On Wednesday doctors around the country got a stinging surprise when a health care reform bill unveiled by Max Baucus revealed little in way of provision for medical malpractice tort reform or for increased Medicare reimbursements, two things that President Obama has been wooing their strong support with for months. In response the President has now moved to accelerate a proposed $25 million program designed to ease the pain of medical malpractice lawsuits.
From the beginning President Obama has been acutely aware of how much support from doctors would help him in his attempt to finally pass a healthcare reform bill. When President Bill Clinton tried in 1992 the AMA, the most powerful doctor’s association in the country launched a $4.5 advertising campaign against his proposals stating that “national health insurance would lead to a federal takeover of healthcare “Sound familiar?
Until the Baucus bill was revealed Obama had been doing a good job with the doctors’ associations. Indeed the AMA endorsed House legislation that included Obama’s plan to increase physician Medicare reimbursement by $230 billion in the next ten years. Their anger at the Baucus proposal now has the President and his administration rushing to try and woo back that hard won confidence.
The malpractice plan in question is a grant of up to $3 million to every state to test new approaches to medical liability. Officials are to conduct a “review of what works” to both improve patient safety and reduce the need for physicians to practice “defensive medicine” for fear of being hit by a crippling lawsuit.
Trial lawyers and doctors have been at odds for decades over the issue off medical malpractice. They vehemently disagree over both how genuinely affected patients should be compensated for their injuries and over how true it really is that a fear of lawsuits causes doctors to order additional testing that may not really be necessary. This practice of “defensive medicine” is estimated to be in the range of hundreds of billions of dollars. Doctor’s associations’ insist that if the medical malpractice tort system were reined in somehow, perhaps the doctors have always argued by capping the dollar amount that can be awarded in such cases, the practice would decrease significantly.
Obama has in the past sided with the trail lawyers who oppose such caps, and he first made public mention of the review project in his speech to a joint session of Congress last week. "I don't believe malpractice reform is a silver bullet," he said at the time, "but I've talked to enough doctors to know that defensive medicine may be contributing to unnecessary costs."
But will the grants, even if they are speedily administered as Obama suggested they would be on Thursday be seen as too little too late to maintain the doctor’s support? According to Peter Levine, who is the president of the Medical Society of the District of Columbia the President’s plan is “just smoke and mirrors” to deflect attention from the snubs of the Baucus plan.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Obama Appeals for Union Support – Especially for his Health Care Plans.
After a tough few weeks President Barack Obama took his healthcare message to a group of men and women who essentially became his employees a few months ago – workers at a General Motors plant in Lordstown , Ohio – and was buoyed by the fact that amongst the blue collar workers there he seemed to find praise and support, and not only just for his health care reforms.
The president’s visit to the Lordstown plant – which primarily manufactures small cars in the GM fleet – was his first to a General Motors facility since he and his government took defacto control of the company as a part of the auto industry bailout earlier this year.
This is a plant that has been doing very well of late. The Cash for Clunkers plan depleted the GM inventory of smaller vehicles and just a day before the President’s arrival 150 laid off workers had returned to work, with a 1,000 more due to clock back in over the next three weeks, to help meet the demand, including getting ready for the launch of the Chevy Cruze, a compact, high mileage vehicle due to be launched next year.
Amid thunderous applause, the President once again made it clear it had never been his intention to end up running a car company as part of his duties as Commander –in –chief "It wasn't on my to-do list. It wasn't even something on my want-to-do list.” he said. However he continued “for me to just let the auto industry collapse, to vanish, would have done unbelievable damage."
But during his speech at Lordstown and another later in the day at an AFL-CIO union convention in Pittsburgh, the President admitted he did need something from the auto workers now in return for his actions to help save their ailing industry and their jobs ; their support for his agenda, especially his health care reform plans.
Sounding far more like the confident man who rallied crowds behind him during the 2008 elections Barack Obama told the union workers assembled in Pittsburgh "As long as you've got an ounce of fight in you, I've got a ton of fight in me. I’ve said it before: I'm skinny, but I'm tough. So give it for me, guys."
And they do seem willing. According to John Sweeney, who is the outgoing president of the AFL-CIO "We in this room are the wind at his back."
The president’s visit to the Lordstown plant – which primarily manufactures small cars in the GM fleet – was his first to a General Motors facility since he and his government took defacto control of the company as a part of the auto industry bailout earlier this year.
This is a plant that has been doing very well of late. The Cash for Clunkers plan depleted the GM inventory of smaller vehicles and just a day before the President’s arrival 150 laid off workers had returned to work, with a 1,000 more due to clock back in over the next three weeks, to help meet the demand, including getting ready for the launch of the Chevy Cruze, a compact, high mileage vehicle due to be launched next year.
Amid thunderous applause, the President once again made it clear it had never been his intention to end up running a car company as part of his duties as Commander –in –chief "It wasn't on my to-do list. It wasn't even something on my want-to-do list.” he said. However he continued “for me to just let the auto industry collapse, to vanish, would have done unbelievable damage."
But during his speech at Lordstown and another later in the day at an AFL-CIO union convention in Pittsburgh, the President admitted he did need something from the auto workers now in return for his actions to help save their ailing industry and their jobs ; their support for his agenda, especially his health care reform plans.
Sounding far more like the confident man who rallied crowds behind him during the 2008 elections Barack Obama told the union workers assembled in Pittsburgh "As long as you've got an ounce of fight in you, I've got a ton of fight in me. I’ve said it before: I'm skinny, but I'm tough. So give it for me, guys."
And they do seem willing. According to John Sweeney, who is the outgoing president of the AFL-CIO "We in this room are the wind at his back."
Monday, September 14, 2009
Tea Party Protestors Hit the Capitol in Force.
The conservative advocacy group the Tea Party Express wrapped up their nationwide tour by staging a huge protest at the Capitol on Saturday.
Protestors who made the trip carried a number of signs and placards that made no bones about their opinions. Some of the slogans read “I didn’t vote for this Obamanation” and “Fire the Czars”. Others carried depicting the President as an African witch doctor and there was great deal of Nazi imagery on display.
Although the march stretched for blocks and was attended by thousands of people, no violence or civil disobedience was reported. The Tea Party Express tour began back in August in Sacramento, CA and has visited 30 cities.
According to the organizers of the Tea Party Express and other related events their movement is currently focusing on three main objectives Defeat President Barack Obama's health care reform efforts, win back the House and Senate in 2010 for the Republican Party and take the White House in 2012.
The movement has no acknowledged leader and organizers will admit that they are still searching for the right person. Some think that former Governor Sarah Palin would make a good choice but others feel that she carries too much negative baggage.
For now the regular speakers at most rallies, including the one in the Capitol on Saturday, are a charismatic activist called Debbie Johns, whose signature cry of “You can have our country when you pry it from our ... cold ... dead ... fingers!" is the common rallying cry for crowds, and a former radio personality, Mark Williams. They both work for Our Country Deserves Better, a political action committee that under wrote the Tea Party Express tour.
The people who gather at the Tea party rallies are often a colorful and eclectic bunch, whose messages and beliefs sometimes border on the extreme. Nazi imagery is abundant which can be off putting to some of the more conservative marchers and it is not unusual to see members carrying weapons in full view of the crowds in the states where open carry is permitted.
While the protestors were voicing their vehement opposition to health care reform in Washington President Obama was hundreds of miles away in Minneapolis, speaking once more at a town hall meeting on the issue.
He raised a laugh when he made a wry mention of his speech on Wednesday before a joint session of Congress, during which Rep Joe Wilson now infamously proclaimed “You Lie”. "I can already see that this crowd is a lot more fun," he told the audience.
Protestors who made the trip carried a number of signs and placards that made no bones about their opinions. Some of the slogans read “I didn’t vote for this Obamanation” and “Fire the Czars”. Others carried depicting the President as an African witch doctor and there was great deal of Nazi imagery on display.
Although the march stretched for blocks and was attended by thousands of people, no violence or civil disobedience was reported. The Tea Party Express tour began back in August in Sacramento, CA and has visited 30 cities.
According to the organizers of the Tea Party Express and other related events their movement is currently focusing on three main objectives Defeat President Barack Obama's health care reform efforts, win back the House and Senate in 2010 for the Republican Party and take the White House in 2012.
The movement has no acknowledged leader and organizers will admit that they are still searching for the right person. Some think that former Governor Sarah Palin would make a good choice but others feel that she carries too much negative baggage.
For now the regular speakers at most rallies, including the one in the Capitol on Saturday, are a charismatic activist called Debbie Johns, whose signature cry of “You can have our country when you pry it from our ... cold ... dead ... fingers!" is the common rallying cry for crowds, and a former radio personality, Mark Williams. They both work for Our Country Deserves Better, a political action committee that under wrote the Tea Party Express tour.
The people who gather at the Tea party rallies are often a colorful and eclectic bunch, whose messages and beliefs sometimes border on the extreme. Nazi imagery is abundant which can be off putting to some of the more conservative marchers and it is not unusual to see members carrying weapons in full view of the crowds in the states where open carry is permitted.
While the protestors were voicing their vehement opposition to health care reform in Washington President Obama was hundreds of miles away in Minneapolis, speaking once more at a town hall meeting on the issue.
He raised a laugh when he made a wry mention of his speech on Wednesday before a joint session of Congress, during which Rep Joe Wilson now infamously proclaimed “You Lie”. "I can already see that this crowd is a lot more fun," he told the audience.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
South Carolina Rep Shouts “You Lie” as Obama Speaks on Health Care.
President Barack Obama’s advisors had promised that his speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday evening to address the state of his healthcare reform plans would be an impassioned and powerful one and there are few that would say that he did not deliver.
One major point he made was his desire that the opposing sides of the debate could “disagree without being disagreeable.” At least one member of the audience did not seem to agree with that statement though.
Rep. Joe Wilson, who is from South Carolina, interrupted the speech when he shouted “ You Lie!” and punctuated his point with an aggressive looking finger point when President Obama said that his healthcare reforms would not include coverage for illegal aliens. The tantrum caused the President to pause and direct his attention to the heckler, responding “That’s not true” before carrying on with his prepared remarks.
Seated behind the President both Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi looked visibly shocked by the outburst and after the speech was over Senator John McCain, the man defeated in the Presidential election by Obama, called for Rep. Wilson to make an immediate public apology.
Rep Wilson did make a formal statement some time later saying that "While I disagree with the president's statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the president for this lack of civility." It is reported that he also called the White House personally to apologize. The man who took the call, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, accepted the apology on behalf of the President according to senior Obama aides.
Although his was the most noticeable act of displeasure Rep Wilson was not the only one to resort to some less than civil behavior during the President’s 45 minute speech.
Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas wore a sign fastened around his neck for the course of the speech which read “What Bill?” and when President Obama called on Republicans in the audience to share their reform ideas with him a small group of them raised stacks of paper above their heads.
Online reaction to Rep Wilson’s action by the public was swift and mainly derogatory. Within just a few minutes of his being identified as the heckler someone altered his Wikipedia entry to read "He is a [expletive] that called the President of the United States a liar on national television and has no respect for the office he holds." The site’s editors quickly removed the entry only for it to be replaced by another, even harsher one. They then decided to disable the editing feature for the entry for the time being.
On Twitter user after user posted Tweets encouraging the public to contact Rep. Wilson’s office to express their displeasure. However very quickly visitors to the official http://www.joewilson.house.gov/ website found it disabled and the phone lines to his office either rang busy or rang on and on without the usual voicemail message cutting in.
One major point he made was his desire that the opposing sides of the debate could “disagree without being disagreeable.” At least one member of the audience did not seem to agree with that statement though.
Rep. Joe Wilson, who is from South Carolina, interrupted the speech when he shouted “ You Lie!” and punctuated his point with an aggressive looking finger point when President Obama said that his healthcare reforms would not include coverage for illegal aliens. The tantrum caused the President to pause and direct his attention to the heckler, responding “That’s not true” before carrying on with his prepared remarks.
Seated behind the President both Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi looked visibly shocked by the outburst and after the speech was over Senator John McCain, the man defeated in the Presidential election by Obama, called for Rep. Wilson to make an immediate public apology.
Rep Wilson did make a formal statement some time later saying that "While I disagree with the president's statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the president for this lack of civility." It is reported that he also called the White House personally to apologize. The man who took the call, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, accepted the apology on behalf of the President according to senior Obama aides.
Although his was the most noticeable act of displeasure Rep Wilson was not the only one to resort to some less than civil behavior during the President’s 45 minute speech.
Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas wore a sign fastened around his neck for the course of the speech which read “What Bill?” and when President Obama called on Republicans in the audience to share their reform ideas with him a small group of them raised stacks of paper above their heads.
Online reaction to Rep Wilson’s action by the public was swift and mainly derogatory. Within just a few minutes of his being identified as the heckler someone altered his Wikipedia entry to read "He is a [expletive] that called the President of the United States a liar on national television and has no respect for the office he holds." The site’s editors quickly removed the entry only for it to be replaced by another, even harsher one. They then decided to disable the editing feature for the entry for the time being.
On Twitter user after user posted Tweets encouraging the public to contact Rep. Wilson’s office to express their displeasure. However very quickly visitors to the official http://www.joewilson.house.gov/ website found it disabled and the phone lines to his office either rang busy or rang on and on without the usual voicemail message cutting in.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Laura Bush Says Obama is “Doing a Good Job” in Tough Times
In spite of all the problems he has been facing in the last couple of weeks President Barack Obama has gained praise from quite an unusual source – former First Lady Laura Bush. Speaking to CNN from Paris she surprised many republicans by saying that she believes that Obama is doing a good job in some very tough times.
The normally understated Mrs. Bush was most vociferous in her support of the President’s plan to address the nation’s schoolchildren on Tuesday. She did not completely dismiss Conservative concerns but was quick to point out that the original lesson plan that began the controversy, which had suggested that children be asked to write letters about how they could “help the President’ had been changed and that the point of the speech was encourage children to stay in school.
"I think there is a place for the president ... to talk to schoolchildren and encourage them” she said “Parents should follow his example and encourage their own children to stay in school and to study hard and to try to achieve the dream that they have."
As a former educator herself, education is a subject dear to Laura Bush’s heart. She was speaking to CNN whilst in Paris to promote global literacy, an issue she spoke of a great deal while she still resided in the White House herself.
After he gives his speech to the nation’s schoolchildren Obama will return to preparations for yet another crucial speech he is to deliver on Wednesday, this time returning to the debate over health care reform. He will be taking the unusual step of addressing a joint session of Congress and his aides told press that they can expect to see the President take a far more aggressive stance on the issue than he has in recent weeks.
Although he was given a great deal of input from advisors as to the content of his address, which will be televised nationwide in prime time, his aides say that he spent most of his weekend at Camp David writing the actual body of the speech himself.
The one thing that aides in the Obama administration did admit was that it is crucial that Obama “come up big” on Wednesday in order to salvage his reform efforts, but according to one "he's at his best" in difficult situations and they believe that the same fire and passion that got him elected in the first place will be fully in evidence on Wednesday evening.
The normally understated Mrs. Bush was most vociferous in her support of the President’s plan to address the nation’s schoolchildren on Tuesday. She did not completely dismiss Conservative concerns but was quick to point out that the original lesson plan that began the controversy, which had suggested that children be asked to write letters about how they could “help the President’ had been changed and that the point of the speech was encourage children to stay in school.
"I think there is a place for the president ... to talk to schoolchildren and encourage them” she said “Parents should follow his example and encourage their own children to stay in school and to study hard and to try to achieve the dream that they have."
As a former educator herself, education is a subject dear to Laura Bush’s heart. She was speaking to CNN whilst in Paris to promote global literacy, an issue she spoke of a great deal while she still resided in the White House herself.
After he gives his speech to the nation’s schoolchildren Obama will return to preparations for yet another crucial speech he is to deliver on Wednesday, this time returning to the debate over health care reform. He will be taking the unusual step of addressing a joint session of Congress and his aides told press that they can expect to see the President take a far more aggressive stance on the issue than he has in recent weeks.
Although he was given a great deal of input from advisors as to the content of his address, which will be televised nationwide in prime time, his aides say that he spent most of his weekend at Camp David writing the actual body of the speech himself.
The one thing that aides in the Obama administration did admit was that it is crucial that Obama “come up big” on Wednesday in order to salvage his reform efforts, but according to one "he's at his best" in difficult situations and they believe that the same fire and passion that got him elected in the first place will be fully in evidence on Wednesday evening.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Obama Expands Ron Bloom’s Power, Appoints Him Manufacturing Czar.
Like millions of other Americans President Barack Obama was at work on Labor Day, although a picnic was amongst his plans.
He was due to attend a worker’s picnic in Cincinnati, Ohio and at that event he was scheduled to announce the appointment of Ron Bloom to the post of “Manufacturing Czar”.
Bloom is already a member of the Obama administration as he is a Senior Advisor to treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, serving as a member of the “President’s Task Force on the Automotive Industry”. Apparently he will continue in this capacity in addition to his new duties.
Bloom was a key member of the team who negotiated both the auto industry “bailout” while negotiating a restructuring plan with both auto industry executives and labor unions. He also helped engineer a plan to restructure the US steel industry when he was privately employed as a vice president at Lazard Freres & Co. LLC. It is believed that in his new role he will be working with the Departments of Commerce, Treasury, Energy, and Labor as well as the National Economic Council.
In a statement released Monday President Obama said “Last week we learned that our manufacturing sector expanded for the first time in 18 months and had the highest monthly output in two years. It’s a sign that we’re on the right track to economic recovery, but that we still have a long way to go. That’s why I’ve asked Ron Bloom to help coordinate my Administration’s manufacturing policy.”
The appointment comes as political pundits are still speculating that the President had a hand in the resignation of Van Jones, something that White House advisor David Axelrod denied on Obama’s behalf during a Sunday appearance on “Meet the Press”. "Absolutely not -- this was Van Jones' own decision," he told host David Gregory. Jones resigned after it surfaced that he had been a signatory on a petition that called for an investigation into whether or not the government allowed the 2001 9/11 terrorist attacks to occur.
Van Jones was often referred to as the “czar for green jobs” and his exit has led some republicans to call for a halt to the appointment of any more “czars” until the thirty in place have both their credentials and previous political experience examined in detail. By appointing Ron Bloom just a few days after Jones’ abrupt resignation the president is obviously demonstrating that he has no intention to bow to such outside pressure when it comes to staffing and running his administration.
He was due to attend a worker’s picnic in Cincinnati, Ohio and at that event he was scheduled to announce the appointment of Ron Bloom to the post of “Manufacturing Czar”.
Bloom is already a member of the Obama administration as he is a Senior Advisor to treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, serving as a member of the “President’s Task Force on the Automotive Industry”. Apparently he will continue in this capacity in addition to his new duties.
Bloom was a key member of the team who negotiated both the auto industry “bailout” while negotiating a restructuring plan with both auto industry executives and labor unions. He also helped engineer a plan to restructure the US steel industry when he was privately employed as a vice president at Lazard Freres & Co. LLC. It is believed that in his new role he will be working with the Departments of Commerce, Treasury, Energy, and Labor as well as the National Economic Council.
In a statement released Monday President Obama said “Last week we learned that our manufacturing sector expanded for the first time in 18 months and had the highest monthly output in two years. It’s a sign that we’re on the right track to economic recovery, but that we still have a long way to go. That’s why I’ve asked Ron Bloom to help coordinate my Administration’s manufacturing policy.”
The appointment comes as political pundits are still speculating that the President had a hand in the resignation of Van Jones, something that White House advisor David Axelrod denied on Obama’s behalf during a Sunday appearance on “Meet the Press”. "Absolutely not -- this was Van Jones' own decision," he told host David Gregory. Jones resigned after it surfaced that he had been a signatory on a petition that called for an investigation into whether or not the government allowed the 2001 9/11 terrorist attacks to occur.
Van Jones was often referred to as the “czar for green jobs” and his exit has led some republicans to call for a halt to the appointment of any more “czars” until the thirty in place have both their credentials and previous political experience examined in detail. By appointing Ron Bloom just a few days after Jones’ abrupt resignation the president is obviously demonstrating that he has no intention to bow to such outside pressure when it comes to staffing and running his administration.
Obama Expands Ron Bloom’s Power, Appoints Him Manufacturing Czar.
Like millions of other Americans President Barack Obama was at work on Labor Day, although a picnic was amongst his plans.
He was due to attend a worker’s picnic in Cincinnati, Ohio and at that event he was scheduled to announce the appointment of Ron Bloom to the post of “Manufacturing Czar”.
Bloom is already a member of the Obama administration as he is a Senior Advisor to treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, serving as a member of the “President’s Task Force on the Automotive Industry”. Apparently he will continue in this capacity in addition to his new duties.
Bloom was a key member of the team who negotiated both the auto industry “bailout” while negotiating a restructuring plan with both auto industry executives and labor unions. He also helped engineer a plan to restructure the US steel industry when he was privately employed as a vice president at Lazard Freres & Co. LLC. It is believed that in his new role he will be working with the Departments of Commerce, Treasury, Energy, and Labor as well as the National Economic Council.
In a statement released Monday President Obama said “Last week we learned that our manufacturing sector expanded for the first time in 18 months and had the highest monthly output in two years. It’s a sign that we’re on the right track to economic recovery, but that we still have a long way to go. That’s why I’ve asked Ron Bloom to help coordinate my Administration’s manufacturing policy.”
The appointment comes as political pundits are still speculating that the President had a hand in the resignation of Van Jones, something that White House advisor David Axelrod denied on Obama’s behalf during a Sunday appearance on “Meet the Press”. "Absolutely not -- this was Van Jones' own decision," he told host David Gregory. Jones resigned after it surfaced that he had been a signatory on a petition that called for an investigation into whether or not the government allowed the 2001 9/11 terrorist attacks to occur.
Van Jones was often referred to as the “czar for green jobs” and his exit has led some republicans to call for a halt to the appointment of any more “czars” until the thirty in place have both their credentials and previous political experience examined in detail. By appointing Ron Bloom just a few days after Jones’ abrupt resignation the president is obviously demonstrating that he has no intention to bow to such outside pressure when it comes to staffing and running his administration.
He was due to attend a worker’s picnic in Cincinnati, Ohio and at that event he was scheduled to announce the appointment of Ron Bloom to the post of “Manufacturing Czar”.
Bloom is already a member of the Obama administration as he is a Senior Advisor to treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, serving as a member of the “President’s Task Force on the Automotive Industry”. Apparently he will continue in this capacity in addition to his new duties.
Bloom was a key member of the team who negotiated both the auto industry “bailout” while negotiating a restructuring plan with both auto industry executives and labor unions. He also helped engineer a plan to restructure the US steel industry when he was privately employed as a vice president at Lazard Freres & Co. LLC. It is believed that in his new role he will be working with the Departments of Commerce, Treasury, Energy, and Labor as well as the National Economic Council.
In a statement released Monday President Obama said “Last week we learned that our manufacturing sector expanded for the first time in 18 months and had the highest monthly output in two years. It’s a sign that we’re on the right track to economic recovery, but that we still have a long way to go. That’s why I’ve asked Ron Bloom to help coordinate my Administration’s manufacturing policy.”
The appointment comes as political pundits are still speculating that the President had a hand in the resignation of Van Jones, something that White House advisor David Axelrod denied on Obama’s behalf during a Sunday appearance on “Meet the Press”. "Absolutely not -- this was Van Jones' own decision," he told host David Gregory. Jones resigned after it surfaced that he had been a signatory on a petition that called for an investigation into whether or not the government allowed the 2001 9/11 terrorist attacks to occur.
Van Jones was often referred to as the “czar for green jobs” and his exit has led some republicans to call for a halt to the appointment of any more “czars” until the thirty in place have both their credentials and previous political experience examined in detail. By appointing Ron Bloom just a few days after Jones’ abrupt resignation the president is obviously demonstrating that he has no intention to bow to such outside pressure when it comes to staffing and running his administration.
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