Obama Pleads with Doctors

Barack Obama briefly returned to his hometown of Chicago on Monday and plead his case for an overhaul of the health care system to one of the most powerful groups opposing his plan, the American Medical Association. The President reiterated his message that health care reform is critical for economic recovery, saying that "If we do not fix our health care system, America may go the way of GM - paying more, getting less, and going broke." The AMA is not opposed to health care reform outright, but is concerned that a national system may result in lower rates for doctors than those that private insurers pay. In general, Obama enjoyed a warm reception from the audience, but was met with a chorus of boos when he said limiting the amount of money awarded to victims of medical malpractice would be unfair to the patients.