Today's editorials and opinions

At Last, Firing Back On Health Reform The Washington Post
[T]he most striking aspect of the address may have been its call to battle: The days of taking incoming fire without any return volleys are over (E.J. Dionne, Jr., 9/10).

Obama's Big Political Gamble The Wall Street Journal
Team Obama is essentially asking congressional Democrats to take a huge gamble. The White House is arguing that ramming through a controversial bill is safer for Democrats than not passing anything (Karl Rove, 9/10).

So Much For Civility The New York Times
Let me go out on a limb and say that it is not a good plan to heckle the president of the United States when he's making a speech about replacing acrimony with civility (Gail Collins, 9/9).

Dollars And Sense Los Angeles Times
[T]he president's comments about the savings available in Medicare were disingenuous, as was his assertion that a new tax on insurers would lead them to "provide greater value for the money" instead of simply passing the cost on to policyholders (Editorial, 9/10).

Big Food Vs. Big Insurance The New York Times
[O]ur success in bringing health care costs under control ultimately depends on whether Washington can summon the political will to take on and reform a second, even more powerful industry: the food industry (Michael Pollan, 9/9).

A Hand Up, Not A Hand Out Denver Post
[M]any folks may need a hand up, not a hand-out. With some help, most of these people will eventually fend for themselves. My family and I sure did (Linda Rinehart, 9/10).

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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.