irony — the same vehicle Palin is using to fight ethics charges is now being called a potential ethics violation itself.” “The report obtained by The Associated Press says Palin is securing unwarranted benefits and receiving improper gifts through the Alaska Fund Trust, set up by supporters,” the AP’s Rachel D’Oro reports. “An investigator for the state Personnel Board says in his July 14 report that there is probable cause to believe Palin used or attempted to use her official position for personal gain because she authorized the creation of the trust as her legal defense fund. The practical effect of the ruling on Palin will be more financial than anything else.” First, the Tweet, from @AKGovSarahPalin (will her sign-on change when she leaves office?): “Re inaccurate story floating re:ethics violation/Legal Defense Fund;matter is still pending;new info was just requested even;no final report.” Later, the longer statement from Palin, per the Anchorage Daily News: “I find the notion that I have taken any action pertaining to the legal defense trust fund misguided and factually in error. I am informed that this fund was created by experienced attorneys in DC and was modeled after other similar funds established for senators and others. The fund itself was not created by me nor is it controlled by me. Neither I nor my lawyer has received a penny from this fund, and I am informed the Trustee was withholding any action or payment pending final resolution with the Personnel Board. This is the hallmark of legal compliance and prudent conduct.” Your Sonia Sotomayor news: “Calling her Judiciary Committee testimony ‘evasive, lacking in substance and, in several instances, incredibly misleading,’ Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl said he will vote against Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court,” ABC’s Jan Crawford Greenburg reports. “Kyl, the Senate’s No. 2 Republican, will announce his decision on the Senate floor Wednesday morning. After asking Sotomayor tough questions last week and being clearly dissatisfied by her answers, his decision is not unexpected. It is, however, significant, because it shows the Republican leadership clearly standing firm against Sotomayor — even a Senator from a state with a significant Hispanic population.” The primary that won’t go away: “Rep. Carolyn Maloney is charging full speed ahead with plans to challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, convinced voters won’t hold her use of the N-word against her,” the New York Daily News’ Michael Saul reports. ” ‘There is no impact,’ Maloney’s senior aide Paul Blank insisted. . . . Blank said Maloney will officially announce her Democratic primary campaign against Gillibrand on Monday or Tuesday.”
Also in New York: “Republicans are wasting little time in attacking the leading Democratic candidate to replace outgoing Rep. John McHugh (R-N.Y.), launching television advertisements before McHugh has even resigned his seat,” The Hill’s Reid Wilson writes. “The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has already taken its first shot at state Sen. Darrel Aubertine (D), launching a round of automated calls on Tuesday hitting the first-term state senator for voting in favor of new taxes in the state budget.” New Quinnipiac poll: “Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter’s 2010 reelection lead over Republican challenger Pat Toomey has shrunk to a tie with 45 percent for Specter and 44 percent for Toomey, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. And voters say 49-40 percent that Sen. Specter does not deserve reelection.” (Specter is up 55-23 over Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa., in a primary match-up.)
The Kicker: “I’m going to move on with my life. . . . The question is, Will you? — Gov. Mark Sanford
“I cannot believe that a Frenchman visiting Kiev went back home and told his colleagues he discovered something and didn’t say he discovered the most beautiful women in the world. That’s my observation.” — Vice President Joe Biden, to Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko.
Today on the “Top Line” political Webcast, live at noon ET: Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee; and Ana Marie Cox of Air America. Follow The Note on Twitter: http://twitter.com/thenote For up-to-the-minute political updates check out The Note’s blog . . . all day every day:

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User Comments

The president has every right to fight back against Republican misrepresentations and media lies.

Posted by: matt | July 22, 2009, 8:20 am 8:20 am

The Republicans could care less about Healthcare as usual anything to Help American people Republicans want no part of it. They need to Protect the Insuurance compaines, lobbist, and Special Interest,They can drop billions on wars but when it comes to us their motto is go to H– Any way their only concern right now is tearing down the President and the Democrat congress so they can regain power.Oh and still going on about President Obamas Birth Cert what an Embaressment these Republicans are Cant even read the Presidents Birth cert, no wonder were the Laughing stock of the world. So sick of and fed up with the I dont care about The US Do nothing Republicans.How anyone can support the Party of NO Is beyond me!

Posted by: Angie in PA | July 22, 2009, 8:41 am 8:41 am

Natale from mass
People want nothing to do with goverment huh
Well lets get rid of the Military
Lets get rid of the Post office
Lets get rid of DMV
Lets get rid of Homeland Security
Lets get rid of Medicare for the Elderly
Lets get rid of Schools These are all Goverment run Programs! And if the Republicans dont want Goverment why are they in Goverment?

Posted by: Angie in Pa | July 22, 2009, 8:46 am 8:46 am

President Obama needs to start rattling the cage a lot louder and put the childish Republican party in their place. Yes things are really tough all over, but please give President Obama a chance.

Posted by: mom | July 22, 2009, 8:52 am 8:52 am

Give him a chance? He has had six months. I realize he can’t fix everything right away but things could be a little better which it is not. All this man does is spend, go on tv, talk, whine, threaten, apoligize, and go on tv some more. almost 10% unemployment, rising prices in the grocery store. Something should be better somewhere, it is not.

Posted by: notanobamafan | July 22, 2009, 9:00 am 9:00 am

Why is it just Republicans that are being blamed for the President’s faltering proposal. If every Dem was prepared to vote for it, they have enough votes. It is Democratic opposition to his plan that is keeping it from advancing. The fact is that this is a bad bill. Otherwise, all the members of his Democratic party would be supporting it.

Posted by: Don | July 22, 2009, 9:01 am 9:01 am

Obama’s health care reform is bad for America and you can see it from his falling numbers in the poll. The truth about Obama is surfacing and his “honeymoon” is over. America sees Obama for what he is, an “empty suit with no substance”.

Posted by: dk | July 22, 2009, 9:03 am 9:03 am

Angie in Pa:
You are wrong. Republicans do want health care reform, but not at the expense of bankrupcting America. You are trying to turn this into a continued “war” between the Democrats and Republicans. This is not the case. America cannot stand anymore taxing. Obama has now put our country in debt in the trillions, witha “T” and as the CBO has stated, his healtcare reform could end up costing even more. I know you support Obama, but I think you should step back and see what the country is saying. Obamacare is not what we, America, want. This IS Obama’s “Waterloo”. As dk stated, Obama’s numbers are falling and will continue to plummet. His numbers are lower now that Bush’s were at the same time in office. And now, you see the media stepping back and not supporting Obama because they know America is now distrusting him and his policies.

Posted by: Alex | July 22, 2009, 9:08 am 9:08 am

angie in pa you cant stand it anymore because you know now everyone can see what he is nothing but hot air.and its not all republicans that are against this so are a majority of dem.

Posted by: natale from mass. | July 22, 2009, 9:09 am 9:09 am

I think its interesting that now a LOT of Democrats, Obama’s base, is not supporting Obamacare. Trying to push this bill thru before the August recess is nuts, not giving everyone time to read and scrutinize it. Even Pelosi and Reid are not favoring Obama in this. Looks like the “Pied Piper” is losing his followers on Capital Hill.

Posted by: jogger | July 22, 2009, 9:13 am 9:13 am

Angie in PA
First of all, punctuation marks are a good thing.
More importantly, which of the items you listed are government tools to redistribute wealth? I can’t speak for Natale (who also needs to learn about punctuation) but I am not opposed to “government.” I just want it to stay within its constitutional boundaries. LIMITED government is not the same thing as NO government. With regard to the health care debate, my greatest resistance to it is the massive expansion of government control over my life. I prefer freedom.

Posted by: Don | July 22, 2009, 9:14 am 9:14 am

Thank you, ABC, for posting the facts about Obama and what he is actually trying to do to America. I see the tide turning and you are no longer in the “tank” for Obama. Continue to be “fair and unbiased” in your reporting.

Posted by: dk | July 22, 2009, 9:15 am 9:15 am

Obama never addresses the causes of health care’s high cost. He doesn’t want you to know that at the root of the problem is the government. MEDICARE/MEDICAID are bankrupt and the fraud exceeds $100B/yr. He refuses to address tort reform so we all pay the outrageous malpractice insurance rates. Obama is about power and adding another entitlement program to buy a block of votes is what he is about. It has become obvious now that POWER is his game. He reminds me of the deposed Honduran dictator.

Posted by: Byron | July 22, 2009, 9:16 am 9:16 am

Many feel he should get pushy that he is too docile to his party. I think a little nudge now and then will make these democrats think. They wanted a popular president and they have one but as democrats usually do, they kick themselves in the rear. Let’s see if they do it again this time. I hope not, as we need a health care reform and he is the only president willing to take the guff that it will take to get it done. Instead of worrying about their own elections, they should support the president they wanted. Many things need to be ironed out but to not back him is the wrong way to go.

Posted by: talmag | July 22, 2009, 9:16 am 9:16 am

President Obama is not standing alone. We’ll be standing in line to replace any democrat with a real democrat coming the 2010 elections. It’s time to fix health care. Even if it does not come about this round it will not be a total loss. We’ll clean up our ranks.

Posted by: rightbehind | July 22, 2009, 9:17 am 9:17 am

This “plan” is way to crazy. Obama doesnt want real reform of healthcare. He just wants everyone to accept his plan. If he wanted real reform then other ideas would be considered from both sides. This plan cost way too much and to only tax a certian group of people for it is stupid. Why should one group of people pay for a whole country’s healthcare? Why, b/c Obama doesnt believe that people should be successful w/o paying for it. Obama’s healthcare plan will ruin us all. If you are over 65 forget any coverage for anything from a broken arm to a by-pass surgery. Obama will get to choose who lives and dies…If my child were to break his arm under Obama’s plan we would have to wait in a waiting room 8 or more hours just to have a dr set it and cast it. While our healthcare is not good now, his plan is NOT any better!

Posted by: LIFE | July 22, 2009, 9:20 am 9:20 am

Byron, Well put, and with that power (he is a very dangerous man) he will create a new “class” of government dependent people who will never get out of that cycle, womb to tomb for generations and generations we who do produce and earn will be suckling the parasites.

Posted by: CWG | July 22, 2009, 9:24 am 9:24 am

I think if President Obama doesn’t hit the perverbial “ball” out of the park tonite in his speech, his health care reform bill will be toast and he will continue to lose the faith of Americans even more quickly than he is now. I agree with the comments posted here, it seems that Obama’s policies are all about what HE can push thru for his own power benefit, not for whats best for America.

Posted by: TimeTrial | July 22, 2009, 9:25 am 9:25 am

No one should be surprised at how the Republicans are attacking President Obama and his agenda. Had the Republican party truly cared about the American people, there would never had been a need for a stimulus package, or the need to restore our image throughout the world. As for healthcare reform yes we need it, and I’m proud we have a President who cares enough to say that ALL AMERICANS should have health care. Lets not forget the KATRINA VICTIMS AND HOW THE REPUBLICANS HANDLED THAT SITUATION. ENOUGH SAID

Posted by: trish | July 22, 2009, 9:27 am 9:27 am

Repubs are laughable! Angie is right, all repubs do is tear down and destroy. They do not want health care because it will take away from funding wars. If they did want healthcare, where is the plan? Answer: they don’t have one because they are too busy tearing down Obama. Listen up neocons, healthcare will pass with or without your blessing. The votes are there to pass it. You do have the option to move to Russia. I suggest you pack up the u-haul. See how that works out for you!

Posted by: Had it with repubs | July 22, 2009, 9:27 am 9:27 am

Will he get pushy, are you a moron writing this story. What has he done to date? He has bullied his thug way through every issue with out any transparency or discussion. By his own admission he does not even know what’s in the bill.

Posted by: stratabuse | July 22, 2009, 9:29 am 9:29 am

“The votes are there to pass it”…what planet are you living on…even many of the Democrats are against Obama’s health care……lol

Posted by: Maria | July 22, 2009, 9:29 am 9:29 am

TimeTrial—I hope he strikes out. Reform is needed…just not what he is proposing and not getting it rammed down our throats. Take some time, develop a reasonable plan and under no circumstances offer health care to illegal aliens or their anchor babies.

Posted by: NOGOBAMA | July 22, 2009, 9:29 am 9:29 am

His health Sec was pounced on yesterday at a townhall meeting and she did not know how to repsond. His energy sec was laughed at at his townhall meeting yesterday and he did not know how to respond. And today I see Obamas popularity is down again. I guess the yes we canneers are waking up.

Posted by: Jim Rod | July 22, 2009, 9:31 am 9:31 am

Demos are laughable. Angie is wrong, it’s the Demos that are now tearing down and destroying. Obama care means rationed care and it will bankrupt the country.

Posted by: Had it with Demos | July 22, 2009, 9:35 am 9:35 am

Obama does not represent. He has, of course, created 2 billion jobs, and his administration is transparently obtuse.

Posted by: flopez | July 22, 2009, 9:37 am 9:37 am

As a Democrat, I have to say that when I voted for Barack Obama, it was on the platform of “hope and change”. I don’t know what happened to him, but it seems he has let me and millions of other Democrats down. I fear for my future in America and for that of my children. I honestly believe President Obama is leading our country to Socialism. This is scary, very scary. If I could, I would retract my vote for him, as do many others feel the same way. He has let me down, let the country down, and now the Democrats are imploding and self destructing. Its not the Republicans doing it, its the Democrats themselves. Much like what happened when Clinton was President. Obama and his policies are a disgrace. I have the right to say this because I’m an American and because, unfortunately, I voted for Obama.

Posted by: Bill | July 22, 2009, 9:40 am 9:40 am

Bill……..I commend your honesty here, many people did the same thing (I did not) but you and they are seeing that rhetoric will not save our great nation! We all need to stop this insanity and somehow manage to survive until 2010-2012. Thank you for being so honest!

Posted by: CWG | July 22, 2009, 9:43 am 9:43 am

trish and had it with repubs listen i have great insurance i pay about three hundred a month i dont find that bad at all my husbands plumbing partner pays ut of their pocket about thousand dollars a month they dont have a problem with it either and were both regular middle class so no were all not crying save me mr.president save me

Posted by: natale from mass. | July 22, 2009, 9:46 am 9:46 am

So many people are making statements about the features of a healthcare reform bill. There is no bill. There’s a lot of speculation and ideas and objections being thrown around about reform, but there is no bill. Even our president is selling a bill that doesn’t exist. He’s selling concepts as if they were reality. He’s selling hot air again.

Posted by: mmonroeliveson | July 22, 2009, 9:49 am 9:49 am

I pray for America during this time.

Posted by: StuartLittle | July 22, 2009, 9:53 am 9:53 am

Angie, It’s interesting you left out social security, medicaid and the IRS when you were touting the virtues of government run programs.

Posted by: mmonroeliveson | July 22, 2009, 9:56 am 9:56 am

Posted by: dk | July 22, 2009, 9:59 am 9:59 am

So the Democrats are still saying the Republicans are holding us back…. How long have the Democrats had control of Congress???? They can pass a bill whenever they please. Quite simply, Obama’s plan is more harmful than good and even the Democrats know it otherwise it would have passed by now.
Also, do some research for yourself to determine how much the average American will save from the amount of money it will cost…..

Posted by: mjc2179 | July 22, 2009, 10:00 am 10:00 am

Natale: yep, you won’t have a problem with your insurance as long as you are healthy. God forbid you get a chronic illness because they will drop you!

Posted by: earlybird | July 22, 2009, 10:00 am 10:00 am

To the Republicans on Board responding to me so its ok with you that Republicans dropped billions of dollars in Iraq to kill people but dont want to spend money on Healthcare to save people? oh and Obama alone got us into a trillon dollars debt in 6 months LAUGHABLE! Bushes wars and Bailouts to Wall St were mighty Expensive, And the Only reason The Presidents polls are slipping in Healthcare is because the Republicans are fear mongering, Just like Iraq and WMDS!

Posted by: Angie in Pa | July 22, 2009, 10:10 am 10:10 am

Posted by: trish | Jul 22, 2009 9:27:01 AM and Posted by: Had it with repubs | Jul 22, 2009 9:27:18 AM—all politics aside….please explain to me in great detail how the complete overhaul of the healthcare system is going to be paid for? Please cite specific examples from the bill Im sure you have read. Also if this bill is so importatnt to obama how come he got caught on radio yesterday and I quote…I am not familiar with that portion of the bill. It extremely laughable. I look forward to your response.

Posted by: jmw1824 | July 22, 2009, 10:13 am 10:13 am

Angie in Pa….
You’re wrong. The reason why Obama’s numbers are slipping is because America has woke up and realize that he is an “empty suit with no substance”. Sorry, but you, too, need to WAKE UP and realize what Obama is doing to our country. The Obamaberry Koolaid has lost its flavor!

Posted by: TomJones | July 22, 2009, 10:14 am 10:14 am

impeach obama

Posted by: RAMBOW99 | July 22, 2009, 10:15 am 10:15 am

Obama is from Chicago. They take no prisoners there.

Posted by: afloatinasea | July 22, 2009, 10:23 am 10:23 am

no early bird sorry wrong again my husband has coltis no cure for this has to take medicine for the rest of his life one bottle cost about 300.00 for 180count has to see the specialist every 3 to 6 months funny not dropping us he also has asthma oh yeah and lyme disease when you get it once you always have it. nope still have health insurance those nasty people let us keep it going strong 13 years of insurance nasty insurance companys arent that lol

Posted by: natale from mass. | July 22, 2009, 10:26 am 10:26 am

Why is it just Republicans that are being blamed for the President’s faltering proposal >>>> Because they want to DIVIDE the nation. They want to blame a GROUP and create an image Republican Bad. Its a lie and its cheap. There are good and BAD in both parties. This is what they DONT want you to know. There are MANY bad democrats and many good ones. BUT thats to complex for the morons in the American electorate since they are more interested in the latest version of star search. The party people that do this are sad and pathetic.

Posted by: ChicagoBob | July 22, 2009, 10:26 am 10:26 am

Impeach Obama now why he hasnt Broke any Laws? unlike Bush if they Didnt impeach Bush for the Corrupt things he did they aint Impeaching Obama but your ok with all Bushes lies,Wmds Bank Bailouts pluuuze you republicans are laughable

Posted by: Angie in Pa | July 22, 2009, 10:28 am 10:28 am

Well Chicago Bob thanks to you Republicans we ended up with the Worst President in history so far for 8 years he did nothing for this country but nearly bankrupt it!

Posted by: Angie in Pa | July 22, 2009, 10:31 am 10:31 am

Obamas current Health Care Ream is a disaster. If he wanted to do this right he would clear his plate first. Cap and Trade is FAR reaching and TOO large for it not to be debated with true transparency. Rammed congress through NO transparency. HOPE it can be crushed by the senate.
Then the STIMULUS Rammed THROUGH NO transparency.
AND now health care he is trying to RAM through WHERE IS THE Transparency???
People they are not even reading what they are voting for. ITS INSANE and WAY out of control. Government is meant to be SLOW so there are less mistakes.

Posted by: ChicagoBob | July 22, 2009, 10:31 am 10:31 am

Now the CBO director is being arm twisted by Obama. WOW now thats news.

Posted by: ChicagoBob | July 22, 2009, 10:32 am 10:32 am

I read where a reporter ask Pres. Obama about something in the healthcare bill and Obama, said, “I’m not familiar with that part.” What? He doesn’t even know for sure what is in it. He’s been told to get it passed so he’s doing his job. You all must realize that Obama is just a puppet doing what the boys in the backroom tell him to do. Our healthcare system right now does need a facelife – but I think curtailing high costs from Drs (not rediculous though) and the high cost of pharmaceuticals would be a help. I personally think that’s about it….$1400 for two prescriptions? What’s with that? And this is for 30 days. An office visit $175.00? for 3 minutes? I don’t see it. Sure the guys work hard for their education and give them theirs but not at one time.
Back to government – if they put the healthcare through be sure it covers ALL of us – includes, Kennedy, Obama, his family all the Senate and Demos. They also need to be on our Social Security plan and term limit….

Posted by: artinthewild | July 22, 2009, 10:33 am 10:33 am

We have a $700 billion spending program (TARP) that’s being run under the philosophy of don’t ask, don’t tell, but latest estimates say the total potential federal government support could reach up to $23.7 trillion.
The same government that botched TARP expects us to believe it can manage health care as a revenue neutral program. Is medicare revenue neutral, did it work as planned? Has the government ever planned anything that worked as planned?
Isn’t cap and trade built upon a pack of lies, deceptions and pseudo-science? Who believes it isn’t going to cost us our prosperity?
Aren’t we still paying for a National Helium Reserve that was established to fight WWII with dirigibles? I am afraid our government is not bright enough to do anything but fleece the taxpayer, and we seem dumb enough to let it do it.

Posted by: Ed Taylor | July 22, 2009, 10:33 am 10:33 am

Angie in PA ..You must be desperate uninsured welfare recipient. Do you have any idea what this plan is all about ? Why everyone speaks without even read the fine print ?? I know that the same people the Democratic Congress put in place to tell the costs said that it was too expensive and will drive the cost of healthcare even more. It is not about democrats or Republicans is about how this plan will affect my family and my future.Pelosi and her clowns have the entire plans undercovered. Obama , the Mesiah, does not even have a clue what the plan is, showing of course his lack of leadership. This is not a little chunk of money, no sir, this is a big gamble and the democrats are going to hang themselves and take our country to the deepest hole ever. I’m very disappointed whit the direction this administration is taking us.

Posted by: Frank | July 22, 2009, 10:35 am 10:35 am

Some posters here are speaking of fear mongers. Isn’t this whole concept of healthcare reform being pushed as a crisis that must be pushed through or else we’ll…….what? The conservative Democrats are what????fear mongering as well? Resistance to knee jerk reaction is not fear mongering. For once in our lives there are elected people looking out for us as they proceed cautiously toward something that will work without breaking us. This reform idea is a major undertaking that will require our politicians to have enough gumption to enforce our immigration laws, reform tort law, and challenge the biggest lobby in America, that of the insurance industry, if there are to be viable solutions. Throwing money at this problem will only exacerbate the problem. The costs of production as well as the costs of delivery of services must be reduced. The propensity of people to be drawn toward the free product must likewise be hedged against. Available healthcare is denied to only an extremely small percentage of the overall population. Those who now have insurance need an expense break, too. The idea of reform is popular but the cost of free medical care without reform is unacceptable. There’s a ton of money falling into a dark hole that leads to the pockets of litigation attorneys and insurance company employees and stockholders. What ever happened to the healthcare field being one of mercy and benevolence. That’s what we enjoyed in the 1950′s, which proves it can be done. The damage instilled by years of greed just needs to be reversed.

Posted by: mmonroeliveson | July 22, 2009, 10:36 am 10:36 am

….gawd, our President is outdoing Regis for the number of shows he’e on, isn’t he? Why doesn’t he quit the cat and mouse game he is playing by simply stating what he would like to see in health care reform legislation, or is he advocating yet another vote it in, then print it and distribute it to Congress sham? I would suggest that our two Congressional “Leaders” lock up the two houses so there is n o escape for the weekends, understand the problem and d i s c u s s alternatives…..then, dammit, legislate for a nice change. As for Mr. Obama, keep it brief, cite your “mysterious sources,” of course who are thwarting you ….after all, look at the great legislative record you piled up !….but make it quick, we all want to see Susan Boyle tonight.

Posted by: justj joey | July 22, 2009, 10:42 am 10:42 am

What scares me is that they keep talking about these government “approved” plans that so far as I can ascertain, have not been developed…can’t we at least be presented with a working model of how this will work? It makes no sense to pass something and then figure out how to make it work! Get rid of the lawyers and malpractice suits and costs will go down in a blink of the eye!

Posted by: CWG | July 22, 2009, 10:45 am 10:45 am

GET PUSHY!!!!!!He’s been pushy—the only reason he wants it is not for the people, he wants to be the one that got it passed when others failed. Others failed for a reason and we better hope he fails too, I’m sick of him throwing money away like it’s water. America is broke thanks to him !!!!

Posted by: countrygirl_74 | July 22, 2009, 11:00 am 11:00 am

Frank
Not that its any of your Business But im not a desperate Welfare Recipent, why do you say that Because I support President Obama? Why would you attack My Character like that? oh wait your a Republican thats what you guys do best Attack Just listen to your talking points Meshia,Clowns,REPUBLICAN TALKING POINTS No constructive debate with Republicans Just attacks!

Posted by: Angie in Pa | July 22, 2009, 11:00 am 11:00 am

I do not understand what this administrations rush is to push through a half backed health care reform plan. I do not have faith in our current legislators(Dems, repubs etc.) that they can pass anything that is good in a quick manner. It seems like this is becoming another stimulus package, let’s pass something so we can say we did it. Everyone needs to slow down and think this through thoroughly. We do not need another half-baked plan pushed through so everyone can pat themselves on their backs and stick the the average joe with something useless.

Posted by: NoSpin1600 | July 22, 2009, 11:01 am 11:01 am

Obama is about Power. He lied about the stimulus package, he lied about Cap and Tax, and now he is lying about Health care. He refuses to address tort reform and is presiding over a corrupt and fraud ridden governemnt run program called MEDICARE. If he would do something about those items, we wouldn’t have run away health care costs. People, we made a huge mistake electing Obama and now we are going to have to fix it.

Posted by: Byron | July 22, 2009, 11:01 am 11:01 am

You people are too funny! All of you bickering over something you can’t control. One person writing a nasty post and someone else or a whole lot of you pouncing with even nastier remarks and feeling superior about your great put down skills when all you are is a bunch of scared little cowards hiding behind a monitor. I wager that most of you would not say all those nasty things if you were face to face with the person you are responding to. Get a life!

Posted by: next | July 22, 2009, 11:03 am 11:03 am

After reader much of these comments some of you really need to get a grip and look past your party affiliation and see things for what they are. This health care reform is a major piece of legislation and should not be rushed. Both sides need to come together and work out what is best for the American people and our businesses. We can not enact legislation that will force people out of business or force others to accept a lower healthcare plan because their company no longer can afford to provide the coverage they currently receive. The Dems do not have all the answers nor do the Republicans. This will only succeed if everyone can put their petty differences aside and do what’s right…. but I know that is asking to much and eventually we, the tax payers, will be stuck paying for what ever half-assed bill gets rushed through.

Posted by: Nospin1600 | July 22, 2009, 11:08 am 11:08 am

“Had it with repubs”,
Nobody will be able to move to Russia if this health care bill passes because they won’t be able to afford it. I’m glad you will enjoy paying 40 to 57 percent of your income to pay for health care for people who don’t want to get off their butt and get a job. Anybody that supports this plan is a buffoon because it will drive this country into the ground. We are already in a recession/depression, this bill will destroy this country.

Posted by: Obama is an idiot | July 22, 2009, 11:12 am 11:12 am

As a side note to Trish: Enough already with your juvenile analysis of Katrina. The only reason why that city had the trouble it had was because of the incompetence of the man who was supposed to be running it, nothing else. He waited until less than 24 hours before the storm hit to call a mandatory evacuation. Anyone who lives in hurricane territory knows you don’t wait that long!
Instead of trying to overhaul the ENTIRE healthcare system, maybe they should just concentrate on helping those who have no health insurance to get some. I read somewhere that of those who had no health insurance: the first 1/3 were people who made over $50,000 a year, the second 1/3 were people who were eligible for Medicare/Medicaid, and 20% of the last 1/3 were illegal aliens. Concentrate on the remaining 80% of the last 1/3 and there’s your “healthcare reform.” I don’t want government run healthcare and I can tell you right now, neither do any of you! The old saying of, “The grass isn’t always greener on the other side,” rings true in this case. If you don’t believe me, take a trip to Canada and just try to get a doctor’s appointment or a blood test done in the amount of time you would get one here. I dare you!

Posted by: sickandtiredofDC | July 22, 2009, 11:16 am 11:16 am

The president has every right to fight back against Republican misrepresentations and media lies.
posted by: matt |
————————————-
…and we have the right to point out when the President full of it as well !
No details, Only promises that have no basis for existance!
HR3200 just passes the buck on ALL the real waork to the Sec of Health & Human Services!

Posted by: Mike_C | July 22, 2009, 11:19 am 11:19 am

“and win back some of the public urgency the president talks so much about.”
The only thing the public is urgent about is stopping this out of control CHICAGO THUG from spending us into bankrupcy and totally destroying our economy.
Only a complete FOOL would trust the federal government to TOUCH our health care. Name anything they do that isn’t a gigantic money pit!!!!!!

Posted by: Riteaidbob | July 22, 2009, 11:24 am 11:24 am

The Republicans could care less about Healthcare as usual anything to Help American people
LOL, Angie…take a look at the polls!!!
The PEOPLE are waking up! This is the exact reason why Obama has been shoving this thing so hard!
As we get to examine it, the American People realize that HR-3200 is just a big load of crap! Nothing more than a BS guideline. All the real tough decision & choices are tossed over to the Sec. of Health & Human Services.
LOL…maybe just maybe in 18 months after signing it we might just get the intial details of any “real” plan.

Posted by: Mike_C | July 22, 2009, 11:24 am 11:24 am

From David Limbaugh “The most important thing to understand about the Democrats’ domestic agenda is that they care more about establishing government control over our lives than they do about the stated policy goals of their proposals. It’s true of their fraudulently named stimulus packages, their cap-and-tax scheme and especially their universal health care plans. With all of these programs and more, their driving aim is not only to acquire power for the sake of acquiring it but also to use government to impose their values on us and, effectively, destroy our personal liberties. The subject of liberty — the very impetus for the founding of this nation — is rarely mentioned in the public debate.”
Wake up…we will be a welfare dependent nation! To those already there, they say “what’s the big deal?” To those of us who produce and love this country, I say “Everything”

Posted by: CWG | July 22, 2009, 11:26 am 11:26 am

sickandtiredofDC—–The only quick medical care in Canada is if you can either bark or meow…animals get quick tests and treatment…and guess what? That is private care! Go figger!

Posted by: CWG | July 22, 2009, 11:29 am 11:29 am

Angie is just another whining liberal who just loves to throw out her BS view of the past.
She doesn’t care that this bill creates absolutely NOTHING other than more bureaucratic BS. It does not give us a health plan. It is 1000+ pages of a “guide”. If your anyone out there who has health insurance, you have NO idea what this plan is going to be compared to what you have.
If you don’t have insurance, you have NO idea what this thing will cost you to purchase, OR what it is that your buying. ZERO DETAILS!
That is why the American people now are saying no to this plan!
As ALWAYS, Liberals don’t lie, They just forget the TRUTH!

Posted by: Mike_C | July 22, 2009, 11:36 am 11:36 am

He needs to get pushy.
Overall, how you respond to health insurance reform has to do with how you see the future. If you believe you could (and probably will) lose your job or health insurance if you (or your family) get an expensive illness, you will probably support a public option health care plan.
If you believe your health insurance is so good you will never lose it or your job because you or your family contract an expensive illness, then you can afford to wait. (That’s the kind of health insurance congress has.)
It all comes down to how much you trust the health insurance companies.
I don’t trust the health insurance companies. They will cut me off if I get sick. I want to know that there will always be affordable insurance I can buy and that the insurance won’t be cut off if I or my family face expensive illness. I favor a public option plan.

Posted by: JAB | July 22, 2009, 11:39 am 11:39 am

We tried to tell people that this man was not good for the country. How is all the “change” working for you now?

Posted by: mj | July 22, 2009, 11:46 am 11:46 am

Obama is employing his usual tactics and attempting to intimidate the Director of the CBO. His socialist/communist health care plan must be stopped lest it destroy the Republic.

Posted by: rplat | July 22, 2009, 11:55 am 11:55 am

The debate drags on because Americans see it as a debate about health care and health insurance, but the Republican congressional members and their industry friends see it as a debate about breaking President Obama.

Posted by: pas | July 22, 2009, 11:59 am 11:59 am

The healthcare debate and its complete lack of intellectual underpinnings is outrageous. The disinformation experts heavily funded by pharma, insurance, and all of the other pigs at the monetary trough lie on with impunity. Mainstream media is all too happy to convey these lies in the name of entertaining, allowing these handsomely funded con artists to deceive Americans into thinking they really don’t want any change from this broken system. I heard Mr. Steele claim that under the new plan the government could deny hip replacement surgery to an 85 year old. The media facilitator was too dull to even point out the obvious–the 85 year old is already on Medicare. And, I have never met someone over 65 who wants to give up his medicare.
Republican strategists deviously declare this is Obama’s Waterloo while playing Russian Roulette with American lives. If the corporate backed minority succeeds in blocking any reform, or watering down the bill to the point where it is essentially worthless, it will mark the final nail in the coffin of what we call democracy. It will once and for all prove that American democracy is dead and that the national interests are controlled solely by corporate interests who can torture the message on any subject to gain compliance from a well-financed legislature and sleeping public.
The issue is very simple–do we want to join the Nations who have already implemented a national healthcare system, or remain in the stone age of health delivery? We provide public financing for schools, roads, fire protection, police, and a myriad of other societal needs, yet cry out it is socialism to take care of our bodies. Wake up America, the naysayers are conning us and it is time we take back the keys to our Country from these villains.

Posted by: Scott in WI | July 22, 2009, 12:03 pm 12:03 pm

The Democrats know that if they can take over healthcare and get you dependent on a government system largely supported by them, people will be more likely to vote Democrat to keep the system in place.
The problem is that smart responsible people are getting in the way. That’s why they’re trying to ram this thing before the end of summer. They know that people are going to think twice about a 1.5 trillion dollar government bereaucracy during election season.
If you think about it, only 4% of Americans are genuinely uninsured if you take out the illegal aliens. Does it make sense to spend 1.5 trillion dollars, put huge tax burdens and mandates on people that are providing 75% of jobs in this country, and take away the freedom to choose whether to have insurance for a system that works for 96% of Americans?
Also, why the rush? If this plan is so grand, it would certainly survive election season when it’s put up to scrutiny. Pushing something out of fear of accounability is cowardly.

Posted by: Michael | July 22, 2009, 12:03 pm 12:03 pm

What would it take to have the influential people in Washington put aside their petty, partisan differences and, for once, concentrate on what needs to be done, develop a plan for achiving same and then explain to the American people how an affordable health care plan will be in their best interests? Cooperation seems to have been long forgotten, and look at the price America is paying. Two wars without an exit plan, unemployment rising, states are broke and cannot help but raise taxes/cut services and those in our federal government do not seem capable of exercising restraint and making their influence pay dividends. It has been said that the designers of our government were geniuses who made our system easy enough for idiots to run . . . Come on idiots, get it together!!! The whole mess is sickening.

Posted by: clever bob | July 22, 2009, 12:03 pm 12:03 pm

The problem is not doctors and hospitals; our poor quality of care comes from insurers and actuaries dictating treatment. That treatment is based on profit rather than keeping us healthy. We have to end the practice of profit driven health care. Our health insurance is killing us by denying the best possible treatment.

Posted by: anthony | July 22, 2009, 12:05 pm 12:05 pm

mom; Silly Republicans. Senator Richard Burr has an alternate healthcare reform plan that would be another option but you don’t hear about this much because the silly Democrats don’t want it well published that a Republican would have a better idea then they have.The Democrats can’t even agree on Healthcare which tells me that this is an EXTREMELY BAD! idea. Things are tough all over but we would make them worse if we started socialized medicine. Put any pretty label you want but it’s still socialized medicine.

Posted by: john | July 22, 2009, 12:09 pm 12:09 pm

The GOP, with their exhausting rhetoric are attempting to link healthcare reform with the President’s economic stimulus package. This tactic succeeds in firing up the base republicans–that’s what they do best.
A properly constructed single payor plan resolves the core problems. Unfortunately, misinformed and financially self-interested potential stakeholders are blocking this option.

Posted by: gus amaral | July 22, 2009, 12:17 pm 12:17 pm

Everyone knows we need health care reform and everyone (except the foolishly partisan folks wearing blinders) knows that over the past few years, there have been a number of good proposals made by both democrats and republicans (in fact, when Obama was a senator, he rejected many of those proposals), so I want to know why he is so enthusiastic about THIS bill when he could not support any other proposal. This proposal strips American freedoms while making the insurance companies big and powerful. I remember the days when we used to say that the insurance companies were the problem with health care — now they are the solution? Why?

Posted by: Silly girl | July 22, 2009, 12:21 pm 12:21 pm

Health care is 17% of our national GDP. Insurance companies and pharmaceuticals are abusing it. It is time we change this. Unfortunately our congress is bought and sold by the health care industry. Senator Baucus who is chairing the finance Committee is reported to have received 1.5 million from health care insurance companies. He is in their pocket. So are hundreds of others in Congress and Senate. The nay-slayer Republicans are on the dole and that is why they have been against health care reform for the past 60 years. It is time that the average American recognized that a Government sponsored health care option would focus on PAYING medical claims. All private insurers focus on DENYING medical claims. That is the primary difference between these two options.

Posted by: smithj748 | July 22, 2009, 12:24 pm 12:24 pm

Given that Health care/pharma/insurance companies are spending over a million dollars a day to defeat this, I wouldn’t be surprised if they had an internet squad ready to comment on any major news article with the typical bad-faith arguments: The spectre of rationing, no “choice”, providing health care will kill jobs, etc. I think most people see through this. My husband and I made less than 45k last year combined, and we spend $10,600 to cover our health care costs ($550/mo plus $4000 deductible). This is criminal and it’s got to end. By the way – we are healthy, in our early thirties with no major illnesses and no children.
We already ration health care, people. We already get denied treatment. We already have to fill out reams and reams of paperwork for the most basic stuff. But it’s all for profit, to support a big business. With a government plan, the profit motive is removed and we might actually begin to get the care we *all* need.

Posted by: Really? | July 22, 2009, 12:26 pm 12:26 pm

preventative outpatient health care is far more cost effective than the current for-profit insurance-big pharma system which actually profits from keeping citizens sick with chronic illness that could have been prevented. The current system drives up over-all costs for the many while a few make obscene profits.
A huge segment of the population (including children) is rapidly moving toward full-blown metabolic syndrome (which includes diabetes and heart disease) as an end result of not having early primary care intervention in the lesser medical problems leading to that larger chronic multi-faceted illness. The current system is all about “managing” chronic illness rather than prevent it.
To say we can’t afford reform is absurd. We are already paying more in those hidden costs and getting less in actual health benefit.

Posted by: aileen171 | July 22, 2009, 12:28 pm 12:28 pm

“A properly constructed single payor plan resolves the core problems. ”
Care to enlighten us on HOW it would be constructed & HOW it will actually control costs?

Posted by: Mike_C | July 22, 2009, 12:28 pm 12:28 pm

Cant you see that the health industry owns this country?

Posted by: ER | July 22, 2009, 12:30 pm 12:30 pm

This is crazy he needs to slow down.

Posted by: Jane | July 22, 2009, 12:30 pm 12:30 pm

We have about 60 million uninsured and who knows how many underinsured.
Other countries are much more successfull and cover everybody, because they don`t have for profit insurance companies that pay their executives $ 24 millions a year.
In France That amount would buy health care coverage for 24 000 people.
In France that executive would be making no more than $ 80 000 a year .
Most of the health care money here is spend on salaries,that are two to ten times higher than in other countries.
We need a single payer system .Doctors would be on fixed salaries.Their concern should be patient health.They shouldn`t worry about paying office rent,or nurse salaries,or malpractice insurance.
Nobody should be getting rich on misery ,pain and suffering of their country man.

Posted by: bob, n.y. | July 22, 2009, 12:32 pm 12:32 pm

HE (OBAMA) DOESN’T EVEN KNOW WHAT IS ALL IN THIS HEALTH BILL (PORK). IT IS A REAL SHAME THAT WE WILL BE BROKE AFTE THIS ADMINISTRATION IS DONE IN FOUR YEARS. YOU KNOW THE GOV AS WE KNEW IT HAS GOTTEN TWICE AS LAGER WITH THIS IDIOT SINCE HE GOT TO WASHINTON. THE PAST ADMIN, HAD 21 LAWYERS ON PAY-ROLL, THIS ADMIN. HAS ALREADY HIRED 42. WASTE OF OUR $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Posted by: REY | July 22, 2009, 12:32 pm 12:32 pm

Older people will be locked out. I wonder if Senator Kennedy would be okay if he was told he was just to old for treatment.

Posted by: Jane | July 22, 2009, 12:33 pm 12:33 pm

WHEN ASKED ABOUT A SPECIFIC QUESTION ABOUT COVERAGE IN THE BILL HE ADVISED THE PERSON HE DID NOT KNOW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT. BUT YET IS IN THE BILL HE IS TRYING TO PASS. HE DOESN’T EVENE KNOW WHAT IS IN THE BILL AND IS TRYING TO GET IT PASSED…..WHAT A LOSER……..WE ARE DOING TO MUCH AT ONE TIME, BUT THAT IS THE DEM WAY….TAX AND SPEND….$$$$THROWING MONEY AT A PROBLEM IS NOT GOING TO SOLVE IT, WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO PAY FOR WHAT IS ABOUT TO GET PASSED, CALL YOU CONGRESS MAN, SENATOR AND TELL THEM NOT TO VOTE FOR THIS BILL…….

Posted by: REY | July 22, 2009, 12:37 pm 12:37 pm

Had it with repubs,
You are clearly upside down in your argument. What the current administration is doing is tearing everything down. They are taking all power away from the American people and putting it in the hands of the federal gov. The fact that our healthcare system needs reform does not constitute a mandate to destroy it! It works for the majority. The repubs need to come up with an alternative that helps to cover those who cannot get insurance under the current methods, or at the very least find ways to make healthcare more affordable across the board. We don’t need the option to move to Russia. If Obama gets his way we will already be living there!

Posted by: luigicorelli | July 22, 2009, 12:40 pm 12:40 pm

Do you see the logic? The president and the democrats are saying, “If you let us spend just a little more of your money, then we’ll have the power to make everyone happy.”
I agree with the republicans. It doesn’t make sense to spend trillions of dollars to overhaul a system that already works for 96% of americans.
It’s especially obscene for the government to enter the free market and deliberately undercut an already competitive industry in an attempt to control costs.
Healthcare is expensive. That’s true, but this supply of older baby boomers has created a huge demand for medical technology and drug innovation. We’re now the world standard for medical technology.

Posted by: Michael | July 22, 2009, 12:41 pm 12:41 pm

New research just out, “The (IRS) subsidy for the highest income families is three times the subsidy for families earning less than $20,000.”
Is this how Repubs spell fairness?
Jimmy Mac

Posted by: jmczzz | July 22, 2009, 12:42 pm 12:42 pm

Scott in WI –My answer is no I do not want government health care like Europe or Canada…I do NOT want to pay for health care for those here illegally…let their own d***m country take them back.

Posted by: CWG | July 22, 2009, 12:43 pm 12:43 pm

Silly girl; You’re baiting us. You know he supports healthcare reform now but opposed it while the Republicans were at the helm because he wants the credit. It’s a political issue. It will be nothing less or more than a government takeover that costs the people of America a ton of money and we’ll get nothing more than we get now out of the so called reform. This way he alone gets the credit. Let’s not forget that in 2012.

Posted by: mmonroeliveson | July 22, 2009, 12:43 pm 12:43 pm

So who asks their lawyer when it is time to purchase a car, or buy groceries? So why does Congress and our Lawyer president think we should let them decide when, how and how much we should be paying for OUR healthcare!!!
It is the lawyers who got us inflated prices!!!

Posted by: Dan in Missouri | July 22, 2009, 12:43 pm 12:43 pm

If this healthcare bill passes, it will be an endorsement of war on the elderly and the weak who will have no voice or recourse. Socialized medicine exists only to use delay tactics to kill off those who need the care the most.
This is the reality of what Obama and his friends are touting. If you are 50 or over, this is the harsh reality and this is why we want to know what is in this bill before it rushes through Congress… Is it too much to ask that we engage in a true debate rather than slick car-salesman rush jobs like what is being spoon fed to us?

Posted by: Jon | July 22, 2009, 12:44 pm 12:44 pm

Obama is finally being looked at with some scrutiny and it’s way past time! He has already sent us into massive debt and has lied about his plans for our country. The Blue Dog Dems should be applauded for daring to question this bully of a so called president.

Posted by: Ben | July 22, 2009, 12:46 pm 12:46 pm

The president has every right to fight back against Republican misrepresentations<<<< How about Democrats that ARE NOT FOR THIS BOGUS BILL? You dont like the facts that this bill is insane and FIXES NOTHING

Posted by: ChicagBob | July 22, 2009, 12:46 pm 12:46 pm

DeMint doesn’t understand Karma. What he said will come back to him and he will be “Waterlooed” instead. Also, we don’t hear DeMint asking for a full audit on all health care agencies including pharmaceutical firms and companies, and all physicians and medical staff. We need a full account of their billings, profits, their record keeping, their medication audits of inventories who they went to and for why?, and just a full audit without any Republican or Democrat, or any lobbyist period involved. This can be done by organizations that are non biased and can be done within 30 days in all 50 states. The report will be made public and let’s see what DeMint has to say them. The evidence of Republican involvement of profits made by lobbyist’s help will be crucifying to DeMint and his repulsive party.

Posted by: Elle | July 22, 2009, 12:47 pm 12:47 pm

Obama HAS NOT EVEN READ THIS BILL !! HOW can he be for it? HE is a straight up liar

Posted by: ChicagBob | July 22, 2009, 12:47 pm 12:47 pm

Had it with repubs >>> Your a joke What does the Obama BILL DO? HOW WOULD you even know? The President hasnt even read it. DEMOCRATS that DONT READ BILLS but back them are the biggest JOKE ever

Posted by: ChicagBob | July 22, 2009, 12:48 pm 12:48 pm

luigicorelli:
You just don’t get it, do you??

Posted by: Had it with repubs | July 22, 2009, 12:49 pm 12:49 pm

KATRINA VICTIMS AND HOW THE REPUBLICANS HANDLED THAT SITUATION. >>>>> TRISH
The governor and the mayor had EQUAL responsibility and they were BOTH democrats You have your head in the sand have another glass of koolaid

Posted by: ChicagBob | July 22, 2009, 12:50 pm 12:50 pm

Question: Will Obama get pushy? Answer: Who cares? If we could get some real journalists like Woodward and Bernstein to investigate Acorn, we might get lucky and their findings could ride him out of office.

Posted by: George Mozzachio | July 22, 2009, 12:50 pm 12:50 pm

President Obama is not standing alone.
rightbehind >>>>> Yeah he is. HIS POLL numbers are FALLING and he is FAILING. Most of us wont have any problem going to vote with unemployment so high. WHAT has Obama done WELL? Transparency? Bipartisan. HE IS A JOKE A LIAR. How about NO lobbyists in his cabinet. How many promises has he broken? ALL OF THEM.

Posted by: ChicagBob | July 22, 2009, 12:52 pm 12:52 pm

This country doesn’t need “healthcare” reform…it needs a hard look at the insurance companies and their practices. Mandadory healthcare or be fined thinking going on in D.C. is ridiculous! Why are the insurance companies basically being handed more huge profits while we the taxpayors are getting the raw end of the deal? Look at mantatory auto insurance…that’s worked out well, hasn’t it? YEAH FOR THE INSURANCE COMPANIES!!!!

Posted by: Mizpanda | July 22, 2009, 12:56 pm 12:56 pm

We are really looking forward to a great showdown between white men in America and the rest of America. White men are losing their plantation power hold and they are really ranting. This is their waterloo — can’t wait to have them out of power.

Posted by: Elle | July 22, 2009, 12:57 pm 12:57 pm

The Republicans could care less >>>> Like Blago THe IL Govenor that was strong arming the KIDS cancer hospital here? YOU ARE SO FULL OF IT! There are BAD BAD democrats. Take RAHM and this statements.

Posted by: ChicagBob | July 22, 2009, 12:59 pm 12:59 pm

Angie in PA >>> The democratic poster. Every state that the democrats run are in BIG trouble are they not? EVERY ONE in huge deficits Where does money come from? Why is MY money yours? ARE we not FREE people? There is a LINE this BILL has crossed it.

Posted by: ChicagBob | July 22, 2009, 1:01 pm 1:01 pm

Go figure if health care is a right why does anyone have to pay for it in the government plan..

Posted by: ChicagBob | July 22, 2009, 1:02 pm 1:02 pm

You libs better figure out the dems are blocking you messiah’s health care fiasco not the republicans. you guys better wake up and see how incompetent and inept mr obama is.

Posted by: lv jon | July 22, 2009, 1:02 pm 1:02 pm

Mr. Obama is beyond pushy! He is bullying Mr. Elmendorf of the CBO to railroad the CBO’s report on the bully’s health care initiative. He is acting like an Ayatollah!

Posted by: ErnieNucup | July 22, 2009, 1:03 pm 1:03 pm

The Obama REAM plan doesnt fix anything does it? Medicare is already BUST. 31 Trillion in unfunded mandates.
What does this bill do to make people want to become doctors? It does just the opposite it makes people NOT want to become a doctor. Obama is a total FAILURE

Posted by: ChicagBob | July 22, 2009, 1:03 pm 1:03 pm

Give me a break! Does anyone know what is entailed with this health care bill that is being shoved down Congress’s throat? The President was asked recently if people were going to be able to keep their personal health insurance. He did not know. It is on page 16 of the 1000 pages of the bill. He didn’t read too far! Nobody knows how this bill will effect us, and it is being pushed as the greatest thing. We ought to be REAL SCARED!

Posted by: Retired | July 22, 2009, 1:04 pm 1:04 pm

Stimulus failure unemployment going over 10% FAILURE. Cap and trade a TAX ON THE POOR Failure. Health care plan that DOESNT FIX anything FAILURE

Posted by: ChicagBob | July 22, 2009, 1:04 pm 1:04 pm

Stimulus failure unemployment going over 10% FAILURE. Cap and trade a TAX ON THE POOR Failure. Health care plan that DOESNT FIX anything FAILURE

Posted by: ChicagBob | July 22, 2009, 1:04 pm 1:04 pm

If more adult children would take care of their senior parents then we wouldn’t have such hich medicare and medicaid costs. Bush signed a bill in January 2007, and any one who has used medicare or medicaid five years prior to 2007 will be subject to having property and assets taken at probate of senior parents’ wills. So, if you think Obama is messing with you, Bush wants all the monies from the most profits from transfer of wealth in America in any time in history. He and his republican partners want your inheritance. Guess what? Bush has already taken everything. So who are you going to blame now? Obama didn’t do this to you, your own kind did.

Posted by: Elle | July 22, 2009, 1:05 pm 1:05 pm

Obama has to RAM this bill through so he can KEEP people from reading it. TRANSPARENCY? FAILURE !!!

Posted by: ChicagBob | July 22, 2009, 1:05 pm 1:05 pm

Both parties play the public for the suckers they know they are – any objective look at the absurd comments from both sides here confirms that.
Imhofe’s (R) “Waterloo” statement is paraded here without concern, or probably with knowledge, that he’s accepted $237,000 from the health care industry and $212,000 from insurance companies from 2005-9 alone.
And Kerry (D) has accepted more money from Big Pharma than anyone else in Congress and has never let them down on a vote, helping to ensure we Americans continue paying 50% more for the same meds as any other country on earth.
Yet people who are able to read, write, and type actually blame just one party of the other for our health care mess.
Want to know who to really blame? Go look in the mirror, you bunch of ignoramuses. It’s YOUR lack of knowledge that lets these corrupt politicians get away with it.

Posted by: The_Mick | July 22, 2009, 1:06 pm 1:06 pm

Elle: Jul 22, 2009 12:57:35 PM
great comment. and really the crux of the problem, and cause for the resistance.
the so called “independents” on this political blog sound an awful like uneducated gun-totin’ rebels to me.
notice the undercurrent of rights, immigrants, and other fears focused on taking away “their” country.
they are manipulated by their wealthy white overweight politicians (Michael Steele, with his black Uncle Tom suit on) and they’d rather suffer the consequences then give up their ignorance and biases.

Posted by: cheerie | July 22, 2009, 1:08 pm 1:08 pm

The only ones to benefit from this bill will be corporate and bank managers who will not have to pay for health care any longer. That is their intent. It will only help the President’s lobbyists. That is all what this bill is about and hurry up and get it in before they know what hits them. By the way I do not agree in either party. They both are as bad as the other. Time for people to wake up and realize that. It is just good cop. Bad cop!

Posted by: Retired | July 22, 2009, 1:09 pm 1:09 pm

Everyone in the republican party want your inheritance — it’s the most transfer of wealth in American history. Bush and Cheney and all republican health care professionals want your inheritance. You been had by the Republican party. Too little too late — stop blaming this all on Obama. You have already been scr@?@d” by the Republican Party. Obama is doing his best to give you a chance to have a life after the republican r@%e. If you don’t take this opportunity for change in health care reform, don’t blame Obama. Think about your grandchildren. Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security were bankrupted by the Republican more recent 12 year run. So, don’t blame the current President. He is doing a very good job in repairing 12 years of bankruptcy in America. You vote for Bush.Cheney so live with your decisions in your own backyards or take the Obama offerings and clean up the past 12 years of Republican Planation ownership.

Posted by: Elle | July 22, 2009, 1:11 pm 1:11 pm

People, please don’t let Pelosi and Reid fool you. This entire admin is being seen for what it is. Many Dems are now backtracking away from this outrages power grab to fool all of you again. get rid of a them, they can’t be trusted. Never let them ever control your life, VOTE THEM OUT!!!!

Posted by: worriedmom | July 22, 2009, 1:12 pm 1:12 pm

Does anyone who has read this bill know if they have a “Kevorikian” clause in it? Anyone over the age of 50 will be denied life sustaining treatments…in obama’s words “perhaps a pill to keep her comfortable” …remember we all will become old people and end of life issues are seldom painless. Where is the empathy in that???

Posted by: CWG | July 22, 2009, 1:15 pm 1:15 pm

If you don’t get it, Republicans have bankrupt America for their very bad leadership from the beginning of the 20th Century. Think: Democrats have made this country strong financially and with health care leadership under Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Clinton, and now Obama. Democrats are smart. Republicans are very ill educated. They don’t want anyone to know how ignorant they really are. They tout being rich and powerful, but really they are very poor and they are takers and don’t give up anything for anyone. They are the devil’s employees. They are false gods and they can’t be trusted with our monies or health care. If you had a choice of a rich republican physician who had a bad rating or a less than rich democrat physician who had a high rating of health care, who would you let be responsible for your health? Correct, the Democrat physician. Please don’t choose religion since religion is so overrated.

Posted by: Elle | July 22, 2009, 1:17 pm 1:17 pm

ChicagBob—well our 2nd in command Joe says we have to spend our way out of bankruptcy! LOL The Dems are just ignorant!

Posted by: CWG | July 22, 2009, 1:17 pm 1:17 pm

The Obama offerings and clean up the past 12 years of Republican Planation ownership.Elle >>>>> I am sorry republicans have not controlled the congress for quite some time.
1)If you think only Repulicans are bad justify Blago. Or the congressman with the freezer full of cash.
2)Does this Obama REAM BILL fix whats wrong with health care? NO OF COURSE NOT. In fact Obama doesnt EVEN know whats in it. So for the koolaid drinkers to say how this will fix anything HOW DO YOU KNOW for sure. All I know is on page 16 of the current bill it will crush private health care.
AND people making over 350K will have to pay another HUGE tax. Also what transparency? OBAMA is a liar!

Posted by: ChicagBob | July 22, 2009, 1:17 pm 1:17 pm

IF this BILL passes you will have to go to your congressmen with a paper bag to GET a hip replacement. Rationed CARE is coming. IS that what you are looking for? The POOR will DIE waiting. PERIOD. That sure fixes a LOT. Doctors WILL LEAVE and start practice elsewhere. The TAXES will eventually HIT everyone making the POOR even poorer. THIS BILL is a travesty and a mistake

Posted by: ChicagBob | July 22, 2009, 1:20 pm 1:20 pm

The audacity of hope has become careless and wreck-less. Having the hope and audacity to have something does not simply translate into being able to pay the cost and having the needed commonsense for it to work successfully. What is being proposed does not assure affordable and quality health-care. What is does offer is the equivalent of a promise of affordable housing that translates into a toxic FEMA trailer.

Posted by: MBell_TX | July 22, 2009, 1:24 pm 1:24 pm

Bush.Cheney did bankrupt this country. They got all the transfer of wealth from everyone who has used Medicare and Medicaid in the past 8 years. If you are expecting inheritance from your parents, think again. Bush has already taken your share. He signed a Medicare/Medicaid reform as of January 2007. Say bye bye to that since you want get anything. Bush.Cheney took everything along with DeMint, Sanford, Limbaugh, Gramm, Gingrich, and the rest of the republsive Republicans. They are the worst of the worst. VIHe!!

Posted by: Elle | July 22, 2009, 1:25 pm 1:25 pm

Time to face facts. The republicans are not Obama’s problem anymore. There are enough democrats in the house and senate that this could pass even if every single republican votes against it. It’s those democrats who know this bill is seriously flawed that are holding this bill up.
If passed, this bill would not take effect for four years — four years. So why, if health care is an emergency that just can’t wait, would we rush to pass a bill asking people to wait four years for a solution to be put in place?
Congress, take a break and come back and hammer out a health care solution that actually helps those who need (and want) help.

Posted by: IC | July 22, 2009, 1:26 pm 1:26 pm

want should be “won’t

Posted by: Elle | July 22, 2009, 1:26 pm 1:26 pm

Bush.Cheney should be tried as war criminals. Their punishment upon conviction should be a dual public hanging for all the world to see.

Posted by: Elle | July 22, 2009, 1:28 pm 1:28 pm

Cheney married Liz just for political power, and she was power hungry herself.

Posted by: Elle | July 22, 2009, 1:29 pm 1:29 pm

The question we should ALL be asking ourselves, and especially our Congressmen and ladies,and all the rest of the politicians and lobbyists on Capital Hill is ARE THEY GOING TO BE ON THE SAME HEALTHCARE SYSTEM? Until then I will not support this bill. AND NEITHER SHOULD YOU! Because you know they will get free health care and unlimited health care for the rest of their lives while we (the ones paying for it all) will not get good coverage and if you are over 50 bend over and kiss it goodbye if you have ANYTHING that is life threatening. The President said himself you might get a pain killer, IF NEEDED.

Posted by: Retired | July 22, 2009, 1:29 pm 1:29 pm

The Republican Party reminds me of the fall of the Roman Empire. A collection of unresponsive jerks. Look at the rest of the major economies. Why are the repubs so in love with the insurance lobbies?

Posted by: DonC | July 22, 2009, 1:30 pm 1:30 pm

Because Republicans don’t want a system which increases this countries debt, is bad for seniors on medicare, and forces the rest of us closer to socialized medicine we are somehow obstructionist to the greater good? Because republicans want their representatives to actually READ THE BILL we are not supportive of health care reform? Thankfully our support is growing among independents and dems as well. obama is starting to sound like a broken record and when this bill fails to get rushed through he will be done!! This is indeed his waterloo. And true Americans will have won out over this socialist who would see all that we have worked for flushed away. Be worried dems- the right is on the rise!!

Posted by: noguilt | July 22, 2009, 1:30 pm 1:30 pm

Laura was just a West Texas girl who got caught up in a fantasy that turned south.

Posted by: Elle | July 22, 2009, 1:30 pm 1:30 pm

mmonroeliveson — you must have been in a fog since health care has been under seize under the Republican rule of thumb. They are all about control of money, power, abuse of power, control of your health and wealth. Now they want you to think Obama is the problem. Not a chance. They are fighting to stay in control of your health and wealth and not be taken out of power and control. It’s all about Republicans fighting to stay in power, stupid!

Posted by: Elle | July 22, 2009, 1:35 pm 1:35 pm

WASHINGTON: July 22, 2009
“By 72 to 20 percent, Americans favor the creation of a public plan, the June survey by the New York Times and CBS News found. People also said that they thought government would do a better job than private insurers of holding down health-care costs and providing coverage.
In addition, data from a Kaiser Family Foundation poll last year, compiled at the request of The Washington Post, suggest that the people who like their health plans the most are the people who use them the least.
Those who described their health as “excellent” — people who presumably had relatively little experience pursuing medical care or submitting claims — were almost twice as likely as those in good, fair or poor health to rate their private health insurance as excellent.”

Posted by: greyhound | July 22, 2009, 1:37 pm 1:37 pm

Did you know that Republicans don’t want you to know which physicians and professional staff have blood borne diseases or past criminal records? They hid as much of that information as possible. They don’t care if you get a blood borne disease from a republican physician and die as a result of that transaction of blood or diseased fluid. They really don’t care. Shame on you for believing in a system that only wants your money.

Posted by: Elle | July 22, 2009, 1:38 pm 1:38 pm

Elle – step out of your partisan box for a moment and see the world for what it really is. Truth is, good ideas come from both parties. Both parties have politicians and supporters who care about America and Americans. Both parties also have slimeballs who put their own needs ahead of their constituents.
Party bosses in both parties love people like you – they thrive on the back and forth bickering of people who simply can’t see both sides of an argument and will insult anyone who stands in the way of even the most flawed piece of legislation.

Posted by: home again | July 22, 2009, 1:38 pm 1:38 pm

health care reform must happen. Nurses are tired of physician ruled health care.

Posted by: Elle | July 22, 2009, 1:40 pm 1:40 pm

Elle,
Please explain the scenario in which you believe patients would get an infection from a doctor with a blood borne disease — we all know it isn’t likely. If a doctor has AIDS, his/her patients are not at risk.

Posted by: What? | July 22, 2009, 1:43 pm 1:43 pm

According to a recent ABC News/USA Today/Kaiser Family Foundation survey, 89 percent of Americans are satisfied with their health care. That could mean up to 250 million people are happy. So why is it that we need Obama’s big-bang health-care overhaul in the first place?

Posted by: CWG | July 22, 2009, 1:43 pm 1:43 pm

Fox News prostitutes the news and not worthy broadcast station and isn’t fair but very imbalanced. Don’t even listen to it anymore and only watch “House”, which I tape to watch. I don’t want Fox to get any other credit.

Posted by: Elle | July 22, 2009, 1:44 pm 1:44 pm

Washington Post: July 21, 2009
“Lacking unity on an alternative agenda to Obama’s health-care plans, Republicans have instead focused on a strategy of rallying public opposition and wooing the conservative Democrats in Congress, whose votes will ultimately determine the fate of any health-care bill. That plan depends in large part on Congress going on break before it votes on a bill. On Monday, though, Republicans made clear that they see an opportunity to derail the legislation now.
The RNC started running ads blasting the Democratic proposals, and William Kristol, editor of the conservative magazine the Weekly Standard, implored Republicans to “go for the kill.”

Posted by: greyhound | July 22, 2009, 1:45 pm 1:45 pm

The Democratic agenda has always been a class-warfare, anti-business attack on private-sector doctors, hospitals, insurance firms, and drug companies. It’s all about control, knocking down their profits, and telling them what to do.
Because government planners know best, right? Wrong. Absolutely wrong.

Posted by: CWG | July 22, 2009, 1:45 pm 1:45 pm

CWG It’s a zillion more than you can count — so don’t bother, we know you are bad at math since you didn’t provide the “number” in writing.

Posted by: Elle | July 22, 2009, 1:48 pm 1:48 pm

It’s great since you Republicans think we are all uptight and upset. Just wait, we haven’t even warmed up yet and still in rehearsal — the fun with you guys hasn’t even begun.

Posted by: Elle | July 22, 2009, 1:49 pm 1:49 pm

Elle–prove it

Posted by: CWG | July 22, 2009, 1:50 pm 1:50 pm

According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, the resident population of the United States, projected to 07/22/09 at 17:54 GMT (EST+5) is
306,976,975
COMPONENT SETTINGS FOR JULY 2009
89% of 306,976,975 is 273,209,507.75
That is a lot of people who are quite happy with their healthcare as it sits.

Posted by: CWG | July 22, 2009, 1:58 pm 1:58 pm

“Health Insurance Industry Spins Data in Fight Against Public Plan”
By David S. Hilzenrath
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
“…the leader of the insurance lobby has sent lawmakers a message: Be careful what you change, because “77 percent of Americans are satisfied with their existing health insurance coverage.”
Karen Ignagni, president of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), invoked the statistic to argue against the creation of a government-run insurance option. But the polls are not that simple, and her assertion reveals how the industry’s effort to defend its turf has led it to cherry-pick the facts.
The poll Ignagni was citing actually undercuts her position: By 72 to 20 percent, Americans favor the creation of a public plan, the June survey by the New York Times and CBS News found. People also said that they thought government would do a better job than private insurers of holding down health-care costs and providing coverage.

Posted by: greyhound | July 22, 2009, 2:15 pm 2:15 pm

“Insurers promise choice, they promise innovation, they promise a lot of things, but I think they’ve delivered very little,” said Alan Sager, professor of health policy and management at Boston University. “I think net they give us very bad value for the 10 to 20 percent share of the health dollar they skim off the top.”
Instead of choice, they offer “the illusion of choice,” he said.

Posted by: greyhound | July 22, 2009, 2:16 pm 2:16 pm

Lobbyists Spend Millions to Influence Health Care
By Dan Eggen, Washington Post
“Drugmakers, hospitals and insurers continued to pour millions of dollars into lobbying during the second quarter of this year, hoping to limit the damage to their bottom line as lawmakers and the Obama administration wrangle over landmark health-care legislation.
New disclosure reports that began arriving Monday in Congress showed familiar players at the top of the health-care influence heap, including $6.2 million in lobbying by the dominant Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and $4 million by the American Medical Association.
Many health companies and associations increased their first-quarter lobbying expenditures, sometimes dramatically. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association upped its lobbying expenditures by a full million, to 2.8 million dollars in the second quarter; GlaxoSmithKline’s spending jumped from $1.8 million to $2.3 million; Novartis grew from $1.4 million to $1.8 million; and Metlife Group reported $1.7 million, up nearly 50 percent. Allstate, which spent less than $900,000 on lobbying through March, boosted its spending to more than $1.5 million from April to June.

Posted by: greyhound | July 22, 2009, 2:19 pm 2:19 pm

Elle is kind of funny. She says republican this republican that. Can I start listing democratic disasters? Like the Johnson great society that destroyed families. Democrats are well known for shoveling money at problems not to solve them but to prove they care. Its NEVER about solving the problems. Elle what does the Obama Seizure of assets fix? Does it make more doctors? DOES IT?
IS it TORT reform? IS IT? Are you FOR PEOPLE that BROKE the LAW to get into this country getting health care for FREE on the BACKS of the WORKING people in the USA? Is that what you stand for?
WHERE IS THAT Transparency? OBAMA=LIAR

Posted by: ChicagBob | July 22, 2009, 2:28 pm 2:28 pm

If you tax people enough they wont want to make passed that glass ceiling. They will lose MONEY. It was that way when Kennedy was president. 70% top bracket. Is that what you want? WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE to SEIZE other peoples assets for a program you have NOT EVEN HAD the decency to DEBATE!

Posted by: ChicagBob | July 22, 2009, 2:30 pm 2:30 pm

THE CBO Has already stated this bill is a looser

Posted by: ChicagBob | July 22, 2009, 2:30 pm 2:30 pm

greyhound In construction THE BRIBES to get a contract are WELL known. WELL what do you think will happen with Rationed Obama care? OF COURSE lots of paper bags to get someone in front of the line. THE POOR? They will DIE waiting in line behind the BRIBES and PAYOLA people. JUST LIKE BLAGO in IL And RAHM is involved in that as well.

Posted by: ChicagBob | July 22, 2009, 2:32 pm 2:32 pm

Calls to congress are like 7 to 1 against this plan. WOW if you RAM THIS THROUGH you are THROUGH!

Posted by: ChicagBob | July 22, 2009, 2:33 pm 2:33 pm

You either JOIN the brown shirts or YOU get fined. YES if you dont have a health care plan you get a FINE. WOW.. Thats Freedom isnt it?

Posted by: ChicagBob | July 22, 2009, 2:38 pm 2:38 pm

Euthanasia will be part of Obama’s new program. WOW now thats FREEDOM. Rationing is already being talked about.

Posted by: ChicagBob | July 22, 2009, 2:39 pm 2:39 pm

ChicagBob—sure hope they don’t a contract for the ovens!

Posted by: CWG | July 22, 2009, 2:43 pm 2:43 pm

that should have said get a contract for the ovens

Posted by: CWG | July 22, 2009, 2:43 pm 2:43 pm

I keep hearing people throwing out the argument that Congress has been trying to pass reforms for varying numbers of decades. Well, I’m 62 years old, and it has not been around that long. I remember when we didn’t use health insurance to go to the doctor. You went to the doctor when you REALLY needed to go to the doctor; not for every little sniffle or stubbed toe. And, you paid as you went. Health insurance was for catastrophic issues. You didn’t even use health insurance for maternity because the cost was affordable. Maybe we need to return to that type of approach. This would keep illegal aliens out of the emergency room, the cost of which drives up the cost of health care because the rest of us DO pay for them.
Anything worth having is worth thinking through, not rushed. Obama reminds me of the scene from the Wizard of Oz: “don’t pay any attention to that man behind the curtain!” We certainly don’t want to have time to actually READ the bill before passage, now, do we? Transparency, MY FOOT.

Posted by: JWinATL | July 22, 2009, 2:46 pm 2:46 pm

BBC: The US system costs twice as much per person as the healthcare systems in other major developed countries such as France, Germany and the UK.
And the rapidly rising costs of healthcare, which now make up 18% of the entire US economy, threaten to bankrupt or severely constrain the future spending of governments, companies and individuals alike.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said that the only way to make the system solvent in the future was “to control runaway growth in both public and private healthcare expenditures”.
The Congressional Budget Office says the rising cost of federal healthcare could bankrupt the country in the next 50 years if costs are not contained.

Posted by: greyhound | July 22, 2009, 3:04 pm 3:04 pm

I have read that this plan is very similar in some respects to the Massachusetts plan. Isn’t that the plan that is going under??

Posted by: mj | July 22, 2009, 3:10 pm 3:10 pm

“We believe that the present health care system is unsustainable and making the country’s businesses less competitive”
-Wal-Mart

Posted by: greyhound | July 22, 2009, 3:14 pm 3:14 pm

Oh how soon we forget, then Sen.Obama voted AGAINST every bill that could have lowered healthcare costs and helped the uninsured. Maybe you like to got back and look at those bills and then tell me again that only the rep are against health care, which by-the-way is not so. But keep spewing your retoric and hope someone is listening.

Posted by: Lizzie | July 22, 2009, 3:16 pm 3:16 pm

US health care is the most expensive in the world – but millions are not covered

Posted by: sheilays4 | July 22, 2009, 3:16 pm 3:16 pm

US health care is the most expensive in the world – but millions are not covered—and where in the Constitution does it say people have the RIGHT to be covered? Many of the uninsured are illegal aliens and I could care less if they get medical care…they are here illegally and should not benefit from any of our services except for a one way trip back to where they came from.

Posted by: CWG | July 22, 2009, 3:23 pm 3:23 pm

greyhound–LOL@Walmart…I have no respect for that place.

Posted by: CWG | July 22, 2009, 3:24 pm 3:24 pm

Just a little nugget of information for you to noodle as Universal Healthcare is being rammed down our throats. In the UK, where they have Universal Health, a 22 year old man was denied a request for liver treatment and died soon after. The reason he was denied? Because he couldn’t prove he could stay sober (he had a drinking problem). Despite having checked into AA and wanting to get better — he couldn’t prove it, so — let him die! Let the rationing begin here in the US!

Posted by: CWG | July 22, 2009, 3:26 pm 3:26 pm

NYT: “Republicans have actually come out against doing research into which procedures improve health.”

Posted by: greyhound | July 22, 2009, 3:33 pm 3:33 pm

What we have now is a system that costs nearly twice as much per capita but provides fair poorer outcomes in return. Not all are covered and the norm is shorter life expectancies, higher infant mortality, worse quality of life but it provide high returns for their money to investors. So naturally, all those politicians who depend upon campaign contributions from vested interests in the current system do not want any changes to it. For everyone else, it’s a slow motion train wreck that will eventually impoverish our whole country before these poor business operations go broke, too.
Sooner or later the current system will fail and fail big. It will take such a huge bite out of our economy that we just won’t be able to support it and do other business as well.
So we have to make a decision about what the role of health care should be to optimize our nation’s health and our nation’s economy. There is a chance, a very good chance, that providing care under a profit centered system is not going to prove to be the optimal solution. This is so because it really is pretty much what we have today, and it’s not working out well for us. That means replacing it with some kind of system designed to meet rather unmarket driven objectives determined by our whole society.
It won’t be cheap. There will be savings in some respects but we are about to start a very big change in medicine that will require huge investments. The result will be a far better system that will extend lives, reduce mistakes, improve outcomes, and become the new standard that all will want. But it won’t be cheap.
If are to save money, we will have to eliminate the high rates of obesity and poor dietary and too little physical activity that have driven up the incidence rates of diabetes, risks for cardio-vascular diseases, and cancer because treating these costs a lot of money which could be reduced within a decade or so. Smoking and abuse of drugs like alcohol would be good to reduce but those who risk their health to use these substances are beyond anyone’s ability to affect, they cannot stop so the money spent on them will not be reduced.

Posted by: co | July 22, 2009, 3:49 pm 3:49 pm

The other subtlety to this system is the lack of accountabiity for health outcomes. When anonymous insurance companies simply process claims, health care providers subtlely and unknowingly start to identify their patients by their insurance carriers. With no worry of dissatisfaction for service, there is little incentive to dig deeply to find the health solution. In fact, the incentive is to get more people who can pay to come through the door.

Posted by: Ann L | July 22, 2009, 3:53 pm 3:53 pm

United Health Care is reporting record profits of over 150%? And we need to worry that they are going to suffer from competition provided by a Public Option? Can they maybe just cover the cost of Health Care Reform on their own?

Posted by: Steve | July 22, 2009, 3:55 pm 3:55 pm

* The U.S. ranks last among 19 leading industrialized nations in preventable deaths. If the U.S. matched the benchmarks of the top three – France , Japan , and Australia – in timely and effective care, 101,000 fewer Americans would die every year. (Commonwealth Fund, New York Times, July 17, 2008 )
* In a survey of eight major industrialized countries, the U.S. fared the worst in out-of-pocket costs and worst in the number of chronically ill adults forgoing needed care because of cost – even though the U.S. spends twice as much per capita on healthcare as the other seven. (Health Affairs, Nov. 13,2008)
* U.S. adults were the most likely among seven countries in 2007 to report difficulty obtaining health care after hours without going to an ER. (Commonwealth Fund, New York Times, July 17, 2008)
* U.S. manufacturers who provide health insurance spend an average of $2.38 per worker per hour on health care, more that twice as much as foreign competitors. U.S. automakers say employee healthcare coverage adds $1,550 to the price of each car, a major factor in decisions to ship jobs overseas or cut benefits.( Los Angeles Times, May 6, 2008)

Posted by: walt23ht | July 22, 2009, 3:57 pm 3:57 pm

* The U.S. is the only industrialized country in the world that lets drug companies charge whatever the market will bear (John Abramson, Harvard Medical School , Los Angeles Times, Nov. 3, 2006)
* Almost every other government bargains over drug prices; as a result, according to the Congressional Budget Office, foreign drug prices are 35% to 55% below U.S. levels. Even within the U.S. , Veterans Affairs is able to negotiate discounts of 40% to 50%. (Krugman, New York Times, May 6, 2005; PNHP)

Posted by: walt23ht | July 22, 2009, 3:57 pm 3:57 pm

The truth of this issue is that Insurance Companies are NOT health care organizations. They are financial institutions which puts profits ahead of health care. I would rather have a federal bureaucrat than a financial bureaucrat administering my health care.

Posted by: stigmom | July 22, 2009, 3:59 pm 3:59 pm

I’m a retired Federal employee and have the same health plan as members of Congress. My plan, BC/BS costs about $16,200 a year of which the American taxpayer pays $12,000 in premiums. There are other plans in the Federal program which are more expensive. Many Americans who are uninsured/underinsured are paying for my plan and others through their Federal taxes. They are also paying for the military system supporting active duty and retired military and their dependents, VA, Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP and the Indian Health Service. I believe this is so morally wrong. It is time not for health care reform, but health care transformation. And this means at the very least SINGLE PAYER, NATIONAL HEALTH care and private insurance as a supplemental or primary for those who want it.

Posted by: Larry S. | July 22, 2009, 4:00 pm 4:00 pm

I want to know what the GOP is doing for America’s businesses and workers competitiveness by syphoning off some 6K per head (compared to other Nations) to the medical industrial complex.
Apparently the only waste they really hate is waste not being funneled to their supporters. Apparently bureaucracy is bad only so long as it is proceeded by the word ‘government’.
Really if they are so very concerned with containing costs, then pass legislation that specifies a per capita spending limit. 5K or 6K per capita of national health care spending, and a set of incentives on the market place to render the biggest health gain for the buck spent.

Posted by: harrumpf | July 22, 2009, 4:02 pm 4:02 pm

Larry S.–if you believe it is so “morally wrong” disenroll yourself and pick it up on the free market. I have trouble understanding why the premiums are so much. I pay my own coverage for less than $500 per month and 20% co pay $750 deductible. It is doable.

Posted by: CWG | July 22, 2009, 6:18 pm 6:18 pm

Why do you not accept some data? Afraid of the Truth?

Posted by: JeanneVermette | July 22, 2009, 10:21 pm 10:21 pm

YES. I BELIEVE OBAMA WILL BE PUSHY TONIGHT. SAW IT ON TV TONITE. ARROGANCE IN ITS PUREST FORM.

Posted by: JeanneVermette | July 22, 2009, 10:23 pm 10:23 pm

Go President OBAMA: Great Job Sir. Yes editors and writers,news reporters he is our President of the United States. Not just OBAMA. Thank You! Can we get over the past by looking into the future. Everyone in Washington needs to get a good night sleep and show some respect to each other. Everyone seem to know what is best, but cannot produce the results, let our president do his job in PEACE!!!

Posted by: Lela | July 23, 2009, 10:16 am 10:16 am

“Repubs are laughable! Angie is right, all repubs do is tear down and destroy. They do not want health care because it will take away from funding wars.”
Let me see, didn’t Dems do everything to ‘tear down and destroy’ Bush and the Republicans? Don’t be a hypocrite!
One more question, as a concerned American not leaning toward any party, does the Government run any business well? Show me the facts!
The government is the only institution that does not make money but spends ours. Any crisis arises they throw more money at it, thus more taxes.
Do you really want government run health care? Their promoting trial lawyers in the past runs our healthcare charges up. Many lawyers even put ads on TV, in the newspaper, in the mail, and on billboards to encourage people to sue doctors frivolously – while they walk away with almost all of the money.
What has the government done to help Americans besides make its financiers (us) dependent upon them and taking our hard earned money and shifting it to Lord knows what projects that may undermine individual freedoms???

Posted by: dale | July 23, 2009, 6:49 pm 6:49 pm

I agree with Had It with repubs & Angie,these repubs have been tearing down healthcare for 61 years.I say lets take there healthcare away from them,what do you think they want to stay in office for. 8 years of there pure misery and some on here want the same.They could care less about us.they are such liars.I am a white Vetran I get some my healthcare through the VA system(socialize healthcare) and I love it they have never failed me.

Posted by: Dale | July 24, 2009, 12:10 am 12:10 am

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