Obama To House: 'Vote Yes'

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 7, 2009, 1:37PM

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Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), President Barack Obama

Barack Obama, Health Care

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President Obama is calling on representatives to pass the sweeping health care reform bill scheduled for a floor vote tonight.

"This is our moment to live up to the trust that the American people have put in us," he said in a public address on the grounds of the White House just now.

"I urge members of Congress to rise to this moment, answer the call of history, and vote 'yes' for health insurance reform for America," Obama said.

Obama made the speech shortly after returning from a closed-door meeting with House Democrats at the Capitol.

The House is expected to vote on the measure late tonight, read our primer here.

Read Obama's full statement here.

What Did We Learn From Saturday's Health Care Vote

Gavin Newsom Throws Tantrum In First Interview Since Dropping Gov. Bid

Spokesman: Schumer Open To Public Option Negotiations, But They Haven't Started

Lieberman Repeats Claim That Public Option Not Part Of 2008 Presidential Campaign

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32 comments

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PeninsulaMatt

November 7, 2009 1:43 PM

Obama needs to reverse his fortunes on getting out the vote!
Go House Dems! Pass the bill!!!

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shooter242

November 7, 2009 1:53 PM in reply to PeninsulaMatt

This and four dollars will get you a cup of coffee. But the cheerleading is misplaced. You might want to wait until the real bill comes up for a vote. This bill is just a suggestion to the Senate.

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kash79

November 7, 2009 2:02 PM in reply to shooter242

Every ste[ forward in this historic process is worth cheerleading, at least breathing a sigh of relief, thanks largely to bluedogs and rethugs.

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puckerupAmerica

November 7, 2009 3:46 PM in reply to kash79

Fire it up!!!
Let's talk fascism for a moment, why don't we? It starts with an indoctrination of nationalism (a type of collectivist attitude toward defining one's national identity - i.e. we NEED universal healthcare because other countries have it and we are inferior because we don't) and syndicalism (community/labor ownership in companies and wealth, regardless of how it is achieved - i.e. unions awarded ownership in GM despite their role towards the demise of said company). Despite these philosophies being contradictory to US principles and the constitution, the masses are influenced by their promises of leveling the socio-economic order disregarding quality and quantity of work associated with success in capitalism. The fascist also has an interest in destroying the civil society community we now know and replacing it with statism (the worship of the 'state' - i.e. govt). This diminishes our current community beliefs and/or laws in favor of national control and/or decisions. Why and to what end? To disassemble our constitutional structure that provides us with local and state solutions and replace it with 'one size fits all' national programs. The combination of these forces all work to eliminate the idea of individual rights/property/responsibility. The nation is then influenced by only those few left with the resources to 'play politics' - big business, big labor, big social/environmental groups. The "little" people no longer have a voice. Obama is certainly not the beginning of this movement, and republicans have played a part in it, but fascism is definitely on the rise and staring right us, right now.
So, Fire Up the Fascists!!! - unbelievable...

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ttarleton

November 7, 2009 3:56 PM in reply to puckerupAmerica

Your TPM profile reveals you as a newly-minted troll. There seem to be quite a few of you popping up recently!

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kash79

November 7, 2009 4:00 PM in reply to puckerupAmerica

The free market corporate capitalism and not government sponsored mini-scale programs like PO that are the greatest threat to our democracy. Its funny you blame the unions and not the corporate bosses

You have it all backwards.

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kash79

November 7, 2009 4:09 PM in reply to kash79

Not to mention the "constitution" had become a effing bible in this country for some. A non-amendable or debatable document which is exploited as a bouncing board to further most lopsided and outrageous ideologies, especially from the right.

If it were interpreted from the ultra-right wing viewpoint many among us including women and minorities would still be not have voting rights.

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swanwilliam

November 7, 2009 4:54 PM in reply to puckerupAmerica

Smells like Larouche rhetoric

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Armageddon T. Thunderbird

November 7, 2009 5:09 PM in reply to puckerupAmerica

Statism? What a joke!!!! What more statism could exist than that which existed between the oil industry and the Bush administration? Statism is always referenced by lazy Ayn Rand lovers when it applies to some guy working on a factory assembly line. But never when it applies to corporate influence on government. In fact - the risk to America is exactly as described by Eisenhower - the rise of the military-industrial complex....not the rise of the factory worker getting health care.

Like the Bible...Ayn Rand should be read with a great big grain of salt. The russian revolution is not what we are faced with today. Today - we are faced with Exxon Valdez, Union Carbide in Bhopal, and Enron. That factory worker that charged up Omaha beach....that saved capitalism....these are the people who deserve health care. Sataism....thy name is Republican.

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TheOwl

November 7, 2009 1:56 PM

Ho, hum. Another photo-op, or three!

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seashell

November 7, 2009 1:57 PM

According to HuffPo, Obama told the Democrats that it doesn't matter how they vote, the GOP will attack them anyway.

Finally!

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UTMark

November 7, 2009 3:24 PM in reply to seashell

Yep.

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TheraP

November 7, 2009 4:38 PM in reply to UTMark

Hello, buddy! :-)

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VivaAmerica!

November 7, 2009 5:28 PM in reply to seashell

It's a shame that they should have to be told this.

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johnmccsf

November 7, 2009 2:04 PM

FIRED UP!

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johnmccsf

November 7, 2009 2:10 PM

From OFA CA

OFA California Volunteers
We just received word that the House of Representatives has passed the rules of debate for HR3962, the proposed health-care legislation, formally starting the countdown toward a roll call vote. The House will now debate the bill for at least the next five hours, with a final vote likely this evening.
WE NEED YOU ON THE PHONES NOW to CALL Our Representatives. Here are instruction from RFD Ruby Reid.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHfbKTiUH8U

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josephcast

November 7, 2009 2:37 PM

VOTE NO on the Stupak Amendment!

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rbeats

November 7, 2009 3:02 PM

Did anybody catch Joe Barton (R-TX) come to the floor and apologize to his wife because for his birthday she bought him a weekend in Vegas and now he has to miss it to vote on this stupid bill instead of partying in Vegas?

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VivaAmerica!

November 7, 2009 5:29 PM in reply to rbeats

this stuff is gold for 2010?

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Xantar

November 7, 2009 3:37 PM

It's just too bad that my Congresscritter is a reliable liberal. He doesn't need me telling him to vote yes.

Almost makes me want to live in Arkansas.

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lousgirl84

November 7, 2009 8:56 PM in reply to Xantar

Mine too. Do you live in California?

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MonicaDickey

November 7, 2009 5:14 PM

This is easy to dismiss as a photo-op and shallow peptalk but I reaaaallllly hope it helps!

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Dunvegan

November 7, 2009 5:21 PM

Who was the Congress-critter who just spoke this brilliant Machiavelli quote re. HCR on the floor?

"It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things.

"For the reformer has enemies in all those who profit by the old order, and only lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit by the new order, this lukewarmness arising partly from fear of their adversaries, who have the laws in their favor; and partly from the incredulity of mankind, who do not truly believe in anything new until they have had actual experience of it.

"Thus it arises that on every opportunity for attacking the reformer, his opponents do so with the zeal of partisans, the others only defend him half-heartedly, so that between them he runs great danger."

I didn't see which Congressman that was, but the guy is a "prince."

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VivaAmerica!

November 7, 2009 5:31 PM in reply to Dunvegan

oh wow! that is brilliant.

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kash79

November 7, 2009 6:45 PM in reply to Dunvegan

Couldn't be more apt. I heard it as well, but didn't watch it.

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lib dem 50

November 7, 2009 7:30 PM

I wish Republicans could be negative, insurance-corrupted parrots without lying, e.g. that this will put government bureaucrats between patients and their doctors with life-threatening results. This is crap! I guess this must mean that there are no reasonable, honest reasons to further delay universal healthcare for Americans.

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JoeTheMechanic

November 7, 2009 8:03 PM

It smells like victory.

Of course the bill is far from perfect. Nothing good was ever won without a fight. It will take many years to get good health care in America. This is a big step forward.

Now we have to persuade Lieberman or Snowe. Press on. We are winning!

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