Our previous coverage of President Obama’s July 20, 2009 blogger conference call on health care reform:

The healthcare battle looms large

President Obama: health care reform – blogger conference call

President Obama: health care reform – blogger conference call – Q and A

Axelrod and DeParle: health care reform – blogger conference call – Q and A

After President Obama left the conference call his senior aides David Axelrod and Nancy-Ann Deparle continued to take questions from bloggers in on the call. This is the final portion of the transcript:

….Question: …You and the President both mentioned Senator DeMint’s comment about Waterloo. I’m actually watching the House Energy and Commerce Committee right now and it’s pretty clear that the Republicans there are doing everything they can to kill the bill. So, my question is, and there’s been a lot of talk, and there’s a lot of talk in Washington, you know, amongst the talking heads about how important bipartisanship is. When does bipartisanship become just, so, less of an issue and good policy becomes the driving force? And we, and we kind of get away from that talk about having to have a bipartisan bill if, if it means that, now that, especially now that we know the Republicans’ main agenda is to kill health care reform.

David Axelrod: Well look, uh, good policy has to ultimately be the driver here. And the, the President said he didn’t want to make the prefect the enemy of the good. But, uh, I don’t think, uh, we want to make, uh, uh, but, but we want a bill that’s good. We want a bill that addresses the fundamental issues that he raised, that I’ve raised, that Nancy-Ann has, uh, has raised. We, uh, so it has to meet certain standards. We, we would love to do that, it would be, uh, easier to do that with, uh, bipartisan support, but that, we’re not driven by the process, we’re driven by the outcome. And, uh, uh, we’re gonna do whatever is necessary to achieve the outcome that will bring real relief to the American people and will stabilize our health care system now and for, for, uh, years to come. And so, uh, you know, there are still, uh, uh, those in the other party who are, uh, perhaps to the consternation of some of their, uh, co.., peers who are, who are sitting in in good faith trying to, uh, work this through. And we want to, uh, uh, and we want to explore that, uh, thoroughly. Not everyone is following the admonition of Bill Kristol who said today that they should resist the, uh, temptation to be constructive or responsible and go for the kill. Uh, there are, there are those who actually want to be constructive and, uh, and responsible. And we’re gonna, we’re gonna explore that fully. But rest assured that ultimately, uh, the goal here is to get, um, some fundamental reform for the American people to get them out from the yoke of this ever increasing burden and to, to rescue, uh, our, our, our, our businesses from that and the government from that. So, um, you know, we’ll do what’s necessary to achieve that goal…

….Question: …Do you think it was a mistake to back off and sort of allow Congress to take the lead on health care reform as long as you did?

David Axelrod: No, Oliver, I, I, it’s a good question. I think the answer is no. I know the answer is no because we’re closer today than we’ve ever been to actually achieving this. You know, people have tried, uh, uh, in the past to achieve comprehensive, uh, health care reform that would, uh, make, uh, quality affordable health care available to, uh, all Americans and bring the kind of reforms we’re talking about. And, uh, uh, and, and they, they haven’t gotten as far. So, you know, we, we have some agreement on, you know, probably seventy percent, uh, of the, uh, of the issues here. And I think partly that’s because we didn’t arrive on Capitol Hill in January with stone tablets and ask people to, uh, uh, you know, uh, pledge fidelity to them. Uh, we’ve allowed the process to work. But now the President, uh, has, uh, you know, we’ve reached another phase of this debate. The President is obviously deeply, uh, involved and, uh, and, and will be, uh, to the end. And I will say that Nancy-Ann and her team have been working closely with members of Congress from the beginning. So it isn’t as, as, as if, uh, we haven’t, uh, uh, been, uh, an integral part of the process, it’s just that we haven’t tried to dictate the outcome from the beginning. I’m quite certain that had we done that we would have not ended up, uh, in a position to accomplish, uh, what I think we’re in a position to accomplish now.

….Question: …Here in Pennsylvania, uh, we’re trying to get a single payer plan bill passed in the state level. We have the governor’s [garbled] he’d sign it. Uh, being from Philadelphia, uh, [garbled] you have a, uh, certain empathy for us in Pennsylvania. Since single payer isn’t on the table on the national level will the White House support our efforts here in Pennsylvania to, uh, do a model on the state level?

Nancy-Ann DeParle: Well, uh, in fact Governor Rendell was just down here last week, uh, meeting with folks, uh, here at the White House. And, um, I, we, he’s a great friend of, of this administration and we work closely with him. You know, I think we have the same goal, which is we want to get people covered, we want to lower costs, we want to increase quality. We want to get out of this, this, uh, system we’re in now where people are, are paying more and getting less every year. So, uh, we want to work with you to move forward in doing that and I think we’re just not about drawing lines in the sand at this point. That is not the focus, as you say, single payer is not the focus of the debate in Washington, but, um, you know, it’s good to hear you’re moving forward in Pennsylvania. We know you have, uh, a problem there with, uh, people being able to afford, uh, coverage. We know you have a problem of, of, frankly, monopolies with insurance companies ’cause I’ve looked at the data about that. So, um, you know, good luck to you and we’d love to work with you.

David Axelrod: And I think it is a reflection, uh, of the, uh, seriousness that I think people all over this country feel, uh, about this problem. It just sim.., it’s simply not, something that we can’t delay and defer for another, uh, another fifteen years, another generation. I, I don’t think the system can tolerate that. Uh, we are on a, you know, an unsustainable path. So, it’s not surprising that states have taken up, uh, the initiate because there hasn’t been, uh, leadership from Washington. Well we’re, we’re, uh, trying to provide that leadership and, and solve a problem that’s been deferred for far too long.

….Question: …I just wanted to first thank you guys for doing this and, uh, second say please do it more….I’m wondering if, uh, the President would veto any health care bill that doesn’t include a public option. Is, is that something that, uh, you’ll be willing to [garbled]?

David Axelrod: Well, first of all, uh, let me, uh, return the thanks for what you guys do every day, uh, to keep the dialog going in this country and to, uh, help involve people and keep ’em, uh, up to date and, uh, to give people a platform, uh, uh, to express themselves on, uh, these issues.

The President feels very, very strongly that a, uh, a public option within the health insurance exchange will help, uh, create competition and, uh, will create, uh, uh, will help keep in, insurance companies honest and that will rebound to the benefit of, uh, consumers. Uh
, we expect that, uh, the bill he signs will include, uh, include, uh, a public, uh, choice. We have not, uh, uh, we’ve not, uh, uh, been wielding, uh, the big, uh, veto pen threat, uh, as yet because, uh, uh, we want to see how this whole thing unfolds. But I think he could have been more, uh, clearer, uh, about his, uh, his feeling that this would be an important part of a reform package. And nothing has changed.

….Question: …Last week, uh, six U.S. senators sent a letter to Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell stating a commitment to health care reform but asking for additional time. Uh, as this process moves forward how can the American people separate those who are making this commitment in god faith from those who are only promoting delay?

David Axelrod: Well, I, I, you know, and there’s no, there’s no doubt that, uh, uh, there are those who, who, who, uh, are, uh, asking, uh, for that in good faith. Uh, but, you know the answer, the respectful answer is that, uh, that this issue has been, uh, talked to death, not just for the last six months, but for, for decades. Uh, and, uh, we’re circling around the same issues that people have always, uh, that people have known for a long time would frame, uh, this debate. And I, I think if, if anyone needs any, just to repeat what I said earlier, if anybody needs any, um, demonstration, uh, of why, uh, uh, it’s important to move with some dispatch is the fact that those who want to stop this for political reasons are counting on a delay in order to, uh, um, muster, uh, greater, uh, lobbying efforts, greater misinformation, uh, campaigns. This is how the special interests have killed health care reform time and again and we’re not going to, uh, you know, we don’t want to walk down that same dark alley. Uh, and so we’re fighting, uh, um, uh, you know we’re fighting very hard to get this done. I’d say one other thing. Um, I suggest that anyone, uh, Republican or Democrat, who is arguing for delay, um, should, uh, check, uh, their mail, as I’m sure they do, as the President does every day, and read the letters from people who, some of whom have insurance, uh, and yet, uh, uh, are, uh, you know, are, are either not, not able to get the care they need or are, are being crushed by the cost of it, or the many who don’t, people who have pre-existing conditions and can’t get coverage. Uh, for example, people who have lost their jobs and are dumped into a private market that is way overpriced that they can’t afford. Uh, those people don’t have time. Those people are waiting for us, uh, to act and I think they have a sense that, uh, delay may be not for a matter of months, but for a matter of years if we don’t act now. So, I think it’s time to seize the moment and, uh, the President is gonna be urging that from now, uh, uh, until we get this done.

Thanks everybody for participating. Look forward to talking to you again.

Nancy-Ann DeParle: Thanks for all you’re doing….

Operator: That does conclude our conference for today…

Our previous coverage of President Obama’s blogger conference call on health care reform:

The healthcare battle looms large

President Obama: health care reform – blogger conference call

President Obama: health care reform – blogger conference call – Q and A

After President Obama left the conference call his senior aides David Axelrod and Nancy-Ann Deparle continued to take questions from bloggers in on the call. Our very own Blue Girl got in a question (below the fold):

….Question: …Our readers are very community oriented and very supportive of the President and they’ll want to know what they can personally do to help insure health care reform happens in the House and Senate.

David Axelrod: You know obviously we’re eager to spread the word. I mean one of the frustrating things about this, uh, uh, enterprise is that, uh, a lot of the coverage focuses on, uh, kind of the trees and not the forest. Uh, you heard the President articulate what his vision is and where he’s driving in terms of, uh, health reform. He, he defined it, uh, well I think, uh, in this conversation and, uh, and I think laid out the parameters that, uh, are important to him. I think for you guys to spread the word on that, uh, would be very, very important. We’re after health, uh, insurance reform, health care reform that will benefit all Americans, uh, folks who have insurance and have seen their premiums, uh, double over the last decade and have seen, uh, uh, health, uh, care, uh, premiums, uh, rise at three times the rate of wages. Uh, and who are increasingly finding it difficult to, uh, maintain [garbled]..I saw today, uh, uh, Mr. Steele say, uh, that, uh, under the Obama plan people would pay more for less. That’s exactly what’s happening every single year. People are paying more money for their health care and they’re getting less, uh, for it as deductibles rise, out of pocket costs, uh, rise. That’s exactly what we’re trying to address. Uh, and, uh, as well as deal with the issue of the uninsured and deal with the issue of the underinsured and people who, um, uh, have pre-existing conditions or loo…or have lost their job or changing jobs. These folks need some security and some stability. And that’s what this, that’s what this effort is about. And, uh, we want to make sure that people understand what it is that we’re fighting for and why it’s so important. And so to the extent that you can enlist people to spread the word, uh, and, uh, to mobilize folks, uh, to speak to their representatives in Congress and, uh, let them know, uh, that now’s the time. Uh, we saw, and I’ll yield the floor to, uh, Nancy-Ann here, but, uh,, we saw, uh, you know, over the weekend, uh, Senator DeMint, uh, say that the, you know, the strategy is to, uh, delay, uh, this process long enough so that they can, uh, kill it, uh, so that, uh, they, they, they said it could be Obama’s Waterloo, we can, uh, we can break him with this. Well the point is that there are millions of Americans who are being broken every single day. Uh, or, or every single year I should say, by, uh, uh, by, uh, climbing costs, uh, of health care. And that’s what we’re concerned about and that’s what we want to address. Do, do you want to add?…

…Nancy-Ann DeParle: No, I think your answer is right on point. And thank you for asking. We, we need your help to, uh, make sure that everyone knows what the President is fighting for here and that it has to happen now. And we, we appreciate everything you’re doing….

….Question: [Blue Girl!] …Uh, actually that’s They gave us a republic dot com. But anyway, uh, my question is about provider shortages. I’m a lab professional. I’ve spent more than twenty years on trauma teams and the fact that I’m still the young one speaks for itself. Uh, yeah, we’re, it, access doesn’t matter if you don’t have a doctor to see.  So is there any op.., any chance that we might, uh, see some training programs that are maybe tied in with Americorps or something? Or something like the military does now with ROTC and medical schools to staff, uh, military hospitals? Uh, [garbled], you know, to get people trained and on the job. The nursing shortage alone is a nightmare.

Nancy-Ann DeParle: Yes and [Blue Girl] thank you for what you’re doing and for your, your serving as a health [crosstalk]…

Question: Oh I’m, I’m retired. [laugh] And I was still the young one when I retired.

Nancy-Ann DeParle: The President spent some time today at Children’s, uh, National Medical Center here in D.C and met with nurses and physician assistants and doctors and, and talked about, uh, the struggles that families are facing in, in getting adequate care. And the emergency room there he, um, he was talking about the fact that they now have eighty-five thousand people, I think, a year, visits a year in their emergency room, up from fifty thousand. So we see the shortage, we see the need for more health professionals. In fact, one of the first things the President did, uh, was to, in the recovery act, uh, uh, add some additional funding, a substantial amount of additional funding that hasn’t been seen in a long time to the National Health Service Corp to train, uh, folks who will become health professionals in under served areas of the country. And we know that’s just the start of what is needed and in the health reform bill the House is, uh, doing right now they do have some authorizations for more funding for training.

I like your idea about trying to figure out a way to, uh, one thing that we’ve talked about is there a way to, to, uh, work with the returning, uh, veterans and those who have medical training, uh, and try to make sure that they can be, uh, plugged in to the, to the system and get jobs doing, uh, the work that they have been trained to do and which we need them doing. So, we’re looking for any and all ideas like that to make sure that we have adequate, uh, numbers of professionals out there. And appreciate your help in getting us new ideas….

….Question: …What’s your biggest concern about the current state of the debate? What’s your biggest fear in, in, in that way? What could we help do?

David Axelrod: [garbled] I, I think, uh, I, I appreciate the question and I, and I, uh, uh, you know I think I began to get at that, uh, a second ago. You know here in Washington, uh, the President always likes to say they sc.., you know they, they, they have a scorekeeper’s mentality. It’s all about who’s up and who’s down and, uh, people view this as a, kind of a, uh, uh, a game. And, uh, they tend to focus on, um, uh, uh, on, ss.., you know, uh, on the trees, as I said, rather than the forest. And I think, um, what we’re what we’re trying to stress is that, you know, the, the other side is using a tactic, uh, uh, of a, or opponents of this, of fear that change is frightening and the devil you know is better than the one you don’t. Well the fact is that, uh, what we have right now is unsustainable and that, you know, we want to communicate that that, uh, the reason it’s essential that we act now is that, uh, we can’t go decade after decade with health premiums doubling, with out of pocket costs, uh, growing, uh, uh, by a third. We can’t go with ten or twelve or fourteen thousand people a day losing their health, uh, uh, coverage. There’s an enormous price to be paid, human price, for inaction, uh, now. And we have a health care system right now that works, uh, well for, uh, uh, insurance companies and drug companies, but not so well for, um, individual Americans who, who are, are just getting crushed by the cost. Not so well for b
usinesses, small in particular, but also large. And we’re on an unsustainable path in terms of cost to the government. Uh, and we have to address these things. So, the thing you can communicate is this sense of urgency, uh, uh, that, uh, that we, that we have [garbled] that the program that we ult.., that the President will sign will address these issues, will give people some, uh, security, will have long overdue insurance, uh, reforms, and will make, uh, make the whole system work better, uh, give more choice in certain, more competition for consumers, more transparency. Uh, will do the things that are necessary to really bring about health care reform….