Obama Calls On Bloggers To Keep Health Care Pressure On Congress (AUDIO)
In a reflection of a legislative strategy that has left no stone unturned, President Barack Obama on Monday called on like-minded bloggers to help his administration keep the heat on lawmakers to pass health care reform.
"It is important just to keep the pressure on members of Congress because what happens is there is a default position of inertia here in Washington," the president said during an invitation-only conference call. "And pushing against that, making sure that people feel that the desperation that ordinary families are feeling all across the country, every single day, when they are worrying about whether they can pay their premiums or not… People have to feel that in a visceral way. And you guys can help deliver that better than just about anybody."
The BackChannel Blog 
Good morning. It looks like Obama is returning to campaign mode to get this done. Good for him!
Blogging for health care benefits-what a novel concept.
morning peeps.
Got your coffee yet, Brian?
From an LATimes story on Surgeon General nominee Regina Benjamin:
“But [her town] Bayou La Batre is a town of entrepreneurs and small-business owners. Boatyard owners and others, while fond of Benjamin, are worried about the effect greater government involvement will have on their bottom lines.
Greg Marshall, owner of Marshall Marine Supply, called Benjamin a “fantastic choice” for surgeon general. But he feared that the Democrats’ healthcare plan would sink small businesses like his.
“You’re not going to find too many people here in the business community behind the idea of a government healthcare system,” he said.
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-na-regina-benjamin20-2009jul20,0,4279596,full.story
“Can the shrimpers’ doctor navigate the seas of partisanship?”
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There, the challenge for President Obama and bloggers he’s encouraging:
Convince Mr. Marshall, small business owner, that better healthcare is good for his business. Not an unknown to be feared.
Good healthcare and healthier Americans is GOOD for America and good for business.
Go to it.
Hey, and no matter what the clock says, it’s still mid-morning here and still on first cup of java.
Reminded my friend we had to watch Obama’s press conference tonight.
“You mean this afternoon, right?”
Viva Pacific time.
Your daily Margaret and Helen.
http://margaretandhelen.wordpress.com/
First cup of coffee down, dogs walked and fed, and I’m working. Anyone interested in chat tonight during the prez’s press conference?
I’t my FRIDAY and I have dinner plans after work so I won’t be around until way later.
dinner plans? What time? Where? Should we dress or is it casual?
Chat sounds good to me, Brian. Anyone else?
AHAHA 6:30pm in DE which is a bit of a drive for u, dress is business casual and dates r more than welcome. We’re celebrating someone’s promotion (glad to have them leaving, more like) LOL
Definite maybe re the chat, Brian. Although it would be great to do it on blog. Leave a record of comments…
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AP story: No Jobs, No Insurance: Hard Times for Young Adults
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/07/22/health/AP-US-Health-Overhaul-Young-Uninsured.html
” … Already the least likely of any age group to have coverage, adults in their 20s face brutal job searches and more time uninsured because of the recession. Nearly 30 percent, 13.2 million, were uninsured in 2007, according to the Commonwealth Fund, a New York-based research center. Many young adults work entry-level jobs without insurance and, despite new laws in some states, they’re eventually too old to stay on their parents’ policies.
…. twentysomethings were nearly twice as likely as senior citizens to say they would be ”better off” if President Barack Obama and Congress reformed the health care system. People in their 20s were more likely than senior citizens to say they would be willing to pay more so that more Americans could be insured.”
Article details how young adults choose minimal plans, often with such a high deductible that it puts non-catastrophic care out of reach.
One young man nursed a broken arm with tequila shots overnight, to save on an ER visit and have arm set during doctor’s office hours next day.
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Also: witness the “greedy geezer” aspect hinted at here. Yes, the elderly are often on fixed incomes, but they’re all covered under Medicare. Don’t they remember when they were young? Why don’t younger Americans deserve good healthcare access too?
Unexpected aspect of Medicare coverage: removing a set of motivated voters from the universe of those who would support better healthcare for all. They’ve got theirs. Don’t touch it and don’t tax them.
Not generalizing about all seniors, but it’s the same impetus you see with people who’ve raised their own kids and don’t want to support education funding to educate yours. (Who do they think will be working for them in their dotage?)
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Step up and be heard, young Americans.
Don’t be forced into filing bankruptcy before you’re 30 because you experienced a devastating disease or accident.
My favorite line from the new Margaret and Helen piece:
I guess the Americans with Disabilities Act needs to be revisited again to include “Republican” as a form of mental impairment because this has gotten out of hand.
Made me laugh out loud.
I liked Helen’s assessment of Rush Limbaugh.
“If all Rush Limbaugh can do is wish for Obama to fail and talk about what is wrong with America, then what’s the use of giving him airtime everyday? After 20 years hasn’t he made his point? If he had been right about anything along the way then certainly he would appeal to more than just angry white men or at the very least been promoted to FM radio.”
Promoted to FM. Tee hee.
Lindsey Graham has just announced he will support the Sotomayor nomination.
No surprise, but good to have it confirmed.
Which GOP or independent senator will be next?
Senator Sessions Looking to Add “Poison Pill” Amendments to Hate Crimes Legislation
Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) is hoping to add three different amendments to the Matthew Shepard Act in an attempt to kill support for the expansion of hate crimes laws to protect the LGBT community.
Jeff-Sessions_7.jpgYou may know Senator Sessions as the race-baiting, bigoted failed Judicial nominee who now, in a show of the Republican sense of irony, is the top GOP leader in the Senate Judiciary Committee. During the Sotomayor hearings, he repeatedly made ridiculous, racially-charged comments (not to mention to the rather hilarious “quote of the hearing” line- saying he “wanted to do that crack cocaine thing” with the nominee).
Well now Sesssions is trying to add poison pills to the Matthew Shepard Act to ensure it goes down in flames.
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/12123/senator-sessions-looking-to-add-poison-pill-amendments-to-hate-crimes-legislation
Nanny I’m shocked, who would thought such a thing of Sessions!
Senate Blocks Gun-Rights Measure
The Senate on Wednesday turned aside the latest attempt by
gun advocates to expand the rights of gun owners, narrowly
voting down a provision that would have allowed gun owners
with valid permits from one state to carry concealed weapons
in other states as well.
Ok, here goes:
Dear Mr. President,
You messed up. The House Democrat’s bill is a piece of crap. The Wyden-Bennett bill is way better. Not perfect, but better.
Here’s what you should have done: commission a blue-ribbon panel to study a variety of health care reform options, with the associated pros and cons. Then toss that into the legislative sausage maker with your goals.
But it’s not too late. You can use the current legislative conflicts between the blue dogs and the socialists, House and the Senate, the PON (party of NO!) and everybody else, as an excuse to press the reset button and get this done right.
I’m pushing for you Mr. President. Let’s GET-R-DONE!
What is up with Liz Cheney? I think she’s nuts.
Bev very much so.
Ok dnd I’ll bite, why do you think the Wyden-Bennett bill is better?
Bev,
I don’t think Liz Cheney is nuts. I think she’s evil. Satan’s spawn as it were…
The Wyden-Bennett plan does not provide all of the detail necessary to be able to answer these questions conclusively. It appears, however, that the plan would fall short in a number of these areas, thus highlighting the challenges that this approach to achieving universal coverage presents.
* Under the plan, there is a substantial risk that instead of the private health insurance plans in the state-based purchasing pools competing solely on the basis of cost and quality, they would compete in significant part on the basis of which plans could best attract healthy individuals and discourage enrollment by people in poor health. Some adverse selection likely would result, with healthy individuals choosing low-cost health insurance plans, like high-deductible plans attached to Health Savings Accounts, while people in poorer health opted for more comprehensive plans. If that occurred, sicker individuals would, over time, face increasingly unaffordable premiums for the coverage they need.
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=674
Brian,
I didn’t say Wyden-Bennett was perfect. Far from it. But it’s better than the House Dem’s crappy plan. Check out:
http://www.thehealthcareblog.com/the_health_care_blog/2009/06/time-to-revisit-wydenbennett-.html
The only plan that will really work in the long run is single payer healthcare.
Eprof2, where are you? “Single payer healthcare NOW!”
So is it official, has PUMA fully morphed into Birthers?
Well, they are both psychos. But, I’m not sure they morphed so much as merged.
Was the gal with her birth certificate in a zip-lock baggie at the Michael Castle town hall the same woman that told McCain that Obama was a Kenyan during the campaign?
Ed is on fire!
RE Liz Cheney: do you ever see her on quality news shows? Or just the 24/7 cable circus?
I don’t include the Sunday morning poli-gabfests in the “quality news” category.
UnitedHealth 2Q profit rises, enrollment slides
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jVxh0vnmUrINiL8RX18wJG6zSavQD99J3UBG2
“Was the gal with her birth certificate in a zip-lock baggie at the Michael Castle town hall the same woman that told McCain that Obama was a Kenyan during the campaign?”
No, dnd. She’s a different wacko.
Dog’s Eye,
Liz Cheney is setting the stage for her big political run. She is so arrogant that I wouldn’t be surprised if she is planning to start at the top with a presidential run. I can hardly wait….
After awhile all the wackos start to look alike.
“After awhile all the wackos start to look alike.”
Too bad Al Frankin is a Senator now. That would’ve made a great title for his latest book.
We can do a serious of essays on that theme d.
Hmmm….. that could be a very long series, Brian.
😆
prez time
Is the chat room open?
no, no one responded earlier
hmmm…dog and i both said yes.
guess i missed yours, dog said she wanted to blog here. Oh well
This clearly illustrates the failure of the left. The lack of wackos. Oh sure there was Harriet Christian:
But she can’t hold a candle to the nut jobs that show up at Republican rallies. Think Sarah Palin supporters, the birthers, the PUMAs. Even the leftist radio crowd is pretty lame compared to the right. Bill Press, Stephanie Miller and Ed Schultz pale to Beck, Hannity and Rush in the whack-job category.
Yep, what the lefties need is a bunch of certifiable wing-nuts if they want to compete.
Or not 😉
d I’m available for the job
It’s a perfect fit for you, Brian. 😉
Brian, you’re hired. LOL 😉
Dear President Obama,
Kick ass, take names.
Sincerely,
dnd
Ditto what dnd said.
Chris Matthews Wrong on Obama Birth Certificate
http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/obama_birth_certificate/2009/07/22/238969.html?s=al&promo_code=83F2-1
We need a wacko emoticon.
New thread.