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LISTEN NOW: Obama just spoke to thousands of religious people in favor of health insurance reform
Not sure how many of you caught this, but Pres. Obama just spoke (8/19, 2:30pm MST) to a conference call of an ad hoc group/coalition called Faith for Health/40 Days for Health Reform. He spoke for seven minutes, 30 minutes into the (40 minute) conference call. You can access it easily at www.faithforhealth.org. (Also, the White House Director of Domestic Policy, Melody Barnes, answered several timely questions - about 10 minutes in.) Give the entire 40 minute call a listen, and take the pledge to work your butt off for reform, at faithforhealth.org.
(Edit: I transcribed some quotes from the President in the comments below.)
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Ms. Barnes spoke for 7 minutes, too. And, she reiterated that he is "committed" to public option, though she also repeated that he is open.
PRES. OBAMA : People participating in the call have "moral conviction" to reform health care system.
-- "I know there is a lot of misinformation in this debate and there are some folks out there who are, frankly, bearing false witness...."
August 19, 2009 6:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
PRES. OBAMA: "...I don't want government bureaucrats meddling in your health care, but I also don't want insurance company bureacrats meddling in your health care. That's what health insurance reform is all about."
August 19, 2009 7:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
PRES. OBAMA: Death panels: "an extraordinary lie."
--not govt takeover of healthcare, not govt funding of abortion, not for illegal aliens - "fabrications" - "put out there to discourage people from meeting what I consider to be a core medical and ethical obligation - that is, that we look out for one another. I am my brother's keeper, my sister's keeper.
August 19, 2009 7:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just saw that WaPo (Kornblut) posted a report on the conference call (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/08/19/on_faith_call_obama_seeks_to_r.html) - looks like I hit the highlights.
In response to one of the commenters there - who claimed to notice that the President never talks about Medicare's financial problem - I transcribed this additional Obama quote:
"People are concerned about spending right now, and deficits and debt. By far, the single biggest driver of our deficit and our debt is federal government spending on Medicare and Medicaid. and, Medicare is about to go into the red in eight years. Many of you have older members of your congregations, they're now scared to death that we're talking about cutting Medicare benefits. THAT IS - AGAIN - SIMPLY NOT TRUE. What we have said is we should stop subsidizing insurance companies who participate in Medicare Advantage and skim 17-20 billion dollars in profits that could be used to expand care and give seniors better discounts on prescription drugs."
August 19, 2009 8:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
So glad you publicized this. I hope people go listen to it. I've been promoting this particular call-in town hall since I learned about it two weeks ago.
Thanks again.
August 19, 2009 8:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
"“We are God’s partners in matters of life and death”
Much better than what Bush said to that French guy.
August 19, 2009 9:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Did you mean: President George W. Bush (circa 2003) told Jacques Chirac that "Iraq must be invaded to thwart Gog and Magog, the Bible’s satanic agents of the Apocalypse."
Hardly a comparison between Dubya's drivel and "God's partners in matters of life and death."
August 20, 2009 12:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
Now now . . .
Even a table needs a chair ...
Ask Barney Franks.
~OGD~
August 20, 2009 3:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
Okay, that was good...
August 21, 2009 8:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hey Hey ... AZPaull . . .
Thanks for the post on this.
Seeing that your post was not climbing the 'Recent Readers Posts' queue on the front page I took the liberty to also post it with a direct link to the conference call in my blog here.
I see this as a very, very important action by those of faith and that of the President's action of reaching out to them directly through these types of forums.
Thanks again.
~OGD~
August 20, 2009 3:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Me too.
August 20, 2009 10:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks, guys! And, have fun back at school (work), amike.
August 20, 2009 11:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
The kiddies are moving in over the weekend. I'm almost ready for them. As Charlie Brown says, I work best under pressure.
August 20, 2009 2:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Uhhhh . . .
Before or after attempting to kick the football?
~OGD~
August 20, 2009 3:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
He's a clown, that OGD;
He's gonna get caught, just you wait and see...
August 20, 2009 3:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
(unfortunate insertion of OGD in the attempt to be funny with silly song lyrics) Luv ya', OGD!
August 21, 2009 1:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Lucy always gets me OGD. Not because I'm stupid, but because she gets soooooo much happiness out of it I'd hate to disappoint her. Lets just keep it our little secret that I'm just playing along with her.
August 20, 2009 6:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thank you so much for this. I must take my old man's walk now, but I will turn the bugger on when I get back.
August 20, 2009 2:19 PM | Reply | Permalink