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Obama seeks help on healthcare push

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor May 20, 2009 07:27 PM

President Obama today sent out a personal appeal -- well, at least as personal as a blast email to millions can be -- to his grassroots supporters to push Congress on healthcare.

The message saying, "I need your voice," was sent through Organizing for America, the group housed in the Democratic National Committee that inherited Obama's campaign apparatus.

"The chance to finally reform our nation's health care system is here. While Congress moves rapidly to produce a detailed plan, I have made it clear that real reform must uphold three core principles -- it must reduce costs, guarantee choice, and ensure quality care for every American," the president writes.

"As we know, challenging the status quo will not be easy. Its defenders will claim our goals are too big, that we should once again settle for half measures and empty talk. Left unanswered, these voices of doubt might yet again derail the comprehensive reform we so badly need. That's where you come in. When our opponents spread fear and confusion about the changes we seek, your support for these core principles will show clarity and resolve. When the lobbyists for the status quo tell Congress to hold back, your personal story will give them the courage to press forward."

Obama promises to read some of the personal stories, then repeats one of his own, seeing his mother die of ovarian cancer while worried about insurance.

"Last November, the American people sent Washington a clear mandate for change. But when the polls close, the true work of citizenship begins," Obama concludes. "That's what Organizing for America is all about. Now, in these crucial moments, your voice once again has extraordinary power. I'm counting on you to use it."

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For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."

obama is lier a thief and a fraud.
But God will take care of him

Posted by Claude Wadsworth May 21, 09 02:28 AM
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Every time Obama wants to do something (governance), he goes right back to campaigning. That is where this keeps breaking down. I'm sick of all these town hall meetings, major stump speeches, and flying all over the country. This supposed grassroots base has fallen into complacency because their man got elected...now they expect him to do the job. The supposed army of supporters (52% of the electorate, many of whom just wanted a Democrat and settled) are mired in complete ignorance on the issue of healthcare reform. Listen carefully to the White House and you'll notice that this reform would only work to stem the growth of healthcare costs, not save you in excess of $2000 per year as promised in the fall. Even Congressional Democrats will admit that this is a long shot and are gearing up to tax us on soda, alcohol, and more fatty foods to pay for it. Just one more piece of Obama's bid to comprehensively screw the taxpayer in order to subsidize the bums and illegals.

Posted by J.B. May 21, 09 09:31 AM
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It frightens me that Obama truly believes that his election was a mandate for far reaching, sweeping change on every front. It wasn't. It was a close election. His bid is to solidify and retain his and his own party's power by making the electorate feel increasingly dependent of the government. This approach is bound to fail when he continues to fall short of his ambitious promises, and turn back decisions he has made in haste.

Posted by Henry James Brady May 21, 09 09:43 AM
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"Bill Carrick, a Democratic strategist from California, said he does not think Obama's $2,500 promise is a political liability, because most Americans are cynical about healthcare and will not take Obama's promise literally."

Now that's the kind of hope and change we voted for.

Posted by kristy May 21, 09 09:49 AM
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THIS WE DO KNOW,BEYOND A SHADOW OF DOUBT: The large health insurance industry will use all of their powerful financed lobbyist weapons to prevent real health coverage reform. Middle class Americans in the tens of millions falling through the cracks left out of affordable health plans that are provided for extremely fortunate Govt. workers including congress themselves are suffering and paying the dire consequences. Untreated illness in its thousands of different deadly forms most assuredly leads to premature death for millions of
America's regretably uninsured. Who are they? They are hard working members of our proud and beloved middle class. Republicans and Democrats in congress : You have the moral and ethical right to give them the same affordable coverage that you and your own families are privileged to possess.


america

Posted by ED STEWART, HALIFAX, MA. May 21, 09 12:15 PM
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There is a lot of truth in what Ed Stewart has to say,but I would take it one step further. If Congress refuses to provide the non group middle class with the same affordable legitimate health coverage that they themselves and their fortunate famlies are uniquely blessed with then they should in good conscience surrender their Govt subsidized health insurance. Let themselves and their own families fall through the cracks and even with their sizable pay checks compete for non guarantee,might pay,sky high health insurance. AS WE ARE ALL AWARE THERE IS NOT ONE CHANCE IN HELL THAT THEIR FAMILIES WILL RIDE THE RAILS!

Posted by Gaelic Victor May 21, 09 04:40 PM
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THANK YOU GAELIC VICTOR FOR YOUR BRILLIANT REMEDY FOR MAKING CONGRESS SHARE SOME OF THEIR MIRACULOUS BENEFITS. But like you so realistically stated, there is not a chance in hell that they will allow their own famillies to ride the highly dangerous rails without the benefits of their own Govt subsidized,sure to pay claims,guaranteed renewable,low premiums, health insurance. Unfortunately, "RIDING THE RAILS" (A life without legitimate health insurance) most always leads to loss of life or financial disaster.

Posted by ED STEWART May 22, 09 11:02 AM
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