A shirt-sleeved President Barack Obama took his closing arguments for health care reform to the St. Louis area Wednesday.
The Washington Post: "He spoke with evident anger about 'political gamesmanship' in Washington leading to 'terrible consequences,' as he evoked the outsider's message that he delivered successfully in his 2008 campaign. 'Congress owes America an up-or-down vote,' he said over raucous applause, which greeted his remarks at several points. 'The time for talk is over. It's time to vote.'" The president may be planning a similar trip next week to Cleveland, aides said, as he makes an effort to visit "media markets that touch multiple congressional districts, particularly in swing states such as Missouri and Pennsylvania, which he visited earlier this week" (Wilson, 3/11).
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Highlights: Obama's Speech On Health Care Reform In St. Louis
The Wall Street Journal: "Growing hoarse and coughing at times, Mr. Obama worked to close the deal on the health-care bill, saying it would decrease health-care costs without cutting government-sponsored benefits. 'Every argument has been made, and everyone has made it,' he said. 'The plan I put forward is a proposal that's basically somewhere in the middle' between Democratic and Republican proposals, he said" (Williamson and Adamy, 3/10).