Aug 16 2009
President Barack Obama is continuing his anti-insurance, pro-health reform pitch to town hall meetings and in his weekly address to the country.
The New York Times: "President Obama, on a four-state Western swing to promote his health care overhaul and visit national parks, asked Americans on Saturday to 'lower our voices' in the debate, and accused the news media of paying too much attention to raucous protests at town-hall-style meetings held by legislators. 'You know how TV loves a ruckus,' Mr. Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address. 'But what you haven’t seen, because it’s not as exciting, are the many constructive meetings going on all over the country.'
"Mr. Obama has been on a public relations offensive to persuade Americans that overhauling the nation’s health care system will benefit not only those who lack insurance, but also those who have it. As he has said in the past, he argued in his address that his plan would end current insurance industry practices of dropping coverage when people got sick or denying coverage for those with pre-existing conditions" (Stolberg, 8/15).
Reuters: "President Barack Obama said on Saturday U.S. healthcare worked better for insurance companies than for patients, as he pressed his case for a major overhaul that critics say is too expensive. Obama, who is in the middle of a multi-state tour to promote his healthcare policies, also accused 'special interests' of misleading Americans about aspects of the reform bills making their way through Congress" (Mason, 8/15).
The Associated Press: "President Barack Obama is using political tactics and rhetorical devices honed in his White House campaign to regain the upper hand in the health care debate over increasingly vocal and organized critics. In person and over the Internet, Obama is trying to counter intense public skepticism over Democratic plans to overhaul the health care system. It's his top domestic priority and arguably his most challenging political fight yet."
"Familiar tools from the Obama candidacy include the town hall meetings where he rolls up his sleeves and discards his tie and jacket; a rapid-response Web site to counter critics' claims; and a populist pitch against the entrenched powers in Washington" (Sidoti, 8/15).
Meanwhile, in a second story, The New York Times reports that the president's strategy may not be as successful as it was during the campaign: "As the health care debate intensifies, the president is turning to his grass-roots network — the 13 million members of Organizing for America — for support. Mr. Obama engendered such passion last year that his allies believed they were on the verge of creating a movement that could be mobilized again. But if a week’s worth of events are any measure here in Iowa, it may not be so easy to reignite the machine that overwhelmed Republicans a year ago."
"More than a dozen campaign volunteers, precinct captains and team leaders from all corners of Iowa, who dedicated a large share of their time in 2007 and 2008 to Mr. Obama, said in interviews this week that they supported the president completely but were taking a break from politics and were not active members of Organizing for America" (Zeleny, 8/15).
The Denver Post covered the anticipation in Grand Junction, Colorado for the president's visit: "The meeting is expected to draw about 600 people who have been selected through a lottery for 75 minutes of health care talk as Obama attempts to defend his reform plans in the face of volatile criticisms. Half a dozen demonstrations are planned ... Opponents of the reform plan, including the Western Slope Conservative Alliance and Americans for Prosperity, have sent out the call for extra protesters from Wyoming, New Mexico and Utah."
"The Democratic Party has been working the phones with automated messages across the Western Slope and sending out e-mails calling for Democrats to come out to show support. Several environmental groups have announced they plan to join in the mix of demonstrators" (Lofholm, 8/15).
The Newshour included a report detailing Grand Junction's efficient health care system (Bowser, 8/14).
Remarks of the President in his weekly address.
 This article was reprinted from khn.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
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