Obama targets insurance companies at Colo. meeting

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - President Barack Obama, addressing a town hall meeting on health care reform, says Americans no longer should be "held hostage by health insurance companies" that deny coverage for various reasons.

Obama targeted insurance companies as he attempted to regain the upper hand in the health care debate and deflect the impact of increasing vocal and organized critics.

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.


President Barack Obama speaks at a town hall meeting about health care at Central High School in Grand Junction, Colo. Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)


And he said "because we're getting close, the fight is getting fierce."



Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20090815/D9A3J9P80.html

[John Q. Citizen]

1. So he advocates bribing them to stop, is what he said in Montana. He pointed out that

he can't just pass laws against their unethical criminal like behavior.

He said he has to promise them that everyone has to buy their shitty products and to subsidize low income people to do so to get them to agree to stop holding us hostage.

He wants to pay them ransom.

[JeanGrey]

2. They just don't want to lose their pockets full of cash.

This makes me ill.

[glinda]

3. Holding Insurance Companies responsible is like holding Banks responsible.

Insurance Companies will make loopholes, raise rates or so something as long as they are in business for profit. This will never stop. Insurance Companies and Pig Pharma will never give up. They fund the Republicans and they will never ever give up their power. The only hope is to shut down Insurance Companies and corral Pig Pharma. No more stupid give-aways like Bush did with no accountability.

[Iowa]

4. What a massive load of crap...

Obama said, "because we're getting close, the fight is getting fierce."

Bullshit.

I suppose one could make a case that the fight coming from the right is fierce, but all we're getting from Obama and our Dem Congress is platitudes about bipartisanship, empty words, and capitulation. It takes two to make a fight. This isn't a fight; it's theatrics... a nice little entertaining play, put on for our benefit by all the corporate politicians.

"We the people" desperately needed a real fighter in the White House to help us regain some of the ground that was lost via our corporate-sponsored government since the Reagan years. Instead we got stuck with a guy who marketed himself as that agent of change, but turned out to be little more than a walking Hallmark card.

[jaxx]

5. Sounds like sour grapes.

[mackerel]

6. Just watched him on C-Span and he was fantastic!

[Babyserendip]

7. Unilateral Single Payer...like Kucinich proposes is the ONLY way to go.

Everything else is a hand out to the health insurers.

Way to go Obama....ra ra...

[Wednesdays]

8. K&R

:kick:

[charlesdowney]

9. Health Care for Americans

Making sure every American has access to high quality http://www.californiahealthplans.com ">health insurance is one of the most important challenges of our President. The number of uninsured Americans is growing, premiums are skyrocketing, and more people are being denied coverage every day.