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| President Barack Obama speaks about health care at a town hall meeting in Belgrade, Mont., Friday, Aug. 14, 2009. |
BIG SKY, Mont. (AP) -- President Barack Obama is using political tactics and rhetorical devices honed in his White House campaign to regain the upper hand in the health care debate over increasingly vocal and organized critics.
In person and over the Internet, Obama is trying to counter intense public skepticism over Democratic plans to overhaul the health care system. It's his top domestic priority and arguably his most challenging political fight yet.
Familiar tools from the Obama candidacy include the town hall meetings where he rolls up his sleeves and discards his tie and jacket; a rapid-response Web site to counter critics' claims; and a populist pitch against the entrenched powers in Washington.
Plus he's got the bully pulpit, which he used Saturday.
"I know there's plenty of real concern and skepticism out there," he said in his weekly radio and Internet address. "I know that in a time of economic upheaval, the idea of change can be unsettling, and I know that there are folks who believe that government should have no role at all in solving our problems."
Carefully trying not to alienate opponents even while taking them on, he cited "legitimate differences worthy of the real discussion that America deserves." But as Democratic allies face taunts and insults at town hall style gatherings, Obama asked his audience to "lower our voices, listen to one another and talk about differences that really exist."
In the GOP's address, Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch pressed for a bipartisan solution.
"Ensuring access to affordable and quality health care for every American is not a Republican or Democrat issue - it is an American issue," he said.
He said he also encourages a respectful debate, but "there is nothing un-American about disagreements. In fact, our great nation was founded on speaking our minds."
Obama seeks legislation that would provide coverage for millions of uninsured people while controlling costs. Critics say proposals in Congress would spend too much and give government too big a role.
Conservative activists and Obama opponents have stepped up their attacks in recent weeks - and may be outmaneuvering a White House known for its organizational abilities.
In campaign mode, Obama is hosting question-and-answer sessions that proved valuable during the presidential race. The Democratic National Committee and Obama's allies are spending millions on advertising campaigns to influence public opinion, much like they did last year. Associates are going out to make the case. The White House is using Internet tools honed during his groundbreaking bid to rally supporters.
It's unclear if it's working.
Obama is trying to energize his estimated 13 million grass-roots supporters through his campaign apparatus, called Organizing for America. But there are indications that those who turned out in to help elect Obama aren't doing the same to get a policy passed - evidence of the difficulty in the transition from campaigning to governing.
Over the past week, White House senior adviser David Axelrod asked supporters to forward a chain e-mail to counter criticism circulating online. The White House also began a "Reality Check" Web site "to help Americans clear up health care lies and misinformation."
DNC Chairman Tim Kaine said "reform opponents" have stepped up their game because they can tell the White House has "made more progress on health insurance reform than we made in the previous 60 years."
Those efforts were reminiscent of the Obama team's attempts during the 2008 campaign to debunk Internet rumors about his faith and upbringing.
The DNC has created a Web video - "What You Won't See on National Cable News" - to highlight civil town hall meetings, and Obama also plans to speak to backers by telephone during a health care event Wednesday.
Over the past week, he's fielded questions from audiences in Portsmouth, N.H., and Belgrade, Mont., and scheduled one in Grand Junction, Colo., during his family's tour of national parks. Thus far, he's faced polite crowds, a stark contrast to the taunts and jeers that Democratic lawmakers have endured at similar sessions during their August break.
Much like in the campaign, he's using people's stories to illustrate his points.
Obama talks about Lori Hitchcock of New Hampshire and Katie Gibson of Montana, who couldn't get sustained coverage because of their medical conditions. "These are the stories that aren't being told," he said in his weekly address.
He's railing again against interest groups and lobbyists. "Every time we come close to passing health insurance reform, the special interests with a stake in the status quo use their influence and political allies to scare and mislead the American people," Obama said.
He's asking his legions of supporters to "come together, and listen to one another" to "rise to this moment" and get the job done.
