Please calm down, stop worrying. We don't know how this is all going to play out.

[BurtWorm]

This was a speech meant to underscore the necessity of reform, not a piece of legislation mandating it. The noise the Republicans have been making all summer has threatened to derail the movement toward reform. That's its function and its role. Obama's task tonight was to get the train back on the tracks, to calm people's fears and turn the focus off of the phoney, empty noisemaking of the right and onto an actual discussion of what is possible. But we can't even get to *possible* if it isn't understood that this is *necessary.*

In my opinion this weeping over the death of the public option and single payer is far too premature, counter productive and beside the point. Let's see what happens in Congress. Let's see what happens among the public at large. Are they going to get on the page that Obama wants them on, the one that says, "Health care reform must happen?" Or are we still stuck on the phoney argument the right wing and insurance industry want us to be on about "government takeover" of health care.

[tinkerbell41]

1. I hope you are right

I really was expecting GREAT things tonight, but I am getting more depressed by the minute. His speech was forceful, and addressed many concerns, but he really seemed to talk around the whole subject and never gave an answer. Maybe he did but it wasn't what I was looking for.

[BurtWorm]

6. He has to be the president of all Americans, unfortunately, even the idiots.

In this respect he's better than the last person who held that office (illegitimately, I hasten to add). He's actually trying to be president of all Americans. He's actually trying to get those stupid fuckers on the same page.

[endless october]

2. i'm willing to wait and see to a point.

but i'm still pissed single payer isn't on the table and that the public option is even being DEBATED.

here's what i want to know : are those working at walmart going to be forced off of medicaid and onto walmart's shitty healthcare plan?

and is he going to sign a bill with no public option?

the public option is a necessity to force costs down. and single payer would have been much better for driving down administrative costs.

i thought he did a good job with the speech, and i agree he made a good case for necessity. i just am unconvinced that a plan without a public option can be anything other than a massive gift for the insurance companies that have caused the problem.

[BurtWorm]

7. I heard public option being explained tonight.

If Obama and Weiner didn't explain it, who else would?

[cliffordu]

3. Ah, shit.

Come on, BurtWorm, I was just getting my blabbering hostile panic on, why ya wanna mess it up with a reasoned statement like yours????

K&R

[Swamp Rat]

13. HAHAHAHA!!!!

:rofl:

[cliffordu]

18. Hey!!

Howareya??!

:hi:

[JVS]

4. Is this the step for after "Wait to see what he says!" and then he confirms people's suspicions?

[MrMickeysMom]

5. BurtWorm, I'm worried about the official introduction of privitized Medicare!

I need to hear his speech again, because I may have gotten it wrong. However, when addressing the public insurance subject, it seemed.... extremely small in the population who would be eligible. Then, there's an affordable insurance... but what about that big donut hole between those who can't afford anything (Medicaid) and those who can't afford any premiums?

Where do we save money to offer up everything for $900,000.00? Well, by reducing the fraud in Medicare and Medicaid. What does this lead us into? Privatization?

[waronxmas]

8. Huh?

I'm not sure you took away "privatized Medicare" from that speech.

[MrMickeysMom]

16. It was an indirect feeling, don't you see...

You can see this, can't you?

[BurtWorm]

9. I heard this speech as a sincere attempt to stick to the subject of health care reform

and explain to the people what is at issue. He's trying to change the subject from death panels and socialism to what's really at stake. And he's trying to calm people's nerves--everybody's nerves. Unfortunately, he's rattled people on the left, I admit. But maybe we should be stronger than the dolts on the right for a change, dig in and keep pushing for what we want rather than caving just because it *sounds* like Obama is selling us out. We need thicker skins and tougher constitutions than it looks like we have, judging from this forum.

[John Q. Citizen]

15. Too bad. The majority of the people would prefer socialism. Not our leaders though.

[MrMickeysMom]

19. "Too" bad

spelling police gonna get you.

[MrMickeysMom]

17. Ah, comeon, BurtWorm, that's why we're talking here...

You want me to not share the back and forth conversation the little guys are having on each of my shoulders? There's a real need to see who's being addressed here and read in-between the lines.

I could tell he was reaching out to the screaming me-me's who are led by the right wing pundits, but in having done so, there's not a damn thing I'm thinking this can do to quench their thirst of stupidity.

Why do we always have to be the adults...???? Wahhhhhhh

[amandabeech]

11. Those of us old enough remember Reagan railing about "waste, fraud and abuse" in government programs

pushing up costs all around. Reagan said that we wouldn't have a federal deficit after tax cuts if we could get all that nasty stuff out of there.

Of course, he wasn't able to find much waste, fraud and abuse anywhere and our deficit blew up.

I wish that Obama had used different words. It really brought back bad memories.

[redqueen]

10. "stuck on the phoney argument the right wing and insurance industry want us to be on"

That one.

[Swamp Rat]

12. I agree

:thumbsup:

[seabeyond]

14. i figure this is probably the very best.... that in time will get even worse.

cant see it going the other way...

ending up better than what was offered tonight

[BurtWorm]

21. I think the progressives in the House will force it left.

And Obama will sign whatever they hand him. So I agree with you.

[JimWis]

20. Well said. We haven't crafted the final bill yet.

[omega minimo]

22. "Obama's task was to calm people's fears." Obama's JOB was to STAND UP to the Repukes for the people

and TELL them that the PEOPLE have spoken, LOUDER than the goddamned BLOODSUCKING INSURANCE INDUSTRY LOBBYISTS, about what HE will support and what HE expects to see on his desk for his SIGNATURE.

:bounce:

[BurtWorm]

23. Unfortunately, 'the people' haven't spokem all that loudly or clearly.

I believe they want reform. I believe they need to be led to it. Unfortunately. That's the nature of the American beast.

[omega minimo]

24. THEY SURE AS HELL HAVE

[BurtWorm]

25. Well, you're certainly speaking LOUDLY!

;-)

[deaniac21]

26. Sounded like a surrender to me.

[BurtWorm]

27. What were you expecting?

[deaniac21]

29. A surrender.

[BurtWorm]

30. Then you got what you wanted.

You should be happy. ;-)

[deaniac21]

31. I didn't say I wanted one, just expected.

[BurtWorm]

32. I do understand and sympathize with the disappointment.

However, I think "surrender" is a bit of an exaggeration. The battle isn't over yet. The ground under it has (I hope) shifted, away from the phoney argument with the right-wing, which is much ado about less than zero, to the one we should have been having all along. I'm cautiously optimistic because my expectations are low. I'm hoping the reconciliation conference will result in a larger than promised expansion of Medicare and a foot in the door toward single-payer. I think it's wise to keep expectations low. This is America we're talking about, after all, and, unfortunately, these are Democrats we're dependent on to make reform happen.

[deaniac21]

33. The republicans have got the elderly scared and they vote.

[ddeclue]

28. don't look good friend...

[Individualist]

34. Don't worry, be happy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9K4BKkLaCI&feature=fvst