a little arm-twisting with an attending physician...

I wonder if Obama's former physician from Chicago was one of the many present. Regardless, this is an impressive step and may carry much weight. Imagine a winger asking his/her doc where he/she stands on universal healthcare legislation. They will only ask if they want to hear the answer, which may differ from their position.

"Calling Doctor LBJ, calling Doctor LBJ. . ."

And yet the AMA is the organization chiefly responsible over many years for lobbying that prevented any reasonable health-care system in the U.S. The AMA should have zero credibility based on their past performance.

And yet the AMA is the organization chiefly responsible over many years for lobbying that prevented any reasonable health-care system in the U.S. The AMA should have zero credibility based on their past performance.
Posted by: bob

actually, just the opposite. the ama's support underscores the need for reform because of its previous opposition.

St. John -- Obama's former Chicago physician is on record as saying that black people have worse health care than whites and he also has advocated a British-style single payer system. So Obama has made a great effort to distance himself from him saying, "I just go there to get my shots; I don't read all his papers," and "He was an important doctor in that period of my life, but I've moved on," and "I've asked that doctor to remove me from his patient list; and he's also cancelled the subscription for 'Time' magazine, which he said he only ordered for me since nobody else would read it."

Sad times.

inkadu: I am sorry to hear that about O's former doc. I've heard him speak and he makes a lot of sense. Too bad O is sometimes so sensitive to what people say about his friends and associates that he will distance himself, rather than offer authentic support for thier candor and commitment to a greater good for all.

So now Obama has sicked his SEIU thugs on these doctors and forced them to publicly pretend to support healthcare reform.

With these strong arm tactics it's no wonder people are taking to the streets to protest the tyranny. Freedom will out.

DrsforAmerica sponsored this one, not the AMA. Check it out.

Inkadu - I wanted to find out more about the context of those Obama quotes you gave regarding him distancing himself from his doctor, but Google turns up nothing for any of those quotes, or even parts of the quotes. Are those paraphrases of what he said, or what?

Secondly, what I did find on this shows that Obama's former doctor is critical of Obama's plan, as he doesn't think it'll work, as it's not aggressive enough. So in that regard, it really isn't that surprising that Obama might distance himself from that. It's not just that the guy advocates single-payer, but that he's criticizing the plan Obama advocates. I don't think Obama would be helped by these sorts of friends.

As for myself, I also oppose single-payer. If we get a public option and it turns out to be good, we'll all be in single-payer before too long. But I think that forcing everyone to lose their current insurance all at once would be an epic blunder, for political and policy reasons.

I fully support insuring the underinsured, but I happen to like my current insurance and don't want to gamble it all on a single-payer plan. This is already what conservatives say Obama is trying to do. I fail to see how it would help if we proved them right.

... a British-style single payer system.

A not-so-little quibble: National Health in Britain is a single-provider system, in that NHS actually employs the health care providers. Canada's Medicare is a single-payer system, in that while the medical providers are typically employed by private agencies, they share a single insurance payer.

The difference is substantial. As far as I can tell, *nobody* has called for a NHS-style system in the US, while many people have called for an expansion of Medicare to create a single-payer system comparable to Canada's Medicare.

-Z

As long as he didn't use Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, and Dr. Howard...

I assume inkadu is making a Jeremiah Wright joke.

Regarding those doctors on the stage with him... Very good (and not so subtle) choice, but I'm gonna pull the Jewish Mama shtick here: so, he couldn't find anyone in Conrad's and Baucus' states? Would 6 doctors on the stage with him be too much for such an important event?

These aren't doctors. They're liberals with medical degrees.

Mike Deaver woulda been jealous.

It's all about the images.

Satire has hijacked an entire thread. Oh, dear.

Why be subtle?

Dr. Garner very effective on Newshour last night.

Myke says, "So now Obama has sicked his SEIU thugs on these doctors and forced them to publicly pretend to support healthcare reform.
With these strong arm tactics it's no wonder people are taking to the streets to protest the tyranny. Freedom will out."

Back here on Planet Earth, I am one of those doctors who was at the WH, supporting reform. We are Doctors for America and we represent the overwhelming majority of physicians favoring reform.

8 of the 10 largest physician organizations favor HB 3200:
http://cmhmd.blogspot.com/2009/10/american-psychiatric-association-voted.html

I know there are old tyme physicians out there, but their number is dwindling - though they are very vocal!

Cheers,