Obama: Opposition health claims 'simply not true'

Associated Press: "Using better-than-expected jobs numbers to press his top domestic priority, President Barack Obama is arguing that overhauling the health care system is essential to the country's economic well-being ... He added: 'We must lay a new foundation for future growth and prosperity, and a key pillar of a new foundation is health insurance reform.'"

"It's a pitch that comes as the Democratic-controlled Congress struggles to write a health care plan that meets Obama's goals of expanding coverage to millions of uninsured while reining in exploding costs. 'So far they have produced a measure that they cannot sell even to their own members,' Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell said in a jab at majority Democrats. 'The only thing bipartisan, so far, is the opposition'"  (Sidoti, 8/8).

Reuters: "Obama's aides and fellow Democrats have charged that protests staged at some 'town hall'-style meetings held by congressional Democrats have been orchestrated by Republican- and industry-backed groups and conservative talk-show hosts, and are calling for a more civil dialogue.  Republican Rep. Tom Price of Georgia took aim at this White House move. 'When no one is listening to them, sometimes people have to speak up,' Price said in a statement released on Saturday" (Spetalnick, 8/8)..