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UPDATE 1-Obama optimistic on weekend healthcare vote
* Obama slams insurance industry
* Vote expected Sunday to be "tough," Obama says
* Protesters at rally denounce "socialism" (Adds more quotes, background, color)
By Alister Bull
FAIRFAX, Va., March 19 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Friday he expected a tough vote this weekend, but Democrats were poised make history when the House of Representatives votes on his healthcare overhaul bill.
"Right now we are at the point where we are going to do something historic this weekend," Obama told a raucous audience at George Mason University, as Democratic congressional leaders scrambled to round up support for the plan to revamp the $2.5 trillion U.S. medical industry.
"If this vote fails, the insurance industry will continue to run amok. They will continue to deny people coverage. They will continue to deny people care. They will continue to jack up premiums 40 percent or 50 percent or 60 percent as they have in the last few weeks," he told the rally.
"That's why they're pouring millions of dollars into negative ads. That's why they're doing everything they can to kill this bill," Obama said in a fiery speech.
"The time for reform is now," he said.
After more than a year of intense debate, the House is expected to vote on Sunday on the sweeping healthcare overhaul, intended to extend insurance coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans.
The bill has faced solid Republican opposition, and Obama and his fellow Democrats were struggling to ensure enough votes from Democrats, who hold a majority of seats in both houses of Congress, to ensure its passage.
Republicans say the bill is too expensive at a time when the country is running massive budget deficits and represents an unwarranted government intrusion into Americans' relationship with their healthcare providers.
"I know this has been a difficult journey. I know this will be a tough vote. I know that everybody's counting votes right now in Washington," Obama said.
"We are going to get this done. We are going to make history," he exhorted the crowd.
The crowd of about 8,500 supporters loudly cheered Obama in the university's basketball arena, but a number of anti-reform activists were also heard. The occasional shout of "No socialism" rang out from the audience.
Several protesters left quietly once identified by the organizers, but one small woman in a brightly colored jacket had to be physically removed by a burly security officer, shrieking nonstop as she was bundled away.
(Additional reporting by Ross Colvin, writing by Patricia Zengerle, editing by Doina Chiacu)
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Why not install those large new tech batteries at schools across the country, or hospitals, and take these buildings off the grid? (The oil companies will not permit this, that’s why.)
Why not put that newest gadget into every internal combustion gas engine in EVERY car. The simple device that increases gasoline effeciency and gets 75 miles per gallon? You could do this now, today. THINK of the savings, the independence from foreign oil that EVERYONE in government always sqawks about. (The oil companies will not permit this, that’s why. Plus, GM destroyed and buried this idea 20 years ago, when it was first introduced.)
OH! And who taxes gas and deisel very heavily? The government. So, they talk, and talk, and talk but, when the answer is presented they do nothing but, talk, and talk, and talk…
GM Volt gets 40 miles. Wow! I can almost make it home from work in my new Volt. Why would I want to buy a car like that, that then has to be plugged into the power grid and cause more electricity to be consumed – uh, let’s see…more power consumption – think oil companies…
Just give me a car that get 75 miles from burning gasoline more efficiently. EVERY car equipped with this device that burns gasoline more efficiently – god it would be wonderful, a magnificent change. The air quality would improve, we could remove tons and tons of poisons from the air we breathe. We could except the oil companies who will not permit this and you people with the power to make this decision know when to lie down and do nothing but waste talk, and talk, and talk…
I was hoping that you, Obama, would do one of these great steps that would really make a sigficant change. At first you called a spade a spade and said something was ridiculous when it was ridiculous. I thought we finally had an honest, practical president who would make the CHANGEs, like your election slogans claimed. Guess you have been put in your place by the oil companies and GM, like all the rest. Sad. But still you make talk, and talk, and talk…don’t you? , around it…I dislike you now.
I have an idea. Put me in charge as a benevolent dictator for a few days. I will make the decisions you are forbidden from big interest to make. I will charge nothing for my decisions. You can then have the whole institute back and must Enforce the two decisions I made. Install the batteries, install the car device. Make that three decicions: bring back the armed forces from the middle east. They have $billions in oil profits and will not even help their own people. Why do you think it is your/our responsibility. Do you see Russia, Chinal, Venezuela pouring in and helping. No, they are chipping away at us with the rest of the world and causing us to lose our international good will. You should state that We the US will help another nation if The other Super powers contribute equally.
I wish you would read this, Mr. President. I wish you would read it live to the nation on TV and answer it with your spade is a spade independence you had.
All you stooges do is make talk, and talk, and talk, while the oil companies make $billions profit every few months. Damn…
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