Politics

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (CBS) ― Fighting for control of the health care debate, President Barack Obama is using political tactics and rhetorical devices honed in his White House campaign to regain the upper hand over increasingly vocal critics.

In person and over the Internet, Obama is trying to counter intense public skepticism that's flared nationwide in recent weeks over Democrats' plans to overhaul the nation's health care system. It's his top domestic priority and arguably his most challenging political fight yet as president, in no small part because of the vast number of diverse stake-holders involved.

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Familiar tools from the Obama candidacy are being used in the struggle, adapted to his office: among them the town hall meetings with his sleeves rolled up, a quick-response Web site to douse critics' claims, chain e-mails and a populist pitch against the entrenched powers in Washington.

Plus he's got the White House bully pulpit, using it Saturday in his weekly radio and Internet address.

"I know there's plenty of real concern and skepticism out there," he said. "I know that in a time of economic upheaval, the idea of change can be unsettling, and I know that there are folks who believe that government should have no role at all in solving our problems."

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In Grand Junction, Colo. on Saturday, Obama said Americans no longer should be "held hostage by health insurance companies" that deny coverage for various reasons.

The president said the current health care system and the policies of insurance companies are -- in his words -- "hurting too many families and businesses." And he vowed to change that, predicting health care reform legislation will be passed by Congress this year.

And he said "because we're getting close, the fight is getting fierce."
Careful not to alienate opponents even while taking them on, he cited "legitimate differences worthy of the real discussion that America deserves." But, as Democratic allies face taunts and insults at town hall style gatherings nationwide, Obama implored people to "lower our voices, listen to one another and talk about differences that really exist."

Meanwhile Saturday, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, in the GOP's weekly address, pressed for a bipartisan measure.

"Ensuring access to affordable and quality health care for every American is not a Republican or Democrat issue — it is an American issue," he said. "Our nation expects us to solve this challenge in an open, honest and responsible manner. More spending, more taxes and more government is not the answer.

He said he strongly encourages respectful debate over the issue but cautioned against "stifling these discussions" and added: "There is nothing un-American about disagreements. In fact, our great nation was founded on speaking our minds."

Obama seeks legislation that would provide coverage for millions of uninsured people while controlling skyrocketing costs, and the debate over it has turned increasingly noisy and partisan. Critics say proposals in Congress would lead to too much money spent and too much government intrusion. Conservative activists and Obama opponents have stepped up their attacks in recent weeks.

So, in full-on battle mode, the charismatic campaigner is hosting local question-and-answer sessions that proved valuable during the presidential race. The Democratic National Committee and Obama allies are spending millions on advertising campaigns to influence public opinion, much like they did last year. Associates also are being deployed again. And the White House is using Internet tools honed during his groundbreaking bid to rally supporters.

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Over the past week, White House senior adviser David Axelrod asked supporters to forward a chain e-mail to counter criticism that's circulating online, and the White House launched a "Reality Check" Web site "to help Americans clear up health care lies and misinformation."

The president has tried to use humor to disarm potentially hostile crowds. For instance, Friday in Montana he told the crowd, "You've got bears and moose and elk. And in Washington, you just have mostly bull."

However, that humor wasn't heartily received by all those in attendance, reports CBS News correspondent Chip Reid. "That's all we get is bull," one audience member said. "You can't tell us how you're gonna pay for this."

DNC Chairman Tim Kaine urged the public to visit the site, arguing that "reform opponents" have stepped up their game because they can tell the White House has "made more progress on health insurance reform than we made in the previous 60 years."

Those efforts were reminiscent of the Obama team's attempts to debunk Internet rumors about his faith and upbringing during the campaign.

Also similar: the DNC's creation of a Web video — this one called "What You Won't See on National Cable News" — to highlight civil town hall meetings across the country. Obama also plans to speak to backers by telephone during a "National Call-In for Healthcare Reform" event Wednesday.

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The town hall style events and the way Obama is pitching his plan almost make it feel as though he's a candidate again.

Over the past week, he's fielded questions from audiences in Portsmouth, N.H., and Belgrade, Mont. He holds his third such event Saturday in Grand Junction, Colo. Thus far, he's faced polite crowds, a stark contrast to the taunts and jeers Democratic lawmakers have endured.

It's clear he's in campaign mode, bounding on stage and going tieless, with his jacket off and shirt sleeves rolled.

Much like in the campaign, he is using people's stories to illustrate his points.

He tells the tale of Lori Hitchcock of New Hampshire, who was denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition and who has been uninsured for two years because she can't find a job. He talks about Katie Gibson of Montana, whose coverage was dropped because of a pre-existing condition even though her new insurance company confirmed she'd be eligible.

"These are the stories that aren't being told — stories of a health care system that works better for the insurance industry than it does for the American people," he said in his weekly address.

He is railing against interest groups and lobbyists again. Obama claims these forces are engaging in the politics of fear because a business-as-usual system benefits them and disadvantages the everyday American.

• Web: Congressional Budget Office On Health Care Costs
• Web: GOP Criticism Of Obama's 'Grand Experiment'
• Web: GOP Organizational Chart Of House Democrat Health Plan

"The history is clear — every time we come close to passing health insurance reform, the special interests with a stake in the status quo use their influence and political allies to scare and mislead the American people," Obama said.


Transcript Of President Obama's Weekly Address (Sat., Aug. 15, 2009)

This week, I've been traveling across our country to discuss health insurance reform and to hear directly from folks like you – your questions, your concerns, and your stories.

Now, I know there's been a lot of attention paid to some of the town hall meetings that are going on around the country, especially those where tempers have flared. You know how TV loves a ruckus.

But what you haven't seen – because it's not as exciting – are the many constructive meetings going on all over the country where Americans are airing their hopes and concerns about this very important issue.

I've been holding some of my own, and the stories I've heard have really underscored why I believe so strongly that health insurance reform is a challenge we can't ignore.

They're stories like Lori Hitchcock's, who I met in New Hampshire this week. Lori's got a pre-existing condition, so no insurance company will cover her. She's self-employed, and in this economy, she can't find a job that offers health care, so she's been uninsured for two years.

Or they're stories like Katie Gibson's, who I met in Montana. When Katie tried to change insurance companies, she was sure to list her pre-existing conditions on the application and even called her new company to confirm she'd be covered. Two months later, she was dropped – after she'd already gone off her other insurance.

These are the stories that aren't being told – stories of a health care system that works better for the insurance industry than it does for the American people. And that's why we're going to pass health insurance reform that finally holds the insurance companies accountable.

But now's the hard part. Because the history is clear – every time we come close to passing health insurance reform, the special interests with a stake in the status quo use their influence and political allies to scare and mislead the American people.

As an example, let's look at one of the scarier-sounding and more ridiculous rumors out there – that so-called "death panels" would decide whether senior citizens get to live or die. That rumor began with the distortion of one idea in a Congressional bill that would allow Medicare to cover voluntary visits with your doctor to discuss your end-of-life care – if and only if you decide to have those visits. It had nothing to do with putting government in control of your decisions; in fact, it would give you all the information you need – if you want it – to put you in control of your decisions. When a conservative Republican Senator who has long-fought for even more far-reaching proposals found out how folks were twisting the idea, he called their misrepresentation, and I quote, "nuts."

So when folks with a stake in the status quo keep inventing these boogeymen in an effort to scare people, it's disappointing, but it's not surprising. We've seen it before. When President Roosevelt was working to create Social Security, opponents warned it would open the door to "federal snooping" and force Americans to wear dog tags. When President Kennedy and President Johnson were working to create Medicare, opponents warned of "socialized medicine." Sound familiar? Not only were those fears never realized, but more importantly, those programs have saved the lives of tens of millions of seniors, the disabled, and the disadvantaged.

Those who would stand in the way of reform will say almost anything to scare you about the cost of action. But they won't say much about the cost of inaction. If you're worried about rationed care, higher costs, denied coverage, or bureaucrats getting between you and your doctor, then you should know that's what's happening right now. In the past three years, over 12 million Americans were discriminated against by insurance companies due to a preexisting condition, or saw their coverage denied or dropped just when they got sick and needed it most. Americans whose jobs and health care are secure today just don't know if they'll be next to join the 14,000 who lose their health insurance every single day. And if we don't act, average family premiums will keep rising to more than $22,000 within a decade.

On the other hand, here's what reform will mean for you.

First, no matter what you've heard, if you like your doctor or health care plan, you can keep it. If you don't have insurance, you'll finally be able to afford insurance. And everyone will have the security and stability that's missing today.

Insurance companies will be prohibited from denying you coverage because of your medical history, dropping your coverage if you get sick, or watering down your coverage when it counts – because there's no point in having health insurance if it's not there when you need it.

Insurance companies will no longer be able to place some arbitrary cap on the amount of coverage you can receive in a given year or lifetime, and we will place a limit on how much you can be charged for out-of-pocket expenses – because no one in America should go broke just because they get sick.

Finally, we'll require insurance companies to cover routine checkups and preventive care, like mammograms and colonoscopies – because there's no reason we shouldn't be saving lives and dollars by catching diseases like breast cancer and prostate cancer on the front end.

That's what reform means. For all the chatter and the noise out there, what every American needs to know is this: If you don't have health insurance, you will finally have quality, affordable options once we pass reform. If you do have health insurance, we will make sure that no insurance company or government bureaucrat gets between you and the care that you need. And we will deliver this in a fiscally responsible way.

I know there's plenty of real concern and skepticism out there. I know that in a time of economic upheaval, the idea of change can be unsettling, and I know that there are folks who believe that government should have no role at all in solving our problems. These are legitimate differences worthy of the real discussion that America deserves – one where we lower our voices, listen to one another, and talk about differences that really exist. Because while there may be disagreements over how to go about it, there is widespread agreement on the urgent need to reform a broken system and finally hold insurance companies accountable.

Nearly fifty years ago, in the midst of the noisy early battles to create what would become Medicare, President Kennedy said, "I refuse to see us live on the accomplishments of another generation. I refuse to see this country, and all of us, shrink from these struggles which are our responsibility in our time." Now it falls to us to meet the challenges of our time. And if we can come together, and listen to one another; I believe, as I always have, that we will rise to this moment, we will build something better for our children, and we will secure America's future in this new century.

(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)