President Obama has announced three bedrock requirements for real health insurance reform:

[Emit]

The Principles

President Obama has announced three bedrock requirements for real health insurance reform:

* Reduce Costs — Rising health care costs are crushing the budgets of governments, businesses, individuals and families and they must be brought under control

* Guarantee Choice — Every American must have the freedom to choose their plan and doctor – including the choice of a public insurance option

* Ensure Quality Care for All — All Americans must have quality and affordable health care

Now we have to show Congress where the American people stand.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/organizingforhealthcare2

[DarthDem]

1. Quick, Let's Get Politico's Reaction

I'm much more interested in what their analysts think Obama is up to.

[mmonk]

26. .

:spray:

[Emit]

28. Yes, because Politico is a much more reliable source on all things Obama than Obama himself

:rofl:

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. But... but.... I thought he caved on the public option!!!

I know we liberals aren't a particularly faith-based society, but we need to practice having a little in Obama.

[Tim01]

14. No,no,no. That was last week. nt

[Lex]

3. is this from today?

[Emit]

4. From today, yesterday, the day before and for tomorrow

It's the declaration OFA has been working so hard to get people to read and sign and deliver to their congress critters. It's from OFA's website and has been there for a while.

Edited to add, you're welcome to sign it if you haven't already, please.

[Lex]

6. thanks, so this is not newly up today

that's what I was wondering

[Emit]

8. No, it has been OFA's consistent message

[1]

5. sure he has, bullshit...

what else has he announced...

[sinkingfeeling]

7. Try to keep up. Those principles have been around since he took office. Now a part of OFA's

drive to have millions of citizens lobby Congress.

[Emit]

19. lol!

Okie dokie then

[imdjh]

9. I get sick of this "freedom to choose your doctor" crap. I understand why it being said, but it's BS

It's leftovers from Harry and Louise. I have had one kind of insurance or another all of my life. My "freedom to choose my doctor" has always been the freedo to choose from doctors who accept my insurance and who are taking new patients. The idea that anyone, including a cash customer can choose any doctor at random and he will be "my doctor" is simply not reality.

MOREOVER- when you need something really important and medically necessary YOU DON"T CHOOSE SHIT. When I was dying, quickly, in 1981 my parents airlifted me back to civilization. I went to see a doctor at Washington Hospital Center. I saw that man something like twice, because his job was simply to assemble and head a team who would actually do stuff to me and for me. Breezing by were the actual surgeon, anesthesiologist, infectious disease specialist, a special doctor to coordinate drugs prescribed by other doctors, etc... I can only name the team leader. I didn't choose any of these people, and they saved my life.

I realize that people like to like their doctor, like to feel comfortable with him, like to feel that he's "the best" but seriously, these people need to grow the fuck up. When I hear someone going on that mess, I know that they have never had a medical crisis.

[goclark]

13. I have had several critical decisions and I wanted the doctor of my choice

[Nitrogenica]

10. 3 easy to understand requirements. Great Job!!

[donheld]

11. Excellent!

[goclark]

12. Yea! Finally he is making it plain

Now he just needs to keep spelling it out that way.

ABC language and slogans.

Yea!

[redqueen]

15. He's said this all along. It's sad how effective the haters' propaganda has been...

but that's all it has been... hot air and bullshit.

[Winterblues]

23. No he hasn't in fact just two weeks ago he said a Public Option was not necessary.

He said it was only a small sliver of what was in the Bill and was not all that important. He has not been consistent as you suggest or else I would not be so worried that we will be left out in the cold on this.

[redqueen]

25. He floated a balloon and it went down as if made of lead.

Is that the only exception? If so, that would seem to prove the rule.

[Flabbergasted]

16. Love it. kr

[Romulox]

17. It's misleading to present this as his "new" negotiation position.

Stale old web page rhetoric that does not match the current negotiations...

[Emit]

20. This has been the consistent message from OFA

[Romulox]

21. Be that as it may, the PRESIDENT has waivered in his support of the Public Option. nt

[Emit]

27. Obama has been consistent with his support of a public option

[eomer]

29. No he hasn't.

Here you claim that Obama says it is one of the bedrock requirements.

Not long ago he said he was in favor of it but that it was not essential.

Clearly those two statements are inconsistent.

If words have meaning, that is.

[Emit]

30. Show me a link to an Obama quote where he said the public option was "not essential."

[eomer]

31. Here is the quote.

This is a legitimate debate to have. All I’m saying is, though, that the public option, whether we have it or we don’t have it, is not the entirety of health care reform. This is just one sliver of it, one aspect of it. And by the way, it’s both the right and the left that have become so fixated on this that they forget everything else, like the fact that we can help Nathan make sure that he doesn’t suddenly find himself — (applause) — completely broke in trying to treat his son.

It is from the President's town hall meeting in Grand Junction, Colorado. Transcript http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/08/15/transcript-of-president-obamas-town-hall-meeting-on-health-care/">here.

[LiberalAndProud]

18. I endorse these principals. PERFECT!

Affordable
Quality
Universal
Health Care

That's what I voted for. Exactly.

[Ron Green]

22. 3 bedrock requirements for REAL and sustainable reform:

1: Single payer - everybody in, nobody out.
2: Comprehensive education for healthy living and public policy to support it.
3: An open and ongoing discussion about death, its inevitability and how to best approach it.

[NYC_SKP]

24. k

r