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Obama Talks Health Care, Iran and his Battle to Quit Smoking
Published by Pamela Gentry on Tuesday, June 23, 2009 at 6:24 pm.By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Analyst
June 23, 2009 – The president delivered his priorities to a packed White House briefing room Tuesday when the press event was moved from the Rose Garden. But the cramped quarters didn’t stop reporters from grilling the president on Iran, healthcare reform, unemployment and his on-again-off- again smoking habit. 
Here are a few highlights from the news conference, beginning with unemployment:
Obama was reminded that his administration had predicted in January unemployment would rise no higher than 8 percent with the help of $787 billion stimulus package. Now that it has exceeded that mark and is at 9.4 percent Obama was asked would another stimulus be needed.
“At that point, nobody understood what the depths of this recession were going to look like,” Obama said. “If you recall, it was only significantly later that we suddenly get a report that the economy had tanked. And so it’s not surprising, then, that we missed the mark in terms of our estimates of where unemployment would go.”
The president said it’s not time to start talking about another stimulus until they determine “how effective the first stimulus is.”
On Iran, the president delivered stronger language against the recent crack down on protestors following the election. But he delivered an even stronger smack down to his Republican critics when asked if his recent tough talk was influenced by pressure from Republicans like Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and John McCain(R-Ariz.). Obama smiled and scoffed: “What do you think?” Following up that his critics are free to say what they like: “Only I’m the president of the United States.”
The president suggested Iran’s leaders will face consequences if they continue “the threats, the beatings and imprisonments” against protesters but stopped short of saying what they might be. Leaving room to keep his options open, the president said, “We don’t know yet how this thing is going to play out.”
”It is not too late for the Iranian government to recognize that there is a peaceful path that will lead to stability and legitimacy and prosperity for the Iranian people. We hope they take it.”
While Iran dominated the questions, health care was a close second. The president said the work in Congress on a health care bill is underway and he has been clear about the overall objective. “We have not drawn lines in the sand other than reform has to control costs and that it has to provide relief to people who don’t have health insurance or are underinsured.”
Is the president still smoking? “I would say I’m 95 percent cured, but there are times where I mess up,” Obama admitted.
On Monday the president signed an anti-smoking bill into law, and told reporters, “The new law is not about me. It’s about the next generation of kids coming up.”
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During the presidential campaign, Joe Biden said Obama would be challenged within six months of his coronat…, er, inauguration – and he’s been proven correct.
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First North Korea, and now Iran. Two “major league” at-bats for our “post-partisan” president – and he’s stood at the plate and watched six down-the-middle pitches slip by him without a swing of the bat.
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Voting “present” doesnt work anymore
Rednblack
We know you don’t care for President Obama but what does North Korea and Iran have to do with the President’s healthcare plan and him quiting smoking have to do with this subject ?
The U.S. is the only industrialzed nation with no national healthcare plan aside from medicaid and medicare which the G.O.P. was against since its inception.The only thing keeping it in existence is senior citizen voters.It seems the republican are saying if you are too poor to have health insurance then to hell with you.Now the can’t seem to understand why they (G.O.P.) are losing elections. The republicans have a knack for being on the wrong side of issues.
@jifffnn
Please reread Pamelas article and Title. The press conference in reference spent a considerable amount of time on N. Korea and Iran.
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In regards to Nationalized Health Care, I do not have enough time to express my concerns and pitfalls we will experience with the Government rationing our Healthcare.
Loved your latest post, by the way.
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[...] Another decent blogger added an interesting post on Obama Talks Health Care, Iran and his Battle to Quit Smoking …Here’s a small excerptThe president delivered his priorities to a packed White House briefing room Tuesday when the press event was moved from the Rose Garden. But the cramped quarters didn’t stop reporters from grilling the president on Iran, … [...]
Price for democratic plan on affordable health care: $1.6 trillion over ten years. Current spending by Americans that goes into the pockets of private insurers and health care providers: $2 trillion PER YEAR! The private companies are already ripping us off for over ten times the money the public option would give us.
Our two tiered health system allows insurance companies to charge individuals one price while allowing drastic reductions to insurance companies. Health services should have the same price to individuals or insurance companies.
It does not take more money to fix Health Care, because we are already spending the money on the current system, which by the way According to the World Health Organization we are now 37th in the world in healthcare, and the cost of our healthcare is far higher than any other Western Power. What we need to do is restructure how we are spending the money currently.
Price for democratic plan on affordable health care: $1.6 trillion over ten years. Current spending by Americans that goes into the pockets of private insurers and health care providers: $2 trillion PER YEAR! The private companies are already ripping us off for over ten times the money the public option would give us.
Our two tiered health system allows insurance companies to charge individuals one price while allowing drastic reductions to insurance companies. Health services should have the same price to individuals or insurance companies.
It does not take more money to fix Health Care, because we are already spending the money on the current system, which by the way According to the World Health Organization we are now 37th in the world in healthcare, and the cost of our healthcare is far higher than any other Western Power. What we need to do is restructure how we are spending the money currently.
@Kyle
The $1.6 Trillion price tag is IN ADDITION to the 2 Trillion per year being currently spent in private health insurance plans.
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The Government plan will actually in total cost more
Congratulations to President Obama for being a studious new president. Hopefully, in the future his abilities will blossom and with all our help make important changes that have been put on the back burner for so long — ex: Black people’s forty acres and a mule! As for Healthcare in America, its an esoteric thing — those who feel they deserve the best care are going to want special privileges, while doctors are all about money and their status in life. But, with the unfortunate, its about getting well the best way possible. Why should everyone suffer because of the greedy? Man needs more spirituality in his life. God is the best thing in the world. Where is America’s faith?
Our foreign policy should be
motivated by the desire to protect
American interests. We should not
try to make over European nations in
our own image, but rather accept the
differences and work with them.
America needs to stop draining itself
of needed strength by a careless
disbursement of foreign aid.
We need a program of reform as we
have moved steadily downhill in pride,
accomplishments, and dignity.
The War on Poverty will fail unless
more spirituality is introduced into the
program. It takes more than money
and food to restore the dignity of
man. We should wake up praying as
though everything depended upon
God, then, with His inspiration and
love, go forth to work as though
everything depended on us.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Soc
iety
Mrs. Dixon stated the following comments in her book many years ago.
“Our foreign policy should be
motivated by the desire to protect
American interests. We should not
try to make over European nations in
our own image, but rather accept the
differences and work with them.
America needs to stop draining itself
of needed strength by a careless
disbursement of foreign aid.
We need a program of reform as we
have moved steadily downhill in pride,
accomplishments, and dignity.
The War on Poverty will fail unless
more spirituality is introduced into the
program. It takes more than money
and food to restore the dignity of
man. We should wake up praying as
though everything depended upon
God, then, with His inspiration and
love, go forth to work as though
everything depended on us. ”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Society