Obama seizes bully pulpit online to pitch budget

[ProSense]

Obama seizes bully pulpit online to pitch budget

By STEVEN R. HURST, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama seized the bully pulpit Thursday and reprised the best of his acclaimed campaign skills in an unprecedented Internet town hall from the White House — a direct sales pitch for Americans to get behind his $3.6 trillion budget and be patient as he tries to right the tottering economy.

After an opening statement and declaring, "This isn't about me, it's about you," Obama took up a microphone and strolled the ornate East Room, playing to an audience of 100 invited guests and what the White House said were an estimated 67,000 people watching him in cyberspace.

The event capped a concerted Obama recent public relations foray in support of his young administration's assault on the country's twin crises in the economy and financial system, including two in-person town hall meetings in California and an appearance on Jay Leno's "Tonight Show." On Tuesday Obama held a nationally televised news conference, also in the East Room, calling on an unusual mix of reporters in an apparent attempt to shake up the focus of questioning.

Obama explained he had called the first-of-its-kind online town hall meeting as an "an important step" toward creating a broader avenue for information about his administration. Spokesman Robert Gibbs said there would be more such events.

Timing, of course, was key. Obama was beamed out through cyberspace a day after the House Budget Committee adopted a spending and revenue plan that broadly matched his massive $3.6 trillion outline even while seeking to reel back on deficit projections.

more

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Very disappointed in his answer on health care

I fear that all that will happen is mandatory health care insurance--we'll pay big bucks for NO decent coverage. The insurance companies will continue to decide which drugs they cover, will continue to deny coverage for things like food allergy labs, and forget it if you use an MD who thinks for themselves and actually takes more than 10 minutes to talk with a patient. I just hope Obama listens to Howard Dean, but since he snubbed Dean for a cabinet position, I'm not optimistic.

[ProSense]

2. Between Obama, Dean, Pelosi and others, I'm not worried.

Many Democrats are going to push for the best plan: House Health Plan to Include Government-Run Option