30 July 2009 
Here is the email that President Obama sent yesterday to the White House email mailing list.
I have written a counterpoint.
From: President Barack Obama [mailto:info@messages.whitehouse.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 12:57 PM
To: John Doe
Subject: What health insurance reform means for you
Dear Friend,
If you’re like most Americans, there’s nothing more important to you about health care than peace of mind.
Given the status quo, that’s understandable. The current system often denies insurance due to pre-existing conditions, charges steep out-of-pocket fees – and sometimes isn’t there at all if you become seriously ill.
It’s time to fix our unsustainable insurance system and create a new foundation for health care security. That means guaranteeing your health care security and stability with eight basic consumer protections:
- No discrimination for pre-existing conditions
- No exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles or co-pays
- No cost-sharing for preventive care
- No dropping of coverage if you become seriously ill
- No gender discrimination
- No annual or lifetime caps on coverage
- Extended coverage for young adults
- Guaranteed insurance renewal so long as premiums are paid
Learn more about these consumer protections at Whitehouse.gov.
Over the next month there is going to be an avalanche of misinformation and scare tactics from those seeking to perpetuate the status quo. But we know the cost of doing nothing is too high. Health care costs will double over the next decade, millions more will become uninsured, and state and local governments will go bankrupt.
It’s time to act and reform health insurance, drive down costs and guarantee the health care security and stability of every American family. You can help by putting these core principles of reform in the hands of your friends, your family, and the rest of your social network.
Thank you,
Barack Obama
Dear Mr Obama….
I am wondering when you will start listening to the millions of Americans that dont agree with you. You keep putting us in the catagory of –those that listen to Hannity–those that listen to Rush….those at the Fox News Network–I DO NOT have the views of ANY extremist and I dont appreciate you–MR President –putting ME in that catagory!!! EVERY TIME you put down ANY “view” that is not your own, you are putting down millions of Americans that potentially ARE listening to what you have to say..just doesnt agree with EVERYTHING!!!
Yes–I do agree that we need changes to our current health care system….but NOT what you are suggesting. Please start listening to the American people—YES, EVEN those that DONT agree!!! THIS IS A DEMOCRACY–I really dont care WHAT you inherited anymore—STEP UP!!! STOP THE BLAMING!!!!
YOU ARE OUR PRESIDENT!!!! WE ARE LOOKING UP TO YOU (kinda—Still!!) Is it REALLY too much to ask that YOU read the bill that YOU are recommending we all come on board with??? SIGH
I am sadly well aware that you (or whoever is reading and sending) WONT GET PAST MY FIRST LINE!!!!! That makes me SAD!!!!
May God Bless you Mr President, Michelle and your two beautiful daughters,
Kristi Angiolo
I received the same HACK email from Mr. Obama on the 29th in response to 5 questions:
1. Given his view on government transparency, why isn’t the bill posted on the White House web site for the American people to read before a vote is done? (He promised everything would be)
2. Why doesn’t he want it for himself and his family?
3. Why doesn’t Congress want it for themselves and their families?
4. Why doesn’t the Senate want it for themselves and their families?
5. Why the rush without the American people weighing in?
WHY WON’T THEY HAVE TO HAVE THE SAME CRAPPY HEALTHCARE THEY WANT TO FORCE ON US?!?!
There is NO transparency in this Administration, only lies! He doesn’t listen to us because he believes HE and his cronies know what is best for us. We can’t possibly know what is in our own best interest without them telling us what cars to drive, what medical treatments we need or can have, what loans we can get or banks to use, etc. Pretty soon, with Cap & Tax they will be telling you how much electricity you can use and when, how many times you can flush your toilet, etc. They are drunk with power and only want more and the way to get it is to take it from the American people.
Hope the kool-aid drinkers are happy! They got EXACTLY what they voted for. The rest of us believe in the audacity of unsustainable hope! We’re dyin’ over here!
Betsy McCaughey, patient advocate and ex-lt gov of New York (I believe that is correct) has read the whole 1000+ pages. Do some internet searches and see how much you can learn from her. What I learned from her yesterday are: $500 billion of the funding money will come from ceasing to care for senior citizens; senior citizens will be required to be counseled every 5 years on how to live with their pain without treatment and on how to end their lives for the “greater good”; abortion is considered basic care (employers will be fined if their offered health plans do not include abortions); you can choose to keep your current insurance plan until the grace period is up but if you don’t choose one of the government offered plans after that you could be fined thousands of dollars. I’m sure there is so much more that we need to know, but 1000+ pages!!!!!!!! What are we going to do???????
President Obama,
As long as you, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi choose to do nothing about restraining the trial lawyers who are the major reason Doctors require so many unnecessary tests, I will not support any health care change. You are not answering the questions concerned citizens have about this healthcare plan and I, a 79 year old citizen, greatly resent being labeled some sort of a radical just because I am against this healtcare plan you admit you have not even read.
This is what I have to say to Obama:
you have got to be kidding. I do care about my family’s health care. All of them from my aging mother to my youngest children and at some point my grandchildren. This is the very reason that I and so many like me want for you to stay out of it. Listen to your voters. You promised unity so stop this diversion and get back to being the leader of this nation. Think about it. All of these voices that are attempting to reach you will go on long after your political career is over. Your voice, name and legacy is up to you. With so many crying out against this insurance plan you might very well want to consider the number of political careers that you are sabotaging.
oh and thank you so much for advertising for Fox News and the talk radio host in your commercial! I’ll be listening to them now!
Counting the days as the country returns to it’s roots ~Leslie
This is what I want to say to President Obama:
Please look into waste and fraud in Insurance, Pharmaceutical, Oil, Banks, CEO Bonuses and Wall Street as a way to keep from having to cut Medicare. We Seniors, your mothers, fathers, and Grandparents are the Americans who worked so hard to pay those taxes. We have already taken losses in Insurance, retirement, cost of living, and savings. We give humanitarian aid to other countries–we are asking for help HERE! We have a VOTE and a VOICE! WE need YOUR help, please.
Respectfully yours,
Dear President Obama, I am a retireeand have been on a government controlled healthcare plan for 3 years. It's called Medicare. At the age of 65 I happily and independently elected to enrol in at the first opportunity offered to me. My medicare payments are taken out of my Social Security check and my private provider bills me monthly. I have had no problem whatsoever with my plan. I still have my own Doctor, and I have excellent prescription coverage. I am writing you merely to ask what your healthcare reform plan has in mind for us seniors. I have heard so many versions as regards to seniors, so I'll just get to my point. Where or what page can I review to see your "promise of not changing anything for those of us satisfied with our current plan?" I really need to read this for myself, as the media only tends to add confusion to my concerns. Thank you very much, Lucille
When may i expect a reply to my comment of 3 minutes ago?
There is so much retorhic from both sides of this thing it is getting a bit crazy. I wish both sides would relax and really look at what is out there. We either come up with something or we are all sunk
Dear President Obama:
Although I approve of a national healthcare, this one that you are proposing does not meet up to that. I feel it is a great thing that you are offering healthcare for people that cannot afford their own. That would be a great thought for most but in my case and I'm thinking many others; I am receiving $94.00 per week from unemployment which would amount to approximately $376.00 per month. Let me also tell you that I live in public housing and my rent is $65.00 p/mth, my electric on a good month is somewhere between $80-$160 and I would be more than willing to show you the bills; now include my cell phone as I cannot afford a tv, internet or cell bill so I pay another $67.00 per month. Please let me ask you President Obama, with $144.00 dollars left to myself for the month (with a $100.00 electric bill), how might I be able to afford insurance even through your plan? I only ask because technically I was relieved of my duties from my last job due to an illness and even with insurance I owe so much. Honestly, I have one more test for cancer I am suppose to have done but to be honest with you at $144.00 left over and divide that by 4 weeks, I cannot even afford to pay the minimum payment to even meet with the doctor. We are looking at cancer as I have already had it and my Dad had it in his bladder as well. That is what the doctors want to check because I've had bleeding from my cervix and I've had a hysterectomy in 94. I shouldn't have this bleeding but I cannot afford to even have the biopsy done. How are you going to help people like me???
WE NEED YOUR HELP, I TRUST YOU . My name is Sheila Peyton, i am a factory worker, my husband is dying because he cannot get medicad..We applied in April of this year, he has liver cancer and was to have his tumor removed.They medicad people just keep telling us that it is pending.Now the cancer has spread to his lungs and neck, u are doing good with health care please help us !!!!!!!!!!!! i live in New Albany Indiana my number is 812-725-1945…….please help him get the health coverage he needs he only has 8 monthes to live.We have about a million dollars in hospital bills!!!!!!!!!
Dear Mr. President: I just want to comment that true health care reform was the main reason I voted for you and I think you should use your political capital, so to speak, to get it done. You can't compromise with people who don't care about their fellow citizens and I believe Republicans will think they have rolled you if you give up on the public option. In fact, people just don't understand it, I believe as they didn't understand Medicare in 1965. I wish you the best, but I wish Hillary were the president.
Dear Mr. President, I recognize that many of us still hold out the possibility that the cycle of partisan gridlock can be broken-perhaps it is the only thing that can save our country from the death spiral that seems to have taken hold of it. It angers me that the infantile behavior of those who supposedly oppose vital reforms has actually been winning the day lately. We still live in an era of Conservative ideological dominance-and even though the actual events of recent history have revealed tragic flaws in that thinking-the vast majority of us are still uncomfortable on some level with the realization that now is the time for government action. Even so, most of us agree, times have changed Mr. President, you were right. Now, the question is how long can we wait for those who refuse to move forward before they pull us all down?
dear sir i hope u e well.sir i want to tell u about my health i m abbas haider from pakistan i m a student of commerce but unfortunatley i losy mt one hand in electric current last year 11 may 2008 i also cannot turn my leg i m very upset i want to say u plz call me ur country for medical treatment .tranplant my hand .i want study but i m too much confused i want to live i want to enjoy my life jjust like my friends and otherz.i m very hopeful that u help me.unfortunately in pakistan no faciliti of arm transplant plz sie say ur government to call me in ur country.ans alsi i promise u when i fully recovered my health then u can send me back.but plz one time help me .i have now only onw arm i want medical treatment plz sir help me i m very hope ful i also wish u dont break my hope i m waiting for ur ans my cell phone number is 00923344721922 and my father number is 00923215935732 i m waiting for ur answer sir i wana live life plz help methank u sir
sir i want help i hope u help me and donr break my hope.
I am canadian, and I feel lucky. Some of you should take a trip out of your country, not to see how it is outside, but to see from outside what happens in your country. For many of you, it would be a hard shock.
It's pretty obvious you are one of those elite that don't have to worry about health care. Or perhaps you're one of those that I know have personally been guarateed free health care for life by the lobbyist. The Insurance industry has garnered record profits on the back of the average American and you dare to say we don't need reform. The greed of Corporate America has managed to bring us to our knees and they won't be satisfied until there is no middle class only the Corporate elite with their million dollar salaries while the rest of us beg just to have a decent life.
President Obama, I write this to you with the hope that this is one of the many letters that have already reached you; encouraging to pursue and complete the long overdue healthcare reform our country has been yearning . Please continue to believe in the dream of a better future for all people, and see past all the politics. I know being in in your position the issues can sometimes seem overwhelming and all roll-up into one big problem. But please believe that there are people who believe in you, have placed their trust in you and dream of times past where America was truly the greatest nation on earth. I still believe it can reclaim some of its lost glory, I still believe the key is having someone who shares these same beliefs as its country's elected representative. I and many other like me am willing to sacrifice earnings and higher taxes for the hope of a national healthcare system that is based on the care for its citizens and not profit. Please know that this is key to your reelection the people will follow a man who is working for their well being. In the end there is no argument that defeat common sense, love and humanity.
Thank you
Dear Mr. President, In 2001 i was diagnosed with a brain tumor i had surgery and it was removed at that time i did have insurance at the present time i am self employed and do not, i am suppose to get annual MRI s because of this and to make sure nothing has returned I am having headaches again and haven't had a MRI since 2005 , i can't afford one especiaaly with out insurance is there any aid for something like this Please Help!!
Mr. President; I was happy to vote for you because of your promise for political change in Washington. I seem to have wasted my vote! You have proven, once again, that the corporate whores rule this country. Even if this healthcare bill is passed you have compromised away any chance for the American people to get any relief from the blood-sucking insurance companies. You have split your party to the extent that one or two senators can dictate to the populace what they think is best for our future, rather than the majority rule that is the promise of democracy. Like their corporate masters, our elected legislators have forgotten that our political system is built on the morality of the rights of the individual and not on the rights of the corporation. I guess, Mr. president that you have joined the ranks of those that think capitalism and democracy are one and the same. THERE IS NO MORALITY OR MERCY IN CAPITALISM! Our economic system only works when it is regulated by the government and I used to think that you were aware of this. You were elected by a majority of the populace to make the needed changes. It is time to stop with the butt kissing and get on with the business you were elected to do!