Posted on 03/05/2009 10:50:34 AM PST by BGHater
President Obama opened his summit on health reform Thursday with a clear message: “The status quo is the one option that is not on the table.”
Obama welcomed more than 100 lawmakers, interest group executives and experts to the White House to begin talks that he hopes will culminate in significant reform of the healthcare system.
“We are here today to discuss one of the greatest threats not just to the well-being of our families and the prosperity of our businesses, but to the very foundation of our economy – and that is the exploding cost of healthcare in America today,” Obama said.
Obama was introduced by Travis Ulerick, a firefighter from Dublin, Ind., who hosted one of the more than 3,000 healthcare community meetings promoted by Obama during the transition and since.
The administration issued a report Thursday compiling the results of those meetings.
By assembling so many people with political and financial stakes in the future of the healthcare system for a half-day chat session on reform, Obama put himself and his administration squarely at the center of the coming debate while insisting he wants to incorporate disparate viewpoints in the process.
“I know people are afraid we’ll draw the same old lines in the sand, give in to the same entrenched interests, and arrive back at the same stalemate we’ve been stuck in for decades. But I am here today because I believe that this time is different,” Obama said.
Nevertheless, Obama warned against anyone who tried to obstruct progress on national health reform.
“I want to be very clear at the outset that while everyone has a right to take part in this discussion, no one has the right to take it over. The status quo is the one option that is not on the table. And those who seek to block any reform at any cost will not prevail this time around,” Obama said.
Obama signaled his seriousness about tackling healthcare when he addressed a joint session of Congress last week and issued a budget setting aside $633.8 billion for initiatives to cover the uninsured and reduce the cost of medical care.
The road to success will be a rocky one, Obama acknowledged: “It will not be easy. There will be false starts and setbacks and mistakes along the way.”
Obama faces a deep ideological divide between Democrats and Republicans over federal spending and the appropriate role of the government in the healthcare system. The companies and industry groups represented at Thursday’s summit also will fight to preserve the more profitable elements of today’s system.
The president focused on broad areas of agreement in kicking off the event.
“This time, the call for reform is coming from the bottom up, from all across the spectrum — from doctors, nurses and patients; unions and businesses; hospitals, healthcare providers and community groups. It’s coming from mayors, governors and legislatures – Democrats and Republicans — who are racing ahead of Washington to pass bold healthcare initiatives on their own.
“This time, there is no debate about whether all Americans should have quality, affordable healthcare – the only question is, how?” Obama said.
We are the hostile takeover of the US healthcare system we have been waiting for.
It is going to take a citizens revolt to kill this turd coming down the pike
Universal Healthcare hidden in so called stimulus bill.
http://www.thedailychange.com/universal-healthcare-hidden-in-so-called-stimulus-bill/
In other words, it won't work, will probably make things worse, and will cost more. He said the same thing about porkulus, but signed it anyway.
In other, even more important news, the markets and banks continue to tank. Mr. President, PLEASE SLOW DOWN.
He had to have been quiet yesterday, for a welcome change.
Obama tops that by offering healthcare which is more plentiful, better quality, and also free of charge! The only details left to figure out is how to accomplish that ...
the best medical system in the world is about to die a horrible death. And we are the ones who will suffer for it.
yeah... infinitely worse.
You are right. This is the one issue that is completely irreversible. Once this happens, we are in the fastlane to a ruined economy. We must organize and put all resources of the right to work.
And better yet, it will be run by a bunch of politically connected bureaucrats who’ve never run a business! How cool!
Yes. It will be even more expensive.
Slow down?
Please?
I am not going to say...."please" to these guys....they don't offer us the same!
And I don't want him to friggin....slow down. I want him to flippin STOP!!!
He his attempting a government takeover of our Republic!!
Very, very nice. Wonderful! Wonderful politicians, employers, insurance companies and interest groups.
Oh, wow! i got a tingle running up my leg!!! (ala Chrissy Mathews)
What happened to the patient (you and me) in all this. We’re not at the table, are we! Guess it goes to show how much we are thought of, really.
Ok, here's where I catch it - I agree with the above statement. It is a mission that needs to be accomplished to the best of our ability.
However, "how", for me, means utilizing, and maximizing, the free market system.
Trying to trash the whole system of care just to force some who don’t want healthcare to buy it, and to insure a relatively small number who can’t afford it.
BTW an older friend who’s wife had cancer told me that Obama’s proposal to cut medicare would take treatment coverage away from those whose disease was in remission and returns. I don’t know the accuracy although I know there are medicare cuts proposed.
Strange isn’t it to be taxing $1 trillion to “improve” healthcare while cutting benefits to the elderly.
Notice that every time some new socialist gains power,
he proclaims that “this time, we’ll make socialism work”.
Of course they think this, because they have “more information” than anyone ever had before (and they consider themselves smarter than anyone who’s ever gone before them),
and will not give any consideration for historical knowledge that this stuff NEVER works, and CAN’T work.
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