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President Obama to Health Care Reform Opponents: Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness
August 19, 2009 6:43 PM
ABC News’ Jake Tapper and Karen Travers report:
In a conference call with liberal and progressive religious leaders Wednesday afternoon, President Obama railed against those who were “bearing false witness” in the debate over health care reform.
“I know there's been a lot of misinformation in this debate, and there are some folks out there who are, frankly, bearing false witness, but I want everyone to know what health insurance reform is all about,” the president said.
“Thou shalt not bear false witness against your neighbor,” is, of course, one of the Ten Commandments. (It’s the 9th Commandment in all religions except for the Catholic and Lutheran traditions, in which it’s the 8th.)
Mr. Obama pointed the finger at unnamed sources for the “distortion(s)” “fabrications” and “ludicrous ideas” in the debate over health care reform and rebutted specific “divisive and deceptive attacks.”
The president said the bill would not provide health insurance for illegal immigrants, or as he called them, “illegal aliens.” “That's not true. There's a specific provision in the bill that does not provide health insurance for those individuals.”
“You've heard that this is a government takeover of health care,” the president said. “That's not true. You've heard that this is all going to…mean government funding of abortion. Not true.”
Mr. Obama said these claims were “fabrications that have been put out there in order to discourage people from meeting what I consider to be a core ethical and moral obligation, and that is that we look out for one another, that I am my brother's keeper, I am my sister's keeper, and in the wealthiest nation on Earth right now, we are neglecting to live up to that call.”
Mr. Obama called on the religious leaders to help him share the good word about health care reform and set the record straight.
“I need you to knock on doors, talk to your neighbors. I need you to spread the facts and speak the truth,” he said.
-Jake Tapper and Karen Travers
August 19, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (157)
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No That would be the Rothschilds.
Posted by: Keelie | Oct 29, 2009 12:03:10 PM
I personally think that Obama would not have been made president if he had been white. But since he is black, and we all wanted to make history by electing the first ever black president, we voted for him. We didnt all consider the issues. We didnt really think about his platform, we just wanted to make history. Now, Obama is still new to his office, and yet he is already working for this healthcare reform, that is literally a death penalty for some people. Simply because they stand the less chance of surviving...however, have you not heard of miracles?? Miracles can occur. And we shouldnt try to be God by letting people die, when we may have the power to save them. In addition, how dare Obama call on religious leaders, when he is for abortion is now also for death penalty?!
I think that we should all stand
together and firmly tell Obama to
"revise" his plan. For this plan is
nothing more than a death penalty to our
beloved ones.
Posted by: Avalin Sanchez | Sep 8, 2009 3:52:20 AM
Personally what I would like to see is all for profit health insurance be legally changed to non-profit health insurance agencies. People should see a major cut in prices then! Secondly, I do think that the public option can coexist with non-profit health insurance. Here's how, Anyone who buys their own insurance doesn't pay the tax for the public option. Anyone who doesn't buy their own insurance gets taxed for being on the public option. Why tax those who use the public option? Simple, you pay for what you use. Plus, some of those that would end up on the public option are the ones who could get insurance through their jobs but they do not elect to.
Posted by: Brian Pride | Sep 3, 2009 1:22:17 PM
I, personally feel that Obama was pushed into office due to the liberal sites, like ABC news. I never saw such love, devotion for the president elect, except with him. He is taking away our rights, liberty and freedoms-everything about America, yet we continue to 'believe that he is the one' for this country. I am ashamed that I have a president that supports abortion, and total government control. He denies anything with Christian values, so it is very hard for me to find him pleasing, although I guess we just have to accept his 'dictatorship.' The people that think he is Mr. Right will disagree in the end, once you have no control and government forces you to live your life under their command.
Posted by: Kate | Aug 24, 2009 10:50:58 AM
When Palin lied by calling end of life care a "Death Panel", the President did not act fast enough condemning her, IMO. I'm glad he spoke as he did.
I think HR 3200 is flawed. It's vague, and there is too much wiggle room for corrupt senators to give away our money to insurance companies and HMO's.
We need to have some intelligent discourse on the healthcare crisis. It is a very complicated problem, touching on religion, morals, finance, politics, and (the reality of) pain and death.
Calling names and screaming does not solve the problem. If you think there is no problem, please think again.
We pay more and get less than every other country in the world. 10,000 Americans lose health insurance EVERY DAY because they lose their job, or just can't afford the insurance cost.
Posted by: Mark in Boston | Aug 22, 2009 2:50:38 AM
Say it ain't so, Reflect09 - Eva's a plagiarist AND a socialist to boot?
Posted by: J. Biden | Aug 21, 2009 6:03:35 PM
Once again the socialists call the truth all lies and the lies all truth.
Posted by: Reflect09 | Aug 21, 2009 1:15:47 PM
Or who knows what Rush Limbaugh is saying.
Posted by: Pitt Knicker | Aug 21, 2009 7:41:29 AM
Hmm, Rush Limbaugh claims Obama’s health care plan is the Conyers bill, HR 676.
Limbaugh: “Obama's health care plan will be, one, written by a committee whose head says he doesn't understand it -- that would be John Conyers -- his health care plan will be, two, passed by Congress that has not read it; number three, signed by a president who smokes; four, funded by a Treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes; five, overseen by a Surgeon General who is obese; and, six, financed by a country that's nearly broke. What could possibly go wrong with this?“
Posted by: Pitt Knicker | Aug 21, 2009 7:38:32 AM
“What e-mail did Eva copy from? And how does anyone know what in the bill?”
The bill in question is HR 3200. It’s available on the web.
From Politifact, July 30th:
It may be the longest chain e-mail we've ever received. A page-by-page analysis of the House health care bill argues that reform will end the health care system as we know it: "Page 29: Admission: your health care will be rationed! ... Page 42: The 'Health Choices Commissioner' will decide health benefits for you. You will have no choice. ... Page 50: All non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free health care services."
Most of what the e-mail says is wrong. In fact, it's a clearinghouse of bad information circulating around the Web about proposed health care changes, so we thought it would be helpful to address a bunch of its claims…
_______________________________________
The entire article can be found on the Politifact web site.
Posted by: Rudy to toot | Aug 21, 2009 7:11:04 AM
Rudy, I listen to Rush every day. What e-mail did Eva copy from? And how does anyone know what in the bill?
Posted by: Amy Proctor | Aug 21, 2009 6:34:50 AM
Welll is there or is there not a health care reform bill that we can all access for ourselves? I have links to one Congressional version from June 14, 2009 and one Senate version from July, but Obama keeps saying his critics can't criticize because there's no bill yet, but he keeps saying what the bill contains.
So which is it? Why not just suspend the debate until a bill is ready to be voted on, give the American people and politicians 3 weeks to look it over and then have a national debate?
Posted by: Amy Proctor | Aug 21, 2009 6:33:35 AM
“I also have a copy of the bill and I have examined the first 500 pages of lies and inuindo.”
Don’t even go there, Eva Brown. You copied line-for-line from the bogus email that Palinistas and Limbaughers are been circulating. Go to Politifact and read what they have to say about that email.
Posted by: Rudy | Aug 21, 2009 2:52:11 AM
Obama is getting desparate if he's quoting scripture. He had no problem covering the name of Jesus in his speech at Georgetown. He'll use anyone and say anything to push his agenda.
Posted by: Pancho | Aug 21, 2009 2:46:01 AM
I also have a copy of the bill and I have examined the first 500 pages of lies and inuindo. Yes the illegal aliens will get free health care once they give them all aminesty. Below is what the first 500 pages really said
•
Page 22: Mandates audits of all employers that self-insure!
• Page 29: Admission: your health care will be rationed!
• Page 30: A government committee will decide what treatments and benefits you get (and, unlike an insurer, there will be no appeals process)
• Page 42: The "Health Choices Commissioner" will decide health benefits for you. You will have no choice. None.
• Page 50: All non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free healthcare services.
• Page 58: Every person will be issued a National ID Health card.
• Page 59: The federal government will have direct, real-time access to all individual bank accounts for electronic funds transfer.
• Page 65: Taxpayers will subsidize all union retiree and community organizer health plans (read: SEIU, UAW and ACORN)
• Page 72: All private healthcare plans must conform to government rules to participate in a Healthcare Exchange.
• Page 84: All private healthcare plans must participate in the Healthcare Exchange (i.e., total government control of private plans)
• Page 91: Government mandates linguistic infrastructure for services; translation: illegal aliens
• Page 95: The Government will pay ACORN and AmeriCorps to sign up individuals for Government-run Health Care plan.
• Page 102: Those eligible for Medicaid will be automatically enrolled: you have no choice in the matter.
• Page 124: No company can sue the government for price-fixing. No "judicial review" is permitted against the government monopoly. Put simply, private insurers will be crushed.
• Page 127: The AMA sold doctors out: the government will set wages.
• Page 145: An employer MUST auto-enroll employees into the government-run public plan. No alternatives.
• Page 126: Employers MUST pay healthcare bills for part-time employees AND their families.
• Page 149: Any employer with a payroll of $400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays an 8% tax on payroll
• Page 150: Any employer with a payroll of $250K-400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays a 2 to 6% tax on payroll
• Page 167: Any individual who doesn’t' have acceptable healthcare (according to the government) will be taxed 2.5% of income.
• Page 170: Any NON-RESIDENT alien is exempt from individual taxes (Americans will pay for them).
• Page 195: Officers and employees of Government Healthcare Bureaucracy will have access to ALL American financial and personal records.
• Page 203: "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax." Yes, it really says that.
• Page 239: Bill will reduce physician services for Medicaid. Seniors and the poor most affected."
• Page 241: Doctors: no matter what specialty you have, you'll all be paid the same (thanks, AMA!)
• Page 253: Government sets value of doctors' time, their professional judgment, etc.
• Page 265: Government mandates and controls productivity for private healthcare industries.
• Page 268: Government regulates rental and purchase of power-driven wheelchairs.
• Page 272: Cancer patients: welcome to the wonderful world of rationing!
• Page 280: Hospitals will be penalized for what the government deems preventable re-admissions.
• Page 298: Doctors: if you treat a patient during an initial admission that results in a readmission, you will be penalized by the government.
• Page 317: Doctors: you are now prohibited for owning and investing in healthcare companies!
• Page 318: Prohibition on hospital expansion. Hospitals cannot expand without government approval.
• Page 321: Hospital expansion hinges on "community" input: in other words, yet another payoff for ACORN.
• Page 335: Government mandates establishment of outcome-based measures: i.e., rationing.
• Page 341: Government has authority to disqualify Medicare Advantage Plans, HMOs, etc.
• Page 354: Government will restrict enrollment of SPECIAL NEEDS individuals.
• Page 379: More bureaucracy: Telehealth Advisory Committee (healthcare by phone).
• Page 425: More bureaucracy: Advance Care Planning Consult: Senior Citizens, assisted suicide, euthanasia?
• Page 425: Government will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney, etc. Mandatory. Appears to lock in estate taxes ahead of time.
• Page 425: Government provides approved list of end-of-life resources, guiding you in death.
• Page 427: Government mandates program that orders end-of-life treatment; government dictates how your life ends.
• Page 429: Advance Care Planning Consult will be used to dictate treatment as patient's health deteriorates. This can include an ORDER for end-of-life plans. An ORDER from the GOVERNMENT.
• Page 430: Government will decide what level of treatments you may have at end-of-life.
• Page 469: Community-based Home Medical Services: more payoffs for ACORN.
• Page 472: Payments to Community-based organizations: more payoffs for ACORN.
• Page 489: Government will cover marriage and family therapy. Government intervenes in your marriage.
• Page 494: Government will cover mental health services: defining, creating and rationing those services.
Posted by: Eva Brown | Aug 21, 2009 2:12:04 AM
Usually in this country when there is some reform or change it is expected there will be resistance. Often religious references are used because they are easy to blame. I feel the president is trying to make a difference in health care and for once we should wait and see if Washington will 'walk the talk'. As it is, our system right now is pathetic and we have no choice.
Jitesh Chawla, MD
Posted by: Jitesh Chawla | Aug 21, 2009 12:56:02 AM
The supposedly eloquent president is guilty of a surprisingly bad malapropism -- or blasphemy.
Posted by: Mike | Aug 20, 2009 8:38:05 PM
oh yeah,the bush admin is long gone.we didnt hire this guy to to keep looking behind but to take us forward.so all that inheritence crap is for the birds!!!-GOVERNMENT IS THE PROBLEM.
Posted by: ben | Aug 20, 2009 4:49:33 PM
If its so good why arent they on it?And hes his brothers keeper, why was his aunt living in the slum.Wow.It doesnt add up.ALL TALK.NEXTTTTTTT!!!!!
Posted by: ben | Aug 20, 2009 4:44:18 PM
Since I cant seem to to through to these idiots in this country......
I need you to knock on doors, talk to your neighbors. I need you to spread the facts and speak the truth, he said.
Posted by: Mike_C | Aug 20, 2009 4:03:55 PM
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