By GottaLaff
Of course, now the phrase "fired up, ready to go" will be banned from all airports... but it was fun while it lasted, right?
(White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
Here is President Obama recounting the inspiring "fired up" experience. This story never gets old:By GottaLaff
I'll do my best to take my award-winning, patent-pending, internationally acclaimed quick notes. I'LL BE UPDATING, RE-POSTING AS HE SPEAKS.
Here's Prez O:
Packed house, huge cheers.
Are you fired up? [nice]
Crowd chanting "Yes we can!" They are going crazy!
You may have been watching So You Think You Can Dance, don't know if you caught it on TV, but the other night I gave a speech to Congress about health care. [HUGE CHEERS] I can already see this crowd is a lot more fun. [huge cheers]
I went to speak on behalf of American people. I ran for prez because it was time for a govt. to make possible the dreams of middle class Americans. ... that understands the quiet struggles...
Health care is one of those struggles... These aren't people, contrary to what you've heard, who are deep in poverty... these are people who are working every day, middle class Americans [applause]. ... Maybe you've been denied... due to previous condition... In the last 12 mos, 6 million more lost their insurance... Today more disturbing news: Nearly half of all Amer's under 65 will lost their coverage at some pt. over the next 10 years!
We gotta do something. [huge applause] Because it can happen to anyone.
But it doesn't stop w/ the uninsured. If you lose/change jobs or have to move... or if you're dropped/watered down coverage... just when you need it. Or paid premiums, but company wouldn't cover the full cost for care. [telling personal stories...]
Nobody should be treated that way in the U.S., that'll change this year. [HUGE APPLAUSE]
It's been a century since Teddy Roosevelt tried to get reform.. we can't sustain it any longer.
If we do nothing, your premiums will rise faster than your wages. Businesses will close down, fewer will open in first place. We'll be spending more than Medicare/caid than every program combined. Not an option. I may not be first, but I'll be last to take up hcr. [HUGE APPLAUSE] We'll get it done this year.
Good news: We're closer now than ever. Solid agreement on 80%, that's never happened before.
Coalition of drs, nurses, hospitals, sr's groups, even drug companies. They know it won't be stopped, want to be on board.
Partisan spectacle now... Scare tactics v. honest debate. Score short term political points instead of solving longterm challenges. THE TIME FOR BICKERING IS OVER, time for games is past... time for action, time to deliver on health care for every American. [HUGE APPLAUSE, YES WE CAN, YES WE CAN]
A lot of misinformation out there. I want you to know about the plan, so when you talk to your friends, you can say, here's what's going on.
More security, stability for those w/ insur, and provide insur. for those who don't. Slow the growth of health care costs for families, businesses, govt. If you have insurance, NOTHING IN THIS PLAN WILL REQUIRE YOU OR EMPLOYER TO CHANGE COVERAGE OR DOCTOR. Repeats it.
What it will do is make it work better for you. Against law to deny coverage for preexisting conditions [HUGE APPLAUSE]... or get dropped when you get sick, or water it down... or place some arbitrary cap....We will place a limit on charges for out of pocket expenses. Nobody should go broke because they got sick. [HUGE APPLAUSE]
Insur. co's must cover routine check ups, preventive care, mammograms, colonscopies, etc. [HUGE APPLAUSE]
With no insurance? You can get covered. Affordably. NOT by some govt. takeover, but w/ a marketplace where indivs' and sm. businesses can shop for a plan. One big group of uninsured Amer's can drive down costs [CO-OPS... UH OH] You should get the same deal that members of Congress get. [HUGE APPLAUSE]
If you STILL can't afford, we'd provide you/sm. bus. owners tax credits. In the first few years to set up the exchange, you need immediate help, those w/ preexisting conditions... there will be coverage.
One option, ONE... most who offer coverage will be private.. one should be PUBLIC INSURANCE OPTION [HUGE APPLAUSE]. I want to be clear: It would only be AN OPTION. Nobody is forced to choose it, nobody w/ insur. would be affected by it. It would keep pressure on private insurance.
Same as private v. public colleges, universities. Same should be true of health care.
I'm open to different ideas, but I won't back down from basic principle of providing a choice. I'll make sure no govt or insur. bureaucrat gets between you and coverage you need.
How to pay for it? Legit concern. We inherited some big deficits/debts, and have big econ. crisis. We need control of our federal budget. First, I WILL NOT SIGN A PLAN THAT ADDS ONE DIME TO DEFICITS, NOW OR IN FUTURE, NO IFS, ANDS, OR BUTS.
Iraq War, tax cuts were what I was faced with. I won't make those same mistakes when it comes to hcr.
Next: Savings within existing system, money that's wasted, abuse... Drs, nurses determined that there's waste, not must me. Same with Medicare/caid. Distortions cleared up: WE HAVE STOOD UP FOR SR'S NOT HAVING TO STRUGGLE WITH MEDICAL BILLS. THAT IS THE ESSENCE OF MEDICARE, IT REMAINS A SACRED TRUST. Not one dollar of Medicare fund will be used, we will not be lowering benefits for srs. We will eliminate $$ of waste and fraud, and subsidies to insurance co's.
Next: Create independent commissions of medical experts, to ensure srs. will have Medicare. We can use savings for prescription drug costs. So don't pay attention to scary stories of how your benefits will be cut. The ones who accuse are the ones who have talked about cutting Medicare in the past.
Making Medicare more efficient helps reduce costs elsewhere. Look at Mayo Clinic and what id does. We want to help country learn from Mayo. That'll save everyone $.
Reduce infection rates, teach drs. how to work together... take fewer tests, email to all the drs. Common sense solutions.
Plan: Ideas from both parties... seek common ground in weeks ahead. I'll listen to serious proposals, but I WILL NOT WASTE TIME TO THOSE WHO THINK IT'S GOOD POLITICS TO KILL HEALTH CARE [HUGE APPLAUSE]. I'M NOT GONNA ALLOW SPECIAL INTERESTS TO USE SAME OLD TACTICS, ALLOW PEOPLE TO MISREPRESENT MY CLAIMS, OR ACCEPT THE STATUS QUO.
We are closer than ever before. This is the hard part, when special interests want to bring me down, scare, intimidate you... so I need your help. [applause]
Pundits say maybe you're doing too much. Pushing too far, too fast. [crowd: noooo] I never said change would be easy. When FDR intro'ed Soc. Security [boos?] they called it socialism. But sr's. decided protection was worth fighting for. When Medicare was intro'd, they said, gov't. takeover, but imagine what sr's. would go thru now w/o Medicare.
I've always believed change comes from the bottom up, begins with you, sharing your stories, fighting for something better. That's what's happening right now. [crowd's going wild, yes we can]
I asked if you were fired up [crowd goes nuts], some have heard that story. [He retells it]
There you go. : )
One voice can make a difference. Fired up? Ready to go? They can't stop us, let's go get this done!
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