Democrat Barack Obama

“A Legacy That Still Shines Brightly”

admin — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 08:26:07 +0000

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Watching the President’s Address in Atlanta

admin — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 03:06:05 +0000

pemOn Wednesday, the second leg of the Health Insurance Reform Now bus tour kicked off in Atlanta, Georgia. The bus is taking the day off today in observance of September 11th, but here’s a report from the Wednesday night event:/emnbsp; /ppOver 750 eager Organizing for America supporters gathered in Atlanta for the kickoff of the second leg of the Health Insurance Reform Now Bus Tour. Just steps away from the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, home to the late Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., they listened as speakers shared their personal stories of struggling with a broken health care system. /pp align=”center”img src=”http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3464/3905928417_3dbc5c50fb.jpg” alt=”" //ppCandice Walker told the story of how her son had been repeatedly misdiagnosed because her insurance company wouldn’t pay for him to see a specialist. She believes that if he had been able to go to a special clinic, which her coverage repeatedly denied, they would have discovered a congenital heart defect before his death at age 17./ppDr. Deneta Sells then took the stage, explaining that she had broken her ankle during a post-medical school trip to Mexico. For a recent graduate, the bills for the needed treatment and testing were huge, even after she negotiated a professional discount and payment plans./pp align=”center”img src=”http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3523/3905930123_6f2fe8e7dd.jpg” alt=”" //ppLater, State Senator Nan Orrock, a member of the White House Working Group on Health Reform, fired up the crowd with tales of her struggle in the civil rights movement, saying that there’s still discrimination in America: between the insured and the uninsured. She harshly criticized insurers who deny coverage just when it’s most needed:/pblockquoteWe need health insurance that you can use when you’re sick, not just pay premiums when you’re well./blockquotepWhen 8:00 P.M. rolled around, the big screen tuned in to the President’s address to a joint session of Congress. As he laid out his plan, they cheered for more options and affordability. As he criticized the status quo, they murmured in agreement. As he called out those who seek to divide and debate with falsehoods, they cheered and raised their fists in the air. The atmosphere was electric: this is the true face of the American people, that great silent majority who support reform. But on this night, they were no longer silent. /pp align=”center”img src=”http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2633/3905933027_bdabeeec9f.jpg” alt=”" //ppYou join them in making your voice heard. a href=”http://my.barackobama.com/SupportReform”Sign a letter of support/a for President Obama’s plan for health reform, and tell your members of Congress that we need health insurance reform now./ppNext up, the bus travels on to Tallahassee for a press conference on the grounds of the State Capitol. Then we’ll move on to Orlando. We can’t wait to see the next crowd when we get there./pp align=”center”img src=”http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2460/3906712374_1be08b7328.jpg” alt=”" //p

Remembering September 11th

admin — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:26:05 +0000

pToday marks the eight anniversary of the tragedies of September 11. In a proclamation recognizing the anniversary, the President honored those who lost their lives on that day:/pblockquotepThrough the twisted steel of the twin towers of the World Trade Center, the scarred walls of the Pentagon, and the smoky wreckage in a field in southwest Pennsylvania, the patriotism and resiliency of the American people shone brightly on September 11, 2001. We stood as one people, united in our common humility and shared sorrow. We grieved for those who perished and remembered what brought us together as Americans.br /br / Today, we honor the lives we lost eight years ago. On a bright September day, innocent men, women, and children boarded planes and set off for work as they had so many times before. Unthinkable acts of terrorism brought tragedy, destruction, pain, and loss for people across our Nation and the world.br /br / As we pay tribute to loved ones, friends, fellow citizen, and all who died, we reaffirm our commitment to the ideas and ideals that united Americans in the aftermath of the attacks. We must apprehend all those who perpetrated these heinous crimes, seek justice for those who were killed, and defend against all threats to our national security. We must also recommit ourselves to our founding principles. September 11 reminds us that our fate as individuals is tied to that of our Nation. Our democracy is strengthened when we uphold the freedoms upon which or Nation was build: equality, justice, liberty, and democracy. These values exemplify the patriotism and sacrifice we commemorate today./p/blockquotepIn April, President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act which, for the first time, officially recognizes September 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. Nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups, government at all levels, businesses, and individuals to reignite the spirit of unity and service that inspired Americans in the days after the September 11, 2001 tragedy./ppYou can a href=”http://www.serve.gov/” target=”_blank”find service opportunities in your community at Serve.gov/a./p

FULL VIDEO: The President’s Address to Congress on Health Reform

admin — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:45:05 +0000

pHere’s the full video of President Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress last night, outlining his plan for health reform:/pobject width=”480″ height=”295″param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/SSJugLUsM58amp;hl=enamp;fs=1amp;”/paramparam name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true”/paramparam name=”allowscriptaccess” value=”always”/paramembed src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/SSJugLUsM58amp;hl=enamp;fs=1amp;” width=”480″ height=”295″ type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowscriptaccess=”always”/embed/object

The Speech: What They’re Saying

admin — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:25:02 +0000

pA roundup of Thursday night quotes and reactions, from blogs and traditional media. First a newsreel:/pobject width=”425″ height=”344″ param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/LBhoFHSg1xUamp;hl=enamp;fs=1amp;”/paramparam name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true”/paramparam name=”allowscriptaccess” value=”always”/paramembed src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/LBhoFHSg1xUamp;hl=enamp;fs=1amp;” width=”425″ height=”344″ type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowscriptaccess=”always”/embed/objectpHighlights from online commentary:/pulli p a href=”http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/09/liveblogging-healthcare.html” target=”_blank”strongAndrew Sullivan/strong/a: quot;This passage brings the bipartisan peroration to a real close: ‘That large-heartedness ndash; that concern and regard for the plight of others ndash; is not a partisan feeling. It is not a Republican or a Democratic feeling. It, too, is part of the American character. Our ability to stand in other peoplersquo;s shoes. A recognition that we are all in this together; that when fortune turns against one of us, others are there to lend a helping hand. A belief that in this country, hard work and responsibility should be rewarded by some measure of security and fair play; and an acknowledgement that sometimes government has to step in to help deliver on that promise.’ This is a liberalism most centrists can live with.quot;nbsp;/p/lilip a href=”http://www.openleft.com/diary/15021/hitting-the-jackpot” target=”_blank”strongOpen Left/strong/a: quot;[H]e hit the jackpot tonight. I have been listening closely to Presidential speeches for about 35 years now, have watched quite a few oldies but goodies from the past, have even contributed ideas to a fair share of speeches in the Clinton years, and I am sitting here thinking that was one of the very best Presidential speeches I have ever heard. JFK’s inaugural and a couple of FDR’s best are the only ones I can think of that moved me so much. More importantly, though, he did everything he needed to do: Lay out clearly what he strongly believes in; make a powerful argument for why we need to get this done; answer the phony scare tactics; [and] fire up the people around the country who want to get this done to keep working to make it happen.quot; /p/lilip a href=”http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_09/019859.php” target=”_blank”strongWashington Monthly/strong/a: quot;Obama went big, sold the plan, and actually explained how this would work. It was as strong as I’ve seen him on health care mdash; which means he came through with the right speech at the right time hellip; And if someone at the DNC and/or White House political operation can just take the last five minutes or so of that speech, and keep airing it in a constant loop, I’d appreciate it. Brilliant stuff.quot; /p/li/ulpWhat are you seeing? Share your links in the comments. /p

LIVE at 8:00 P.M. Eastern Tonight: The President’s Health Care Address to a Joint Session of Congress

admin — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:44:03 +0000

pTonight, President Obama will address a special joint session of Congress in which he’ll spell out his vision for health insurance reform. The speech will be carried live on most major networks, and you can watch a live stream of the speech here tonight, starting at 8:00 P.M./ppstrongUPDATED:/strong The President’s address has ended, but you can a href=”http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/obamaforamerica/gGM4Wp”read the full text of his remarks here/a./p

Message from the President: “Not the first, but the last”

admin — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:24:04 +0000

pShortly after finishing his address to a special joint session of Congress, the President sent out the following email to supporters:/pblockquotepI just finished laying out my plan for health reform at a joint session of Congress. Now, I’m writing directly to you because what happens next is critical — and I need your help.br /br / Change this big will not happen because I ask for it. It can only come when the nation demands it. Congress knows where I stand. Now they need to hear from you.br /br / a href=”http://my.barackobama.com/SupportReform”strongAdd your voice: Ask your representatives to support my plan for real health reform in 2009./strong/abr /br / The heart of my plan is simple: bring stability and security to Americans who already have health insurance, guarantee affordable coverage for those who don’t, and rein in the cost of health care.br /br / Tonight, I offered a specific plan for how to make it happen. I incorporated the best ideas from Democrats and Republicans to create a plan that’s bold, practical, and represents the broad consensus of the American people.br /br / We’ve come closer to real health reform in the last few months than we have in the last 60 years. But those who profit from the status quo — and those who put partisan advantage above all else — will fight us every inch of the way.br /br / We do not seek that fight, but we will not shrink from it. The stakes are too high to let scare tactics cloud the debate, or to allow partisan bickering to block the path. Your voice, right now, is essential.br /br / a href=”http://my.barackobama.com/SupportReform”strongSee my full plan and call on your representatives to support it./strong/a/pp Ours is not the first generation to understand the dire need for health reform. And I am not the first president to take up this cause, but I am determined to be the last.br /br / Thank you,br /br / President Barack Obama/p/blockquote

The President’s Remarks to a Joint Session of Congress: “Stability and security for all Americans”

admin — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:04:04 +0000

pTonight, President Obama spoke to a special joint session of Congress and the American people to outline his plan for health insurance reform. The core of his plan: provide more security and stability for people who have insurance, provide quality, affordable care to those who donrsquo;t, and rein in skyrocketing costs that are crushing American families, businesses and the government itself. /ppquot;I am not the first President to take up this cause,quot; the President explained, quot;but I am determined to be the last.quot;/pblockquotepOur collective failure to meet this challenge ndash; year after year, decade after decade ndash; has led us to a breaking point. Everyone understands the extraordinary hardships that are placed on the uninsured, who live every day just one accident or illness away from bankruptcy. These are not primarily people on welfare. These are middle-class Americans. Some canrsquo;t get insurance on the job. Others are self-employed, and canrsquo;t afford it, since buying insurance on your own costs you three times as much as the coverage you get from your employer. Many other Americans who are willing and able to pay are still denied insurance due to previous illnesses or conditions that insurance companies decide are too risky or expensive to cover. br /br /We are the only advanced democracy on Earth ndash; the only wealthy nation ndash; that allows such hardships for millions of its people. /p/blockquotepDuring the past few months, the President remarked, quot;we have seen Washington at its best and its worst.quot;/pblockquotepWe have seen many in this chamber work tirelessly for the better part of this year to offer thoughtful ideas about how to achieve reform. Of the five committees asked to develop bills, four have completed their work, and the Senate Finance Committee announced today that it will move forward next week. That has never happened before. Our overall efforts have been supported by an unprecedented coalition of doctors and nurses; hospitals, seniorsrsquo; groups and even drug companies ndash; many of whom opposed reform in the past. And there is agreement in this chamber on about eighty percent of what needs to be done, putting us closer to the goal of reform than we have ever been. br /br /But what we have also seen in these last months is the same partisan spectacle that only hardens the disdain many Americans have toward their own government. Instead of honest debate, we have seen scare tactics. Some have dug into unyielding ideological camps that offer no hope of compromise. Too many have used this as an opportunity to score short-term political points, even if it robs the country of our opportunity to solve a long-term challenge.nbsp; And out of this blizzard of charges and counter-charges, confusion has reigned. br /br /Well the time for bickering is over. The time for games has passed. Now is the season for action.nbsp; Now is when we must bring the best ideas of both parties together, and show the American people that we can still do what we were sent here to do. Now is the time to deliver on health care.nbsp;/p/blockquotepThe plan that the President announced tonight is designed to meet three basic goals: /pblockquotepIt will provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance. It will provide insurance to those who donrsquo;t. And it will slow the growth of health care costs for our families, our businesses, and our government. Itrsquo;s a plan that asks everyone to take responsibility for meeting this challenge ndash; not just government and insurance companies, but employers and individuals. And itrsquo;s a plan that incorporates ideas from Senators and Congressmen; from Democrats and Republicans ndash; and yes, from some of my opponents in both the primary and general election./pp… an additional step we can take to keep insurance companies honest is by making a not-for-profit public option available in the insurance exchange. br /br /… Itrsquo;s worth noting that a strong majority of Americans still favor a public insurance option of the sort Irsquo;ve proposed tonight.nbsp; But its impact shouldnrsquo;t be exaggerated ndash; by the left, the right, or the media.nbsp; It is only one part of my plan, and should not be used as a handy excuse for the usual Washington ideological battles.nbsp; To my progressive friends, I would remind you that for decades, the driving idea behind reform has been to end insurance company abuses and make coverage affordable for those without it.nbsp; The public option is only a means to that end ndash; and we should remain open to other ideas that accomplish our ultimate goal.nbsp; And to my Republican friends, I say that rather than making wild claims about a government takeover of health care, we should work together to address any legitimate concerns you may have. br / br /For example, some have suggested that that the public option go into effect only in those markets where insurance companies are not providing affordable policies.nbsp; Others propose a co-op or another non-profit entity to administer the plan.nbsp; These are all constructive ideas worth exploring.nbsp; But I will not back down on the basic principle that if Americans canrsquo;t find affordable coverage, we will provide you with a choice.nbsp; And I will make sure that no government bureaucrat or insurance company bureaucrat gets between you and the care that you need.br /br /…This is the plan Irsquo;m proposing. Itrsquo;s a plan that incorporates ideas from many of the people in this room tonight ndash; Democrats and Republicans. And I will continue to seek common ground in the weeks ahead. If you come to me with a serious set of proposals, I will be there to listen. My door is always open. br /br /But know this: I will not waste time with those who have made the calculation that itrsquo;s better politics to kill this plan than improve it. I will not stand by while the special interests use the same old tactics to keep things exactly the way they are. If you misrepresent whatrsquo;s in the plan, we will call you out. And I will not accept the status quo as a solution. Not this time.nbsp; Not now.br /br /Everyone in this room knows what will happen if we do nothing. Our deficit will grow. More families will go bankrupt. More businesses will close. More Americans will lose their coverage when they are sick and need it most. And more will die as a result. We know these things to be true. br /br /That is why we cannot fail.nbsp;br /br /…I understand how difficult this health care debate has been.nbsp; I know that many in this country are deeply skeptical that government is looking out for them.nbsp; I understand that the politically safe move would be to kick the can further down the road ndash; to defer reform one more year, or one more election, or one more term. br /br /But thatrsquo;s not what the moment calls for.nbsp; Thatrsquo;s not what we came here to do.nbsp; We did not come to fear the future.nbsp; We came here to shape it.nbsp; I still believe we can act even when itrsquo;s hard.nbsp; I still believe we can replace acrimony with civility, and gridlock with progress.nbsp; I still believe we can do great things, and that here and now we will meet historyrsquo;s test. /p/blockquotepa href=”http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/obamaforamerica/gGM4Wp”emRead the President’s full remarks, as prepared for delivery . . . /em/a/p

Fired Up: The President’s Labor Day Speech in Ohio

admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:01:03 +0000

p align=”center”img src=”http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/images/afl_picnic_speaking_LJ-0084.jpg” alt=”" //ppPresident Obama spent part of Labor Day in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he delivered an impassioned speech at the AFL-CIO Labor Day Picnic. He spoke about the work the administration has done to combat the current economic crisis, the ongoing battle for health insurance reform, and the contributions of the labor movement to the American economy and its people: /pp[Today] we pause to remember and to reflect and to reaffirm. We remember that the rights and benefits we enjoy today weren’t simply handed to America’s working men and women. They had to be won. They had to be fought for, by men and women of courage and conviction, from the factory floors of the Industrial Revolution to the shopping aisles of today’s superstores. They stood up and they spoke out to demand a fair shake and an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work. Many risked their lives. Some gave their lives.nbsp; /pblockquotep…So let us never forget: much of what we take for granted — the 40-hour work week, the minimum wage, health insurance, paid leave, pensions, Social Security, Medicare — they all bear the union label. It was the American worker — men and women just like you — who returned from World War II to make our economy the envy of the world. It was labor that helped build the largest middle class in history. Even if you’re not a union member, every American owes something to America’s labor movement./p/blockquotepThe President then turned his attention to the health care debate, briefly referencing his planned speech on Wednesday night and Congress’s imminent return to Washington, D.C. to resume session:/pblockquotepNow, I’ll have a lot more to say about this on Wednesday night.nbsp; I might have to save my voice a little bit — not get too excited.nbsp; I don’t want to give anything away.nbsp; I want you all to tune in.br /br /But let me just say a few things about this health care issue. We’ve been fighting for quality, affordable health care for every American for nearly a century — since Teddy Roosevelt. Think about that — long time. The Congress and the country have now been vigorously debating the issue for many months. The debate has been good, and that’s important because we’ve got to get this right. But every debate at some point comes to an end. At some point, it’s time to decide. At some point, it’s time to act. Ohio, it’s time to act and get this thing done.nbsp; br /br /…We have never been this close. We’ve never had such broad agreement on what needs to be done. And because we’re so close to real reform, suddenly the special interests are doing what they always do, which is just try to scare the heck out of people.br /br /But I’ve got — I’ve got a question for all these folks who say, you know, we’re going to pull the plug on Grandma and this is all about illegal immigrants — you’ve heard all the lies. I’ve got a question for all those folks:nbsp; What are you going to do? What’s your answer? What’s your solution? And you know what? They don’t have one. Their answer is to do nothing. Their answer is to do nothing. And we know what that future looks like: insurance companies raking in the profits while discriminating against people because of preexisting conditions; denying or dropping coverage when you get sick. It means you’re never negotiating about higher wages, because all you’re spending your time doing is just trying to protect the benefits that you already fought for. br /br /It means premiums continuing to skyrocket three times faster than your wages. It means more families pushed into bankruptcy, more businesses cutting more jobs, more Americans losing health insurance — 14,000 every day. It means more Americans dying every day just because they don’t have health insurance.br /br /That’s not the future I see for America.nbsp; /ppI see reform where we bring stability and security to folks who have insurance today — where you never again have to worry about going without coverage if you lose your job or you change your job or you get sick. You’ve got coverage there for you. Where there is a cap on your out-of-pocket expenses, so you don’t have to worry that a serious illness will break you and your family even if you have health insurance. Where you never again have to worry — where you never again have to worry that you or someone you love will be denied coverage because of a preexisting condition. br /br /I see reform where Americans and small businesses that are shut out of health insurance today will be able to purchase coverage at a price they can afford. Where they’ll be able to shop and compare in a new health insurance exchange — a marketplace where competition and choice will continue to hold down costs and help deliver them a better deal. And I continue to believe that a public option within that basket of insurance choices will help improve quality and bring down costs. br /br /I see reform where we protect our senior citizens by closing the gaps in their prescription drug coverage under Medicare that costs older Americans thousands of dollars every years out of their pockets; reforms that will preserve Medicare and put it on a sounder financial footing and cut waste and fraud — the more than $100 billion in unwarranted public subsidies to already profitable insurance companies.br /br /I want a health insurance system that works as well for the American people as it does for the insurance industry. They should be free to make a profit. But they also have to be fair. They also have to be accountable.br /br /That’s what we’re talking about — security and stability for folks who have health insurance, help for those they don’t — the coverage they need at a price they can afford, finally bringing costs under control. That’s the reform that’s needed. That’s the reform we’re fighting for.nbsp; And that’s why it’s time to do what’s right for America’s working families and put aside partisanship, stop saying things that aren’t true, come together as a nation, pass health insurance reform now… /p/blockquotepThe President closed by telling a familiar story about a woman in Greenwood, South Carolina and the origin of the phrase quot;Fired Up!quot; It was a story told countless times on the campaign trail, about how ever one voice can make a difference. /pblockquotepIt just goes to show you how one voice can change a room. And if it can change a room, it can change a city. And if it can change a city, it can change a state. And if it can change a state, it can change a nation. And if it can change a nation, it can change the world. Your voice can change the world.nbsp; Your voice will get health care passed. Your voice will make sure that the American worker is protected. You can build America. I need your help… Are you fired up? /p/blockquotepa href=”http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/obamaforamerica/gGM48q”emRead the President’s full remarks, as delivered . . . /em/a/p

Open Thread: Fired Up

admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 05:41:04 +0000

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