President Obama's historic speech on health care praised by Senator Patty Murray

"Well the time for bickering is over. The time for games has passed. Now is the season for action. Now is when we must bring the best ideas of both parties together, and show the American people that we can still do what we were sent here to do. Now is the time to deliver on health care."

One of the highpoints in Obama's speech captured in the video I'm posting to this report.

Left many unanswered questions, the biggest being how is this all going to be paid for. On key issues like interstate commerce amongst insurance companies he was silent.That is because as a Senator, he voted against Legislation sponsored by Republican Jim DeMint that would have allowed interstate commerce.
On tax reform he offered a tepid response by requesting that a few pilot programs be inititated in a couple of states to further investigate the problems. Give me a break Please.Everyone knows that this is an area where major reform is needed. It was brushed aside because the President and his party are so much in bed with Trial Lawyers that they are afraid to lose the millions in political contributions if this were to come under attack.

On the Public Option he did not rule it out but instead offered non-profit co-ops and other scaled down versions of a public option. The Public Option is the big trophy for the Left and any healthcare bill to be seriously considered for passage, must include a Public Option. So I don't know if he angered the Left or the Right more, but either way it is going to make a lot of people angry.
The biggest hurdle he had to overcome was explainig to seniors how is it possible to cut Medicare by over $500 Billion dollars and not cut their services. He didn't do that. he did not explain how you add another 30 million people to the system with the same number of doctors without rationing. Still a lot of unanswered questions...

Did you even listen to the president's speech or did you get your facts from Fox News talking points?

He was very explicit on how to pay for his plan and a majority of it will come by cutting waste and inefficiency from many areas. He was very clear that seniors would NOT see any cuts in their Medicare benefits. The public option is still very much in play and has gained support.

Demint? The one who said on a conference call, something to the affect that blocking the president on health care would bring him down and be his "waterloo". Yeah, that is the kind of non-partisan person that Obama should be listening too.

There were very clear and concise answers in the president's speech last night. Also, he said he was open to listening to any legitimate idea that Republicans want to bring to the table. "My door is always open," he said. But he also said the time for politics is over and he would not be interested in wasting any more time on it.

People can either chose to believe him or not. They are welcome to jump on Joe Wilson's "you lie" bandwagon as he is driven out of Washington DC, because his political career is toast.

So, Joe Wilson will be "driven out of Washington DC"? Because he was disrespectful to the President? Senator Teddy Kennedy killed a young girl with his stupidity and negligence; if he managed to stay in DC, and continue with his "career", I don't see Joe Wilson having much of a problem.

You can believe what you wish; I know a pig-in-a-poke when I see one...

I watched every second of it. I watched it objectively and to be honest, I did not learn anything new.
Except that there are now mysteriously only 30 million people uninsured. 17 Million less than the previous day. He was not explicit on how to pay for this montrosity. One day it's 1.5 trillion the next it's 900 Billion. I go by the CBO estimates and they are saying this thing will not be able to pay for itself. It is impossible. IF there were inefficiencies and fraud to be found in Medicaid and Medicare, why wait till a Bill is passed? Why not show the American that you can come up with $500 Billion in fraud & abuse first before signing a Bill that is flawed? Public option is dead. The Senate nor the House has enough votes to pass a Bill that includes the Public Option.DeMint is turning out to be right.
It is not only Jim Demint. It has been millions of concerned Americans who have voiced their distrust of this administration and that now has it backtracking. If he is serious about listening to Republican ideas, why not fully committ to Tort Reform on any of the Bills being floated? Because he and the Democratic Party aare in Bed with these Trial Lawyer Types that contribute millions to their cause. Why not include interstate commerce as a viable optioin to creating more competition amongst insurance companies? These are all solid Republican ideas that he does not want. As long as fiscally responsible Americans continue to voice their concerns, you will never see a Public Option or any form of Socialized medicine in this country.

P.S. Joe Wilson's website has been shut down due to the tremendous number of contributions to his 2010 Congressional run.

Something's surely fishy in that 30 million number of uninsured! Earlier in the day Sen John McCain tweeted "Obama's health care plan - show us the bill." The Republicans must be waiting more than anybody else for Obama's next move!!

Based on your "interpretation" of what the president said last night, if you did listen to it in person, you clearly did not do so "objectively" or you would have learned something new. You simply don't want to open your mind to anything, because you have your mind already made up, like so many conservatives, who are just flat against the president no matter what.

The president made a concession to Republicans and agreed that they need to explore more ways to reduce medical mal-practice and was open to their ideas. He got a standing ovation from them. Were you out of the room when that happened?

The president said there will be an impartial panel of doctors, nurses, and other relevant personnel to give advice to improve programs as reform goes forward.

The plan will be paid for over a ten year period of time. That isn't anything new, but people act like it is tax money that is going to be stolen from their pockets immediately, which simply IS NOT TRUE.

The president said he will not sign a bill that will "increase the deficit by even one dime." That is nothing new either, but people insist that he will end up taxing them anyway and it's NOT TRUE.

It all comes back to the fact that if Obama could walk on water, conservatives would accuse him of not being able to swim (quote from someone in congress). They are determined to be the party of "no way, no matter what you say."

Rob Miller has already received millions in campaign support to run against Joe Wilson. Sure Wilson will get the radical-rousers, who think it's okay to stand up in a respectful meeting of congress and call the president of the United States a "liar". Those are the kind of people who wouldn't know how to raise the "civility bar" if their life depended on it.

I'll be sending a contribution as soon as it comes back onlne...

Fully agree with DelilahStarling. I think Rep Wilson thought he was in a Townhall Meet! LOL! He tried the right wingers' trick of not allowing speakers to speak! Well, it didn't work!

The act was appalling, lacked decorum and put the rep in poor light. I also think later his apology was shallow and has perhaps shown the kind of man he is!!

myVox, even in Britain's parliament, which is far more rowdy and interactive than the floor of the US Congress, there has only been one incident of anyone being called a "liar". It was hurled at Margaret Thatcher and the guy was immediately escorted by security and booted out of the hall. He was later forced to resign.

Wilson is toast. Thanks for you comment.

wrong again - not the only time... not even close.

Recent one for you -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94lW6Y4tBXs

He might have not actually said liar...but my God would Wilson be rich now if instead of liar - he'd done the same!

Delilah,The one thing he admitted that he had not up until yesterday, was what I knew all along. There are not 47 million people uninsured in this country. The number is even lower than what he finally conceded to last night night. Where did 17 million uninsured go? Did they all purchase insurance the day before?
He made a concession to Republicans on Tort Reform and there will be a panel of impartial professionals to improve programs. This is laughable. A Concession is more like, " Tort Reform must be a part of this Bill or I will not sign it" . That is what I would liked to hear. You & me both know that this President will not have the backbone to stand up to Trial Lawyers. He is in bed with them and they want to keep those contributions coming in. Can you at least agree on that?

You say "People act like it's tax money that is going to be stolen from them immediately"...And I say, add their children & grandchildren to the list. Small business will be taxed up to 8% of their Payrolls if they don't participate in the plan. He will also tax people in the higher income brackets. So taxes are going to be added.

It's not about President Obama. It's about his policies. HE ran on a Moderate platform and people were expecting to govern the same way. He has allowed Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid to call the shots, he has bowed to the radical wing of his party and has forgotten about the man in the middle. He is refusing to listen to his constituents. The ones that spoke loudly & clearly over the summer. We don't want Social Medicine. Why is that so hard to comprehend?

By the way your information on Mr Miller is off. as of last check he had raised about 200K in donations. He had a bout 57K in his warchest before the liar comment and his campaign was 447k in debt. So anyone that is donating money to this guy is basically helping him satisfy his debt. Way to go.

Myvox,

The act was appalling. Those words could be said about any number of people in the Obama administration. Has nancy Pelosi ever opologized for her remarks to Town Hall protestors? Has harry Reid done so? Has barack Obama opologized to the Police Officer in MA?

This is the last administration that could rant & rave about civility...Obviously Mr. Wilson has learned his lessons well from watching this bunch...

Your repeated assertion that Obama will not stand up to trial lawyers because he is "in bed with them" I find to be particularly off base. He simply doesn't want to limit or put a cap on the amount of money that people injured as a result of medical negligence can sue for--that doesn't mean he is catering to attorneys who represent them. It simply means that if a person sustains a life altering injury, that the damages should fit the crime and not be capped.

If you were paralyzed for life from a negligent doctor, I bet you would be the first one to demand the most damages that any good attorney could get for you. At the same time, good doctors should not be forced to order multiple expensive tests just to cover their ass in order to avoid law suits. So, the president does see that there is a need for reform, whether you or anyone else, believes him or not.

As for your comparison of Pelosi and Reid's perceived offenses to Wilson's "you lie!" rant--well, now, that's just really laughable.

The numbers don't work and he was NOT at all explicit - you're wrong. In true Obama fashion he REPEATED everything he has already said.

You have got to get off the FOX news wagon. There are mony of us here who are well educated in government affairs and we get our information from many sources - and I myself don't watch television --except for LOST ---which is perhaps slightly ironic...

Wilson is not toast - Progressives are.

There are punitive damages and Compensatory damages - the later deals with expenses.

Punitive needs proof that the doc acted maliciously and I agree there may be SOME claims that warrant high levels of payout.

Compensatory damages are the ones more out of control. They pay for losses incurred including things like the spouses issues with the loss - etc... THEY have gotten completely out of hand.

Additionally, there are a fair many lawyers who go after class action suits for profit alone. Raise the bar a bit - they go out and find thousands who are privy to their cause - file the suit and usually make the insurance company buckle. Might be a dollar for the people injured - but millions for the lawyers. That's what your missing - the system as is doesn't work - it a dream for lawyers and it needs to be reformed before healthcare or healthcare (which WILL raise the deficit and you are mislead if you think it won't ...IT HAS TOO) will just open floodgates for an ocean filled with massive class action suits. Punitive damages are a small part of tort reform that progressives focus on...OH - HOW COULD YOU EVER BE FOR putting a cap on the payout if Joe Millionare kills Mary Joe while driving drunk??? But - that's not the big picture - it just makes your arguement prettier. It's still way off base and misleading...

Delilah - why is comparing a congressman calling the President a liar laughable compared to Pelosi calling American citizens Nazis? Surely you mean the later is much more vile but not laughable... no way.

Write4life, I do so appreciate the way you and your Allvoices conservative buddies always band together in throngs to tell us poor misguided liberals how wrong we are and use our articles for your own condescending platform with not one, not two--but three consecutive high-tooten messages.

Thanks, as always, for your biased, self-serving, preachy, and sanctimonious opinions, which I have absolutely no interest in, and can barely bring myself to spend five minutes to send this message in response.

News flash: just because you say someone is WRONG, doesn't make it true. It just reveals the soul of a person who always has to have control and the last word on every thing. Your're welcome to it.

Delilah, if I wasn't already married to an amazing, wonderful woman, I'd ask for your hand, -- seriously! You are such a breath of fresh air, I swear.

Please do take the best possible care of yourself, the world is a nicer place to live in when there are people of your caliber inhabiting it.

Eddie, I'm sorry to be late to get back to you, but I just happened to run across your nice compliment.

So, how come we haven't heard from you lately? I miss your opinions and philosophies on the variety of issues here! Hope to see you back soon.

Thanks again for the support. It feels like once in a while I can take off my bullet proof vest.:)) But only briefly.