****OBAMA LIVE FROM KROGERS IN BRISTOL VA*****

[HopeOverFear]

www.cnn.com/live

www.whitehouse.gov/live

[babylonsister]

1. I must add this, because I had a vision of Obama getting up on

a soap box in the middle of a grocery story during a busy Wednesday (coupons and fliers come out today, you know). I guess that's what he's doing, but for employees. Phew!


HEALTH CARE TOWN HALL

President Obama hosts a health care reform town hall meeting in Bristol, Virginia at the local Kroger store. The event will consist of approximately 150 employees from various Krogers in the southwest Virginia area.

[HopeOverFear]

2. Obama: "Right now we have a system that works for the insurance companies

but doesn't always work for it's customers"

[dflprincess]

12. We know that - what we want to know is - what's he going to do about it?

- besides endorse the idea of forcing us to continue to buy a product from these crooks?

[Hieronymus]

16. I look forward to finding out what he is for, or willing to settle for.

[HopeOverFear]

3. Obama: "Right now in Washington, people are worried about the politics of healthcare"

saying "Obama's got to do this right now"

First of all, I've already got healthcare. Second of all, I'm only 6 months into a 4 year term.

[cal04]

4. thanks HopeOverFear

:hi:
I'm glad he's doing this day after day to keep explaining and debunking all the right wing talking points

[Thrill]

5. First time I've seen a President in a Super Market like this?

lol

[AspenRose]

8. He's going Krogering

Wonder if Michelle gave him a list to pick up some stuff afterwards. LOL

[HopeOverFear]

First Question: Why not just make Medicare for all?

[flpoljunkie]

10. Would love to hear the answer to that question.

[bluestateguy]

6. Krogers? The grocery store?

I thought they had people to do that at the White House? Or were Republicans bitching that it cost too much money?

[HopeOverFear]

7. yep, the grocery store

[HopeOverFear]

9. Next question: Is this a plan you'd put your family on?

Obama: Yes it's a plan like I had when I was a member of Congress

[HopeOverFear]

11. He just mentioned Public Option!!!!!!!!!!!!

An option that is not for profit, set up by the Government to keep admin costs low and Insurance companies honest. When insurance co's start jacking up prices, join the public option and then Insurance companies would lose more people.

[Sebass1271]

19. what else? Has he said anything to the employees about

their taxes not being RAISED??? I saw john henry interviwing some employees from that grocery store and they all seemed to think that their taxes will be raised with Obama's health insurance. Which is false!!

[donheld]

13. Thank you

[Thrill]

14. Obama still pushing for the Public Option. Where are the Democrats

out there to help him?

He's the only one I see on TV talking about it. WHERE ARE THE DEMOCRATS??

[HopeOverFear]

15. Where are the democrats? They're busy being bribed by the Insurance industry

[BlooInBloo]

18. And then there's that.

[HopeOverFear]

27. Obama: I got a letter from a woman that said

"I don't want your Govt run healthcare, your socialized medicine...and don't touch my Medicare!" (he delivered that line dead pan, it was great, the crowd laughed)

"I had to write her back and say "maam...Medicare IS govt run healthcare"

[Sebass1271]

30. hes said that before

[Hieronymus]

20. Yes, the insurance companies are spending $1million a day to defeat a

public option. Guess who's getting a lot of that money.

[Sebass1271]

21. let's hope we don't forget who the responsibles are if

health care is not passed. Obama has been pushing for US to do something about it and we don't do shit!.

[BlooInBloo]

17. Well, DUers are busy snarling at him for pretty much all the evils in the world.

[Sebass1271]

24. agree with you. DUers always blame him for everything

while he is working his butt off by himself while we just wipe our assess in front of our computers.

[Engineer4Obama]

29. They are out there

doing their real jobs and working on this bill. I'm sure they would be out there more often but the media schedules every republican who knows how to work a phone and rarely calls a democrat to do anything but Sunday shows.

There are a lot of good dem reps out there but the only ones who ever get attention are the jackasses like Nelson and Baucus. (I love my two senators both very liberal)

The Media wouldn't even give Obama the time of day if he wasn't such a surefire ratings boost and you know POTUS.

[Sebass1271]

36. have we written to President Obama yet? he is reading them!!

[lyonn]

43. Would you believe this was not televised?

Thank goodness the poster put the audio site on here. CNN showed about one question and then said they would return if he said anything worthwhile (ok, those are my words not CNNs). But CNN never returned to his meeting.

Cable was full of the usual banter about Palin, the professor and how Obama could have handled it better, etc., etc., etc.. No wonder people don't know what is happening with this issue. Ugh

[HopeOverFear]

22. Question: Healthcare reform will put senior citizens out to pasture

Obama: "Nothing makes me more mad than scare tactics put to seniors from the RW. Not gonna mess with Medicare, Medicare was here before I got here and as long as I'm here and long after I'm gone, Medicare will still be here"

[cal04]

23. rumor has it , some lady saying that older citizens will be put out to

pasture
more right wing scare tactics

[Sebass1271]

26. he should play the palin card and blame the media for

not counter attacking the rightwing lies when they are interviewed on tv and/or radio. on this instance i would blame the media for not doing their job and letting these lies go unchallenged

[cal04]

28. I guess he'd rather go after the source of the

lie, right to the statements of the right wing morons who said it ,instead of blaming the media

[Sebass1271]

32. well, the media is spreading those lies,especially CNN and fox

[BlooInBloo]

25. This is a really good townhall.

[Thrill]

31. Single Payer Question?

[Thrill]

34. I like how the lady said. She trust that he is going to insist on a govt option.

Great Statement. Like how she framed it

[HopeOverFear]

37. Me too, that was nice

[BlooInBloo]

39. I'm amazed - it's possible to insist on something from Obama without being...

a whining emo fucking schmuck about it. Astonishing.

[HopeOverFear]

41. LMAO!!!! I know right? Who woulda thunk it?

[HopeOverFear]

33. Next question: Healthcare is a human right, I want single payer

and I hope you hold fast to a public option.

[flpoljunkie]

38. She was great. Obama did not address single payer in his response but he is answering it now.

A man asked about expanding Medicare. Obama: 'We don't have the tax base for everyone to be on Medicare.'

Obama: "Imagine how nervous they (people who are already worried about Obama's plan) would be if we opened up Medicare to everybody. Having a public option that people can sign up for voluntarily is something that needs to be part of overall health care reform.'

[flpoljunkie]

44. Obama: We don't have the tax base for everyone to be on Medicare.

Interesting answer. We do pay enough taxes though--but too much goes to support our military, industrial, congressional complex.

[BlooInBloo]

35. hahaha! There's something about nice little old southern ladies...

"I don't pay a cent for mah medical cay-uh..."

:rofl:

[HopeOverFear]

40. This is a damn good town hall

[BlooInBloo]

42. In all honesty, when they play the President-music as he's leaving...

I look at him, and I keep thinking "Doogie Howser Goes To Washington".

:rofl:

[HopeOverFear]

45. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

:rofl:

[pinto]

46. Well done Mr. President. He explained his POV well and in some detail.

Even his answer to Medicare-for-all, which I support, I thought he addressed well, as a cost issue. And as a political issue. Pragmatic? Yeah. But that's his approach. Another President may well have shot for it, and the necessary taxes to pay for Medicare expansion, and likely lost in Congress. Spoke to a competitive public option, which remains alive and negotiated drug pricing, which remains alive. I had hoped for a question about bulk drug purchasing, as the VA manages to do, but it didn't come up. But, a good town hall thing, good questions.

[damntexdem]

47. Too bad Sarah Palin didn't name one of her kids Kroger.

;-)