| We'll be live-blogging the speech starting at 8 PM EST. Feel free to use this thread to make predictions, commentary, and estimating the likelihood the Republicans will have an army of grandmas spinning the press afterwards. Virginia Foxx, it's your time to shine.
Pre-speech update: Via Quick Hits, Mark Matson points to a list of folks who will be featured in Michelle Obama's box. It's an interesting list- one small business owner who can't afford to provide insurance, several people struggling to pay tens of thousands of dollars in bills, several that hit on the insurance companies paying so little in coverage or increased premiums 500% or have a lifetime cap. At the end of nearly every story there is a "under health insurance reform, there will be no recissions" or something similar. Nothing specifically on the public option, although a lot on how insurance will be more affordable in the exchange.
Pre-speech update 2: Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA) will be delivering the response. Excerpts: a lot of the usual "we agree reform is needed", how much Dems will cut Medicare, increase the size of gov't, etc. The DNC's pre-buttal on him is here.
Pre-speech update 3: Random thought on Michelle's box- every single person in that box looks completely healthy and dressed in their Sunday best. Perhaps a better idea to have better visuals of those who are sick and struggling?
Pre-speech update 4: I have a weird feeling the Republicans will stand up en masse and wave their birth certificates at Obama.
Speech update: President Obama starts by discussing the economic recovery. "I will not let up until those who seek jobs can find them"- nice line, but probably smacked around by the Republicans the next several years.
Speech update 2: "There are now more than thirty million American citizens who cannot get coverage."- how does this reconcile to the 46 million number we usually hear?
Speech update 3: "On the right, there are those who argue that we should end the employer-based system and leave individuals to buy health insurance on their own." This is not the best attack on conservatives' plan.
Speech update 4: "First, if you are among the hundreds of millions of Americans who already have health insurance through your job, Medicare, Medicaid, or the VA, nothing in this plan will require you or your employer to change the coverage or the doctor you have." Why does this promise leave out people with individual coverage?
Speech update 5: He starts laying out "what this will do for you", which I think is the real key. There's been too much "don't worry, that's not in my bill!" lately. Points.
Speech update 6: "This exchange will take effect in four years, which will give us time to do it right. In the meantime, for those Americans who can't get insurance today because they have pre-existing medical conditions, we will immediately offer low-cost coverage that will protect you against financial ruin if you become seriously ill." Who is the we here?
Speech update 7: "And unless everybody does their part, many of the insurance reforms we seek - especially requiring insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions - just can't be achieved." I understand the economic rationale, but it seems weird to make that promise earlier in the speech and then tell people they have to buy insurance first.
Speech upate 8: Shocking! He uses the word "lie" to refer to death panels. Not often heard.
Speech update 9: CNN reports it was Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) who shouted "liar" at Obama when he said the reform would not cover illegal immigrants. Woah.
Speech update 10: Pretty good language re motives of insurance companies. Reminds me of Anthony Weiner's diatribe.
Speech update 11: Re public option, a lot of hey, don't worry, it won't affect you, and CBO says only 5% of people will sign up. No reason to be scared of it. Good analogy re public vs. private universities that peacefully coexist.
Speech update 12: "To my progressive friends, I would remind you that for decades, the driving idea behind reform has been to end insurance company abuses and make coverage affordable for those without it. The public option is only a means to that end - and we should remain open to other ideas that accomplish our ultimate goal."
Speech update 13: Says he is open to exploring co-ops. Awesome. Why are we still playing this game?
Speech update 14: I find it weird there's a dozen people with health care stories in Michelle's box, but he doesn't do the usual gesture and explain thing. And he only mentions two stories in the entire speech.
Speech update 15: Interesting to mention the Intermountain Healthcare in Utah and Geisinger Health System in PA. Usually it's Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic. And there's someone sitting in Michelle's box who works for a model clinic in DC.
Speech update 16: Re malpractice reform, it seems he's directing Sebelius to establish a "blue ribbon commission" sort of idea.
Speech update 17: Touting that the costs of this are less than the cost of Iraq and the cost of tax cuts for the rich strikes me as weird. It's like buying an $80,000 car and saying at least you didn't spend as much as your brother who spent $90,000. There isn't a better analogy?
Speech update 18: I've decided it's my goal to have the Administration mention the word "blog" "blogging" or "blogger" to a joint session of Congress in a positive context before the end of this term. First ever?
Speech update 19: As we near the end, what overall letter grade would you give the speech, and why?
Speech update 20: Apparently the Republicans were holding up copies of their own bills to demonstrate they have plans. Not exactly the most effective prop.
Speech update 21: Yes We Can chant FTW?
Speech update 22: And he's done. The White House just e-mailed out "The Obama Plan" on their website. What are the talking heads on teevee saying?
Some final thoughts: I would give the style an A, the substance a B+. The language re public option was fairly weak. He seems to always want to minimize it- reassuring people it's an option, no one has to take it, would not impact you if you already have insurance, and CBO says less than 5% of Americans would sign up. Perhaps it's a 42-dimensional chess game to try and draw the public's attention away from it. Perhaps it's to win over members like Snowe. Not sure. Not thrilled, though.
Needed to have more stories, esp stories on people's costs. There wasn't a single mention on people's costs going out of control. There were only 2 horror stories, despite lots of stories to train the cameras on in Michelle's box. Would have liked to have it more focused on the public in that regard.
Updates #3,4, 6 and 7 above were not strong language, in fact somewhat confusing. Language on co-ops is ridiculous- that crap needed to be shut down once and for all. Language attacking the insurance companies was good. Language re Medicare/seniors was good, as was going after critics, saying "lie", discussing how this can't wait. |
