Turning Up the Heat

Obama, Sebelius Target Private Insurers

Despite lagging popular support.

President Obama's populist crusade for health care continued on three fronts Wednesday. Obama took his traveling campaign to Missouri, while Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius addressed the annual conference of insurance lobbyists, America's Health Insurance Plans. And, outside the conference, Vermont Governor Howard Dean led a 1,000-person protest. "Are you for the insurance companies or are you for the American people?" Dean asked, boiling down the issue. At this point, Obama and Co. are still trying to woo the Democrats on the fence, since no Republicans are expecteed to vote for the $1 trillion health-care package. Republicans say that with only 25 percent of people believing Congress should pass the bill according to one recent poll, Democrats are trying too hard. They want to "shove this government takeover of the health-care system down the throats of the American people," House Minority Leader John Boehner said.