Obama Still Working on Health Care Speech

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Health Care

(AP Photo/Kirsty Wiggl)

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters on Air Force One this morning that President Obama has not yet put the finishing touches on his planned address this evening to a joint session of Congress.

"He's still working on it," Gibbs said. "…he came back from Camp David Monday with many handwritten pages of notes that he gave to the speechwriters. He got another draft incorporating more edits last night, and worked on it with the speechwriters before he left this morning. So my sense is he'll be tinkering with this some this afternoon, but my sense is this thing will be locked sometime this afternoon."

Gibbs also spoke of Mr. Obama's "main goals" in the address, which he said are "to speak clearly to the American people about what's in health care reform; for those that are fortunate to have insurance, to demonstrate for them that his plan will bring them security and stability; and for those that don't have health insurance, that we'll provide an affordable way for them to get accessible insurance."

In an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America" today, the president blamed himself for leaving "too much ambiguity out there" on his health care plan, reports CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller.

Mr. Obama said ambiguity in his plan allowed "opponents of reform to come in and to fill up the airwaves with a lot of nonsense."

That nonsense, he said, includes the "ridiculous idea that we were setting up death panels" or providing health insurance to illegal immigrants.

Asked about the political climate, Mr. Obama said "there is still just this unyielding partisanship. In some ways, I think it's gotten worse."

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by freefall7 September 9, 2009 5:21 PM EDT: A few comments.

"Since World War II, federal spending has generally remained between 18 and 22 percent of GDP. During the Bush Administration, spending increased from 18 to 21 percent of GDP. This year, President Obama will spend a peacetime-record 26 percent of GDP. Even by 2019, spending would still be 23 percent of GDP--not even counting the President's proposed health plan." (source: The Heritage Foundation, http://www.heritage.org/research/budget/wm2595.cfm)

Please read the article, and tell me how this kind of spending is sustainable. Pesident Obama, President Bush, and Congress have rung up a massive debt (Obama's debt, shockingly, even greater than the Bush disaster, and Obama has yet to be in office for one year). On top of all this spending (some deemed "necessary" to save the economy, some bona fide pork waste--under both parties), the Democrats propose a healthcare plan that will cost another trillion dollars! Whether such spending is "necessary" or not, it will bankrupt the country--an outcome we must not take lightly.

Republicans and Conservatives have put out several healthcare bills and reform proposals. Some proposals include: the use of medical savings accounts, increasing competition by letting Americans buy insurance accross state lines, eliminating some harsh regulations of insurance companies to allow Americans to pick and choose their plans more freely, allowing Americans to buy health insurance individually (without the involvement of their employers), reforming tort, and providing catastrophic insurance for those too poor to afford it. These things could help reduce healthcare costs AND help the uninsured find affordable insurance.

There are even clinics like Qliance where insurance companies take a back seat. "Qliance customers pay $99 to join, then a flat monthly rate of $39 to $119, depending on age and level of service. Patients can quit without notice and no one is rejected for pre-existing conditions." (source: Reuters, http://www.reuters.com/article/smallBusinessNews/idUSTRE5660N620090707) Pateints only need to buy catastrophic insurance from an outside source. Systems like this could, perhaps, lower healthcare costs and frustration in the system. Apparently Qliance has been doing quite well, meaning people are satisfied with it.

Finally, please read this wonderful article which contains several sensible approaches to healthcare reform:
online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204251404574342170072865070.html

This should not be a Democrat vs. Republican issue. There are plenty of creative ideas around to help reduce cost and protect the uninsured without involving bloated government bureaucracy and further inflating a dangerously large government debt.; Reply to this comment


by maakahill September 9, 2009 4:38 PM EDT: I hope his both of his tele-promter crashes to floor in a million pieces, then maybe he might speak truthfully, otherwise more of the same...; Reply to this comment


by troutfishyman September 9, 2009 4:33 PM EDT: by CORALRIDGE September 9, 2009 4:25 PM EDT
STOP SOCIALIZED HEATLH CARE PETITIONS!!!

what is "heatlh"?; Reply to this comment


by reveal5 September 9, 2009 3:27 PM EDT: Congress people pay for individual insurance plans from a menu of private options. Congress people receive a partial subsidization of their health insurance costs paid for by the taxpayer. Private businesses also partially subsidize the costs of their employees private sector insurance.; Reply to this comment


by troutfishyman September 9, 2009 3:13 PM EDT: by ImpeachTheSocialists September 9, 2009 3:08 PM EDT
The loony-left d-crat socialist still don't get it!

The American people have made their view known: NO MEAN NO on government nationalization of the American healthcare industry and its replacement with a $1 TRILLION government-controlled, limited and rationed heathcare system.

A few town hall loonies DO NOT represent the American people! Obama was elected to fix this issue, among many others. He is doing what the AMERICAN PEOPLE elected him to do.; Reply to this comment


by reveal5 September 9, 2009 2:22 PM EDT: Major corporations spend millions of dollars to gain subsidies and tax breaks from Congress paid for by the taxpayer. These same corporate entities now rally folks against socialism. These major corporations fight for socialism for themselves and fight against socialism for the taxpayer. Medicare seniors receive almost 3 times the benefits from Medicare as they have paid in. These seniors fight for socialism for themselves and against socialism for anyone else. Corporate America and Medicare seniors are fighting for social subsidies for themselves and are fighting against social subsidies for everyone else.; Reply to this comment


by troutfishyman September 9, 2009 2:04 PM EDT: by Royal_Majesty September 9, 2009 2:00 PM EDT
Wyotuor ... How could anyone support government controlled health care ???

Glad to hear you will refuse Medicare in retirement! Good for you!; Reply to this comment


by troutfishyman September 9, 2009 1:57 PM EDT: by Wyotour September 9, 2009 1:46 PM EDT

Beck and Limbaugh have NO power compared to the Government.

They control millions of low IQ followers. That is power.; Reply to this comment


by nubiangent09 September 9, 2009 1:26 PM EDT: If anyone ever been to a hospital emergency room, they would probably understand why health care reform is necessary. The fact, that folks wait hours to get seen by a doctor who does not fix what ails them. The patient gets the bill for $1,000, but the doctor only referred them to specialist and gave them some perscription which last a week.; Reply to this comment


by troutfishyman September 9, 2009 1:21 PM EDT: The CEO of Aetna earned $24,000,000 last year in total compensation.

And you are looking to those guys to fix the spiraling cost of health care? LOL!; Reply to this comment