What, Me Worry? Obama Watches Basketball

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Health Care

(Credit: AP)

Updated 8:55 p.m. Eastern

With the House debate raging over the health care bill going on at the same time the NCAA tournament was in full swing, CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller asked what, exactly, President Obama -- a college basketball fan who filled out a bracket for the second straight year -- was watching.

Replied White House spokesman Robert Gibbs: "Mostly basketball."

After basketball wrapped up, Knoller notes, CBS was turning to "60 Minutes," which tonight featured Katie Couric's interview with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. No word on whether Mr. Obama changed the channel.

The president spoke with wavering House members on the phone Sunday in the run-up to the final vote. He spent much of his day in Emanuel's office with his legislative team, according to Gibbs; the White House released two photos of him, one of which is below and one of which is posted here.

(Credit: AP)

A White House senior staff member, meanwhile, said Mr. Obama spent the day in the West Wing getting updates on the health care vote, checking in with staff, "and like the rest of America, examining the rubble of his NCAA bracket."

The White House announced Sunday that Mr. Obama will make a statement following the House vote. If the Senate bill passes the House, it goes to the president's desk, though he is not expected to sign the bill on Monday.

A White House aide tells CBS News Mr. Obama has had over 90 phone calls and/or meetings with members of Congress on health care reform over the past week.

More Coverage of Health Care Reform:

House Passes Health Care Bill
Obama: "This is What Change Looks Like"
Health Care Vote: How Each Representative Voted
Announcement of the Vote
Boehner Tells Democrats: Shame on You
Pelosi Urges House to "Make History"
Health Care Bill: What's In It?
Short-Term Effect of the Bill
What, Me Worry? Obama Watches Basketball
CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by thebob-bob March 23, 2010 6:23 PM EDT: GOBAMA! Don't worry about November.

Remember the hysteria. Remember the dire predictions. Nothing short of a Totalitarian Socialist Dictatorship!!! 80-85% of Americans will see no difference between now and election day. Destruction of America and Freedom!!!
Weeks, months will go by and America will still be here, free as ever ... except that more will have health insurance and fewer will have it taken away by insurance companies after they've paid for years and then gotten sick.

Those whackjobs who only listen to Glen "Social Justice Christians are really Commies" Beck will be digging Fox holes anticipating the overthrow of America by radical Socialist Muslims from Hawaii with degrees from Harvard Law and secret political training from the Institute of Chicago Machine Politics while the rest of America continues the recovery from 8 years of disastrous non-governing by the Republicans.

Life goes on. Republicans become more and more annoying and irrelevant.; Reply to this comment


by beauboy1 March 23, 2010 1:53 AM EDT: I continue to be proud to be an American in spite of the racist animosity displayed by members of the Teabagger groups, along with some of our conservative lawmakers who have tried to make Health Care Reform into a racist socialist agenda. the republican party seemed to put all their time, efforts and money into stopping HCR at all cost. Now that their efforts were badly defeated at the ballot boxes, theu're left looking like "dear in a headlight." They bet everything they had on defeating President Obama and failed. Today, all true Americans should feel proud to be American.; Reply to this comment


by truthtoday March 22, 2010 10:54 PM EDT: The Obama?s throw a party every three days in the White House.
First Couple hosted no less than 170 parties and social events through December 3 of 2009. And that does not even include the 17 parties and 11 open houses ? feting more than 50,000 guests
http://www.thefoxnation.com/culture/2010/01/14/sacrifice-wh-throws-party-every-three-days; Reply to this comment


by RatPackSixGun March 22, 2010 7:53 PM EDT: Fiddling while Rome burns?

This behavior from the same Potsmoker Of The United States (POTUS for the who's at home) who came out after an entire first year in office and emphatically exclaimed "we are a nation at war!"; Reply to this comment


by ladyang March 22, 2010 6:21 PM EDT: That's right Mr President - Don't let these haters worry you.
You Do what you do for the people that voted for you.
Let the haters stew. They'll still hate Faux news to vent on.; Reply to this comment


by david393071 March 22, 2010 6:06 PM EDT: Why should he worry he gets his real Medical Care for $42 per month, see below:

What was said:

President Obama, Face the Nation, September 20, 2009

Obama: No, the difference is that they're making huge profits on it, Bob. I mean, let's take the Medicare HMO programs that are being run by insurance companies. It's estimated by everybody that they're overcharging by about 14 percent. This amounts to about $177 billion over 10 years. About $17 billion a year, $18 billion a year. That's just going to pad their profits, hasn't been shown to make Medicare recipients any healthier. And in fact because those huge subsidies are going to insurance companies, Medicare recipients are not getting a good deal. Now if we are enforcing what should be the rules around Medicare and making sure the people are getting a bang for the buck, it's not going to be possible for insurance companies to simply pass on those costs to Medicare recipients because ultimately it's Uncle Sam that's paying for those services anyway.

(guess who Uncle Sam is, duh, yeah thats right all US Taxpayers).

So the President knows about the big bad Insurance Corporations.

_________________________________________________________

What is done:

Rewards the Insurance Corporations, Medical Device Industry, and Pharmaceutical Industry for Campaign Contributions (for November 2010 Elections).

THE PRESIDENT'S PROPOSAL February 22, 2010

Page 10. Manditory Insurance, fined or jail (more suckers for the Insurance Corporations to deny claims): "Like the drug industry, the health insurance industry stands to gain as more Americans get coverage."

Page 10. "The medical device industry also stands to gain from expanding health insurance coverage."

Page 9. "Both policies will result in new revenue for the pharmaceutical industry."

BY GETTING THE INSURANCE CORPORATIONS OUT OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSION

What Congress Gets:

"We're able to access that health care 24 hours a day when we're in Washington," Graham said, leading us to the Attending Physician's Office, a clinic inside the U.S. Capitol. They don't even have to leave the office.

About half of the members of Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, use the Attending Physician benefit. For $42 a month, they can get all the primary care they need - physical therapy, X-rays, minor surgery, specialists and a pharmacy for emergencies - no appointment needed.

They also get VIP hospital treatment from the best doctors at Bethesda Naval Hospital. And they have a reserved spot at the elite Ward 72 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where the late Sen. Strom Thurmond spent a lot of time.

Outpatient care is free. Well, free for them. Your tax dollars pick up the cost.

The Hypocrisy is that the late Senator Kennedy of whom the Democratic Party refer to as the champion of this so called Health Care Reform used the Medical Services listed above for $42 per month. As well as Bethesda Naval Hospital (reference New Media footage of his departure after treatment at Bethesda).

BY GETTING THE INSURANCE CORPORATIONS OUT OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSION:

Decreases cost 80% (last part of video, 1:40) by Doctor David Ores, New York.1:45

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5247963n&tag=contentMain;contentBody

THIS CRAP IS ALL ABOUT THE PAYBACK TO THE INSURANCE CORPORATIONS FOR CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS!!!!!!!!! AND NOT REAL HEALTH CARE REFORM (MEDICAL PROFESSION).

House speaker will keep money from 'villains', Pelosi called insurers 'immoral,' despite receiving funds from industry.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32237227/ns/politics-cq_politics

We want what they have for $42 per month. Not this Insurance Scam (manditory purchase of Insurance, more suckers for denial of claims).

If it is good enough for the President, Vice President, Speaker of the House, Senator Max Baucas, Congress, and all those trying ram something up our arses that they will never use (be screwed over by).

We want what they have for $42 per month.

NO ANAL RAPE.

Contact President:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Contact Congress:

http://www.contactingthecongress.org/

Keep emailing them until they respond.; Reply to this comment

by Dutra1 March 22, 2010 5:32 PM EDT

I didn't vote for him. Did you?

Reply to this comment


by beapancake March 22, 2010 7:56 PM EDT: Heck yeah! How's the wrong side of History treating ya?


by grantdawg74 March 22, 2010 4:59 PM EDT: I thought this process was so critical he couldn't go on his Asia trip, and now we hear he was watching basketball? Right............; Reply to this comment


by moronpolitics March 22, 2010 4:13 PM EDT: The idiocy of some of these comments makes you want to puke if you have actually lived long enough to know how wrong they are and how wildly reality is going to differ from their expectations. "hang your clothes up carefully and mark them before you get into the shower. They wouldn't have us mark them if we weren't going to get our stuff back,right?" Obama's supporters don't have a clue what that meant. AND the health care takeover won't start until AFTER he is re-elected so he can pull scam after scam and takeover after takeover while they all chant "Don't worry. They said the Health Care Bill would be a disaster and nothing has changed." THAT WHY it doesn't take effect until 2013. If it's so damned wonderful START IT NEXT MONTH!! Of course not. They have to hire thousands of new IRS agents to enforce it. Duh. We are a nation ruled by idiots and they have elected one of their own.; Reply to this comment


by moronpolitics March 22, 2010 4:03 PM EDT: What did you expect? We elected an eternal college sophomore. You know the type? He comes home and -- now that he has completed a couple of survey of philosophy and history classes knows the solution to ALL the worlds problems. Not ever having DONE anything he isn't confused by experience or reality. When you try to tell him that his ideas are simplistic crap the eyes glaze over, he sneers at you and -- if he doesn't tell you flat out you are a moron -- you know he thinks it. Obama has NEVER worked, NEVER accomplished anything, KNOWS everything. All he has ever done is wait for mommy or granny to send the next check. His handlers picked him to dance when they grind the organ and they never told him he is just a clown dancing to their tune.; Reply to this comment