Yet again, President Obama has given his opponents enough rope with which to hang themselves.

about time. THIS is what is needed, baby.

Less speechifying and more leadership, please.

I agree! He (and it, in general) was great. He just makes so much sense and is so likable when he's interacting with people that there is no way that it doesn't have an effect on a large majority of skeptical but reasonable people.

Even Fox News was carrying it live online so I am assuming they carried it live on TV. . .hopefully at least a few of their people are enlightened and thinking this afternoon.

Mr. Awesomeness: FTW!

BHO is trying to use his pulpit to bully those with opposing views. He is trying to deprive them of their God-given First Amendment rights. Let's hope the public won't be deceived.

Al...When did the Founders become God?

Al....

First off, the First Amendment is not a God given right, it's part of the Constitution.

Secondly, what the President is trying to do is get the truth out there because of people like you that make shit up. This crap about death panels and being forced into different options is crap.

If you have health insurance that you like, keep it and call it a day.

You tell'em Al! How dare Obama give actual facts to combat the litany of distortions and lies masquerading as the vocalized opposing view?!?!!? It's their right to mislead as many people, including themselves, as possible. One more step down the road of fascism . . . no Socialism . . . no, no, Obamism!

Lies are not opposing views -- they are just lies.

The health care debate may be our last chance to demonstrate that we can govern ourselves. Hysterical stupid and ignorant people shouting lies are not the stuff of which a free people are made. They are the brownshirts -- useful tools of those who want to squeeze every last nickel our of us before the country collapses entirely.

The sad thing is that most of the changes being shouted down are in the long term national security interest -- and even the financial interests of those who seem to think they benefit themselves by making sure others suffer.

Al, since when did your right to freedom of speech mean that I and everyone who supports President Obama and want healthcare reform must be deprived of our freedom of speech.

I dare say that most if not all of us who voted for President Obama wanted healthcare reform. We won. You lost. All the President is doing is following through on what he promised: healthcare reform.

Al - Let's hope the public won't be deceived

Who do you think Obama is, Bush?

As someone who has lived most of my life in a country with universal health care (it was great) I am speechless when I see people, who apparently have healthcare with signs that say that giving healthcare to the poor and the unemployed somehow is taking away the rights of Americans and making them socialists. Why do they think that treating the sick is not a christian thing to do, would they let someone die without care? Other countries have compassion for the sick, are we on a dangerous evil road to disaster? When they say - no government healthcare, some of them - obviously over 65 just need to turn in their social security, medicare cards - problem fixed. Right?

Actually, I couldn't imagine a worse outcome for this group than to shout down Obama at a town hall. There are still a lot of people who are ignorant about this group, and capturing it on live TV on every major station would turn off everybody who wasn't already on their side. Bring 'em on, I say.

al is a parody troll.

"Health Insurance Reform"???

JS wonders,

Why do they think that treating the sick is not a christian thing to do, would they let someone die without care?

I wouldn't get too starry-eyed about Obama's Portsmouth appearance. They're just words, you know. At the end of the day, we have a president with broad majorities in both houses and he's sitting by while they work out a sub-par bill. Likely, a VERY sub-par bill which will save the insurance companies' bottom lines at the expense of American lives.

There's nothing more I'd like to see than a truly progressive agenda carried out but few Democrats are truly progressive. They've bent over backwards for so many years trying to appease their friends across the aisle and big business that they've forgotten they're supposed to be representing regular people.

As far as the right goes, they're apoplectic right now and spewing idiotic lies and talking points because they know that if any health care bill of merit was passed, and the truth trickles down to the American people (the wacky ones who vote R), then they're pretty much finished.

It's not enough to have Democratic majorities when they're in name only.

Obama, so far, has done far more for "defense" contractors, Wall Street, big Pharma and Republicans than he's done for the little guy on Main Street.

For the first time in decades we have a chance to make substantive improvements in this country and we're pissing it away under the guise of bipartisanship. It's really more about money & power, I expect, but the end result is the same: bad for our country.

But by all means, let's celebrate Obama's oratory powers. When his actions match his words, let me know.

This is a classic example of someone who would benefit most from Obama's plan, but is coming out against it. It's like the poor white folks who voted Republican in the last few elections.

Oops, posted comment in the wrong area.. but my point is, the people who are against Obama's plan are aligning themselves with the insurance companies.

Warning: double post. It's that important...

Well, maybe Team Obama and the DNC and Steny Hoyer etc. can pay some attention to what's been happening down here in Austin at Lloyd Doggett's town halls. Two weeks ago, as national news reported, teabaggers shut down discussion at Doggett's first meeting and chased him to his car, shouting him and everyone else down as they went. Then, at a meeting out in Bastrop (hardly true blue), Dems brought in the sheriff and fire marshal and packed the hall early, whereupon the marshals closed the doors when the hall reached capacity, thus forcing dozens of nattering, sputtering, and sniping nincompoops to stand outside in the heat and allowing what I heard was a great meeting. Then last Saturday, at a meeting at a local federally funded community health clinic, hundreds of pro-reform advocates showed up and repeatedly out-shouted and out-maneuvered the whack jobs, thus allowing an incredible pro- and con- debate monitored by Rep. Doggett. Today, at an open meeting for the city school district, Doggett gave an uninterrupted speech and brilliantly fielded questions (again, pro and con) about health care reform. Bottom line: while there are some legitimate concerns being voiced, when the debate proceeds as civil discourse there is no doubt that reform advocates will win the day. But unless those who support reform GET OUT TO THESE MEETINGS AND SHOW SOME STRENGTH - both in numbers and passion - all the messaging at the top will not outweigh what's happening on the ground. Democracy at work, folks.

"Christians" in this country confuse capitalism with christianity and America with the promised land. The mega churches have preached prosperity christianity for far to long: meaning that if you are a "good" christian, God will bless you with prosperity. American exceptionalism is God's blessing. Therefore, if you apologize for or even acknowledge America's indiscretions, you are going to make God angry and the prosperity/blessing will go away. Like the theology of "The Family" it doesn't matter what we do, because we are "chosen" to lead the world.

I don't know what the answer is, but we have to stamp out ignorance first and teach our children critical thinking skills so they won't be easily manipulated. Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert are popular with young people. Their methods of teaching are crucial and there is hope. You can't seem to make any headway confronting this kind of ignorance head on. Humor helps more than you know.

Issue manufacturing aside, thank GAWD John McCain chose Sarah Palin as a running mate because otherwise there might have been a President McCain. Things could be so much worse! Once this bill is passed all US government employees including Congress and the President and the military should be on the public option (as mandatory), Throw that one in the bill and you'll see it come out pretty sweet!

Im fed up with the pretty speeches. I didnt vote for Obama to see him just talk his way through...I want some goddamn action. Im tired of the minority running the show. Democrats should be steamrolling their agenda and the good things that we need to have done. Talk is cheap, do something Obama.

That is the Barocky I remember for the campaign -- great event!

I wish Obama had emphasized at the end in response to the question about how the system could accommodate 50 million more insured that this is a job creating opportunity.

Otherwise, he did fine. I am uncomfortable with the prospect of him doing more of these in Red Zone America, however. These people are in the grip of mass psychosis.