Obama: No Health Care "Silver Bullet"

(CBS/ AP)  President Barack Obama has made it clear that his efforts to reform the U.S. health care system have meaning to him personally.

On Saturday, Mr. Obama invoked his own anguish over the death of a loved one as he challenged the notion that Democratic efforts to overhaul the nation's health care would include "death panels" that decided who would get care and who wouldn't.

"I just lost my grandmother last year. I know what it's like to watch somebody you love, who's aging, deteriorate and have to struggle with that," an impassioned Obama told a crowd as he spoke of Madelyn Payne Dunham. He took issue with "the notion that somehow I ran for public office or members of Congress are in this so they can go around pulling the plug on grandma."

"When you start making arguments like that, that's simply dishonest - especially when I hear the arguments coming from members of Congress in the other party who, turns out, sponsored similar provisions," Obama said.

Speaking about the death panels make the President the most "fired up" that CBS News chief White House correspondent Chip Reid had ever seen him.

But in a surprise to many, the audiences at Mr. Obama's recent town hall's have been enormously supportive, with repeat standing ovations, Reid reports.

Reforming the U.S. health care system is Mr. Obama's top domestic priority and arguably his most challenging political fight yet as president, in no small part because of the vast number of diverse stake-holders involved.

His goal is to ensure health care for everyone in a country with the world's costliest system and an estimated 48 million uninsured people.

It's an issue that touches everyone in the United States. There are thickets of competing interests among patients, doctors, drug makers, insurers, labor, businesses and others.

Any plan must get through a Democratic-controlled Congress, where most lawmakers are up for re-election next year. Also, there's an ideological fault line between Democrats and Republicans, and liberals and conservatives over the level of government involvement in health care.

In a debate in which he often sounds professor-like, Mr. Obama on Saturday spoke with a rare bit of emotion that seemed to counter that of vocal health care opponents as he referenced the beloved grandmother who helped raise him and who he called "Toot."

She died of cancer at age 86 on Nov. 2, two days before he won election to become the nation's first African-American president.

He talked about her death while answering a question about misinformation being spread about Democratic health care efforts during a town hall style gathering in a high school gymnasium.

"Health care is really hard. This is not easy. I'm a reasonably dedicated student to this issue. I've got a lot of really smart people around me who've been working on this for months now," he said. "There is no perfect painless silver bullet out there that solves every problem, gives everybody health care for free. There isn't. I wish there was."

But he said that because there's no perfect solution to solving health care, opponents "start saying things like we want to set up death panels to pull the plug on grandma."

Mr. Obama reiterated his contention that the Democratic health care legislation would not create "death panels" to deny care to frail seniors. Obama has explained that the provision that has caused the uproar would only authorize Medicare to pay doctors for counseling patients about end-of-life care, living wills, hospice care and other issues, if the patient wants it.

Conservatives have called end-of-life counseling in government health care programs like Medicare a step toward euthanasia and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has likened the idea to a bureaucratic "death panel" that would decide whether sick people get to live. Those claims have been widely discredited but the issue remains a political weapon in the increasingly bitter health care debate.

Over the past week, Mr. Obama has fielded questions from audiences in New Hampshire, and Montana, as well as in Grand Junction. Thus far, he's faced polite crowds, a stark contrast to the taunts and jeers that Democratic lawmakers have endured at similar sessions during their August break.

Much like in the campaign, Mr. Obama's using people's stories to illustrate his points, railing against interest groups and asking supporters to "rise to this moment."

In Grand Junction, he sounded much like a candidate again as he adapted a campaign theme.

He likened the health care effort to policy fights that led to Social Security and Medicare system. "These struggles have always boiled down to a contest between hope and fear," Obama said - a talking point of his candidacy. "So if you want a different future, if you want a brighter future. I need your help."

[patiska]

Ha haaa

Howard Dean Utilize iPhone Technology to engage and Mobilize Americans in Healthcare Reform Debate.

http://www.iphonenewstracker.com/2009/08/17/howard-dean-and-chelsea-green-publishing-utilize-iphone-technology-to-engage-and-mobilize-americans-in-healthcare-reform-debate/

[radicalc-2009]

I am not a Harvard Grad (I did go to college), but me and most of America can understand common sense concepts like;

Release the ban on interstate competition for health insurance, do the tort reform, then let it fly! Let the FREE MARKET COMPETITION ADJUST THE PRICES.

Oh, that's to simple for the elites, they have to have a complex solution so they will have their greatness to discuss with each other.
They love the praise in Washington when they come up with a NEW government solution..

Most Americans could understand it, they just have to keep things sinple to live. They don't have the trillions to spend on "exciting new legistlation"... Woops, our government don't either..

Just because Sarah Palin talks in simple terms, doesn't mean she doesn't understand the complexities. Why go there, when simplicity will work.

[keystonebull]

I read an article yesterday and the guy says that all of this is going to come to a head and a lot of people will be hurt. He said most blacks would stand behind Obama even if he was convicted of murder. Said Obama had lost 35% of the Latino vote and most whites are fed up with him. Then I went to google and seared "US population by race" and found out we are still 80% plus white, 14% Latino and around 8% black. This shocked me, I thought we had more blacks than Latino. The writer was from California and can't remember his name. Wish I had save it but can't find it now.
I think Obama will soon be TOAST.

[AK-47_Justice]

by keystonebull
"I read an article yesterday..."
**************************


No doubt in a far-right paper or magazine like national review, which just emphasized your constipated conservitard beliefs by preaching to the choir of southern, white, evangelical racists!

[keystonebull]

Obama has lied so much he believes his own lies. He will be toast before his 4 years are up. I'm still a registered democrat and going to change when I get a chance to go to the courthouse. Then you libs can call me a Republican and I will be proud of it. Now I'm ashamed to let people know I'm still registered a Democrat, but at one time Democrats was a great party. It has been taken over by socialist ideas and I'm through.

[trapbreaking]

August 12, 2009
MORE DISAPPROVE THAN APPROVE OF OBAMA ON HEALTHCARE

Forty-nine percent of Americans currently say they disapprove of President Barack Obama's handling of healthcare policy, while 43% say they approve, similar to views expressed in mid-July.

.Gallup

Don't like Gallup? Here is Rasmussen:

SUPPORT FOR CONGRESSIONAL HEALTH CARE REFORM FALLS TO NEW LOW

Health Care Reform plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats has fallen to a new low as just 42% of U.S. voters now favor the plan. That?s down five points from two weeks ago and down eight points from six weeks ago.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that opposition to the plan has increased to 53%, up nine points since late June.

.

[AK-47_Justice]

by Jimfl5555
"We are the only industrialized nation without some sort of nationalized health care. The French and Italians have long been noted for having the best health care systems in the world. Why not emulate success? I've always felt that when you find yourself in the position of saying "I'm right, it's the rest of the world that wrong?, it's time to re-evaluate your position."

"I have pled to my Congressman and Senators to open their minds and deliver a sustainable health care structure that covers all citizens. If it is a social program, then so be it. We need to check our ideologies at the door and make decisions based on facts, not thoughts. We can do this; it is only a matter of political will."
******************************************


While it is absolutely true that some type of single-payer UHC system emulating the best parts of all the other industrialized countries in the world, would give the U.S. the best health care for the huge amount of money we already spend each year.

But....with the $1.4 Million spent per day by the for-profit health care industry to lobby for their record profits at our expense, and the screaming republican't morons carrying water for these well-entrenched interests, we probably won't see REAL health care reform until the complete system has bankrupted the U.S. due to spiraling costs, giving these greedy corporations a 500% increase in profits since 2000.

The status quo is unaffordable and unsustainable, and when the 80 million baby boomers retire over the next 2 decades only to jump on the SS/Medicare bandwagon, we will be able to look back at this moment in history as our 'Waterloo,' and how the for-profit health care industry held us hostage for their endless GREED to ruin the system!

[Salaam_Shalom]

Support shorter life spans for Americans. Oppose health care reform!

According to the CIA World Factbook, people in "socialized medicine" countries like Canada, France, and Sweden on average live longer than in the U.S. OMG, we can't have that! ;-)

[specialty8]

Obama says he has smart people working on this. Pelosi, Reid, Barney Turbo Timmy, Foot in the mouth Biden ,and Kennedy do not strike me that way. How many think Kennedy cares about someones life?

[AK-47_Justice]

by vconcerned
"There are plenty of stories and plenty of people in need of health care."
***************************


This is exactly why we need REAL health care reform now, and not the highly partisan shouting and LIES/DECEPTIONS by the republican'ts carrying water for the for-profit insurance industry!

[Jimfl5555]

I think everyone agrees that health care cost is an unsustainable drain on our economy. Health care reform is necessary. The crux of the issue. I believe, is ideologic. Anything "social" goes against the grain of what we all believe. It seems "un-American". But an issue so important to our economy and national security should be viewed outside the ideological box. I believe the health care issue, as a singularly instance, is an issue where the government could be a valuable tool. We have all heard horror stories about nationalized health care, but we have plenty of our own. I would venture to guess that most people have had experience with our health care structure and have had firsthand experience with our insurance companies and the inherit frustration.

But looking at the big picture, the facts belie our core beliefs. A single payer system is significantly cheaper from an administration stand point. On average we pay 5K more per capita that our industrialized counter parts on administrative costs. Unacceptable. And the delivery of quality health care by these same counterparts is on par and in some cases more efficient that our own.

In the case of health care, we must be willing to leave our ideological box and accept the possibility that a not-for profit, federally funded, heath care system is cheaper and better; and will have a positive effect on our economic stability. And accept the fact that because something is "social" doesn't mean it's bad.
We are the only industrialized nation without some sort of nationalized health care. The French and Italians have long been noted for having the best health care systems in the world. Why not emulate success? I've always felt that when you find yourself in the position of saying "I'm right, it's the rest of the world that wrong?, it's time to re-evaluate your position.

I have pled to my Congressman and Senators to open their minds and deliver a sustainable health care structure that covers all citizens. If it is a social program, then so be it. We need to check our ideologies at the door and make decisions based on facts, not thoughts. We can do this; it is only a matter of political will.

[AK-47_Justice]

by Jimfl5555
"We are the only industrialized nation without some sort of nationalized health care. The French and Italians have long been noted for having the best health care systems in the world. Why not emulate success? I've always felt that when you find yourself in the position of saying "I'm right, it's the rest of the world that wrong?, it's time to re-evaluate your position."

"I have pled to my Congressman and Senators to open their minds and deliver a sustainable health care structure that covers all citizens. If it is a social program, then so be it. We need to check our ideologies at the door and make decisions based on facts, not thoughts. We can do this; it is only a matter of political will."
******************************************


While it is absolutely true that some type of single-payer UHC system emulating the best parts of all the other industrialized countries in the world, would give the U.S. the best health care for the huge amount of money we already spend each year.

But....with the $1.4 Million spent per day by the for-profit health care industry to lobby for their record profits at our expense, and the screaming republican't morons carrying water for these well-entrenched interests, we probably won't see REAL health care reform until the complete system has bankrupted the U.S. due to spiraling costs, giving these greedy corporations a 500% increase in profits since 2000.

The status quo is unaffordable and unsustainable, and when the 80 million baby boomers retire over the next 2 decades only to jump on the SS/Medicare bandwagon, we will be able to look back at this moment in history as our 'Waterloo,' and how the for-profit health care industry held us hostage for their endless GREED to ruin the system!