Live Blog Obama Presser

Chip Reid asking if “it” can be taken out of politcal realm and to panel of experts.

at 8:38 pm:
Obama states bigPharma ready to put 100 billion dollars on the table to fix meidacre. (They can afford it) Endorsed by AARP.

Christy Parsons: Says Obama not being transparent.

BHO: Meetings have been on CSPAN. Welcomes events on CSPAN.

t 8:42 pm:
Juliana Goldman (Bloomberg: Does Admin need ot take a harder line on Wall street. Would support fee on activities that go beyond traditional lending.

BHO: We were on verge of meltdown because wall street mafeleance (paraphrase) now we pay the price. It was the right hting to do to step in to make sure the financial system did nopt collapse. Bush started it – we continued the bail out.

at 8:44 pm:
BHO: Success over the past few months has been the financial system not still on brink. People/business can borrow money. Now banks are making profits. Some paied back TARP. Thats a good thing. Good thing that they are profitable. This is America, if you are profitable you benfit.

What we havent seen is the channge in pracitces thet say that this will not happen again.

We need to pass FIn regulatory reform. Is that talijng on too much? If we dont pass it banks are going to go bacl the thing sthey did before.

8:47 pm:
Steve Cough: Cleveland Plain Dealer: Goverment option will lead to reduced options. Can you say that government will not deny service. Will you and congress abide by the same plan?

8:49 pm:
BHO: Insurance companies are going to be kept honest. With regulation there will be imprvement – which reduces admin cost will incentives the private sector to do better.

Insurance companies are making record profits and premiums are going up. What’s the constraint on them.

Can I say there will be no changes. NO. the whole point is to make changes. The point is to make sure the decsions are being made by doctors not insurance companies.

8:50 pm:
BHM: If your doctor finds that your kid has a sore throat and decides he can make more nmoney by taling the tonsils out. Maybe that is not the best course. We want to free doctors, hisptials, patients to make the best decisions based on whats good for patient care.

Someplace in Cleeland is based on the best pairent care.

8:51 pm:
BHO: I have a docotr following me evey minute. I have the best health car the world.

8:56 pm:
Report: You sited MAYO clincic as ecpale – what do expect tomorrow going to CLeveland clininc/.

BHO: it is a role model for some the changes we ant to see. The MAYO clinic was ititially concered, when they foud out we put forward specifi mechanism for getting the poltics out of helthcare – they wrote the next day it would be an ip[rovement

Reporter: Gates was arrested outside his house.

BHO: He lost his keys. negbors reported. Cops came. that’s all good. Now Prof gates i in his house. Shows his ID and is arrested for disordly conduct – charges later dropped.

I dont know what role race played, but is safe to say any of us would be angry. Cambridge police acted stupidly arstisng someon when there was proof he wa sin hios own home.

There is a hostpry of African americans and lations being stopped diporptioately. That is a fact. That is a dign, example of how race remains a facotrr in this society. There has been progress and yet the fact remains that htis still haunts us.

The ore that we are working with local law enforcemnt to imporve poicing teqniches the safer we are all going to be.

Update: Here’s the video of the press conference