Obama Escalates Health Care Wars

"They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue."

--SEAN CONNERY as "Jim Malone," The Untouchables (1987)


"If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun."

--BARACK OBAMA, fundraiser in Philadelphia, (June 13, 2008)

You can take Obama out of Chicago, but you can't take the Chicago out of Obama.

WASHINGTON -- Top White House officials counseled Democratic senators Thursday on coping with disruptions at public events on health care this summer, officials said, and promised the party and allies would respond with twice the force if any individual lawmaker is criticized in television advertising.

These officials also told skittish senators that fresh polling suggests an emphasis on issues such as barring insurers from denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions is a political winner, able to increase support among independents, women, seniors and rural voters.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to discuss details of the closed-door session that took place hours before lawmakers headed to their home states for a monthlong vacation.

In the week since the House began its own break, several town hall-style meetings have been disrupted by noisy demonstrators. These episodes have drawn widespread media attention, and Republicans have seized on them as well as polls showing a decline in support for President Barack Obama and his agenda as evidence that public support is lacking for his signature legislation.

...Also Thursday, the AFL-CIO announced plans to mobilize labor activists to attend town hall meetings in 50 congressional districts this month to counter the conservative protesters.

White House aides David Axelrod and Jim Messina traveled to the Capitol for their presentation to Democratic senators. Senators saw videos of disruptions at events held by House members, and were told to organize their events more carefully as well as work with labor unions and other friendly groups to generate enthusiasm.

They also were urged to use these events to stress insurance reforms such as a limit on out-of-pocket expenses for those covered by insurance, a ban on coverage cancellation for the seriously ill and protections for small businesses.

Messina, the deputy White House chief of staff, also said any advertising attack would be met with a bigger response, these officials said.

The way the government is attempting to stifle dissent is scary.

Talk about mob activities!

The people are rising up against Obama and the Democrats' attempt to force government-run health care on them, a dissatisfied and unwilling population. Obama and his comrades respond by mobilizing their armies, unions, to squash them.

It's like a repressive regime.



I don't think Americans will be intimidated. Quality health care is too important to surrender. This is life and death.

Obama admits that he doesn't know what's in H.R. 3200.

John Conyers has no qualms about saying he has no intention of reading the bill.

Well, Americans know more.

An informed American public is Obama's enemy. The truth is his enemy.

Escalating these health care wars and besmirching the opposition is no way for Obama and the Democrats to react to legitimate debate.

The anger among dissenters grows stronger when they are insulted by those in power.