Obama's speech today.

[tzikeh]

There's the man I voted for (video of today's speech to the Democratic Representatives--complete 30 minutes).

This is how you garner party loyalty, Dems--not with threats, or force, but with inspiration, humanity, and honest, open connection. Today, I am as proud to have voted for Mister Obama as I was the night he became the President-Elect. Sometimes it's easy to forget that Candidate Obama still lives in President Obama. Sometimes his choices disappoint me; a few times they've greatly disappointed me. I wish he'd let go of his seemingly unshakable desire for a truly bipartisan Congress (hint: no, nuh-uh, forget it, never, ever, ever). But this man has united the Democratic House of Representatives behind one of the most contentious bills put before them in years, with many of them knowing that voting Yes may cost them their seat.

He spoke for thirty minutes, with no notes, and no TelePrompTer. Ezra Klein asked a staffer to get him a copy of the speech, and was informed that President Obama went to the Hill with no speech. No speechwriters had been involved in what you see in that video. There is no copy, because there is nothing to have a copy of. This is President Obama--the President Obama I believed we would have: with both gravitas and humor presenting successes and failures, his hopes and his disappointments, for everyone to see.

This health-care bill is far from what I wanted. I am angry that the single-payer option was taken off the bargaining table before the bargaining even began. I had selfishly hoped for more on the prescription front. Still, I never expected any kind of change in the American health care system to take place--certainly not in my lifetime. But it will pass tomorrow, and then we will have something. From something, we can create more, and from more, we can build and build and build.

That we have this smart, thoughtful, deliberate, courageous President, and that I had the privilege to vote for him, is one of the very few great global joys that I have experienced in my forty years.

Comments

[penwiper26.livejournal.com]

I just finished watching it, and yes. Yes to the nth.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Unbelievable.

[thebratqueen.livejournal.com]

Don't mind me, something in my eye.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Mine too.

[september1967.livejournal.com]

The part about the bill will allow congress to build on later is the point I wish could be hammered into all the doubters, all the liberal friends who felt betrayed by Obama and congress and all those who say they wish they never voted for him. I've never been so upset with Obama as to think that -not getting everything I wanted was a reason to ever think that voting for him wasn't the best thing for America, let alone myself. I was far more disappointed in Clinton when he said after 1993 that the era of big govt is over because that clearly never happened.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

I wish could be hammered into all the doubters, all the liberal friends who felt betrayed by Obama and congress and all those who say they wish they never voted for him.

Yeah. I know we were overjoyed when we elected him, but he's not a magician.

Send your friends who wish they'd never voted for him to this site.

[txvoodoo.livejournal.com]

Ezra put up a transcript - transcribed from the video:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/03/the_president_talks.html

I saved it.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

:) The New York Times also has a transcript.

[bluerosefairy.livejournal.com]

I remember being in Korea last January, when he was inaugurated. I remember how every Korean I met would stop me in the street and ask "Mi-guk-in? American?", and when I affirmed "yes", they would break out into smiles and nods and say "Obama!" It isn't just Americans that wanted him to succeed - it's people.

I remember being in Korea when the first health care bill passed the House. I remember feeling like a weight had been lifted, because I am one of those millions of Americans without health insurance. I have no way of paying for coverage, I'm too old to be covered under my mother's health insurance company, and personal plans are still too expensive. I never, ever expected health care reform would even be introduced in my lifetime. Obama was a big part of that.

I hope that bill passes tomorrow. I hope I can say that I remember when health care reform was passed.

[kirbyfest.livejournal.com]

I am glad I am busy all day tomorrow, because if I keep watching the news and the vote counts I will make myself sick.

[ficangel.livejournal.com]

Wow. That's the "This is your world. Go forth and do good in it." universe for which I voted. Well done, President Awesome.