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Obama to Address Joint Session of Congress to Retake Control of Health Care Debate.
Brian Beutler | September 2, 2009, 3:29PM
President Barack Obama
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President Obama will address the country before a joint session of Congress on September 9--a key element of his bid to take charge of the health care debate as Congress returns to session after a grueling August recess.
The event will occur two days after Obama appears at a Labor day event with the AFL-CIO, which is insisting on the inclusion of the public option.
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ttarleton
September 2, 2009 3:51 PM
Here comes the next phase. I hope the big O is ready now to go all campaign mode and steer some real reform through. Bring in the noise, bring in da funk.
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Chris
September 2, 2009 5:03 PM in reply to ttarleton
Only if it has a public option. I do wonder if they will let tea baggers outside the event with dicks/ guns in hand?
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ttarleton
September 2, 2009 5:11 PM in reply to Chris
Maybe the cops in Arizona let town hall types get away with that shit, but anyone approaching the capitol dome in DC with their assault rifle will most certainly be handled with extreme prejudice.
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traitorjoe
September 2, 2009 3:57 PM
Sept. 9? Why not December 9 ... 2010. What's the rush?
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jerryfatheart
September 2, 2009 3:58 PM
Wait ... 9-9-09! That's 666 upside down!!1!
Cue the Freepers screaming "Number of the Beast" and "Antichrist" in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...
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Xantar
September 2, 2009 4:04 PM in reply to jerryfatheart
Didn't something really significant also happen on September 9th during World War II? Oh my God! Obama is Hitler!!
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ttarleton
September 2, 2009 4:05 PM in reply to Xantar
Number 9, number 9, number 9 : : : : : : : : :
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ttarleton
September 2, 2009 4:11 PM in reply to ttarleton
In England, the number to call for emergencies is not 911, but 9-9-9. So, is Obama signalling that we have a healthcare emergency? Or, is he sending his socialist foot soldiers a coded message that he is going to impose an English-style National Health Service after he declares himself King and Lord of All America and Kenya? Which is it???
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ttarleton
September 2, 2009 4:21 PM in reply to ttarleton
September 9th - Hugh Grant turns 49 - and he is ENGLISH! More evidence of the impending government takeover of healthcare, laundry services, and auto repair!
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CT Voter
September 2, 2009 4:28 PM in reply to ttarleton
It's worse than that.
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. THE PRESIDENT OF INDONESIA WAS BORN ON SEPTEMBER 9TH.
This definitively proves that Obama really is Kenyan.
And September 9th is a WEDNESDAY. Two days before September 11th, when he unleashes his Kenyan Marxist service plan.
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ttarleton
September 2, 2009 4:50 PM in reply to CT Voter
And there's something about it in the Mayan calendar and Nostradamus, too. Wednesday = day 3 of week. 3x3 = 9. September = 9th month. COINCIDENCE??? I THINK NOT!!!
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CT Voter
September 2, 2009 4:52 PM in reply to ttarleton
OMG!!!
Wednesday has nine letters.
He's speaking on the 9th day of the 9th month of the 9th year on a day with nine letters.
Obviously, he's Antichrist.
If his speech is nine minutes long, end times are here.
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ttarleton
September 2, 2009 5:06 PM in reply to CT Voter
Rapture!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHPikUPlRD8
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RedMolly
September 2, 2009 5:25 PM in reply to CT Voter
Keep up the important investigative work. I think World Nut Daily needs to know about this!
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VivaAmerica!
September 2, 2009 5:27 PM in reply to CT Voter
September also has nine letters.
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gharlane
September 2, 2009 11:22 PM in reply to CT Voter
Didn't you mean Kendonesian? ;)
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CT Voter
September 3, 2009 12:32 PM in reply to gharlane
My error. Of course he's Kendonesian.
Orly Taitz is scheduling a press conference to announce that.
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gharlane
September 3, 2009 10:12 PM in reply to CT Voter
Thank goodness. She's the only one who can bring sanity back to this discussion.
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mcc
September 2, 2009 6:19 PM in reply to jerryfatheart
It's also the 10-year anniversary of the release of the Sega Dreamcast.
COINCIDENCE???
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theone718
September 2, 2009 4:10 PM
Time will tell how this turns out. This will definitely control the rest of the weeks narrative.
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Dorn76
September 2, 2009 4:12 PM
Hint: The President is not going to go in front of the AFL-CIO and explain how caving in to the insurance industry is in theirs and the country's best interest.
Grow up, TPM. Seriously, this is silliness.
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Dorn76
September 2, 2009 4:20 PM in reply to Dorn76
OK, I've read the front page, and I'm glad to know I'm not alone here....
Seems like a one-two punch is about to be delivered. Too bad so many on the left are seeming so unhelpful at this key moment.
The Prez is not our enemy, folks. Why do you think he's going in front of the AFL-CIO and then in front of the country 48 hours later? Because it's time to go to work.
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CT Voter
September 2, 2009 4:25 PM in reply to Dorn76
You are definitely not alone on this.
I really don't think it's plausible that Obama is going to stand up in front ot of a labor crowd and a) NOT saying something about healthcare or b) say something about dropping the public option.
He just doesn't seem that stupid.
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jerryfatheart
September 2, 2009 4:36 PM in reply to Dorn76
I'm with you, too, buddy.
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
September 2, 2009 5:43 PM in reply to jerryfatheart
Not me. Based on unsourced stories in Politico, I'm convinced he's going to use this speech to start calling the public option something other than "the public option." That, of course, would be a sell-out to the forces of evil and a betrayal of all those who got him elected. Rebranding is what people trying to make horrible, horrible profit do and therefore is bad or silly and futile. Better a principled defeat than a false victory under those terms. Besides, if they change its name, it will not provide the needed competition, turning the whole bill into a sham.
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jerryfatheart
September 2, 2009 6:14 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
Tasty, tasty snark!
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mans_best_friend
September 2, 2009 4:42 PM in reply to Dorn76
IF (and that's a big IF) the Prez is backing off the public option, it may be because they've counted the votes and have concluded it's not going to pass the Senate (I'm talking about not getting even 50 votes). One way around this is to make a few minor changes and call it something different. It's not going to get any Republican votes, but it just might be enough to give cover to a few wavering Senators from some of the more conservative states, and that may be just enough.
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traitorjoe
September 2, 2009 4:24 PM
Biggest speech since the Rev. Wright debacle. Let's hope he turns around public opinion and CW again.
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jerryfatheart
September 2, 2009 4:34 PM in reply to traitorjoe
This is my hope, too. It's the elephant in the room now, whether the White House likes it or not. A detailed explanation on what exactly the public option is, and the ways it can be done, is what the public needs. He also needs to look like he's in control, and a cheering section can only help.
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Mr.E.
September 2, 2009 4:54 PM
Here's my wish. I want Obama to leave the soaring rhetoric AND the Professor at the WH, and start by saying something really clear and basic such as: The role of government is to provide for the public interest. In terms of health care that means guaranteeing the most people get the best care at the cheapest cost. Then repeat, by saying the current system isn't working because it doesn't cover the most people, it doesn't provide the best care and it is too expensive. So you cover more people by preventing insurance companies from excluding anybody, for any reason. You make it better by making sure resources are used effectively, with a focus on prevention and care, not administration, exclusions and profits. And you make it cheaper by doing everything possible to set lower prices, negotiate better prices, increase efficiencies and increase competition.
Then, he needs to say, "The way to do that is by (fill in the blanks)."
What I really, really don't want to hear is any bs about "level playing fields." This isn't a competition, it's about providing the best service to the most people for the cheapest cost. If a government insurance plan can do it cheaper and better than private insurance, and people want to opt into that plan then yeah for us and screw 'em.
If private insurance can't complete then they can take their place in history with the lamplighters and livery stable owners.
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traitorjoe
September 2, 2009 4:58 PM
We need to implant buzzers in the cornhole regions of the Republican Senators and Blue Dogs so when they say "socialist" or "death squads" they are jolted by an electric shock.
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ttarleton
September 2, 2009 5:47 PM
If Obama offers something hopeful and optimistic on healthcare on September 9th, isn't that kind of un-American, seeing as it comes 2 days prior to Fear the Terror Day? Won't the terrorists win if we put mere public health and human welfare ahead of our hard-earned fear?
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
September 2, 2009 5:58 PM
Jeeebus Effing Zeizt.
I just saw a banner ad at the top of TPM featuring a glowering old lady looking at a piece of paper and the message "Support the REPUBLICAN Health Care Bill of Rights for Seniors."
No, seriously. That's what it said. "Support the REPUBLICAN Health Care Bill of Rights for Seniors." On TPM. Yeah, I know how ad servers work, but, damn, there was some seriously wasted dough.
The "Republican Health Care Bill of Rights for Seniors?" Let me guess.
"We promise to end our forty year bitter end struggle to abolish, gut or privitize Medicare."
"We totally won't send hired assassins into your bedroom at night to cap your old ass, like those other guys will."
"We will defend your God-given right to spend your kid's Medicare taxes on quack treatments!"
"Hey, c'mon we invented Medicare. We love it. And we're gonna keep the dagnabbed gubmit outta it!"
"Prenatal care? S-Chip? How can we afford it? We understand that it's them or you!"
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Xantar
September 2, 2009 6:03 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
At least it wasn't an ad for a free online RPG featuring breasts.
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dswx
September 2, 2009 9:26 PM
Well next Wednesday evening is quite predictable. Fox of course won't broadcast the President to their sheep. And the other MSM will lead in to the speech by having their talking heads pump up all the Republican talking points verbatim, making it sound like the actual hatemonger's blatant lies and vile comparisons of Obama to Hitler at townhalls were somehow legitimate comments. They will gloss it over by saying something to the effect that there was "strong disagreement" or other such less extreme terms, as if the hatemongers had any facts to stand on. Essentially legitimizing lies and ignorance. I mean, we all know how the MSM jumped on the story about the preacher praying for Obama to die like Kennedy. Not.
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