Obama: Going to Great Lengths to Get His Message Out

By: Mark Knoller
Topics: Health Care

5299270Have you got a show on community access cable? Do you post videos on Twitter? Planning a meeting of your garden club?

You may be hearing from the White House to book the president on it.

Determined to overcome opposition to his health care plan, President Obama wants all the exposure he can to make the case for his health care plan.

This Sunday, he's taking the unprecedented of step of appearing on five – count 'em – five Sunday talk shows.

It's exceedingly rare for a sitting U.S. president to appear on a single Sunday morning
public affairs program once or twice during his term in office. It's unheard of for president to do five on the same day. Mr. Obama will be seen Sunday on ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Univision. Fox is conspicuous by its absence from the list. .

The White House declined to explain its exclusion of Fox, but Mr. Obama is very aware that the Fox broadcast network, which airs Fox News Sunday, did not air his health care address last week to a joint session of Congress. In recent days he's joked about Fox's decision when asking audiences about his speech.

"I don't know if any of you caught it on television - you may have been watching "So You Think You Can Dance," he said of Fox, though he added that "Michelle loves that show, by the way."

CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care

The Fox News Channel did carry the Obama speech, but the Obama White House feels more ill-treated by Fox News that any other TV network.

As if five Sunday TV appearances aren't enough, Mr. Obama will be David Letterman's only guest on his Monday night show. It's rare, but not unprecedented. Mr. Obama appeared with Jay Leno on The Tonight Show last March.

(CBS)

These newly scheduled appearances come a week after Mr. Obama appeared in the lead segment on "60 Minutes," and sat for interviews Monday with CNBC and Bloomberg

What the president wants are forums in which he can address public concerns about the health care plan he wants Congress to enact.

The latest CBS News Poll shows that Mr. Obama's speech to Congress boosted public support for his health care plan. Sixty percent of those surveyed said they "mostly agree" with his proposals, 33 percent said they "mostly disagree."

But opposition in the House and Senate still threatens to block enactment of his plan, or at the least, major parts of it. So Mr. Obama is looking to change minds and votes.

Since his address to Congress, he has given seven speeches in which he has delivered passionate arguments for his health care plan. But none of those speeches will get the attention that appearances on Sunday talk shows or Letterman will get.

More from Obama on "60 Minutes":

Obama on Health Care Bill: "I Own It"
Transcript of the Whole Interview

(CBS)

Mark Knoller is a CBS News White House correspondent. You can read more of his posts in Hotsheet here. You can also follow him on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/markknoller.

Mark Knoller
Mark Knoller is a CBS News White House correspondent.
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by quapawsix September 16, 2009 11:10 AM EDT: Ask yourself a question with all the foot dragging about health care reform how many of our leaders portfolios are invested heavily in the Health care Industry, and that should tell you why they are dragging their feet and trying to scare everybody against any kind of relief for the American people.; Reply to this comment


by PacificGatePost September 16, 2009 12:31 AM EDT: The American public is right to be suspicious of leadership that will not take immediate and specific action that would reduce an estimated $200 billion dollars from the Nation?s annual medical bill.

http://pacificgatepost.com/2009/09/health-care-what-are-you-not-hearing.html; Reply to this comment


by publiccitizen1953 September 16, 2009 12:11 AM EDT: Wake up Iowa, your Senator Grassley is in the pockets of the insurance companies. If not ask him to return all money he has got from them, or hold him accountable by contributing to his challengers campaign in his re-election bid. If you wonder why we have no meaningful Heathcare reform, you look to people like Chuck Grassley!; Reply to this comment

by gboyd41 September 15, 2009 11:35 PM EDT

pasmalltown-I am happy that you take some comfort in the poll results-it appeared pretty dimsal to me. Plus, my point being, that our POTUS enforced this tariff before his meeting with the autoworkers, in order to get their complete support for his health plan. I will say also, if I made cars , I would support him. But, it was an obvious ploy by the POTUS.

Reply to this comment


by pasmalltown September 16, 2009 8:05 AM EDT: by gboyd41 September 15, 2009 11:35 PM EDT
I'm really not surprized you missed my point - your cynical and shortsighted approach to interpreting the ABC poll. And no, I really don't take comfort in the poll results, but I merely wished to point out that they are not as bleak as you portray...
And as far as the embargo is concerned, I understand what you were saying, however, once again you emphasis the negative aspects only. Are you a Chinese import/exporter? If not, why do you care so much about it and impact on US automakers other than to spew negative things about your perception of the ecomony and the "deep", "dark aspect" of the impact on Obama's political career????????

by gboyd41 September 15, 2009 10:32 PM EDT

POTUS, have you seen the ABC poll-doesn't look good? Continous public displays are not working. Plus, I like the Chinese tire embargo-followed by a glorious reception from the auto workers-who soundly welcomed your health care plan. What a suprise!

Reply to this comment


by pasmalltown September 15, 2009 11:20 PM EDT: You didn't read to the end of the Sept 14 poll when Gary Langer summed up the poll : "On the plus side for Obama, this is the first ABC/Post poll since April in which his support for handling of health care did not lose ground. There's been a slight gain in his "strong" support. In addition to the president's continued if diminished lead over the Republicans in trust to handle the issue, he has a large advantage in being seen as trying to cooperate on it."

And after reading this ABC poll you summed it up by saying "Continous public displays are not working."??? What a surprise!

And if you're not for a Chinese tire embargo to keep more business in the USA then I suggest you "whine" about from some other country. With the high level of unemployment in the US at the moment, there are no doubt alot of readers that agree with me.


by the74blaster September 16, 2009 9:28 AM EDT: As far as the Chinese tire embargo goes, GOOD! Lets provide some tax incentives to some U.S. tire manufacturers and let them sell. Then lets inform the Chinese that teir tires are no longer needed here and ban them.

This is America and we should not let the Chinese tell us how to run our tire markets!


by pasmalltown September 15, 2009 10:28 PM EDT: "Fox is conspicuous by its absence from the list. .
.. but Mr. Obama is very aware that the Fox broadcast network, which airs Fox News Sunday, did not air his health care address last week to a joint session of Congress."

Really get a kick out of the critics of CBS not covering ACORN, Van Jones, etc. in a timely fashion. Yet Fox broadcast network doesn't consider a speech before a joint session newsworthy? To all that believe FOX gives balanced and fair news coverage all the time, here's your sign. N.B.: "Broadcasting & Cable reports that the network will instead broadcast the premiere of the new season of "So You Think You Can Dance" at 8 p.m..." And although it was covered on the Fox News Channel and the Fox Business Network, if you were without cable or satellite you were SOL as far as FOX was concerned. FOX dancing around bringing you the news they want you hear.

This from http://mediamatters.org/blog/200909040046

"UPDATED: How will Rupert Murdoch justify not covering Obama's address to Congress next week?
September 04, 2009 9:24 pm ET by Eric Boehlert

Fox TV makes it official: It's refusing to air president Obama's address to a joint-session of Congress next week. Since Murdoch's media outlet has effectively transformed itself into the Opposition Party of the Obama White House, this move fits into their political attack machine."
"Two questions. Did Fox TV ever refuse to air one of president Bush's joint-session speeches? Indeed, has any U.S. TV network ever refused to air presidential speech before Congress?"; Reply to this comment

by amerecua September 15, 2009 9:56 PM EDT

If the rightwing would engage in intelligent conversation, they might be taken seriously. They are so bitter that an oil rich white man isn't running the country that they resort to the inner Klansman to combat the call for progressive change in America. You couldn't script the ignorance coming out at these 9/12 rallies. There are three types of rightwingers....rich or racist or both. Go Obama! Keep up the good fight.

Reply to this comment


by sonjar88 September 16, 2009 11:32 AM EDT: amerecua, you are absolutely correct that we HIGHLY INTELLIGENT AMERICANS are bitter. However, your suggestion that we are RACIST exemplifies the shallowness and blindness of you and your fellow kool-aid drinkers. AND! I AM NOT RICH!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just love my country. Why don't you try that for a CHANGE!


by barrydemars September 15, 2009 8:14 PM EDT: I sent this letter to the president today to show better ways to deal with the issue of his government run insurance program thought you might like the most simplistic ways of saving money by reforming what we have already.

I have over the past several months watched the bantering back and forth betweenyour office and congress concerning Health Care and Insurance Reforms. you and your commitees have accomplished several neccessary and needed changes for these issues. But as to yet another government run insurance I must agree that it is too much. We presently have 4 government insurance programs available that need to be reformed to better assist the public in this area. They are Medicare; Medicade; Champus and Cobra.

Lets take Medicare first.

Medicare was set up to pay for health care for seniors and disabled. This insurance was paid for by these people with the taxes they paid in durring thier time they were working. they should not have to continue to pay for this insurance, most are barely making enough to afford thier necessities ( home utilities food ect.). The making coverages into different subsections ( Part A,B,C,D ect.) brings up the costs of having the amount of insurance for Seniors and Disabled are forced to pay almost double what it would cost to pay for regular insurances for the same coverages if they can't afford the cost of basic care then how can it be expected for them to pay for these extensions?

Next we have Medicade.

This was set up originally to assist our needy who could not afford health care, get the care they needed to become or remain healthy.

It's origins did not dictate the necessity to require people to apply for a program that was set upfor disabled and seniors. this practice has in it's self cost the country billions of dollars in unneccessary costs for man power needed to handel these cases,all in order to give this insurance an out to giving needed and neccessary health care to those who cannot afford it otherwise.

Champus and Cobra (indigent insurance services)
Should be set up for people to purchase at a rate that they can afford this would solve your health care costs in the billions of dollars. medicade should be only used for those who need health care that make less than 1,200 dollars per month not to be any other peramiters placed on it other than raising the base amount for each additional person in the home.Simplifying these programs requirements would bring a more affordable insurance reform than bringing in yet another insurance.

Finally Privatized hospitals cost two to three times the cost of public entities, Insurances cannot keep up with todays health care needs when hospitals are rasing these costs.
and Drug Companies need to be reigned in there is not a pill or drug out there that should ever cost more than 2,000 dollars a month to save lives. Our country needs to take care of it's sick whether they be rich or poor or we will return to the dark ages.
Diseases are running rampant because we have lost thought of a very simple therory. If we want to cure a disease we need to confront it on all fronts. Not just the rich should be allowed the comfort of health care cause these diseases will expand through all they do not discriminate on any level.

This letter shows that millions if not billions of dollars could be saved with simple changes in how our present low income and indigent government insurance programs could be brought around for actual savings to every one.

At least that is my position on it.; Reply to this comment

by jmundstuk September 15, 2009 6:23 PM EDT

Nice piece. Thank you.

Reply to this comment


by amerecua September 15, 2009 9:40 PM EDT: Truth-n-honor = Fear-n-Racism


by ianlou September 15, 2009 10:42 PM EDT: Finally!!!
A Man of Intellect and Principles who reached the top and is using the position to battle for the common, hardworking man.

GO OBAMA!!!

We are behind you as you battle our small, selfish, self-centered foes.