‘Top Line’ — Marching Orders for Obama’s Army
EmailABC News’ Rick Klein reports: With President Obama’s video town hall forum with supporters yesterday, the White House is seeking to put the president’s old campaign army into its highest-stakes battle yet: the fight for health care reform.
Today on ABCNews.com’s “Top Line,” Jeremy Bird, national deputy director of Organizing for America — the president’s former campaign arm — said Obama supporters are outnumbering opponents of health care reform at town hall meetings.
“I think if you go . . . out in the country and you look at where the energy is, if you go and you come to some of the events that we’re having locally, you’ll see our supporters are as energized as they have ever been,” Bird said. “They’re showing up in numbers — we’re outnumbering folks at town halls — which is a report that doesn’t get mentioned here in DC — [in] places like Colorado, places like Virginia, South Carolina, even all across the country. And so you see a tremendous amount of support from our supporters.”
Some 280,000 supporters watched or called into yesterday’s webcast with the president, Bird said. That’s only a small fraction of the 13 million names on the Obama campaign e-mail lists, but Bird said that’s not a fair comparison.
“You can’t compare the number of people viewing the webcast in the middle of the day yesterday to, you know, the list of 13 million,” he said. “What you should be comparing all of these numbers to is, how does it match up against any other issue in the campaign? Any other organization that’s working on healthcare.”
“So when you talk about 280,000 people either watching a webcast or getting you know, on the phone yesterday to listen to it, that’s unprecedented,” Bird added. “In terms of a middle-of-the-day broadcast on an issue like healthcare. When you talk about 1.5 million people being active in 10 weeks, whether that’s writing a letter to the editor, when you talk about 64,000-plus OFA activists who visited their member of Congress in one week, the number that we should be thinking about is, how does that relate to what else is happening out there? That’s an impressive number in an off-year in the summer. To think about that many people being engaged in their democracy I think is a beautiful thing.”
Watch the full interview with Jeremy Bird HERE.
We also caught up with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, who called in from Arizona, where he’s interviewing Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., for this Sunday’s “This Week.”
Stephanopoulos called the drop in public confidence behind the president’s plans in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll “stunning.”
“The president’s taken a big hit, especially among independents,” Stephanopoulos told us. “The White House knows that. They take some heart in the fact that the president’s job approval rating remains pretty steady at 57 percent, but they know they’re going to need to see some improvement if they’re going to get this [health care bill] through in the fall.”
Click HERE to see our discussion with George Stephanopoulos.
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It would help if people understood what’s in the bill. The opponents already got a jump spreading lies and misinformation.
It IS a complex bill and it has to be broken down and explained to people for support to build.
I went to the AMA website (which has lots of links to helpful sites.) I think people will trust the American Medical Association for an explanation.
For those who trust me, here is my synopsis: The bill requires everyone to have healh insurance. Employers with a payroll over $500,000 are required to provide insurance. If a business does not offer an insurance plan, they pay fine. Individuals and companies will go to a health insurance exchange where they will choose the plan they want.
The exchange will be regulated to make sure insurance companies are not ripping people off. The government will require the insurance industry to cover anyone, regardless of pre-existing conditions (which is requited NOW, anyway, with employer plans. An employer cannot discriminate against any employee based on pre-existing conditions.) That’s it in blog post form.
Posted by: Amy in Maine | August 21, 2009, 2:49 pm 2:49 pm
dream on amy in maine im telling their will be no public plan their will be something but not public you can bet on that and he can send out every left wing nut all he wants people dont want it at all (public plan)a large majority of independents dont want it.
Posted by: natale from mass. | August 21, 2009, 3:42 pm 3:42 pm
Did the AMA mention how this new coverage program was going to be paid for? Maybe go to the non-partisan agency website (forget the acronym) that said it would raise the deficit by trillions. The extra taxes, the extra debt will take the economy to the toilet and bring jobs with it. Another way must be found that isn’t tax payer funded.
This “reform” sounds like a good idea…sort of like the idea that everyone should be able to buy a house and look where that took us.
Changes are definitely needed but not this foot in the door to govt control of health care.
Besides, isn’t this organized support called Astroturfing, according to Dem leaders? Who can believe anything coming out of this administration?
Posted by: pam | August 21, 2009, 3:51 pm 3:51 pm
Natle from mass
Want to Bet? There will be a public option. The President Wants it as well as Congress and about 57 Percent of the People!
Posted by: Angie in Pa | August 21, 2009, 3:51 pm 3:51 pm
angie in pa….you are wrong. majority of folks do not want a public option. its dead as it wont pass in the senate and frankly it wont pass in the house either as long as nancy pelosi is anywhere near it.
Posted by: catman | August 21, 2009, 4:20 pm 4:20 pm
Obama has never been a leader of next to nothing……and it is really showing BIG TIME!
Posted by: UPCHUCK | August 21, 2009, 4:42 pm 4:42 pm
Soldiers marching with heavy feet
Is a sure recipe for defeat.
The president wont admit it
That he just doesn’t get it
Or maybe he just doesn’t see
that this is the land of the brave and home of the FREE!
Posted by: Jeff | August 21, 2009, 4:44 pm 4:44 pm
Pam
I believe the report you are referring to came from the GBO, the Governmental Budget Office. They said that healthcare reform, as proposed by the house bill, would not lower costs.
The President has said he is dedicated to making healthcare reform deficit-neutral. He wants to cut the 177 billion dollars spent over ten years in subsidies to insurance companies participating in Medicare Advantage. He has lots of plans to cut waste and fraud. And do not forget the COST of doing NOTHING: healthcare prices going up, preimums and co-pays going up, at least Obama is DOING SOMETHING. He’s taking his hits, because what he is doing is important and difficult.
Posted by: Amy in Maine | August 21, 2009, 4:51 pm 4:51 pm
According to Survey USA, 77% are FOR the public option. The wording of the ABC/WP poll was questioned and another poll was taken by a reputable pollster. Republicans can spin it the way they want. Obama’s lower poll #’s are from us Dems. and has nothing to do with approval of for ANY Rep.
Posted by: Trent | August 21, 2009, 5:06 pm 5:06 pm
who is survey usa? where is the plan that you and me get the same plan as congress? republicans have nothing to do with this bill. this is the democrats folding on each other.AXELROD IS MAKING MILLIONS OFF OF THIS in the meantime. change we can believe in.
Posted by: catman | August 21, 2009, 5:42 pm 5:42 pm
Trent, you have managed to sieze on one poll that indicates people want the public option. Meanwhile, Gallup, Pew, Rasmussen, and just about every other “reputable” polling service agrees with ABC in showing other otherwise. People want REFORM but they do not want socialized medicine. What the Dems in the House are offering is VERY different from what the public will tolerate. If you don’t believe this just watch what will happen in the next elections if the Dems pass this thing the way Pelosi wants it.
Posted by: Don | August 21, 2009, 7:26 pm 7:26 pm
Don’t give up Obama!!! Don’t give up!!! It’s a trick.. they want you to give up!!! You just can’t do it! This will be good for the country !! I know it will! Why are we so against ensuring that all Americans have health care?? If we don’t get everyone into some sort of system, then it’s just going to be more expensive for everyone in the long run!! We must take care of ALL of our citizens no matter What!!!
Posted by: lkinopfl | August 21, 2009, 7:41 pm 7:41 pm
I don’t see what the big deal is? All this is, is a 3-way net. There’s a slice of the pie for the insurance companies, a slice of the pie for the co-ops, and then there’s going to be another bucket that neither the co-ops or the insurance companies are going to want in their networks. So the government will take care of those. It’s a 3-WAY WIN!!! Why do the Health Care companies need to control the entire medical care market????? It’s highway robbery, and a major hold-up with a gun!
Posted by: lkinopfl | August 21, 2009, 7:44 pm 7:44 pm
I have been shocked at how many stupid lies are circulating.
It’s ridiculous the number of stories being spread about a public option plan when these things already happen with private insurance – the problem is most people don’t have a medical emergency to find out what private care does today.
You don’t get to talk to a person with a face when you have a problem. Its a telephone number. It probably will have a robot ask you questions. It might not understand you and it could just hang up on you.
Your employer can change your insurer anytime they want in search for a better price. That means you have to find out IF you can still see the same doctor. And, you have to find out what the new policy is for getting to permission to see the doctor.
Get sick and you will really find out – specialists are always more expensive with your health plan – and you don’t just get to go see any oncologist you want. And what ever they prescribe the review board for your insurance company gets to decide if its ‘customary’ treatment and medically accepted.
It makes me so mad I could spit – stupid lies spread to scare people who don’t really know the story about how our health care works when you get sick.
Posted by: trueblue | August 21, 2009, 8:53 pm 8:53 pm
This isn’t about Left, Right or Center. It isn’t about President Obama or any other personality up on ‘The Hill’. This is about we the people reasserting ourselves as the agents of change and securing for future generations what the vested interests have so long denied us. We are closer than ever to getting real health care reform, but the insurance industry and their paid representatives in congress – Republicans and Democrats alike – are doing everything in their power to defang any legislation that finally makes it to the president’s desk. First they bartered away the single best option available in taking single-payer off the table. Now they want to mandate that we purchase insurance while stripping us of any alternative to the for-profit insurance providers that have been bleeding us dry for the last half-century. No. Enough. If the richest and greatest country on Earth cannot provide a basic level of care for all of it’s citizens, or at least provide realistic opportunities to secure that basic level of care, it is then poor in spirit and least among the civilized. Luckily there are those among us willing to stand up and fight for the changes we need, there are still those who realize freedom isn’t kowtowing to corporate masters and doing their work by spreading obscene lies and threatening violence in order to shut down civil dialog, and each of us here are ready to assume the mantle of patriots and lead a march on Washington for the most basic principle in our pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. Google March for Health Care and join us today.
Posted by: our time is now | August 22, 2009, 1:47 am 1:47 am
The majority of people do not want the public option. If you using the ABC Poll they are a Obama supporter. I have not heard them say anything bad about the Health Care Plan, the off comments the President has been saying or the deficit is growing to additional 2 trillion before the Health Care Plan. If the government can not handle the Cash for Clunkers how in the world would they handle 46 million people on the government health plan. The only reason why the doctors and the insurance companies are behind the health care plan is because even one will be forced to pay for health insurance and get a yearly exam they will be making money. The President needs to be stopped from spending any more money and get rid of all the Czar’s we are paying for all them and their staff. The country will be bankrupt within a year at this rate.
Posted by: Mindy | August 22, 2009, 10:30 am 10:30 am
It is time for the congress to put up or shut up. If those folks are in the pockets of the billion-dollar corporations rather than the ordinary people who are being exploited and abused, they need to vote and let everyone know it. That is especially true for the Blue Dog Democrats.
Posted by: JAB | August 23, 2009, 6:43 am 6:43 am
Obama’s Communization of Americans Health Insurance Plans
A power grab by the federal government to control health benefits, treatments and Doctors under private or public plans which will guarantee a communized, health care, government delivery system within 5 years from y1. The impact on the taxpayers will be significant and unaffordable over the years ahead. (Sec,141) & (Sec.102)
It will take away responsibilities concerning private health care insurance from the local State Governments, doctors and employers and put the power and decision making into the hands of an UN-elected health Commissioner under the direction of the President and White House Administration. (Sec.123) and (Sec.141)
This power grab, called reform, is based on the fantasy of a health care crisis, yet 85% of Americans are satisfied with the coverage, benefits and treatments available to them mow! Thus this fabricated political fantasy of a crisis begs the question. Why are Democrats and Republican, Senators and House Members, supported by their respective political parties, lobbyists and special interest groups, rushing to dismantle the existing health care insurance programs? (Sec. 121)
Obama’s government managed competition is nothing short of a single payer American nationalized health care government plan and socialized delivery system which does not and will not bring competition. However, it will guarantee and ensure his complete communization of health care plans, treatments and benefits across the States whether you like it or not. (Sec. 141) and (Subtitle E)
Bill HR3200 and other publicly unreleased clauses and amendments are NOT health care reform pieces of legislation. (www.thomas.loc.gov/) It is the largest Federal Government power grab from the people and their doctors and local State Governments in history of the Republic?
Now Obama-Care is considering Government financed co-operative non-profit health care insurance programs with taxpayer funding. Just another way for this Government to come in, through the back door, with dismantling the current health care insurance programs over a five year period, in attempting to achieve their political goal of the complete communization of Americans health care Insurance plans, treatments and benefits across the States. (SEC. 102)
A related concern, is that the laws this President was sworn to uphold, the privacy act of 1974, The Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988 and our first amendment rights under the constitution, have been broken by the illegal act of gathering and soliciting emails and conversations about information from one citizen concerning another American citizen relating to health care.
Of even greater concern, is where are the voices of outrage from our elected Senators and Congress members? NOT a word spoken or heard from them against this abuse of power and illegal act by the white house (snitch e-mails and a “reality check” section on the White House Web site). I guess they are still on vacation and hiding from the voters.
The Majority of Americans are not impressed with this White House and know when attempts are made to hoodwink them. Time for Congress and the Senate to do their job of representing the people by holding hearings on the possible impeachment of this President for such illegal activities which are clearly in violation of the constitution.
No one, including this or any other President is above the law!
Posted by: peterclarke | August 23, 2009, 1:29 pm 1:29 pm
Cancer survival rates in the U.S. are the highest in the world now. They will plummet if the government takes the health care industry over.
Enough of this fascism!!
Posted by: tanarg | August 23, 2009, 7:59 pm 7:59 pm