The Rundown - September 3, 2009; 8:00 AM ET

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8 a.m. ET: What was only theoretical yesterday morning is reality today, as President Obama now has firm plans to address a joint session of Congress on health care next Wednesday night. But while the schedule may now be clear, the substance isn't yet.

Is it possible that the centerpiece of Obama's "new strategy" is simply selling the public -- and, more importantly, the press -- on the idea that there is a new strategy? The New York Times reports that administration aides said Obama "would be more specific than he has been to date about what he wants included in the plan" but is "unlikely to unveil a detailed legislative plan of his own." David Axelrod, the public face of this strategy shift, said listeners to Obama's speech would get "a clear sense of what he proposes and what health care reform is not." Does that mean much of the address will again involve knocking down "myths" about death panels and the like? Beyond the public insurance option, will Obama rule anything else in or out next week?

It's not surprising that the White House is unwilling to telegraph exactly what Obama is going to say a week before the address. It's likely that Obama himself doesn't know yet what he's going to say; reportedly, he only just decided Tuesday to speak to Congress instead of holding a prime-time press conference or an Oval Office address. But the administration does risk setting itself up for failure, raising expectations for a fresh-sounding speech laden with specifics that could end up being dismissed by reporters -- who have been covering health care nonstop for months -- as nothing new or special.

USA Today notes, "Only twice in the past 16 years has a president addressed Congress on a single topic" -- Bill Clinton in 1993 on health care, and George W. Bush in 2001 after the Sept. 11 attacks. Mickey Kaus argues that Obama's previous big public moments on health care showed him to be "stunningly ineffective as a salesman -- especially when it came to reassuring seniors worried about rationing," and that "the speech itself seems a sign of weakness." The timing of this speech, the AP writes, "underscores the determination of the White House to confront critics of Obama's overhaul proposals" and also indicates "that top Democrats have all but given up hope for a bipartisan breakthrough by Senate Finance Committee negotiators."

Multiple reports suggest that the White House plans to increase its courtship of Olympia Snowe, the lone GOP member of the Gang of Six who still sounds amenable to a deal. Get familiar with the concept of "the Snowe trigger": Marc Ambinder writes that administration aides "are floating the idea" to reporters that Obama is "secretly negotiating with ... Snowe over a health care compromise that would phase in a government-funded health care alternative if private insurance companies fail to meet quality and cost benchmarks over a certain period of the time." The Wall Street Journal reports "the overhaul under discussion would include a requirement for most individuals to buy insurance; a federally operated exchange where individuals and small businesses could buy insurance; and tax credits to help people buy plans." Ezra Klein says there are two different camps within the White House, one that's "focused on preserving the basic shape of the bill" and a universal plan, and one that "believes the bill needs to be scaled back sharply in order to ensure passage."

Another day brings another new poll casting Obama's performance to date on health care in a negative light. The latest CNN/Opinion Research survey showed 48 percent of respondents in favor of Obama's reform plans and 51 percent opposed, though those numbers are relatively unchanged since CNN's June survey. (One explanation for why selling reform has been difficult: The poll also found that 87 percent of respondents believe the U.S. economy is still in recession.) The WSJ takes a broad look at how Obama's health-care push "went astray," concluding that "the president and his allies may have 'overlearned' the lessons of" Clinton's health-care failure, working hard to win the support of industry stakeholders" while paying too little attention to "the wooing of public opinion."

By Ben Pershing | September 3, 2009; 8:00 AM ET
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COMMENTS

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COVERT USE OF MICROWAVE/LASER 'DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS'
ON U.S. CITIZENS MAKES HEALTH CARE REFORM A CRUEL JOKE

Access to health care doesn't much help untold thousands of unjustly targeted Americans being silently irradiated by microwave and laser directed energy weapons -- the weaponization of the electromagnetic spectrum, a silent "final solution" that may have the nation's political leadership in its ideological cross-hairs.

This technology is capable of altering moods, emotions, inducing fatigue, weakness, confusion, life-altering injury, disease and a slow-kill death.

And key elements of the Obama administration, chief among them the defense/security/intel establishment, are proliferating these technologies by various modalities -- from hand-held weaponry to satellite and terrestrial cell tower based delivery systems.

By its naivete, its rubber-stamp approval of the deployment of these destructive technologies, the Obama administration is presiding over the destruction of democracy, the rule of law, and personal liberty.

Until the Obama administration realizes that a covert multi-agency coordinated action "program" is executing a high-tech "final solution" on unjustly targeted Americans -- right under POTUS' nose -- health care reform amounts to little more than a cruel false hope.

These "targets" also are subject to constant harassment by government-subsidized vigilante "community stalkers" recruited from the ranks of federally-funded community policing groups -- along with financial sabotage that decimates their livelihoods and financial resources.

The bureaucratic saboteurs and Dr. Strangeloves must be removed from power, immediately, before this silent genocide claims more victims.

Are the President's technology and civil/human rights advisers totally oblivious? Or, are they part of the problem?

http://nowpublic.com/world/gestapo-usa-govt-funded-vigilante-network-terrorizes-america

OR (if link is corrupted / disabled):

http://NowPublic.com/scrivener RE: "GESTAPO USA"

Posted by: scrivener50 | September 3, 2009 10:02 AM

Average Americans wanted three things from Obama when we elected him President.

1. We had hope to see change in Washington – it was construed as we wanted to see bipartisanship; but the truth is that the average American doesn’t care about bipartisanship (Democrats and Republicans each have strong ideology-and most of the time most of us don’t want to change), What those that voted for Obama wanted was for the Obama Administration to get rid of the Lobbyists in Washington. Those that we perceive as controlling Congress (both parties) .
2. We wanted the economy to improve. – it is beginning to; but we also wanted to see those that caused the economy to “tank” so badly to be held responsible and suffer consequences. – this has not happened – it is perceived that Obama sided with corporate America.
3. We wanted an open Administration –secret deals with pharmaceutical companies did not help. (even if in the end it helps with healthcare reform – although I don’t believe it does)
4. We wanted to see limits put on corporate greed – insurance companies being the prime example. – but this is not happening. These are some of the reasons why Obama’s numbers are slipping but this does not pertain to healthcare reform. Polls are incorrect, people do want healthcare reform, but the real question is what do we want.

I do believe President Obama has a chance and his numbers will once again improve if Americans that elected him feel that he is representing them on this Bill. If his Administration submits a Bill and depending on what is in the Bill will depend on if he will get back any support.

What are my reasons to believe why healthcare reform is not currently working, and why it is going to be difficult to pass.
a. GOP has effectively scared those on Medicare and Obama’s administration has not successfully alter those fears.
b. Who in their right mind would create a healthcare bill so vague it required 1000+ pages of material that could be misinterpreted in so many ways.
c. Obama is trying to walk a tightrope between parties instead of listening to those who elected him.

Posted by: Kaybeth34 | September 3, 2009 3:04 PM

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