The President in Montana
Obama’s Bozeman Visit Promises to be Lively
By Jonathan Weber, 8-13-09
When candidate Obama made the rounds in Montana last year, he promised to come back sometime and maybe do some fly-fishing. He’s keeping that pledge, but even assuming he gets a few casts in during the First Family’s visit to Yellowstone Park late Friday and Saturday, the main event - a town hall meeting on health care reform Friday at the airport in Belgrade - promises to be the highlight of the trip, at least from the public’s perspective.
Presidential visits are always a big deal, especially in places where they hardly ever happen, like Montana. And this trip, coming in the midst of a raucus national debate on health care reform, is shaping up to be more important than most from a policy perspective. In part because of the central role being played by Senator Max Baucus in creating the health-care legislation, Montana is emerging as an important bellwether of public attitudes on the issue.
Tickets were distributed in Bozeman today on a first-come, first-served basis, with some folks apparently camping out overnight in line. One big question: will the well-organized opposition to healthcare reform in particular and all things Obama in general actually disrupt the Presidential forum? If they do, it won’t reflect very well on our fair state. My hope is that the inherent gravity of a Presidential visit, especially one in an out-of-the-way small town, will help keep the forum civil and respectful.
A second big question: will the rallies being planned by belligerently anti-Obama groups - and the counter-rallies being mounted by Obama supporters - create a huge, confrontational circus outside the confines of the forum itself? If it does, you can bet that will lead the national news. Montana is seen in much of the country as the home of various fringe elements, and this is a great chance for local agitators to confirm that stereotype for the visiting press corps.
I covered one presidential event before - a 1993 visit by President Bill Clinton to a technology company in Silicon Valley - and it was memorable in ways I didn’t expect. The sheer magnitude of the security and media operations was mind-blowing, even for a veteran journalist. And Bill Clinton making small talk with company employees, even complimenting one on his tie, while the cordoned-off press pool gawked and shouted unrelated questions was almost surreal.
I’m expecting similar unexpected drama tomorrow. Personally, I’m a fan of Obama, and a fan of health care reform. The President’s visit could be viewed as a calculated effort to cozy up to Baucus, or a good excuse to take the family to Yellowstone. But I think Obama really likes Montana, for all the right reasons: natural beauty, soulful small towns, honest family values and a fair-minded citizenry that’s more interested in practical solutions than ideological posturing. Let’s hope we can live up to that part of our reputation.
[End of article]
For decades Europe has been a beneficiary of excellent nationwide health care. It wasn't until the early 1960's that the English/British single payer system started to erode. This was caused be the introduction of legal immigration imported to drive London Buses and work on the railways. Deterioration has increased since the inception of the European Parliament dictates of the free flow of immigrants from impoverished nations of Northern Europe that has overrun the health care system. When I lived in England their was no co-pays, deductions or premiums, just insurance stamps that the employer and employee paid. I received 3 surgeries with no further cost to me. There was no anguish about debt collectors calling or ending up in front of a bankruptcy judge. As a child and a young man I choose my doctor and received eye and dentistry visits free of charges. One should remember that there a large majority of nefarious special interest groups, who enjoy the status quo and will fight with propaganda and lies against their profiteering.
Comment By Mike, 8-13-09I would love to see Obama get the public option passed. This country needs it, especially rural areas that are being phased out due to migrating economies.
Comment By Jason, 8-13-09Wow John! You managed to pigionhole an entire group of unrelated people into the so-called "well-organized opposition to healthcare reform" did you find evidence of this so called group this morning? I also must disagree with your subtle threat and denouncement of individuals praticing their first amendment right when you said, "If they do, it won’t reflect very well on our fair state." Words like this, spoon fed from the far-left, stifle healthy (and sometimes rowdy) debates. People from Montana should be proud of their citizens for careing enough to say something about what may be the largest expansion of govt. in our nations history.
Comment By Mickey Garcia, 8-13-09Yeah, I'm a big fan of Obama, Universal Health Insurance, and the Bozeman area. Hope things go well for all 3. I'd just as soon have medicare for all. It would be less costly, more civilized and ethical than the medical-industrial ripoff artists running the show presently As far as the angry protesters, I've seen those angry contorted wacko's before when the Feds Forced Little Rock Arkansas Schools to integrate, which reminds me that Both Roosevelt and Truman tried to get some type of Universal Health-care passed for all Americans over 50 years ago.
Comment By Eric, 8-14-09Good article.
I am from Bozeman, and I am fearful of the images the rest of the nation might see when the pres. holds his town hall meeting.
To all those his insist on being belligerent: yes you are exercising your first amendment rights, but you will reflect unfavorably on our great state.
Nothing is wrong with protests, OR protesting with civility.
I don't think the first amendment was intended to be used as a weapon, as it has been by 'protestors' at these town hall meetings.
From what I've seen on FOX news, these people pushing, shoving and shouting at these town hall meetings would get thrown out of just about anywhere with that kind of behavior, so it's hard to find much sympathy for them, much to the chagrin of FOX news. Frankly, the Country has been more patient with these people than they deserve.
PS: The Constitution was meant to change, it is a living, breathing doccument, and 'Oath Keeper Patriots' demonstate a fundamental lack of understanding of Govenerment when they claim otherwise. Maybe we should start on education reform next?
Good post Mickey, but I'm not sure if it was tounge in cheek? It's not like you to get all soft and lefty on us!
January 17, 2006: "So I think all of you who have spoken out for your courage, your point of view. All of it. Your advocacy is very American and very important." - Ms Pelosi
Comment By dave, 8-14-09ok,,, every obama town hall meeting has been totally staged and thus very cordial. he can definitely handle the staged rehearsed questions.
as for our reps and senators they deserve all the harassment we can dish out.
I have a bad habit of thinking for myself based on the available evidence. The evidence tells me that in an advanced industrial democracy, decent health care is a fundamental right, that health care is too expensive in the U.S., that Americans are being ripped off by the medical industrial complex, and that a universal system is long overdue. Medicare for all is not "socialist" because you can choose your physician and buy supplemental insurance from private insurers. "Socialism" is defined as a system in which there is no private property which pretty much disqualifies most of the industrial democracies in the world who right wing nut cases claim are "Socialist".
Comment By Eric, 8-14-09Amen! Mr. Garcia.
Comment By dave, 8-14-09news flash,,,,
fundamental right equals entitlement
our founding fathers listed our fundamental rights which didnt include health care.
so just be prepared to pay a lot of money if not now then down the road.
Actually its precisely the opposite. Countries that cover everyone spend less of their GDP on Health Care. Canada, for example, spends about 10% of GDP on Health Care while the U.S. spends about 16% of GDP. And Canada does better on all major health indexes. Life expectancy in Canada is 81 years, versus 78 in the U.S. for example. American car companies have moved so many jobs to Canada to take advantage of lower health-care costs that since 2004, Ontario and not Michigan has been North America's largest car-producing region.
Comment By Eric, 8-14-09News flash...our founding fathers have been dead some two hundred years now. They couldn't possibly have anticipated the issues our country currently struggles with.
Comment By Mickey Garcia, 8-14-09Also back when our founding fathers were still alive, Average life expectancy was less than 35 years and some of the founders thought than only white property owners should be allowed to vote.
Comment By Buck Wheat, 8-14-09What was 'lively' about it? If not exactly a love-in, it was civil and pretty low-key. The oceans did not roar, the mountains did not move, and Sarah P can still simultaneously see Russia and Branson, MO out her kitchen window. Live is good.
Comment By JSBZN, 8-17-09"Meanwhile Pantsuit continues to stomp dance with the natives in Congo. Channeling, juju etc
Slick (Hanky Head) swings into Montana - wherever the action is, Lawnjockey, Monica ... whatever."
This is blatant racism.
What well meaning people don’t understand is that we already have a government run health care system. They need to educate themselves as to what it's about and who it's meant to cover. Medicare and Medicaid are the two I'm talking about and are "paid into" programs. Instead of creating a new bureaucracy of mismanaged public red tape and corruption, fix what we have. It’s broken and needs repair. But it’s not fixed with a new program. Fix the problems we have…period. Also, tell the government to take away the restriction health insurances have in covering people across state lines. It just doesn’t make sense not to have competition nationwide. If we allow the government run health care we will be pouring more billions even trillions of dollars that we don’t have into another inept run system. Why are so many willing to trust more government? Government waste is astronomical. Do we believe this program will miraculously be different? What have they done that runs efficiently other than taking our tax money. Take control people! Take control of your lives and quit depending on the government to solve our problems. Competition is what brings prices down, NOT the government. That’s why monopolies are outlawed, so that no one entity can set prices. Let free enterprise prevail in bringing an affordable health care to everyone. Put government back where it belongs, punishing the criminals and protecting our borders only!
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