Obama on Health Care: "This Isn't About Me"

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: Health Care

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

President Obama responded directly on Monday to Republican opponents to health care reform who have commented on the political nature of the debate, saying that the issue is not about politics but about the unsustainable cost of the current health care system.

On a conference call on Friday organized by the group Conservatives for Patients Rights, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said, "If we're able to stop Obama on (health care), it will be his Waterloo. It will break him."

"Think about that," Mr. Obama said Monday, speaking from the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. "This isn't about me. This isn't about politics. This is about a health care system that is breaking America's families, breaking America's businesses and breaking America's economy."

He said "there are too many lives and livelihoods at stake" to politicize the debate.

The president restated his promise to cut the costs of health care over the long run and reiterated his point that the reimbursement system for health care providers must be changed to provide the right incentives.

"In a city like Washington, D.C., you've got all the doctors in one half of the city, very few doctors in the other half of the city," Mr. Obama said. "And part of that has to do with just the manner in which reimbursement is taking place and the disincentives for doctors, nurses, and physicians assistants in caring for those who are most in need."

The president made the remarks after sitting in on a roundtable discussion about health care reform with workers at the medical center.

The president assailed insurance companies that have "reaped windfall profits from a broken system."

Commenting that Washington has a tendency toward inertia, Mr. Obama said lawmakers will have to get over "the politics of the moment" to pass health care reform this year.

"We always knew passing health care reform wouldn't be easy. We always knew doing what is right would be hard," he said. "We're a country that chooses the harder right over the easier wrong... We have to do that once more."

Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
Follow on Twitter »

19 Comments Have Your Say
Email Story Send to a Friend
Share This Tell Your Friends
Tweet This Tweet This
More Share It

Add a Comment

See all 19 Comments


by ilovejoethep July 23, 2009 11:24 PM EDT: If it is not about him, why is it that when a Senator was trying to tell him that he was losing support and the bill needed to change he responded: "You're going to destroy my presidency." Can you people not recognize a narcissist when you see one?; Reply to this comment


by Jim90049 July 21, 2009 8:55 PM EDT: No one has brought up the issue that many small businesses, even ones that make a lot of money, don't cover 100% of health insurance premiums for their employees and families. Some cover 50% at best. The 50% that is borne by the employee can be a significant amount.

Many small businesses with under 25 employees pay very very high health insurance rates for ( not very expansive health, and NO dental) coverage. That 50% of a very large insurance premium is still a large after-tax amount. And not every business allows employees to pay health insurance costs as a pretax deduction.

Trust me, I don't want a Federal option. I already pay out enough $$ in Federal Taxes to support several families (except my own).

I just want some fair treatment by insurance companies...and please, can I pick the two families I support through my taxes?; Reply to this comment


by Judy-mae July 21, 2009 12:39 PM EDT: Please vote "NO" medical bill as we can not go to whom we want to for specialist etc. The illegal immigrants shoudl not get health care unless they have a real job and can pay for there own we are not her to pay for them or others that are on welfare. Our forefathers woked hard for us and we have retirement money that may not be there if we do not take control. Republicans WAKE UP THE WORLD IS GOING TO THE DOGS BY THE DEMO'S CONTROL.; Reply to this comment


by wzyz1954 July 20, 2009 8:53 PM EDT: This is healthcare welfare. Unless Peloci and Reid are willing to exchange their current healthcare coverage for this why are they trying to sell it to America. If its not good enough for them why is it good enough for Americans with healthcare coverage; Reply to this comment


by carlyt1 July 20, 2009 6:19 PM EDT: Steele and DeMint try to score political points and are just a distraction. The Republicans and Democrats need to work on it and get a healthcare plan in place. There is a related post at http://iamsoannoyed.com/?page_id=588; Reply to this comment

by donein1 July 20, 2009 4:30 PM EDT

I think that most people would like to understand exactly what is being done to reform healthcare. Not just add more money; we know that the current system doesn't work well, but to add a "new" program doesn't fix the old. I don't think you have to be conservative, liberal, left or right-wing to see there's a problem and work to fix it.

Reply to this comment


by iamproteus July 20, 2009 5:30 PM EDT: re: donein1, you said:
"I don't think you have to be conservative, liberal, left or right-wing to see there's a problem and work to fix it."
I agree completely. However, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) made it very clear that he (and presumably, the rest of the Republican party) does not when he said, "If we?re able to stop Obama on (health care), it will be his Waterloo. It will break him." Clearly, the top priority for the Republicans is NOT working to resolve the problems that beset this great nation, but rather to "break" our duly elected President and, ultimately, regain the reins of power. When holding power trumps doing what's right, the people always lose.


by xlib July 20, 2009 4:07 PM EDT: Who does he think he's kidding other than the lemmings like mattcatt? It's always about him, it's all him. My God, the man drones his speeches filled with me, me, me, I, I, I.
He's slowly moving through the rules in his favorite book,"rules for radicals". Why do you think pushes all those massive bills through without anyone reading them.
He is hell bent on destroying this country and it looks like he's off to a good start. Quadrupling the deficit is a good start.; Reply to this comment

by mattcat25 July 20, 2009 3:45 PM EDT

Republicans want America to fail. That's what they are, they propose nothing and what they have been succesful in implementing has been detrimental to the United States.

It's for change.

Reply to this comment


by xlib July 20, 2009 4:12 PM EDT: Hey mattcatt, try another talking point, will you. Take a look and see what your thug is doing. America is failing now, thanks to him. And as far as your totally inane post about this department is socialism, yada, yada,yada. You're kidding, right? You can't be serious.
They are all departments in the government you idiot. This thug is talking about our government controlling just about every aspect of our lives. Do you really want that?
My God, you probably do.


by mattcat25 July 20, 2009 5:13 PM EDT: Yeah, America is failing because of the Conservative Agenda, and there are many Americans that are trying to reverse that, starting with the elections, and now actions.


by speakinup22 July 20, 2009 3:36 PM EDT: Obama on Health Care: "This Isn't About Me"

You are damn right it isn't about YOU barry !

It is about the US of A, and you are failing !

The people won't have this farce called "HEalthcare reform" rammed down their collective throat. We are going to fire anyone that votes to pass before we ALL get a chance to understand it.

No more of this pass it "now" BS. That worked for you once, and we'll be paying for it as will our kids.; Reply to this comment


by tomadams99 July 20, 2009 3:31 PM EDT: Look out Obama's lips are moving again...he is lying. It is all about him, and has nothing to do with the people. If it was about the people and of course transparency, he would not have difficulty allowing the people's represetatives, and the people time to read this so called health plan. What a charade this buffoon is.; Reply to this comment