Obama in Chicago: Reform 'isn't about me'

[BlueJessamine]

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

President Obama confided to his Chicago friends Thursday night just how frustrating it is having to fight what he considers false arguments against his proposed health care reform effort.

"Knowing that every other advanced nation in the world spends 50-70 percent less than we do and gets at least as good, and in some cases better, outcomes," the president trailed off. "It gets on my nerves. It frustrates me when we're suggesting that the status quo is the best we can do."

Standing without a teleprompter in the living room of his campaign's former national finance chair, Obama complained to 110-130 high-end donors about "The scare tactics and the special interest and the lobbyists, and, I'll be honest with you, the incapacity for a sustained focus on the part of the media on the facts and the arguments."

Bears Coach Lovie Smith; QB Jay Cutler and former Bull B.J. Armstrong were among the attendees at the fund-raiser.



Read more: http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1682671,w-obama-chicago-fundraisers-072309.article

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Obama followed up a visit to a Cleveland Clinic Thursday with a pair of fund-raisers in Chicago that raised $2 million to $3 million for the Democratic National Committee.

"This isn't about me. This is about a health care system that is breaking America's families and breaking America's businesses," Obama said.



That's my President!!

[MUAD_DIB]

1. Yes! He nailed that point home during his press conference Wednesday.

Rahm Emanuel was making a similar/identical back-handed point about the GOP on NPR this AM.

These guys are good, and they will shut down the GOP by showing America how suspect the Con's motives always are.

[Kolesar]

3. The President nailed that line in his press conference ... eom

[SHRED]

2. If it's not about him and his Democratic Party then...

...why hasn't the President uttered even one detailed description, to the national audience, as to what single-payer is?

I am not saying we can politically achieve it yet but at least he could inform the public and counter the corporate media's assault on single-payer.
I am suspicious.


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[dflprincess]

4. Exactly - Obama could have allowed single payer to be discussed

if nothing else, just to start educating the public about it - but he hardly let it be mentioned. So much for listening to all sides.

The bill the House came up with it isn't about US - it's about saving the insurance companies' profits. It will do nothing to help control costs either for indiviuals or for employers and it won't do a whole lot to help people get access. The CBO says only 10 million will be covered by the public opition by 2019.


I nearly screamed when Obama said yesterday that the change wouldn't happen over night even if the bill gets passed and that it will take "several years" to get it all up and running. It took 11 months to get Medicare going after passage - they should be building on that and not trying to scam us with this corporate friendly "insurance exchange" crap.