Obama: Keeping His Congressional Health Insurance

During the HuffPost/Yahoo!/Slate Candidate Mashup, Barack Obama told Charlie Rose that he would not be joining Sen. Sherrod Brown in his pledge to give up his congressional health insurance until every American had coverage.

"I think the sentiment is exactly right," said Obama, who then joked: "I need to talk to [Brown's] wife Connie and find out what kind of coverage she's got. Because we don't want him in a tough bind."

Obama then turned the discussion back to the plight of Americans who are uninsured or underinsured.

"I am meeting people everyday who are either bankrupt because they got sick or are in financial trouble because they got sick, have been denied coverage, have children who are not covered because the insurance companies have decided they have a pre-existing condition. It's an extraordinarily difficult burden on behalf of the American people, and it's one we can solve if we build the political movement to do it."

Comments

[dryfactoidobotanoid]

03:31 AM on 09/13/2007

http://a4.g.akamai.net/7/4/27043/v0001/kalw.download.akamai.com/27043/YourCall/091207yc.mp3
(mp3 file)
Rose Aguilar, Your Call, KALW
Frankenfood [09.12.07]

genetically modified foods. toxins. allergic reactions. no regulation or oversight. how to avoid GM foods.

[dryfactoidobotanoid]

02:09 AM on 09/13/2007

I heard Obama on the radio talk about how obesity is costing 300,000 lives a year in this country and $100+ billion in obesity-related health care costs.

therefore, Obama is the most credible candidate re healthcare.

I think the future of healthcare is employer-based health, fitness, and wellness programs, as business and industry realize that the health of their workers is an asset.

--- as an economic problem, health insurance like all insurance has the problem of creating a "moral hazard". I don't know what the answer is, but a creative economic answer is out there.

--- furthermore, toxicity in our food, toys, furniture, air, water, etc is part of the problem, yet they're not tied to healthcare issues. that needs to be folded into the overall debate.

[Audacity Of Hype]

09:15 PM on 09/12/2007

Barack has nothing to prove. Negotiation is the best way to get healthcare.