Obama's Town Hall on August 11: Real Story Behind the Rhetoric

The President hosted a health care reform town hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on Tuesday August 11, 2009. His remarks were extensive and he took questions.In the spirit of informed and vigorous debate, let’s look at what the President said about the pending legislation at this Portsmouth town hall as it relates to the following:

• The President’s overpromise that everyone can keep their health plan
• Putting the government in charge of your health insurance
• Waiting in line
• Government-mandated benefits
• Preventive care does not save money (in the aggregate)
• The House bill would increase short-term, 10th year, and long-term budget deficits
• The President was incorrect – AARP opposes the bill
• The bills would take Medicare savings needed for solvency and spend them on a new entitlement
• The President says he’s not “promoting” a single-payer plan, but the only concern he raises is a disruptive transition.
• The President trashes the U.S. Postal Service and undermines the case that government can run a complex health system.
• There are 46 million people who are technically uninsured, but the target population is probably one-third to one-half that size.