RIP Senator Ted Kennedy

President Obama:
" Kennedy The Greatest
Senator Of Our Time "

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_________________________________________________________________ August 26, 2009

Statement from President Obama:

Michelle and I were heartbroken to learn this morning of the death of our dear friend, Senator Ted Kennedy.

For five decades, virtually every major piece of legislation to advance the civil rights, health and economic well being of the American people bore his name and resulted from his efforts.

I valued his wise counsel in the Senate, where, regardless of the swirl of events, he always had time for a new colleague. I cherished his confidence and momentous support in my race for the Presidency. And even as he waged a valiant struggle with a mortal illness, I've profited as President from his encouragement and wisdom.

An important chapter in our history has come to an end. Our country has lost a great leader, who picked up the torch of his fallen brothers and became the greatest United States Senator of our time.

And the Kennedy family has lost their patriarch, a tower of strength and support through good times and bad.

Our hearts and prayers go out to them today--to his wonderful wife, Vicki, his children Ted Jr., Patrick and Kara, his grandchildren and his extended family.

##

WATCH VIDEO:

Senator Kennedy's Historic
Endorsement Of
Barack Obama

Senator Kennedy
Will TRULY Be Missed

B4B

Sen. Jeff Bingaman (NewMexico)

First 'Gang of Six' Member Backs Reconciliation

For Health Reform

Ryan Grimm (HuffPo)

A Democratic member of the "Gang of Six" senators charged with finding a bipartisan solution to health care reform said at a town hall Monday that he would support using the budget reconciliation process to push a bill through the Senate if necessary.

Reconciliation is a parliamentary procedure that would allow Democrats to pass health care reform with 51 votes, meaning the party could do it without any Republican support.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico has been one of three Democrats participating in the widely-watched Finance Committee negotiations. His willingness to consider reconciliation is another sign that a a genuine bipartisan deal may be impossible.

"We made a provision in the budget resolution [earlier this year] that it could be used to try to enact health care provisions related to health care reform," Bingaman said. "There are restrictions to what you can include in that...but I would support it if that's the only way."

Non-budget-related items typically can't be passed using reconciliation, but Democrats are eying ways that would allow them to include those provisions, as well. Reconciliation would be a difficult legislative path to walk, but it raises pressure on Republicans who are considering supporting the Democratic effort. If Democrats go it alone, those Republicans, such as Maine's Olympia Snowe or Susan Collins, would be left out of the process.

Bingaman's support of reconciliation was first reported by the New Mexico Independent and can be seen at the one hour mark here. (HuffPo)

Just Say NO to Bi-Partisanship

THEY Say NO All The Time...and Always Will !

B4B

President Obama Guarantees Health Reform Bill

" A Public Option is the best... "

Sam Stein

President Barack Obama guaranteed on Thursday that health care reform will be achieved, and he stuck by the public option as his preferred choice for revamping the insurance market.

In an interview with Philadelphia-based radio talk show host and MSNBC analyst Michael Smerconish, Obama continued to talk about his desire to bring Republican lawmakers on board. He also chastised, ever so slightly, the press and progressives for getting "a little excited" in their suspicions that he was abandoning the public plan. "Our position hasn't changed," he said.

Obama's most powerful moment, however, may have come when he addressed a caller who had supported his 2008 campaign but was concerned that the president's knees were "buckling" when it came to getting health care reform passed.

"I guarantee you," he told the caller, "we are going to get health care reform done. And I know that there are a lot of people out there who have been hand wringing and folks in the press are following every little twist and turn of the legislative process. You know, passing a big bill like this is always messy. FDR was called a socialist when he passed Social Security. JFK and Lyndon Johnson, they were both accused of a government takeover of health care, when they passed Medicare. This is the process we go through because understandably, the American people have a long tradition of being suspicious of government, until the government actually does something that helps them, and then they don't want anybody messing with whatever gets set up. And I'm confident we're going to get it done."

Obama and his Democratic allies are making a renewed push to bolster public opinion behind his health care agenda. On Wednesday, Obama hosted a call with religious leaders who backed his proposal. Later on Thursday, he is hosting an open strategy session with his campaign arm - Organizing for America - to discuss the political landscape surrounding the health care debate.

Through it all, he has stuck to a familiar script: health care reform needs to expand coverage, lower costs, and increase competition. A public option, Obama said on Thursday, is the best vehicle for achieving these goals. But no one should be "obligated to go into a public plan."

On Thursday, Obama showed a certain amount of frustration with the GOP, but he did little to indicate he was willing to give up on recruiting bipartisan support.

"As far as negotiations with Republicans, my attitude has always been, let's see if we can get this done with some consensus," he said. "I would love to have more Republicans engaged and involved in this process. I think, early on, a decision was made, by the Republican leadership that said, look, 'let's not give them a victory. Maybe we can have a replay of 1993, '94 when Clinton came in, he failed on health care and then we won in the midterm elections and we got the majority. And I think there are some folks who are taking a page out of that playbook."

"But this shouldn't be a political issue," he added. "This is an issue for the American people. There are a bunch of Republicans out there who have been working very constructively. One of them, [Sen.] Olympia Snowe in Maine, she's been dedicated on this. [Sens.] Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) are others. They've been meeting in the Senate Finance Committee. I want to give them a chance to work through these processes and we're happy to make sensible compromises. What we're not willing to do is give up on the core principle."(HuffPo)

President Barack Obama speaks during a radio interview with Michael Smerconish in the Diplomatic Room at the White House in Washington Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

We're heading in a positive direction.

Be ready to fight the lies...

Together, We WILL Make The Difference !
( We've done it before )

B4B

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH !
Time To Bombard Blue Dog Dem Senators
Here's the contact info for all 13

By: ZulchZulu

Thanks to OpenSecrets and OnTheIssues web sites, here is a list of the Bluedog Democrats who are consistently trying to be Republicans in terms of voting against Obama on many issues. These so-called Democrats are on record as being opposed to the Public Option in the current healthcare reform legislation.

Write them. Call them. Look up where they get their money. Check their record on the issues. And mostly, let's try to replace them if possible in upcoming elections.

CLICK HERE To Contact All 13 Blue Dogs

PLEASE SHARE !!!

B4B

President Obama To Hold Health Care
Phone Call With Supporters

Thursday August 20th 2:30 p.m. est

President Obama is holding a live strategy meeting on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time for all Organizing for America supporters. I hope you can join us, online or by phone.

The President will update us on the fight to pass real health insurance reform -- what's happening in D.C. and what's happening around the country. He'll lay out our strategy and message going forward and answer questions from supporters like you. And we'll unveil the next actions we'll organize together.

This is a critical time in this President's administration, and in the history of our country. I hope you can join us.

Here are the details:

What: Organizing for America National Health Care Forum

When: Thursday, August 20th, 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time

RSVP and submit a question for the President.

To Be Part of the Phone Call...MORE DETAILS: Click Here

B4B

Thousands of Americans with no health coverage attend
free health clinics for much needed medical care

Remember
The 47 Million Americans
With NO Health Care At All...
Like A Third World Country

By Greg Jones
National Director
Blacks4Barack

As the debate over heath care reform continues to rachet up, I can't help but sense an omission of what the primary goal of health care reform was meant to be. We're hearing the heated back and forth regarding whether there will be a single-payer plan or a competitive Public Option Plan or even some sort of a so-called Co-Op plan. We're hearing about pre-existing conditions being covered in the new bill as well as possible lower prices for prescriptions.

We're hearing about how insurance companies will no longer be able to place an arbitrary cap on the amount of coverage you can receive in a given year or a lifetime. Also how a limit will be placed on how much you can be charged for out-of-pocket expenses because no one in America should be broke when they get sick. We're hearing how insurance companies will be required to cover routine checkups and preventive care, like mammograms and colonoscopies, because that saves money and that saves lives.

That's all well and very good. But the one thing we are NOT hearing...is the primary reason for health care reform. That is, how the 47 million Americans who currently have NO health coverage at all will finally get the much needed coverage. THAT is the main question....but there has been an eerie silence on that vitally important subject.

There are many questions on this issue but very few answers. EXACTLY how will the 47 million be able to receive the basic necessity of life...the ability to go to the doctor when one is sick. For those millions of you who have coverage, you have absolutely NO CLUE what life is like without that simple ability. That simple right. How absolutely frightening a simple cough or headache can be, hoping that it doesn't turn into something that needs professional medical care. Or when you get a severe toothache, but you can't go to the dentist so you fight through the agonizing pain, resorting to asking friends if they have any penicillin pills that you can take....forced to serve as your own doctor.

Or yet, a worse but not uncommon scenario. The wife who is forced to watch her husband suffer daily while his body is eaten alive by cancer, but there is nowhere they can go for medical help because they have no health care coverage at all, so he just slowly dies away as his family helplessly watches . Some claim the uninsured can simply go to emergency for care but this family finds out the hard way that you can not go to emergency for health care needed to be cured of cancer.

Remote Area Medical, aka RAM, an aid outfit that got its start helping villagers in the Amazon Rainforest, ran a free, eight-day-long clinic in Los Angeles for people in need. Hundreds of people started lining up Monday for a chance to get their teeth fixed, eyes checked and various other maladies cared for at the clinic, which opened Tuesday.

NPR's Howard Berkes reported last month on the group's tenth annual clinic in Wise, Va., where 2,700 people were treated over three days. Keep in mind, this is an organization (RAM) which got it's start helping villagers in the Amazon...and now they're here, right here in America giving much needed health care to neglected Americans as if THIS were a third world country !

And no. These people are not whom society would label the derelicts of society. These are not the so-called 'bums' or drunks or druggies. These are everyday, average, decent Americans, mothers and fathers, most of whom do in fact have jobs and work hard for a living everyday. These are people that work at your neighborhood cleaners, your pizza shops, your handyman, your cleaning women, window washers, the car wash, grocery store, cashiers at America's largest box store and the list goes on. These are good, average, hard working tax-paying Americans. And it is absolutely pathetic that our great country would be so selfish-minded and lackadaisical that we would except as normalcy the fact that 1 out of every 6 Americans are being treated like this is a third world country. It is hard to fathom the reality that Mexico, Cuba and even North Korea treat their citizens far more caringly than America when it comes to health care coverage for all.

We hear lofty catch phrases like " health care will be affordable for all " ! In fact, President Obama wrote in a recent op-ed piece " if you don’t have health insurance, you will finally have quality, affordable options once we pass reform ". What does that mean exactly ? The 47 million hard working people without coverage are struggling through life without the simple basic right to see a doctor when ill because of the fact that they simply can not afford it ! If they could...they'd have it already ! Although they work hard everyday, millions of the uncovered are barely able to make ends meet now while living paycheck to paycheck.

So to say with such simplicity that any plan will be affordable is simply not automatically true. Combine all of this with the fact that legislators are now leaning toward a mandate that could basically make it a law that everyone must purchase their own health coverage or be penalized, thus potentially resulting in not only 47 million people still uncovered due to unaffordability, but now this very group, already struggling in so many ways, would fall into the classification of 'lawbreakers' ! And if there is a mandate will there be some kind of government subsidies or financial aid to truly make the coverage 'affordable' ?

It is now time to re-focus. Remember, the initial mission of health care reform was always to supply the much needed health care to the 47 million uncovered while simultaneously resolving this American embarrassment. The 47 million, plus (the numbers are actually growing with continuous job losses) who are suffering with no health coverage at all, now represent our government's new Katrina. Will our government turn their backs...as they did with Katrina victims....or will they actually correct this third-world-like American disgrace ? That is THE question ! It is up to We The People to force the right answers. And remember...Yes WE Can !


Greg Jones
Blacks4Barack

B4B

WATCH VIDEO: This Is Great !

Lil' Damon Weaver Gets His Interview with

President Obama

For months now, the little cub reporter was on a personal mission to get a one-on-one interview with The President. Today, Damon Weaver from the KEC TV News Team out of Kathryn E. Cunningham/Canal Point Elementary not only got his dream fulfilled but also broke some big news about President Obama’s plan to address students across the country on September 8th.

The eleven-year-old Pahokee, Florida native asked some great questions concerning low-income communities, basketball, school lunches – and even bullies.

Weaver must have been satisfied with the long-awaited interview: When it was over, he said, "President Obama is now my homeboy too."

Watch Damon's report:

Yes YOU Can !

CLICK HERE if video did not appear through email server

B4B

FLASHBACK:

A Look At The
Clinton Health Care Plan of 1993

From WIKI:

The Clinton health care plan was a 1993 healthcare reform package proposed by the administration of President Bill Clinton and closely associated with the chair of the task force devising the plan, First Lady of the United States Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Bill Clinton had campaigned heavily on health care in the 1992 U.S. presidential election. The task force was created in January 1993, but its own processes were somewhat controversial and drew litigation. Its goal was to come up with a comprehensive plan to provide universal health care for all Americans, which was to be a cornerstone of the administration's first-term agenda. A major health care speech was delivered by President Clinton to the U.S. Congress in September 1993. The core element of the proposed plan was an enforced mandate for employers to provide health insurance coverage to all of their employees through competitive but closely-regulated health maintenance organizations. Opposition to the plan was heavy from conservatives, libertarians, and the health insurance industry. The industry produced a much-talked-about television ad, "Harry and Louise", in an effort to rally public support against the plan. Democrats, instead of uniting behind the President's original proposal, offered a number of competing plans of their own. By September 1994, the final compromise Democratic bill was declared dead by Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell. Opponents of the plan continued to deride it in future years as "HillaryCare". (READ MORE)

B4B

A Quick Summary of What IS
In The Health Care Reform Bills

By: Angie Drobnik Holan
Politifact.com

With President Obama and the Democrats largely on the defensive, a lot of the debate has focused on what the bills are not. Here, we'll explain what's actually in the bills, and where the genuine disagreements lie.

What's in the bills

Democratic efforts to reform health care have two goals: Expand coverage and reduce costs. An estimated 46 million people in the United States don't have insurance. Meanwhile, health spending has grown much faster than inflation. If something isn't done, the health care programs we now have for the elderly and the poor — Medicare and Medicaid, respectively — could end up bankrupting the country in another 50 years or so.

The broad outlines for health care reform are similar in the Democratic legislation considered thus far:

• Leave employer-provided insurance in place. Close to three-quarters of the country gets health care through work, and studies show many people like their coverage. A House version of the bill seeks to broaden that coverage by imposing new taxes on large employers who don't offer health insurance.

• Health insurance exchange. To help people who have to go out and buy insurance on their own, the plan creates an exchange, a virtual marketplace where individuals and small businesses can comparison-shop. The government would regulate the exchange so that insurance companies can't discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions, or charge wildly different amounts for similar coverage. (They will be able to set rates based on age, however.)

• The public option. One of the options on the exchange will be a public option, run by the government, that offers basic coverage. President Barack Obama has said the public option will keep private insurers honest by competing with them so they can't charge unfair rates for the basics. Many experts believe that the public option will be the least expensive option on the exchange.

• More for the poor. The plan expands eligibility for programs like Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Some people of modest means will receive "affordability credits" to buy plans on the health insurance exchange.

• An individual mandate . This requires people to buy insurance, unless they qualify for a hardship exemption. The expectation is that everyone will be covered, either through their employer or through the exchange. People who don't buy insurance will have to pay a penalty on their taxes.

• Electronic records. To reduce inefficiency and duplication of services, the government will invest in electronic health records, so doctors can see which tests and procedures patients have already had.

• Research on better treatments. A comparative effectiveness research center will conduct and publish scientific research to find which treatments are the most effective. The government hopes easy-to-access information for doctors, patients and insurance companies will reduce procedures and treatments that don't really work, wringing waste from the system.

• Medicare. The bill makes many changes to how Medicare pays doctors and other health-care providers. Taken as a whole, the new rules aim to pay doctors for good patient outcomes instead of paying them per procedure, also called "fee-for-service."

What's controversial

Critics have centered on a number of key issues.

• The public option: Conservatives dislike it for a couple of reasons. They argue that employers, motivated by cost, will drop their coverage and send their employees to the public option. Some believe it's a stalking horse for an eventual single-payer system; others believe it's simply unfair competition for private providers. Congress is negotiating now to put safeguards in place so the public option competes on even footing with private insurers. Those include requiring the public option to finance itself through customer premiums (i.e., no taxpayer subsidies) and to make it negotiate like any other insurance company on what it pays doctors and health-care providers. Meanwhile, proponents of the public option say it is crucial for reining in profiteering from the insurance companies.

• Cost: The plan doesn't come cheap. Covering millions of people who are now uninsured will cost billions more per year. As a way to raise revenues, President Barack Obama has proposed reducing the deductions that the wealthy are allowed to take on their taxes. The House of Representatives rejected that, deciding instead on a new tax surcharge for the wealthiest households. We're still waiting to see what kind of tax measure the Senate will consider.

• "Rationing." Critics say the program will lead to health-care rationing. They attribute that to various elements of the plans, such as the government's new role running a public option and an approach known as comparative effectiveness research that seeks to find the most efficient treatments. The bills being considered now don't allow for the comparative research to be binding on health-care plans or dictate treatment. Still, it seems reasonable to assume that health insurers will begin to act on the government information, refusing to fund treatments considered experimental or ineffective. Supporters say health care is rationed already, by insurance companies. Your comfort level on this probably depends on whom you trust most: the government or insurance companies.

What we still don't know

Obama hoped to have bills passed by the House and Senate before the August recess. That didn't happen, but the House did produce a complete draft bill, and one Senate committee — the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, or HELP — also produced a bill. But a key committee, the Senate Finance panel, left for the recess without concluding its negotiations. This committee is widely considered to be pivotal, and we don't yet know where it will weigh in on a number of issues. Among the questions yet to be answered:

• Will a public option make it into the final bill, and how will it be structured? The Finance committee is also considering, in place of the public option, a co-operative model. A co-op would not be government-run, but it's not clear if it would have enough bargaining power to offer genuine competition to private insurers, which is important to lowering costs.

• What kind of new taxes will be used to pay for health care? The Senate seems unlikely to go along with the House idea to put a surcharge on the wealthy. The Finance Committee has considered all sorts of ideas, including taxes on soda pop or capping the tax-exempt status of employer-provided insurance. What they will finally decide on is one of the great unknowns.

• Will the promised cost savings actually materialize? The independent Congressional Budget Office has examined the health care plan and concluded that it will cost about $1 trillion over 10 years and, as currently envisioned, cause a shortfall of $239 billion. But the Obama administration believes that CBO may be undervaluing cost-saving measures in the plan. The CBO says it likes to err on the side of caution. The truth is that it's very difficult to put dollar figures on many of these things, because of the size of the health care industry and the inherent unpredictability of major policy changes over many years. It's good to keep in mind that when it comes to health care reform, no one has a crystal ball.

B4B Note: It will soon be time to disregard bi-partisanship on health insurance reform. President Obama feels bi-partisanship will make Republicans more receptive to future proposals/bills. But it's time to face the fact that the Republicans are going to say NO to everything President Obama wants as they have been the 'Party of NO' since day one and will continue to be. Let's get a strong Public Option passed for...

We The People.

Thank You to our friends at Politifact

B4B

Announcing New B4B Feature:
Obama WARRIOR OF THE MONTH !

Announcing the new B4B 'Obama Warrior of the Month' ! President Obama let us know from the beginning that he can not make necessary change by himself. He needs the help of We The People.There are a great number of everyday Americans who are working diligently, giving freely of their time and efforts for The Recovery of America. They don't do it for pay or recognition. They do what they do for their love of our country. Each month B4B will salute one individual who is working hard behind-the-scene for President Obama...

working hard for America !

To nominate someone or even yourself send name,
what actions you are doing, brief bio, photo, contact info to:
Blacks4Barack@yahoo.com

Together, We WILL Make The Difference !

Photo Mosaic above by Kevin Hoffman entitled:
Out Of Many, We Are One

B4B

WATCH VIDEO:

President Obama Weekly Address
" Necessary Reform...Absurd Attacks "

President Barack Obama calls health insurance reform critical to our nations long-term economic strength and dispels the outlandish rumors being promoted by those who are defending the status-quo.

Fight The LIES...With TRUTH !

President Obama is calling all bloggers to report health reform misinformation/lies directly to The WHITE HOUSE....Email to:

Flag@WhiteHouse.gov

CLICK HERE if video does not appear through email server

B4B

CONGRATULATIONS !

Supreme Court Justice
Sonia Sotomayor !

From living in the Projects in the Bronx to the highest legal profession in The Land ! America's First Hispanic Supreme Court Justice !

...and the 'Firsts' just keep rolling in !

B4B

ACTION TIME !
President Obama: Calling All Bloggers
To Fight Against Health Reform LIES

Facts Are Stubborn Things

From THE WHITE HOUSE
Posted by Macon Phillips

Opponents of health insurance reform may find the truth a little inconvenient, but as our second president famously said, "facts are stubborn things."

Scary chain emails and videos are starting to percolate on the internet, breathlessly claiming, for example, to "uncover" the truth about the President’s health insurance reform positions.

In this video, Linda Douglass, the communications director for the White House’s Health Reform Office, addresses one example that makes it look like the President intends to "eliminate" private coverage, when the reality couldn’t be further from the truth.

WATCH WHITE HOUSE VIDEO:

For the record, the President has consistently said that if you like your insurance plan, your doctor, or both, you will be able to keep them. He has even proposed eight consumer protections relating specifically to the health insurance industry.

There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.

Fight The Lies...

WITH TRUTH !

CLICK HERE If video does not appear through server

B4B

Happy 48th Birthday
Mr. President !

You literally took on a mess...
Thank You !

VIDEO EXTRA:

Showing what kind of man our President is watch as he unexpected wishes White House Senior Press Reporter Helen Thomas Happy Birthday too (they share birthdays)...with cupcakes !
(Shame how George W. disrespected this American icon during his regime.
Helen Thomas has covered every President since John F. Kennedy)


CLICK HERE if video does not appear through server

B4B

WATCH VIDEO:
Your Letters To The President

Thousands of people write to The President each day. But what actually happens to your letters ? Does The President actually read them ? Here's an in-depth video that shows exactly how all letters are handled by the White House. We, at B4B were asked the other day by a FaceBook friend if President Obama ever personally responds...well...here's your answer. p.s. Hope you didn't throw that letter away !

It's A New Day !

Send Your Letters To:

President Barack Obama or
1st Lady Michelle Obama
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500

CLICK HERE if video did not appear through server

B4B

MUST WATCH VIDEO:

Health Industry Whistleblower Exposes Truth
Behind Anti Health Care Reform

Looking back over his long career, Potter sees an industry corrupted by Wall Street expectations and greed. According to Potter, insurers have every incentive to deny coverage — every dollar they don't pay out to a claim is a dollar they can add to their profits, and Wall Street investors demand they pay out less every year. Under these conditions, Potter says, "You don't think about individual people. You think about the numbers, and whether or not you're going to meet Wall Street's expectations."

Potter exposes the tactics and the reasons Insurance/Drug companies and the GOP/Blue Dogs will fight to the death AGAINST Health Care Reform.

ACTION TIME !
EVERYONE SHOULD SEE THIS !
Send This Everywhere !

CLICK HERE TO WATCH

B4B

Senators Baucus and Grassley

Sad Day For Health Care Reform

Senate Committee

Dropping Public Option !

Huffington Post

WASHINGTON — After weeks of secretive talks, a bipartisan group in the Senate edged closer Monday to a health care compromise that omits two key Democratic priorities but incorporates provisions to slow the explosive rise in medical costs, officials said.

These officials said participants were on track to exclude a requirement many congressional Democrats seek for large businesses to offer coverage to their workers. Nor would there be a provision for a government insurance option, despite President Barack Obama's support for such a plan.

The three Democrats and three Republicans from the Senate Finance Committee were considering a tax of as much as 35 percent on very high-cost insurance policies, part of an attempt to rein in rapid escalation of costs. Also likely to be included in any deal was creation of a commission charged with slowing the growth of Medicare through recommendations that would take effect automatically unless overturned by Congress.

"We're going to get agreement here," Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., the Finance Committee chairman, said Monday. "The group of six really wants to get to 'yes.'"

Obama has outlined two broad goals for legislation he is struggling to win from Congress: expansion of health insurance coverage to millions who lack it, and reining in increases in costs.

Like bills drafted by Democrats, the proposal under discussion by the six Finance Committee members would bar insurance companies from denying coverage to any applicant. Nor could insurers charge higher premiums on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions.

But it jettisons other core Democratic provisions in a reach for bipartisanship on an issue that has so far produced little.

The effort received a boost during the day from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, normally a close ally of Republicans. In a letter to committee leaders, the business group called for the panel to "act promptly, preferably before" the Senate's scheduled vacation at the end of next week. In doing so, the business organization dealt a blow to the Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and other GOP lawmakers who have called repeatedly for Democrats to slow down.

Read Rest of Article

Meanwhile, you'll start hearing new rants about a so-called "Co-Op" Plan (baby Public Options in each state) instead of a true, strong national Public Option Plan. Here, Howard Dean quickly explains why this is just another health industry con.

WATCH VIDEO #1:

VIDEO #2 : Rep. Maxine Waters breaks down the truth about Blue Dog Democrats and Public Option

This is turning out to be ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC ! It is unbelievable that so many politicians on both sides of the aisle are so in the back pockets of the lobbyists/corporations that they would all turn their backs on the needs of our country...even going against our President's wishes. This is a sad day in America. President Obama warned us. He said he could not do it alone. It is time for We The People to rally together TO SCREAM OUT IN RECORD NUMBERS AGAINST BOTH the Dems and Repubs who are against us.

This is OUR country and they are supposed to represent US !

CLICK HERE if videos did not appear through server

B4B

B4B
Person Of The Week
Ms. Valerie Jarrett
President Obama Senior Advisor

Look for Ms. Valerie Jarrett on the cover of this week's New York Times in an article entitled "The Ultimate Obama Insider". Had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Jarrett this week...absolutely great person.

B4B

Video:
President Obama's Weekly Address

July 25, 2009: The President discusses a key factor that has been considered in the development of the health insurance reform proposals that are being considered: the impact of reform on small business.

President Obama wants to hear from you. Go to WhiteHouse.gov to read a new Council of Economic Advisers report and give your feedback.

CLICK HERE if video does not appear through server
B4B

A Letter From The President
Regarding Health Care Reform

Dear Friend,

As you read this, we are closer than ever to passing comprehensive health insurance reform that benefits American families and small businesses. Despite all the back and forth in the news right now, it is important to understand just how far we've come in this challenging process.

That's why I'm holding a press conference tonight at 8pm ET, and writing to let everyone know where we are, what's ahead, and why health insurance reform is so important.

Let me be clear: although Congress is still debating parts of the legislation we have achieved critical consensus on several key areas:

If you already have health insurance: reform will provide you with more security and stability. It will limit your own out of pocket costs and prevent your insurance company from dropping your coverage if you get too sick. You'll also have affordable insurance options if you lose or change your job. And it will cover preventive care like check-ups and mammograms that save lives and money.

If you don't have health insurance: you will finally have guaranteed access to quality, affordable health care, and you can choose the plan that best suits your family's needs. And no insurance company will be allowed to deny you coverage because of a pre-existing medical condition.

Now, I realize that the last few miles of any race are the hardest to run, but we can't stop now. There's no dispute about it: we cannot control our long-term fiscal health as a nation without health insurance reform. American families and small businesses understand that the health insurance status quo is taking away those things that they value most about health care. The stability and security that comes with knowing that you can get the treatment you need, when you need it. Without reform, we are consigning our children to a future of skyrocketing premiums and crushing deficits.

We have to seize this opportunity and pass health insurance reform this year. You can help by forwarding this email to your family and friends and letting them know what's at stake in this debate.

Thank you,
Barack Obama

P.S. Tune in to tonight's press conference on health insurance reform at 8pm ET on WhiteHouse.gov.

VIDEO: Rachel Maddow Demolishes
Pat Buchanan's Racial Ignorance

Explains America was built by slaves...not JUST Whites;
that Blacks DID die in the civil war and more.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

CLICK B4B if video does not appear through server

B4B

WATCH:
2 Videos Reveal GOP Scare Tactics AGAINST
Health Care Reform

Video 1: Senator Merkley (Ore) Exposes GOP 'Strategist' (Con-Artist)
Frank Lunz's Talking Points AGAINST Health Care Reform

Video 2: Shows Key Strategy GOP will use AGAINST Health Care Reform...FEARMONGERING !
See how many times you hear these phrases this week from the so-called 'liberal media'.

The Time Is NOW !

CLICK B4B if videos do not appear through server

President Obama:
No More Mr. Nice Guy

Launches Health Care Ad Campaign
Targeting 11 'Centrist' Democrats

(From Huffington Post)

Ignoring criticism - namely from Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid - that intra-party targeting was ineffective, Barack Obama's campaign arm is expanding its health care ad buy into the districts of key conservative House Democrats.

Late Friday night Organizing for America and the Democratic National Committee announced the expansion of the "It's Time" ad purchase, which uses personal stories of health care struggles to drive home the need for reform. The initial purchase was on national cable and in eight states with critical Democratic and moderate Republican Senators.

Now the scope of the campaign is expanding. The ad will appear in the media markets that overlap with the congressional districts of 15 members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Eleven of those districts belong to Democrats, including Rep. Zack Space (Ohio), Rep. John Barrow (Georgia), Rep. Jay Inslee (Washington), Rep. Mike Ross (Arkansas), Rep. Bart Gordon (Tennessee), Rep. Baron Hill (Indiana), Rep. Charlie Melancon (Louisiana), Rep. Mike Doyle (Pennsylvania), Rep. Jim Matheson (Utah), Rep. Bart Stupak (Michigan), Rep. Jerry McNerney (California).

The four Republican districts belong to Rep. Fred Upton (Michigan), Rep. Mary Bono Mack (California), and Rep. Greg Walden (Oregon), Rep. Sue Myrick (North Carolina)

For reform advocates, the Energy and Commerce Committee remains the toughest venue of the three committees handling health care in the House of Representatives, in large part because of the Blue Dog and moderate Democrats that make up its ranks. In making this purchase, Organizing for America either is worried about the committee's progress or -- much more likely -- sending a message that it has no problem applying pressure on fellow party members.

VIDEO: WATCH AD

No representative is named in the ad. But every one of the aforementioned members will know that the spots are airing in their districts. The markets where the ad will run, according to the OFA/DNC press release, are: Savannah, Palm Springs, Seattle, Nashville, Bloomington, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, Little Rock, Columbus, Marquette, Grand Rapids and Medford.

CLICK B4B if video does not appear through server

Special Thanks HuffPo

Complete Video:
President Obama's Powerful
NAACP Speech


"We've got to say to our children, Yes, if you're African American, the odds of growing up amid crime and gangs are higher. Yes, if you live in a poor neighborhood, you will face challenges that someone in a wealthy suburb does not have to face. That's not a reason to get bad grades, that's not a reason to cut class, that's not a reason to give up on your education and drop out of school," he said. "No one has written your destiny for you. Your destiny is in your hands - and don't you forget that."

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

CLICK HERE if video does not appear through server

B4B

Video:
President Obama Explains
Health-Care Reform

CLICK HERE if video does not appear through server
B4B

B4B
Person Of The Week

Judge Sonia Sotomayor !

The House Releases It's Health-Care Reform Bill

Ezra Klein Takes A Look

Washington Post

On first glance, it looks good. A few thoughts:

The Process Is the Message: Three separate committees -- Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education and Labor -- have come together on one bill. This is an incredible achievement. If you read histories of the 1994 health-care reform fight, all of them have a substantial section on the committee crack-up: One passed a version of single-payer, another a variant of Bill Clinton's reform, another went further to the right. There was no unity.

There is unity now. And if it holds -- if the House of Representatives manages to pass this plan with a substantial majority of enthusiastic Democrats -- that significantly strengthens the House's hand in its eventual negotiations with the more fractious Senate. That's a big "if." But so too would have been the idea that three separate committees could cooperate on a bill of this size.

The Public Plan: You can download a summary sheet here. The public plan -- which is really three, or maybe four, insurance plans -- pays Medicare rates to hospitals (and Medicare rates plus five percent to physicians -- thanks to Marci Wheeler for the correction) for the first three years and then begins negotiating on its own. It is open to anyone with access to the Health Insurance Exchange.

The Benefit Packages: This is why I say there could be three, even four, public plans. Within the Health Insurance Exchange, the basic plan that everyone needs to offer is, well, the "basic plan." On first glance, it's pretty comprehensive: It has to be equal in value to the prevailing employer-based insurance in the area. Cost-sharing cannot exceed $5,000 for individuals or $10,000 for families in the first year (it can then grow by the rate of inflation each year after that). It is heavily regulated. And then there is an "enhanced" plan above it, with less cost-sharing, and then a "premium" plan above that, with even less cost sharing, and then a "premium-plus" plan above that. Of these, only the "premium-plus" plan can vary in benefits, as opposed to vary in cost-sharing. The public plan can offer all levels of plan.

The Health Insurance Exchange: It's run nationally, though states can opt out of the national structure and go it alone if they choose, and if they follow federal rules. In the first year, it accepts those without health insurance, those who are buying health insurance on their own, and small businesses with fewer than 10 people. In the second year, it accepts small businesses with fewer than 20 people. After that, "larger employers as permitted by the Commissioner." In other words, expansion is discretionary, not mandated. The only people able to access the public plan in the early years will be on the exchange, and the exchange will be, relative to the population, pretty limited. So the public plan will be limited, and so too will any anticipated savings.

Affordability and Subsidies: The House bill has subsidies up to 400 percent of poverty, which is equal to $43,320 for an individual and $88,200 for a family of four. At the bottom end -- 133 percent if income, as below that, you're eligible for Medicaid -- the subsidies limit your health premiums to 1.5 percent of income. At the top end -- 400 percent -- it's no more than 11 percent of income. Speaking of the out-of-pocket cap, all of the benefit packages -- from the "basic" plan on upward -- cap total costs for members. So if you're not eligible for subsidies, you're still going to be protected from catastrophic health-care costs.

(Read Rest of Article)

Photo credit: Susan Walsh -- Associated Press Photo .

B4B