Obama Plans to Mop His Way to Health Care Reform
President Obama pushes health care and closing Guantanamo at Fontainebleau fundraiser
By TODD WRIGHT
Updated 10:16 PM EDT, Mon, Oct 26, 2009
When you're the president, you can use any tool you want to overhaul the health care system - even a mop.
Responding to complaints that he wasn't doing enough to clean up the nation's problems, President Barack Obama made it clear Monday at a Democratic fundraiser at the Fontainbleau Hotel that he was just the janitor, er, man for the job.
"Folks who made the mess say, 'You're not mopping fast enough,"' Obama said to laughter and cheers. "'You're not holding the mop the right way. It's a socialist mop."'
Besides his janitorial skills, Obama spent much of the evening pushing health care reform and confirming his resolve to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay.
Miami's brightest stars came out to greet Obama in his first visit since pounding the campaign trail as then presidential candidate Obama. Jason Taylor and his wife sat alongside Dwyane Wade and his "female friend" Gabrielle Union.
Obama spoke a few hours after Senate leaders endorsed legislation that would add a publicly run health insurance plan for Americans, with states having the right to opt out. Obama did not mention the Senate action, but he said a health care overhaul is closer than ever.
He warned, however, of tough battles ahead.
"It's going to get harder," the president told about 200 people who paid $500 each to greet him at a reception. "Now's the time when all the special interests are saying, 'Oh, this is really going to happen, we might lose some of our profits.' And they start paying big lobbyists, and they start twisting arms."
The president said health insurance premiums doubled in the past decade and will do so again in the next 10 years if nothing
changes.
Obama made similar remarks moments later at a dinner where more than 100 people paid $15,000 each for a seat. House speaker Nancy Pelosi also addressed both groups.
The money will be used for Democratic House and Senate races next year, which probably means none of it will be spent in Florida because U.S. Rep Kendrick Meek has a snowballs chance in the South Florida sun of beating Gov. Charlie Crist, according to most analysts. The fundraiser is expected to bring in over $1 million.
Dozens of protesters stood outside the Fontainebleau Hotel to complain about everything from health care to Obama's golf game. As far as we could tell, there were no signs about his jump shot.
One woman's sign said, "Pull over, I have a shoe to throw."
But at the fundraising dinner, Obama said he doesn't let criticisms bother him much.
"Just because I'm skinny doesn't mean I'm not tough," he said. "I don't rattle. I'm not going to shrink back."
Copyright Associated Press / NBC Miami
First Published: Oct 26, 2009 8:43 PM EDT
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