Like millions, I am on Obama’s e-mail list, and like many Americans, and unlike past Presidents, he is tech savvy and uses social media. Though I don’t believe that these e-mails aren’t edited by staff, I also know that, in part, because is a Lawyer, Professor and Historian and apparently writes much of what we hear him say, these e-mails can be more interesting than the crafted babble that we get from other elected representatives (though the attached is less than moving prose, it speaks to a rallying cry).
Am I a fan of Obama? His story is a great one, and represents the part of America that I love —that anyone can be President. Left, right, Republican, Dem, just give me a super smart, straight shooter that has needed a job to pay the bills. Though I don’t love his policies, I like a guy who brings in smart people with disparate views —and listens to them. I’ve always said that we’ll have a shot at fixing our system when we have a President that everyone hates. We have that today.
Watching him chew out both sides of the aisle in the House and Senate on CSPAN after his state of the union speech was fabulous. Telling America it watches too much TV and is getting a tad sloppy is a hell of a way to take office.
As John Stewart said recently (paraphrasing since I saw it live when Stewart was on O’Reilly), “is Obama screwing it up, or playing three-dimensional chess?” Time will tell. For those that aren’t on his e-mail list, it’s a curious insight into an American President.
Here is the most recent, on health care in America.-bd
by Obama
Last Thursday’s first-of-its-kind summit capped off a debate that has lasted nearly a year. Every idea has now been put on the table. Every argument has been made. Both parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and gets more dire each day. Today, I want to state as clearly and forcefully as I know how: Now is the time to make a decision about the future of health care in America.
The final proposal I’ve put forward draws on the best ideas from all sides, including several put forward by Republicans at last week’s summit. It will put Americans in charge of their own health care, ensuring that neither government nor insurance company bureaucrats can ration, deny, or put out of financial reach the care our families need and deserve.
I strongly believe that Congress now owes the American people a final vote on health care reform. Reform has already passed the House with bipartisan support and the Senate with a super-majority of sixty votes. Now it deserves the same kind of up-or-down vote that has been routinely used and has passed such landmark measures as welfare reform and both Bush tax cuts.
Earlier today, I asked leaders in both houses of Congress to finish their work and schedule a vote in the next few weeks. From now until then, I will do everything in my power to make the case for reform. And now, I’m asking you, the members of the Organizing for America community, to raise your voice and do the same.
The final march for reform has begun, and your participation is crucial. Please commit to join with me to take reform across the finish line.
Essentially, my proposal would change three things about the current health care system:
First, it would protect all Americans from the worst practices of insurance companies. Never again will the mother with breast cancer have her coverage revoked, see her premiums arbitrarily raised, or be forced to live in fear that a pre-existing condition will bar her from future coverage.
Second, my proposal would give individuals and small businesses the same choice of private health insurance that members of Congress get for themselves. And my proposal says that if you still can’t afford the insurance in this new marketplace, we will offer you tax credits based on your income — tax credits that add up to the largest middle class tax cut for health care in history.
Finally, my proposal would bring down the cost of health care for everyone — families, businesses, and the federal government — and bring down our deficit by as much as $1 trillion over the next two decades. These savings mean businesses small and large will finally be freed up to create jobs and increase wages. With costs currently skyrocketing, reform is vital to remaining economically strong in the years and decades to come.
In the few crucial weeks ahead, you can help make sure this proposal becomes law. Please sign up to join the Organizing for America campaign in the final march for reform:
When I talked about change on the campaign, this is what I was talking about: coming together to solve a huge problem that has been troubling America for 100 years and standing up to the special interests to deliver a brighter, smarter future for generations to come.
I look forward to signing this historic reform into law.
Thank you,
President Barack Obama
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