U.S. President Barack Obama assailed critics of his health care initiative on Saturday, seeking to grab the megaphone from his opponents and boost momentum in his drive for congressional passage of his chief domestic priority.
“I will not accept the status quo. Not this time. Not now,” the President told an estimated 15,000 people during a rally that had every feel of a campaign event, right down to chants of “Fired up, ready to go!” and “Yes, we can!”
Days after urging Democrats and Republicans in Congress to come together, an invigorated Mr. Obama said his plan incorporates ideas from those on both sides and he promised to continue to seek common ground.
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But he warned that he would not waste time with people who have decided “that it’s better politics to kill this plan than improve it.” He also said he would not stand by while special interests “use the same old tactics to keep things exactly the way they are.” And he warned, “If you misrepresent what’s in the plan, we will call you out.”
Earlier, thousands of people marched from the shadow of the White House to the footsteps of the U.S. Capitol to protest against President Obama and his “big government.”
They carried hand-painted posters with slogans decrying Mr. Obama’s proposed health care reforms, or accusing the Democratic administration of leading the United States down the road to socialism.
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“Abortion is not healthcare,” read one sign. Another, held aloft by an immigrant from Ukraine, said: “I had enough of socialism in the USSR.”