Obama agenda: Focusing on health care

Posted: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 9:20 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: White House, Economy, Barack Obama

Today, Obama will "meet with a bipartisan group of governors who co-hosted regional forums on health reform earlier this year. They include Democrats Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, Jim Doyle of Wisconsin and Christine Gregoire of Washington, and Republicans Jim Douglas of Vermont and Mike Rounds of South Dakota," the AP reports. "The White House says the meeting will serve as a forum for the governors to share what they learned and discuss the health care overhaul and skyrocketing health care costs."

"For President Barack Obama, the MRIs and other medical scans for Medicare patients that cost the government billions are prime targets for cuts to help finance health care overhaul," the AP adds. "The response from physicians and industry: a lobbying counterattack accusing Obama of denying patients the lifesaving tools they need. Patients, rural doctors and advocacy groups who back the procedures will gather in the House Wednesday for a panel discussion, part of the campaign. The industry spearheaded a bipartisan letter to Obama from 57 House members objecting to the cuts. It has staged events in North Carolina and other states where senators face re-election next year. And it is using a Web site and newspaper ads to encourage people to complain to Congress about the proposal."

Video: President Obama explains that proposed health care reform legislation 'must and will get paid for' while preserving what is best about the current American health care system.

Politico: "As Senate Democratic leaders voiced increasing skepticism about reaching a bipartisan health care compromise, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and a high-powered delegation of administration officials huddled with key Democratic senators on Capitol Hill Tuesday. The aim, according to one participant, was to 'compare notes' as pressure builds on the administration’s goal of passing a health care bill this year with support from both sides of the aisle.

Politico: "Amid all its other budget woes, the Obama administration now estimates it will need $20 billion in new savings or revenues to shore up the finances for the highway trust fund until after the 2010 elections."

On his smoking, the New York Post ribs the president with this headline: "Inhale to the chief."

Video: At a news conference Tuesday, President Barack Obama admitted that he sometimes falls off the wagon in his struggle to stop smoking. NBC's Brian Williams reports.

Obama will finally throw out that first pitch -- and it's at the All Star Game in St. Louis on July 14. "The appearance is part of a one-day, two-stop tour that will take him to the presidential battleground states of Michigan and Missouri. Obama’s first appearance will be in Detroit, where he will hold a 'town hall' style meeting."

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Comments

Steady as she goes Mr. President. lol not being baited by the rhetoric of the repubs..one John McCain.

Anita, Birmingham, Alabama (Sent Wednesday, June 24, 2009 9:30 AM)

Along with Energy/Environment, Health Care is another dead piece of legislation. That odor you smell coming out the capital is the rotting corpse's of all that dead legislation.

HTA Boston (Sent Wednesday, June 24, 2009 9:31 AM)

What is the difference between the insurance bureaucrats and the government bureaucrats standing between you and your doctor. The insurance bureaucrats are doing it for profits, while the government bureaucrats is cutting of unnecessary test. Now Mr and Mrs American take your pick of who should stand between you and your doctor.

Ben Purser, Royal Oak, MI (Sent Wednesday, June 24, 2009 9:40 AM)

I'm glad that President Obama is keeping up the pressure for health care reform that includes a public option. What a joke that the repugnant ones whine about the government getting in between our doctors and ourselves when they have the public option for their health care and yet never have we heard any of them regale us with a personal horror story of that happening. When will the repugnant ones tell the truth that their contention the government will get in between doctors is a big lie and that they don't have a sgred of truth to base it on?

They say that if we have a government run insurance plan then it would kill off the private medical insurance industry. Yet we do have governement run insurance plans like Medicare, like for the military and for our elected officials in Congress and yet the private insurance industry still stands as powerful as ever. If a government run health care plan would put private insurance out of business then private insurance doesn't deserve to live any longer.

Support the Public Option for Health Care Reform!

Eric, Salinas, CA (Sent Wednesday, June 24, 2009 9:43 AM)

Obama's Health Care equals disaster for America.

Other health plans will opt out, leaving fewer options or none at all. Cheaper health care means less coverage. Hundreds of thousands of jobs will be lost and fewer doctors and nurses as the money factor becomes an issue.

Obama knows this and still wants socialistic medicine that will cost more and offer less, and eliminate health care workers in the long run.

Get that put-off knee operation or whatever ails ya this year, while you still can afford it.

Obama is trouble for America. Period.

Peter Percival Patterson (Sent Wednesday, June 24, 2009 9:45 AM)

So, bleeding hearts, it is okay with you to deny old people MRI scans, and other lifesaving tests, so that you can get freebies for yourselves?

Why am I not surprised. See, I grew up poor in an area dminated by rich liberals in the summers. Worked their parties, cleaned their houses, listened to their conversation. Always, talk about the 'poor' making things 'fair'-but they'd forget to pay for weeks on end.

Race relations were big topics. There should be equility, (at their all-white parties). There should be communication-(dear, I know that "Paul"(african American) is a friend of yours, and I'm sure he's a nice young man, but he makes my guests uncomfortable. Please don't misunderstand; what happened to that nice, (white) young man who was here last week?)

I put myself through college nights, worked days, graduated summa cum laude with no debt-paid my own way with no grants, loans, or anything else.

And I'm not a hypocrite.

no joe, no bo,nj (Sent Wednesday, June 24, 2009 10:13 AM)

Call it Fannie Care. Leave it in the hands of career democrats to put themselves between the money and the people it's suppose to help. Let it all blow up and then blame Bush.

Dave, Tn (Sent Wednesday, June 24, 2009 10:24 AM)

Same old rhetoric from the GOP. We've heard it ad nausium and it really hasn't worked. The'll keep it up because they don't have any workable ideas. I hear the same old doom and gloom. I hear the same old "it won't work" but I don't hear anything from them that WILL work. I don't hear a real viable alternative. Personally I don't give a rat's patootie whose idea it is but I do want affordable health care for everyone. All I ask is they get it done. Since the Republicans aren't willing to get it done we may have to rely strictly on the Democrats. Just like with so many other things FOR the PEOPLE the Republicans will fight tooth and nail to stop it. Voting rights, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, The Peace Corps, FDIC, Food and Drug Administration, ending child labor, the 8 hour day and 40 hour week, welfare, and the list goes on and on. Fortunately the Democrats have won the past battles and they will win this one. Since a 2/3 majority of the American population wants some form of health care reform and one that includes a public option it would not be wise for the Republicans to mount too much opposition lest they become an even smaller party in 2010.

eagle1776 (Sent Wednesday, June 24, 2009 10:25 AM)

We all realize there is a humongous abuse of tests, scans, prescription drugs etc being prescribed and dictated by doctors and hospitals. The dollars signs are more important than integrity,
Cannot understand how the republicans with their ratings in the gutter can continue with the same ole methods: lies, irresponsibility, hypocrasy, obstruction, party first, to hell with our survival.
It is disgusting and embarressing to have politicans who just don't seem to get it and ignore what the American people demand and want. Don't they know they have become the laughing stock of the world?

katiec (Sent Wednesday, June 24, 2009 10:37 AM)

The co-op thing is no co-op. If the governement sets it up and runs it, it's "government run health care".

And if this goes through, be prepared for your company to hold an All-Hands Meeting within a year or two to state that your company plan is going away.

We all remember how well Katrina went. Be prepared for that same level of service, only applied to your health care.

Cicero (Sent Wednesday, June 24, 2009 10:48 AM)

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