Obama says health care critics use 'scare tactics'

Associated Press ^ | August 11, 2009 | Philip Elliot

[Zakeet]

Braced for a fight he never got, President Barack Obama went on the offensive in support of his health care plan Tuesday, urging a town hall audience not to listen to those who seek to "scare and mislead the American people."

"For all the scare tactics out there, what is truly scary is if we do nothing," Obama told a friendly crowd of about 1,800 in a high school auditorium and a nationwide audience watching on cable television.

The White House had been ready for an unruly reception from opponents of overhauling health care. There was no sign of that, perhaps because of the makeup of the day's crowd or out of traditional deference for the president.

Obama's push came amid a string of disruptive health care town halls nationwide that have overshadowed his message and threatened to derail support in Congress. Indeed, Republican-turned-Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter faced hostile questions, taunts and jeers earlier Tuesday as he tried to explain his positions at a town hall in Lebanon, Pa. Voter fears of a government takeover of health care were on stark display.

Some lawmakers, holding forums during Congress' August recess, have gone so far as to replace public forums with teleconferences or step up security to keep protesters at bay.

But the Democratic president faced no outbursts.

The encounter was so friendly, in fact, that by the end Obama was even asking for skeptical questioners to come forward — to no avail.

He told his audience reassuringly, "For all the chatter and the yelling and the shouting and the noise, what you need to know is this ... if you do have health insurance, we will make sure that no insurance company or government bureaucrat gets between you and the care you need."

[Zakeet]

Obozo quote of the day: As long as they have a good product and the government plan has to sustain itself through premiums and other non-tax revenue, private insurers should be able to compete with the government plan, Obama said.

"They do it all the time," he said. "UPS and FedEx are doing just fine. ... It's the Post Office that's always having problems."

---

It's difficult to count all the lies spoken by Comrade Obozo in this AP puff piece.

One thing was evident. The audience was so well screened that no one called Barry out on a lie -- or even asked a single challenging question.

[Carling]

You know it’s screened and staged when Obama goes out of his way to emphasize that this meeting wasn’t staged.

[Jeff Gordon]

As if his tactics saying that Medicare will fail in 8 years, your private insurance company will drop you, etc where not scare tactics. This lying, little bitch know scare tactics quite well because he uses them all the time.

[Billthedrill]

There was no sign of that, perhaps because of the makeup of the day's crowd...

That's a delicate way of admitting the thing was shamelessly staged. Tough, hard-hitting journalism there.

[choctaw man]

He’s correct...these things he’s proposing are indeed scarey.

[Cicero]

I would guess that every member of the audience was bought and paid for, and that a lot of the questions were prearranged.

How many unprompted questions has Obama been asked since he assumed office in January? Maybe two or three?

[Maelstorm]

When he tries this we need to fight creative ways to shut down and disrupt this type of thing. He can run but he can’t hide forever. The coward in chief doesn’t no how to take the heat.

[Lancey Howard]

[GeronL]

Remember that quoting Obama is now disinformation

[dirtboy]

Obama says health care critics use 'scare tactics'

Otherwise known as the truth. The truth alone is enough to scare the bejabbers out of the average person.

[Lancey Howard]

Scare tactics....

[GeronL]

UPS and FedEx are not allowed to deliver regular mail, they are not allowed to compete with the PO. And the PO still can’t do it.

This is the best argument against ObamaCare

[BallyBill]

When they see today's Glenn Beck's show, I expect a tactical nuke to detonate somewhere.

Real Nazi Posters?

[a fool in paradise]

Obama and the Democrat congressional leadership is ALSO using scare tactics about those WHO DARE QUESTION this legislation.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

Amazing that the party of hyperbole, class warfare, race baiting, and crisis du jour are chastising others for ‘scare tactics’.

[tophat9000]

Mr.Obama why can't you and the people who want this health care plan pool your money and do this health care you want privately on your own?

Why must be via the government?

[GivemeaBREAK!]

And any crowd that starts chanting “Yes we can” sure can’t be a stacked deck, could it?

Got news for Obozo, comparing USPO and FedEX or UPS is so apple and oranges.

They don’t compete on snail mail, where they compete on package delivery USPO loses.

ALSO, the USPO looses about $6B a year, subsidised by the US government, terribly inefficient at times.

[VeniVidiVici]

The White House had been ready for an unruly reception from opponents of overhauling health care. There was no sign of that, perhaps because of the makeup of the day's crowd or out of traditional deference for the president.

Golly gosh and gee willikers. The AP is stumped as to why the President got such a friendly reception! They wouldn't even ask any questions!!

[VeniVidiVici]

UPS and FedEx are not allowed to deliver regular mail, they are not allowed to compete with the PO. And the PO still can’t do it.

Yeah, just where was he going with that USPS comparison? It will come back to bite him hard in the coming days.

[compuguru]

If he wants to see scary, let's do this:

Push a proposal that the word "FREE" be eliminated from all advertising and references of government programs, to be replaced by the words "TAX PAYER FUNDED".

So "free" welfare becomes "tax payer funded welfare" and "free" healthcare becomes "tax payer funded healthcare", etc.

Never happen, but I can dream...