It has all been "The government is going to get involved in healthcare! Controversy! It will cost a lot of money!"

That's atrocious reporting. It isn't even reporting.

A real report would start by stating the problem, then mention the alternatives being proposed, what these plans hope to fix, and how they hope to fix it. I have seen none of that.

No discussion on why a public option is proposed. Just that it's some sort of awful big government plot. And no discussion of, if it's so awful, how an alternative would work. Noone has asked any Republican what their alternative plan is, and why they didn't lift a finger to pass anything in the 6 years that they controlled the white house and congress.

I don't think it's right that Obama gets to offer the one-sided story.  This is very close to state-sponsored TV (worse than Faux because at least Faux is only on cable).  Now other networks will be lining up to kiss Obama's hiney even more than they already do so that they can get THEIR time with his issues.  Complete, and utter conflict of interest for the "4th estate".  Not what we want for accountability or "democracy".

However, the irony is that maybe if Reagan hadn't blocked the fairness doctrine, the Republicans would have legal recourse.

Of course, I don't think the Democrats will be screaming about the fairness doctrine now...

Last year, millions of Americans came together for a great purpose.

Folks like you assembled a grassroots movement that shocked the political establishment and changed the course of our nation. When Washington insiders counted us out, we put it all on the line and changed our democracy from the bottom up. But that's not why we did it.

The pundits told us it was impossible -- that the donations working people could afford and the hours volunteers could give would never loosen the vise grip of big money and powerful special interests. We proved them wrong. But as important as that was, that's not why we did it.

Today, spiraling health care costs are pushing our families and businesses to the brink of ruin, while millions of Americans go without the care they desperately need. Fixing this broken system will be enormously difficult. But we can succeed. The chance to make fundamental change like this in people's daily lives -- that is why we did it.

The campaign to pass real health care reform in 2009 is the biggest test of our movement since the election. Once again, victory is far from certain. Our opposition will be fierce, and they  have been down this road before. To prevail, we must once more build a coast-to-coast operation  ready to knock on doors, deploy volunteers, get out the facts, and show the world how real change happens in America.

And just like before, I cannot do it without your support.

So I'm asking you to remember all that you gave over the last two years to get us here -- all the time, resources, and faith you invested as a down payment to earn us our place at this crossroads in history. All that you've done has led up to this -- and whether or not our country takes the next crucial step depends on what you do right now.

Please donate whatever you can afford to support the campaign for real health care reform in 2009.

It doesn't matter how much you can give, as long as you give what you can. Millions of families on the brink are counting on us to do just that. I know we can deliver.

Thank you, so much, for getting us this far. And thank you for standing up once again to take us the rest of the way.

Sincerely,

President Barack Obama

I hope you can read it without (1) laughing - or screaming - at the audacity, (2) running out of fingers before you are finished counting the number of "truthy" statements and claims, (3) reaching for the Pepto, or (4) wanting to throw something.  Yes, it's a thrill ride, for sure.

Anyone know where this money is really going?  Whether it will be accounted for?  Why the president needs money - more money - from the people to get "real" health care reform done?

"ABCNEWS prides itself on covering all sides of important issues and asking direct questions of all newsmakers -- of all political persuasions . . .

"ABCNEWS alone will select those who will be in the audience asking questions of the president.

in the best of all possible worlds this could be a good thing.  of course they will select questioners who will ask hostile questions.  Obama has shown he is pretty good at answering those questions if he want to be.

Why can't he fix medicare fraud?

Estimates by government and law enforcement agencies place the loss due to health care fraud as high as 10 percent of our nation's annual health care expenditure--or a staggering $226 billion--each year.

Or fix Medicaid fraud?