Obama Fields Question From Feisty NRA Member At Town Hall (VIDEO)

President Obama explains to a questioner from the National Rifle Association at Friday's town hall meeting in Montana how the administration plans to pay for covering 46 million uninsured Americans. "We're going to get money from somewhere," the President said. "The truth of the matter is, we've got to get over this notion that somehow we can have something for nothing. Because that's part of how we got into the deficits and the debt that we're in in the first place."

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Comments

[Grooveline718]

Ok, look, I think so many of the comments at these townhall meetings have been idiotic and the people asking them downright rude and scary.

But come on! After I read the headline I was expecting something along the lines of that idiotic woman who said she didn't want the US to become like Russia or that guy who brought a gun.

This is NOTHING like that. In fact Obama says at the end that he appreciated how respectfully Randy (the questioner) asked his question. The guy had a legitimate question, which Obama answer in a clear, concise and intelligent manner.

Why isn't the headline on HuffPo for this article simply "Democracy in Action Finally Working As It Should"

This site isn't supposed to jump on the bandwagon of sensationalizing everything.

Great video, misleading title. Nice to see a respectful question (albeit from someone with strong beliefs) and an intelligent President able to answer the question and respect the opposite view.

[SayonaraSnot]

It is sooooooo nice having a smart president again.

[huffingt]

read Pawlenty's sppech on politico. It may come later on H uff

Tim Pawlenty foresees GOP surge if health plan is rejected.
Can you imagine the REthugs?
They want the Pre sident to fail, Health care for Americans fail? so they can come in to power?
Another poisonous pawlenty mushroom head popping up.
We really need to make GOP powerless completely.

[chedet]

Why do republicans always start their questions or ranting with " I believe in the constitution..." ?? Is there like a written script somewhere that I'm not aware of?? What good is a constitution if you only practice it at your convenience and when it's not convenient to you, you just throw it off (i.e bush, cheney...) ?? What's the deal with being scared of the government anyway? Kind of stupid since you need the government to, well, govern you. Are there any great empires out there that doesn't have a government? America is the only place on earth, I think, where people vote against their own interests.

[LeftLeanWing]

They like to metaphorically wrap themselves in artifacts and imagery:

flags, constitution, bible, flag pins military, religion, piety etc.

They make these proclaimations to simple to ' Claim It' as the exclusive domain.
If you don't agree their views then you are considered anti- all of the above...

But they go even further by defining their opposition with bad labels and imagery:
socialism, euthanasia, thuggery, anti-christian, lazy, dependent and a whole slew of other -ism etc.

[kburlz]

I don't know if I would say that he was fiesty, but he clearly wanted to get in Obama's face a little. There was an implied "you got a problem with that" when he said he was in the NRA, and an implied "you're a socialist" when he said he believes in the Constitution, but I'll take this guy's dissent any day over birthers.

[JoeySoCal]

Doing us right Mr. President. Keep up the good work.

Please decouple health insurance from employment !!! It is such a drag on mobility !!! Allow people pay into the same insurance fund from the time they are young to the time they are old, this is the only way genuine value is extracted !!!

[kburlz]

"I get my news from the cable networks cause I don't like the spin you get from other places."

What more needs to be said?

[LeftLeanWing]

I WATCH FOX NEWS - implied...

[TheSpecter]

A couple of Birthers are hunting out in the woods when one of them grabs his chest and falls to the ground. He don't seem to be breathing and his eyes are rolled back in his head.

The other Birther whips out his mobile phone and calls 911. He gasps to the operator...

"Christ almight, Bubba's dead! What the heck can I do?"

The operator, in a calm soothing voice says, "Sir, just take it easy. I can help you ... First, lets make sure he's dead."

The 911 operator hears a few moments of silence, then suddenly hears a shot.

Jim-Bob's voice comes back on the line. "OK, he's dead all right. Now what?"

[hansulrichrudel]

Even if Obama wouldn't visit his native country of Kenya on his recent trip to Africa at least he sent Hillary there. Maybe she even found a copy of his long lost birth certificate in Nairobi.

[TheSpecter]

Q. What did the Birther do with his his first 50 cent piece?

A. He married her!

[huffingt]

We don't want our country to be like Russia but we will follow Russian Or ly
We are informed citizens, thus follow Pa li n, to see Russia from her porch
We don't want socialism but social security, unemployment insurance and medicare
We want our country back - back from intellectual people
We don't want govt. bureaucrats; we can elect govt. Mo rans
We don't need to show my birth certificate, but demand others to show theirs
We want States right for governance & succession but could use some stimulus money
We don't want govt control but stand by me at every crises & Katrina in my life
We are Americans so we exercise our rights over others
We are unique in our stu pi dity, so, America is the only place for me
We are not angry mob, unamerican, nor militias, just boring left over teabagans
We ha te color people, but, presently on vacation in Puerto Rico to TAN my skin
We yell at meetings to say- hands off when my foot is in my mouth
We have values, good ones, but hard to practice in C. street when lights are off
We don't mind false sided F. news when delivered with a Tear
We are fearful of death panel as it prohibits us from pulling the plug on my rich relatives
We know amendments –to conceal drugs, alcohol, gu ns & soul mates
We understand constitution-"Our forefathers & Sotomayor wrote something.I know she did”

[up2uamerica]

Sorry I ment the people who make these statements

[TheSpecter]

Put some soft Latin jazz behind it and I think you've got a hit.

[Dustee]

**"Mr President, I'm a member of the NRA"**

I guess he thought the President would say that's against the law. It's pitiful that this country has a boatload of misinformed people walking around thinking the President will take away their we.apons.

[JNagarya]

Yeah? And the NRA has 2,000,00 members -- a statistically insignificant minority that is doing everything it can to shove its anti-Constitutional agenda down the throats of the rest of us.

[IbeHappy]

Fiesty? I don't think that applies very well. The man did come off with a small chip on his shoulder, "I'm a lifetime NRA member and I believe in the Constitution", but I don't think he was that fiesty. He didn't raise his voice and asked his question. That is as it should be. And then the President replied to his question. If all the town halls could be as decent as this one was, then people might get some knowledge and have a better understanding of the issues. Some won't change their minds, but certainly will come away realizing we all need to get along to work together for America.

[pokey11]

I've seen quite a few liberal critics say the president lacks heart in this debate and is not a fighter. He looked like a fighter today to me. He was also able to do it with class as well. He is not perfect and will make mistakes ( as he himself told us to expect ) but I don't think anyone on either side can deny that the man is VERY hard worker. I haven't seen a work rate like that in years. I don't know if it's because of his relatively young age or his background ( commnity organizing ) but the man obviously loves his country and is energized to fight for the little guy ( of every race ) every day. He may not win all the battles ( his opponents are very powerful as well ) but if he can at least win most of them I will definitely vote for him again in 2012. I'll never forget on election night when he won said his victory by itself was not the change alone that we seek but simply a chance to make that change. After this I think the two other major nasty battles with the GOP will be on Cap and Trade and immigration reform. I predict that if he wins the rest of these in addition to the economy fully turning around due to his stimulus he and the Dems will win by major lanslides in 2010 and 2012.

[TheSpecter]

Q: What do you call 32 Birthers in one room?

A: A full set of teeth.

[TheSpecter]

Q. What do you call 88 Birthers at an orgy?

A. A family reunion

[JNagarya]

I heard it was 69.