need to add title here

President Obama

September 13, 2009 5:25 PM

Steve Kroft interviews the president at an important time in his presidency at the White House.

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by keese27 October 5, 2009 8:57 PM EDT
The fact that we have a president who is actually trying his very best to be honest with the american people and please everyone yet everyone keeps attacking him it proves that our country as wonderful as it is still has racist idiotic inbred idiots who refuse to accept the change. If people actually stopped looking to destroy this man and LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAID ABOUT HEALTH CARE he simply said it 3Xs IF YOU HAVE HEALTH COVERAGE YOU CAN KEEP YOUR HEALTH COVERAGE IT WILL ONLY MAKE YOUR HEALTH COVERAGE MORE SECURE, IF YOU DON'T HAVE HEALTH COVERAGE THE GOVT WILL PICK UP THE TAB What part of that didn't y'all understand? Obama isn't going anywhere no time soon, he will make mistakes like any other president did before him but you know what's funny? He hasn't had an affair with anyone in the white house, he doesn't have a mistress, he is a loving family man who loves the american people dearly. I suggest all you haters on Obama get used to him because he isn't going anywhere. The man is strong, intelligent, and fearless he is the man for the job and nobody else can do it period !!!! GET USED TO IT BECAUSE CHANGE HAS COME and it is only the beginning!
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by keese27 October 5, 2009 8:44 PM EDT
I agree with south paw mom what the hell is wrong with you people? Have y'all forgot who actually got us into this mess cuz it wan't obama. Jesus Christ the man ain't even been president for a yr and look at the mess he's dealing with! He's got to fix the economy, healthcare, deal with afghanastan and for someone who's never been president before, he is doing one hell of a job! the liar was bush, the nazi was bush, the man who didn't give a damn about the working class or health care was bush, the man who sent us iraq and didn't find not one single proof of weapons of mass destruction was bush. Bush Bush Bush. The man who stole a country was bush. The man who and I quote said this about finding bin laden: "I don't know where he is, I just don't spend that much time on him!" Bush Bush Bush!
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by Racquelrosi October 4, 2009 12:50 PM EDT
I think the president healh care plan is perfect for country because with different people coming in and out the coutry,never know what the might have. Having this helath care plan is great because people getting sick and not going to the doctor beacuse they dont want to have a bill to pay.Knowing people that live in this country for years and scared to go to the doctor not scared of the doctor but scared of the money they have to pay.So they don't get there regular check up.This is not a making money thing this is people life were dealing with.Think about your child, your mother, your husband ,your wife in other words your family and friends who can not pay to see a doctor.PRESIDENT OBAMA KEEP FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE AND EVERYONE IN THE U.S I HOPE YOU STAY HEALTHY.............GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES WITH GOOD HEALTH CARE.
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by littlehairs September 27, 2009 8:34 PM EDT
@southpawmom I like your reply.You are not afraid to tell it like it is. The Repulitards have never had an idea about helping the common joe and it seems like they refuse to help any president who tries.Their solution is always GIVE THE RICH A TAX CUT,,,,thats all they know.Bush almost wiped-out the middle class and refused to help anybody but the rich. God Bless Obama, you are right we finally have a pres who CARES. I use to consider myself more in the middle of the road concerning politics,,,but after this total nonsense and total non-support from the republicans,,,I WILL NEVER VOTE FOR ANOTHER
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by schwartzkat September 24, 2009 9:22 PM EDT
I like Obama. He is restoring the integrity in the Presidency missing from the Bush years. I think he's got a great way of making the points he needs. I wish him the best of luck fixing our healthcare system. With all the childish bickering going on between the Republicans and Democrats, they really don't seem to be coming up with a superior plan, rather a mediocre compromise. The Obama administration needs to bring these people together -- the ones that want to get something done. Then, get it done the right way.
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by henryguo221 September 20, 2009 5:04 PM EDT
It is very hard to reconcile the two different opinions. Maybe we can adjust our minds a little bit towards peaceful state. For the rich it would be better to think ?How blessed I?m to have the capacity to pay a little bit more taxes to help more people get medical insurance.? For the people who don?t have medical insurance it would be better to think ?I should work harder to make my life better.?
(henryguo221@yeah.net)
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by merlinteddy September 20, 2009 7:17 AM EDT
I support this bright, talented president and his non-emotional, logical approach to health care reform. Additionally, I welcome all discussions as long as they are open ..and you know who you are talking to. Given that, organizations like Fox News which play on emotions over logic, or Freedom Works that dont report who is funding them -- are suspect. I'm republican, but I want things fixed for Healthcare for my children -- despite what my leaders are doing.

There's so much waste in Healthcare I am confident we can do more with less. That means covering people who cant pay. It's an American approach of compassion with fiscal responsibility that I like. Let's roll.
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by pnut134 September 19, 2009 7:48 PM EDT
These posts are getting boring. Same Ol' same Ol,. Extreme Right Haters vs. Extreme Left Haters. Some moderate voices, and the occasional totally looney toon. Bottom line...Obama is not Hitler, Obama is not the Devil, He is a President with the limitations and power granted by the Constitution. He can do nothing by himself, and actually has much less power than the Congress. Both of which can be over ruled by the Judicial Branch. Only the Congress can make Laws! Only Congress can change Laws! What you all should be worried about is the fact that, for all intents and purposes, America is now a one party government. We need a Centrist Republican party with intelligent and thoughtful leaders, with good ideas. America does much better with a working two part system in place. So, don't toss everything at Obama, go after the ones that really can screw things up...Congress!
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by origtartuffe September 18, 2009 9:00 PM EDT
The fourth estate is entirely too orthodox for me for what seems to me a totally insane, bizarre and irretrievably corrupt system that concern over any one facet of it - especially health care - is totally sad and beyond repair. It is my belief that the various oligarchy plutocrats have wrenched any real semblance of democracy from our system. All from runaway, unregulated, uncontrollable egregious greed. The financial oligarch and Federal Reserve have virtually destroyed our fiscal and monetary policy, the MI oligarch have lobbied and cajoled so many preemptive wars (since Vietnam), and maintained US bases worldwide from Germany to Okinawa that we are in a perpetual and costly war footing, the Health Insurance oligarchs have pillaged the system and its subscribers into ill-health, Big Pharma oligarch producing negotiation-free mal-medicine (a la Pfizer, Bayer), the Agra oligarch mega-farming monopolies producing subsidized crops (corn syrup and diabetes) yadda, yadda.

The starkest example of democracy sold (for pieces of eight) is Obama co-opting the Af-Pak war as his own. He had no choice and he knew it. Big money a la Citibank (Bobby Rubin and Larry Summers et al) already had him in their pocket (thus no real financial reform), and MI oligarchy lobbyist led by Raytheon let him know where his future lie.
The putrefying venality and corruption is so rancid and rampant IN ALL facets of our politics and politicians (think Sen Dodd - merely latest) that our time is going the way of the Roman Empire. Greed and ambition doubtless its nemesis as well.

Health care is so far down on the list of our REAL problems it mocks our sense of reality, our values, our destiny. Spiraling deficits were not decried when used for accumulating wars and war machinery. Health care before saving democracy, will scuttle both. It?s fatuous! Unbridled corporate power (lobbying) rules. Egregious greed and venal ****** an unstoppable juggernaut.
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by crazydrivingislogical September 16, 2009 4:01 AM EDT
I'd like to say first that I'm not much of a political person. Or at least I'm fairly young and haven't yet paid much attention to what has always seemed to me to be endless bickering. So if you're looking for facts or political opinion, I have none to offer.

What I do know is this: the people of America, like any other people, have to come together. I know that there are differing perspectives. I know that both bigotry and hostile disagreement have always existed and will likely continue to exist.

But really, friends, my people, my colleagues, listen. Notice how all we ever do is yell at one another, if not openly, then implicitly. Either that, or we agree only with those who support our own opinions.

What spoke to me most was when President Obama expressed his idea of civility. That it doesn't take yelling at one another to get our points across. That we can share them, have others agree or disagree, and listen to others openly. I'm not sure if it's too much to ask or not. I'm not certain the process of argumentation will ever evolve into something peaceful, something that every listener can benefit from.

But all this talk of republicans and democrats at each others throats? All this nonsense about our president being dishonest? Move past it. Dwelling on subjects only prolongs them and solves nothing. Move past the superficial, friends, and look to the only answer that might ever solve anything. And that's working together. Because President Obama is our president, and nothing you say either for or against him will change that fact. Nothing. So instead of fighting, work as a nation.

I'm not sure if this will fall on deaf ears or not. Surely some will understand, and others will label me an ignorant hippie (which I am definitely not... a hippie anyway.) But I just wanted to say something.

I don't know precisely what America stands for. I don't know what America's people stand for. But I'd like to stand for peace, first of all, and worry about the other issues as the come.
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by Moveover33 September 16, 2009 3:50 AM EDT
If this healthcare fiasco passes into law, my forced payments to the federal government will go from about 20% of my gross income to at least 35% of my gross income. Tax revenues into Washington's coffers will go from $2 trillion per year to approximately $3.5 trillion a year. In a perverse way, this massive increase in tax revenues will make the national debt seem smaller to guys like Paul Krugman. But the rest of us will be left shaking our heads in disgust.
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by Moveover33 September 16, 2009 3:48 AM EDT
Does anyone else see the massive stage on which this healthcare business is playing? And that President Obama is playing the role of a black Captain Ahab? If the results of his quest were not so dreadful for the country, one might actually be amused by it.
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by Moveover33 September 16, 2009 3:40 AM EDT
This "lapdog" journalism barely rises to the level of journalism. In fact this interview was really just blazing red propaganda that would have made Pravda (c. 1979) proud. And why do we need more propaganda? I guess because we are not yet fully compliant with the wishes of the State? How dare we criticize a monstrously large and fuzzy plan to put 1/6th of our economy under the direct control of the Federal Government, SEIU, Acorn and by extension the Democrat Party. Just think of all the campaign contributions that the Democrats could wrangle out of 15 million healthcare workers - especially if card check is permitted by the vote of those Democrats in Congress. This is all beginning to look like one giant cozy set of relationships with 60 minutes the major mouthpiece and head cheerleader. Hey 60 Minutes...thanks for selling your soul to one political party. You guys must be increadibly brave. But don't worry about the rest of us out here in flyover country. If this healthcare fiasco passes into law, my forced payments to the federal government will go from about 20% of my gross income to at least 35% of my gross income. Tax revenues into Washington's coffers will go from $2 trillion per year to approximately $3.5 trillion a year. In a perverse way, this massive increase in tax revenues will make the national debt seem smaller to guys like Paul Krugman. But the rest of us will be left shaking our heads in disgust. Just remember one bit of economics that they don't really teach at Harvard: Confidence in the dollar is best measured by the confidence the comman man has in it. And right now, we much prefer real property, metals, some commodities and some foreign currencies to the dollar.

One last point, do you even realize that this business with healthcare is being played out on such a massive stage, that President Obama is plaing the role of a black Captain Ahab? If the results of his quest were not so dreadful for the country, one might actually be amused by it.

Grant Maples
Fort Worth, Texas
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by phillie.joker September 16, 2009 1:38 AM EDT
Why should we even care what the republican people have to say they have proven for almost a decade of what they can do... They almost killed America...During the elections the proved that they thought the entire American people base was all dumb by choosing those two candidates or they just didnt care... Why should we care what they think..They have also proven how racist they can be time and time again they need a time out...I never seen such a president so concerned about the people in his country.. Republicans are the dumb bully kids in school movies that everybody boo....Its been one year you stupid arrogant ungrateful close minded neanderthals...
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by whjohnsonjr September 15, 2009 11:12 PM EDT
Whoever thought it was a good idea to have publicly-traded, for-profit companies between patients and health care services?
If my profitability is proportional to premium costs, I must raise premium costs.
If my profitability is inverse to paying for medical services, I seek to not pay for medical services.
Publicly traded companies must increase their profitability for their shareholders. This is not a reasonable system.
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by SteveKrapt September 15, 2009 10:55 PM EDT
It is ashame that Steve Kroft couldn't check his racism at the door before interviewing President Obama. It is no accident that Mr. Kroft chose to lie about why the economy is in the dumps, choosing to blame President Obama when in fact it was the Bush Administration. Former President Carter today noted that acting out on deep seated racist views towards minorities, in particular Blacks is the motivation.
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by markinchina September 15, 2009 7:41 PM EDT
Freedom, democracy, opportunity, and never yield to the belief that this is what people aspire to a world. Want to contact me, my e-mail: 10174158092qq.com. I am a Chinese.
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by abeautifulworld September 15, 2009 3:31 AM EDT
I am with southpawmom. I feel the problem in this country is that people don't like to educate themselves about things. and with lack of knowledge comes hate, anger, lack of understanding, bickering. why not read, just goto beautiful libraries that are there all around. Everyone need to know about history. Nobody can deny importance of knowing history and civics for talking politics. we have people saying things like what was Manhattan project...we are developed country people, and we are rich, let us use our resources. Learn something new everyday, my school teacher used to tell me...so very true and useful
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by deejay9 September 15, 2009 2:12 AM EDT
"Change is hard because people Overestimate the value of what they have?and Underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up."
? James Belasco and Ralph Stayer
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by seriously57 September 15, 2009 1:38 AM EDT
This was an extremely disappointing interview. I expected intelligent questions that would dig into the issues, and give us quality of information that we don't get from most of the mainstream media, but expect from 60 Minutes. Instead, we witnessed a cocky interviewer who seemed content to display his own opinions, with disrespect for his subjects position and intelligence. So much for intelligent, investigative reporting. Maybe Mr. Croft should join the Fox comedy network - where opinions reign and in-depth reporting is unnecessary. But he does not belong on 60 Minutes.
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