Health overhaul closer than ever -- and yet far off

AP on Yahoo ^ | 10/2/09 | Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar - ap

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON – Eight months in office, Barack Obama has now pushed closer than any other president in generations to creating a basic health care safety net for working Americans. Yet the fate of legislation delivering on his goal is far from certain: Republicans are nearly unified in opposition, Democrats hardly united in support.

Indeed, few if any of the major arguments about the scope and costs of the historic undertaking are settled as congressional leaders prepare to take legislation to the floor in the next two weeks.

Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee came together early Friday — after 2 a.m. — to finish the heavy lifting on a bill designed to appeal to moderates. Obama hailed it as a milestone and noted, for history, that overhauling health care has eluded presidents from Harry S. Truman to Richard Nixon to Bill Clinton.

"We are now closer than ever before to finally passing reform that will offer security to those who have coverage and affordable insurance to those who don't," Obama said.

But not yet. And not for sure.

[NormsRevenge]

U.S. President Barack Obama attends a town hall on health insurance
reform at Portsmouth High School in Portsmouth, New Hampshire,
August 11, 2009. REUTERS/Jim Young/Files

[FlingWingFlyer]

Hopefully, Americans will be able to “overhaul” and “reform” Congress before they can ram their communist garbage down our throats.

[ncalburt]

The Obama cheerleading is what the AP calls NEWS reporting ?Disgusting .

[NormsRevenge]

I got your overhaul right here, O.

Brazilian President, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva (2nd L), and Carlos Nuzman, Rio de Janeiro 2016 President (L) celebrate with Sergio Cabral, Governor of Rio de Janeiro (2nd R) and Eduardo Paes, Rio de Janeiro city Mayor, during a news conference after Rio de Janeiro was chosen to host the 2016 Olympic Games at the 121st International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Copenhagen October 2, 2009. REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski (DENMARK SPORT OLYMPICS)

[dfwgator]

I must say that Lula has turned out to be much more of a pragmatic leader than I thought he would have been when he was first elected.

He’s certainly much better than what we have.

[NormsRevenge]

Lots of pics of him crying after the announcement.

I doubt he will still be in office but it is quite an accomplishment winning the 2016 Olympic Games... and beating out the Messiah at the same.

[hsalaw]

He’s certainly much better than what we have.

Mickey Mouse would be better than what we have. Oh, wait - is that racist. . . .?

[dfwgator]

I doubt he will still be in office but it is quite an accomplishment winning the 2016 Olympic Games

And the 2014 World Cup.

By the way, the US was also awarded both the World Cup and the Summer Olympics within a two-year period, on Reagan's and Bush I's watch.

[montomike]

I wish I could have said, “I’ll take your Upper Level Engine Room watch for a poke!”

or vica-versa.