the halls of congress was where he said, there's much left to be determined in the details, and indeed, that was -- that got a reaction. >> larry: we thank you very much. we hope to have all of you back. time now for "ac 360." anderson, live from afghanistan. >> thanks so much. huge stakes tonight. the president's health care plan and the war here in afghanistan. it's morning here in southern afghanistan. the marines here fighting a crucial war at a pivotal moment. while their commander in chief only a few minutes ago fighting his toric overall of health care, both costing hundreds of billions of dollars and both costing lives. what the marines are doing here seems to be working. taliban activity is down. but i got to tell you, wherever we go, tension is very, very high. we went on patrol today. moments after he passed, a

roadside bomb went off. no trouble in the village we visited. once we left, taliban fighters paid a visit. it feels like a standoff with millions of afghans waiting to see who stays, who goes. tonight, what it looks like, what it feels like through the eyes of marines. day in, day out, very difficult conditions for them. constant danger. yet the troops of this patrol base will tell you they feel they are accomplishing something. michael ware is in kandahar for us where that waiting game is deadly serious. and dr. sanjay gupta is with an elite army chopper team. medics who fly under hostile fire to save lives. but in washington, president obama went to battle for his vision of health care reform. for the first time he really took ownership of it. he called it his plan, a plan he says will not increase the deficit, and he says would actually save money over the years. we'll check out the facts tonight with the best political team on television. keeping the president and the opposition honest.

we'll get your reaction with the cnn instant poll. but first, an extended sample of the president's health care address tonight to the joint session of congress. listen. >> i believe it makes more sense to build on what works and fix what doesn't. rather than try to build an entirely new system from scratch. the time for bickering is over. the time for games has passed. now is the season for action. now is when we must bring the best ideas of both parties together, and show the ameri people that we can still do what we were sent here to do. now is the time to deliver on health care. now is the time to deliver on health care. the plan i'm announcing tonight would meet three basic goals. it would provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance. it would provide insurance for those who don't.

and it will slow the growth of health care cost for our families, our businesses, and our government. an additional step we can take to keep insurance companies honest is by making a not for profit government option available. add it up and the plan i'm proposing will cost around $900 billion over ten years. less than we have spent on the iraq and afghanistan wars. and less than the tax cuts for the wealthiest few americans that congress passed at the beginning of the previous administration. it's a plan that incorporates ideas from many of the people in this room tonight, democrats and republicans. and i will continue to seek common ground in the weeks ahead. but know this -- i will not waste time with those who have made the calculation that it's better politics to kill this plan than to improve it. i won't stand by while the

special interest use the same old tactics to keep things exactly the way they are. if you misrepresent what's in this plan, we will call you out. and i will not -- and i will not accept the status quo as a solution, not this time, not now. >> the gop responds shortly, polling results as well. people who watched the address on whether they liked it or not, whether they think it will help or hurt the debate and did viewers come away understanding what president obama's vision of health care reform is? we ask did president obama clearly state his health care goals in our survey of people who watched tonight, 72% said yes, 26% said no. with that, i want to turn things over to john king. >> let's bring in our panel. candy, let's start with the polling numbers. people say president did a good job communicating with them.

do we have any indication that more americans are for his plan? >> let me caveat this to death. first of all, these are just people who watched the speech and we know that millions more will get little bits of it. it also skews heavily democratic. we think that the democratic sample in this flash poll is eight to ten points higher than the general population. having said that, the president did very well in this poll. when we asked what is your reaction to the president's speech? 56% very positive. somewhat positive, 21% negative, 21%. that is a great showing obviously. interesting also that he picked up support here for his plan, and we all know that this -- can waver. but before this speech, about 53% of americans were in favor of this, after the speech 67%. as you pointed out earlier,

that's about what bill clinton had at the end of his speech on health care and we all know where that went. also i think we have to understand that these are not -- that polls go up and down, particularly flash polls. this is an interesting look, obviously democrats loved what they saw tonight. >> so a reason to celebrate based on the numbers. david gergen, you're in a room, 535 members of congress, but who is he talking to tonight? >> he's talking outside the room. he has to bring public opinion back in his direction. it was moving in favor of him, started going the other way. clearly, democrats have been heartened, independents have been heartened. but since the speech, everybody is back to their enfrenched positions. >> he did embrace three or four republican ideas. he said this is from john

mccain. a serious effort of bipartisanship and will he get results from it? >> it was nice rhetoric, the bottom line is here he promised a lot and said it's not going to cost anything. doctors, hospitals, everybody is going to be okay. if you're on medicare, you're going to be okay. we just got to be a little more efficient. we're going to have waste, fraud and abuse taken care of. he has laid a marker down, now up to insurance companies. >> skepticism from ed rollins. and we'll take your questions. if you have a question about president obama's health care plan, text it to us at 22360. but first let's check back in with anderson in afghanistan. >> john, thank you very much. breaking news out of afghanistan tonight. a daring rescue of a "new york times" reporter who had been kidnapped several days ago.

a helicopter assault on the taliban kidnappers who had taken him. one soldier was skilled in that assault. we'll have details tonight. also tonight, dr. sanjay gupta's live-saving tour of duty with the army's dust-off crew. elite medics who make every minute count for wounded troops. a day in the life here at the patrol base. the heat, the dust, the danger, the sense of accomplishment. all live from afghanistan in a moment. [ moos ] [ man announcing ] if you think about it, this is what makes theladders different from other job search sites. we only want the big jobs. welcome to theladders. a premium job site for only $100k+ jobs and only $100k+ talent.

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we're back with two vital stories tonight. the growing war here in afghanistan, and it is a deteriorating war in the last two months, more u.s. forces have died than at any previous time in the entire eight years of the conflict here in ampg. we're also covering president obama's health care message to congress. he promised to call out those who spread falsehoods about the plan. listen. >> some of people's concerns have grown out of bogus claims, spread by those whose only agenda is to kill reform at any cost. the best example is the claim made not just by radio and cable talk show hosts but by prominent politicians that we plan to set up panels of bureaucrats with a plan to kill off senior citizens. such a charge would be laughable if it weren't so cynical and

irresponsible. it is a lie, plain and simple. >> did the president change any minds? it doesn't sound like any changed many politician's minds tonight. let's go back to john king in new york. >> paul begala, did he change any minds? obviously he reached out to republicans but the biggest part of this calculation is democrats. house democrats want the public option. moderate democrats say vote's not there for it. what business did the president do in his own party tonight? >> i think he shored up his own party. before this speech, the erosion he had was not with republicans, it was with independents and i think he worked hard to get them back. within that room, those democrats, he has 57 democrats in the senate, presumably massachusetts will replace senator kennedy with a democrat. so he's got to solidify his party. there was talk earlier last week that maybe democrats should

primary barack obama if he compromises on the public option. i think you'll hear less of that now. he revved up his party, that he is ice job in part, but he reached out with independents and i think he pulled it off well. >> not the most important moment of the speech, but the president standing there, at one point said that death panel charge was a lie, and then the president was talking about illegal immigrants and whether they would be covered under the plan. we heard a voice from the floor calling the president a liar. let's listen. >> they're also known to claim that our reform efforts would insure illegal immigrants. this too is false. the reforms i'm proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally. >> lie! >> not true. and one more misunderstanding i want to clear up, under our

plan -- >> the words "lie" coming up from the floor of the house of representatives. david, this is one of the next "360" questions but eric writes in -- >> it's been my understanding all along that it does not provide insurance for illegal immigrants. it does provide insurance for people who are legally here who are not citizens but not for illegal immigrants. what we had tonight was town hall comes to capitol hill. and it's been interesting since the speech has been over, john mccain was on larry king tonight, said it was disrespectful for that republican member to speak out like that and called for him to apologize. >> let's play a clip from the republican response.

>> the president had a chance tonight to take the government-run health care off the table. unfortunately, he didn't do it. we can do better with a targeted approach that tackles the biggest problems. >> now, ed, the republicans are saying the president failed their test because he didn't take the public option off the table. couldn't have expected the democratic president to do that. he may do that in private negotiations but not there. >> you have to argue the facts on the public option. republicans haven't done that, they just say we're against it. what the facts are is the bill, the house bill, you add $2 billion of federal money to set this thing up. it's going to be 5% more what medicare pays which is 20% less than what insurance companies pay. it will be cheaper but in the end, it will do in hospitals and doctors and republicans have to make that case. >> he said it's time to stop partisanship. but it was a pretty partisan

speech. >> it was tri-partisan. he went to the republicans, he praised john mccain, orrin hatch, chuck grassley. one of them ain't going to vote for this plan. he threw the sop to the republicans, this myth about medical malpractice is driving up insurance. well, we'll have test cases. that's what he's doing to the republicans. he revved up the democrats. independents, who in the elections of 2010 are going to determine who controls the congress, he gave them those insurance reforms. they tested this notion that the president talked about, people who pay their premiums but get dumped. like the woman who got dumped for having breast cancer because she had acne. even with republicans, was repealing this preexisting

condition rule, where your insurance company can turn you down for having been sick. >> insurance companies are about risk. the rates are going to go up if you include all those people. >> it was hard to see where the cutting of costs in health care was going to come in this speech. it was impossible to find. >> we're asking text questions. tom forman is monitoring reaction online. >> they had a white house online discussion and it was heated and just like our poll, tilted somewhat people who support the president. they took part more and they focused on this key issue. leslie from new york put it this way, please, please, please, keep the public option. do not listen to the lunatic fringe and the gutless wonders of congress. tim from georgia put it in this way --

>> those who opposed the plan primarily think the president can't pay for it. curtis from kansas said, the congressional budget office disagrees with the president's assessment of the cost. in the end, there is plenty of talk about nazis and socialism. there was precious little talk of any kind of middle ground on this or anything that would reach that middle ground of what the left says it cannot do without and what the right says it cannot abide. >> we'll continue this conversation. but for now back to anderson cooper in afghanistan. anderson? >> john, we're going to have more on the dramatic rescue of a "new york times" reporter kidnapped by the taliban. one soldier was killed in that. details ahead. also, we'll take you out on patrol with the marines. we saw ieds today, small arms fire. the taliban is still out there,

still trying to kill marines whenever they can, laying those ieds. dr. sanjay gupta aboard the world's fastest ambulance with the army's dustoff crew and the latest on that little boy malik who was injured. we'll be right back. you know, it makes me feel pretty good. we're offering a solution for a customer that maybe has to choose between paying their credit card or putting food on the table. our main objective is to reach out to the customers that are falling behind on their payments. a lot of customers are proud and happy

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starts as low as $119 a year. for an agent, call the number on your screen. coming up, we'll show you what life is really like for marines on a daily base here in afghanistan. nothing cushy or comfortable about it. but first erica hill joins us.

>> mexican officials say a 44-year-old man is the sole suspect in a brief hijack today of a commercial airliner in mexico. the man took control of the boeing 737 enroute, demanding to speak with mexico's president. he claimed to be one of three hijackers and said he was carrying a bomb. it turned out he did not have a bomb and was acting alone. the incident did end peacefully. fred is now the second major atlantic hurricane of the season. the category 3 storm packing winds near 120 miles per hour. forecasters though, say it doesn't pose any threat to land and predict fred will weak b tomorrow. in new york, friends and colleagues of walter cronkite paying tribute. among the speakers, president obama and former president bill clinton who shared this story. >> but in a very tumultuous summer in our personal lives,

1998, we were up on martha's vineyard and walter said betsy and i want you to go sledding with us. you, hillary and chelsea, we'll go out and sleigh around. he said, somebody might take a picture of it, but so what? i'll never forget that. at the time, i could have done with a picture with walter cronkite. >> and there is late word tonight, talk show hostelen degeneres will replace paula abbuhl as a judge on "american idol." she will sit alongside simon cowell, randy jackson. abdul tweeted that she was leaving the show after eight seasons. anderson, i don't have any details whether or not she'll be judging some of the dancing portions. but maybe you could get in on that, just a thought. >> uh-huh. i'm sure she'll do a great job. coming up next, the race

against time. dr. sanjay gupta rides along with an elite medical crew whose mission it is to save the lives in the middings of combat. and a tour of where the marines eat, sleep and even play. throughout the night, we'll bring you messages from service members to their friends and families back home. >> i'm lieutenant mike mccarty. i'm from iowa. i would like to say hi to my wife sherry, my son brody and daughter hanna. happy birthday, everybody. these days, wouldn't it be great if saving money happened as automatically as everything else? at bank of america, it practically does. use the bankamericard power rewards visa credit card and earn rewards like cash back with every purchase. cash you can put into savings. or even use to help pay down your credit card balance. it's one of the many ways we make saving money in tough times a whole lot easier.

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[ mortar fire ] >> that was the sound that woke us up in the middle of the night, illumination rounds being fired, an observation post thought they saw some suspicious people walking around in the dark of night. so the mortar let loose those illumination flares to give those marines a sense of what was happening around them. the kind of thing you hear an awful lot around here these days. we're learning the details of a raid to rescue a "new york times" reporter captured by the taliban. the raid played out about 24 hours ago. the reporter and his translator were taken hostage saturday when they went to cover a nato air strike. the bombings, carried out by u.s. jets, killed at least 90 people -- actually, by german

jets, called in by german troops. in a raid yesterday, british commandos managed to free him, his translater. a british commando was killed. right now we're going to return to camp dwyer, farther south of where we are. and casualties in this region are mounting for americans and afghan civilians. it's one thing to report the numbers, but tonight we want to show you what happens when a call comes in that someone has been hurt. chief medical correspondent dr. sanjay gupta spent time with an elite medical crew at camp dwyer. every time a call comes in, their job is to beat the clock, just 60 minutes, that's all they get every time. >> reporter: one hour, that's it. minutes began ticking down when word came that two men about 40 miles from here were wounded. without help, they could bleed out and die. >> they're an urgent patient. we have timelines where we need

to be moving extremely fast, i mean within minutes. we don't mess around. when that bell rings, we run. and we get out here, all geared up and take off. [ inaudible ] >> we don't know how bad off they are. it's what these guys do. i'm with an elite medical dustoff crew. the name goes back to vietnam. it was a radio emergency call signal to chopper in the combat flight medics. they are a go-team. 24-7, they steal moments of time to save lives. >> our job is to get people up and out of here in seconds. because seconds count. >> reporter: for nate and his team, most missions are about rescuing american military. >> they're leave thing gate every day on foot and vehicles knowing what's out there. and if they can do that, then

i'll do anything to make sure that they get back all right. >> reporter: but today, the call came to save afghan locals. it's a critical part of the u.s. strategy to win the hearts and minds of afghan civilians. we are now into the golden hour. most trauma patients who die of blood loss die within an hour unless we can stabilize them. so we have 20 minutes to fly. 20 minutes to get the patient on the chopper. 20 minutes to get the patient to a hospital. it's one golden hour. >> so when i got on the aircraft, my mindset is airway, oxygen, stabilization of the chest. fine tuning this down to the last second is the most important thing. >> reporter: but with the dustoff teams, the challenge is not just getting to the patients but getting out of there safely. >> this is probably the most dangerous place in afghanistan. here we are coming into this area, you can see it when we're

going, this six foot high corn fields and water and mud everywhere. not very many ways for us to get out of there real quick if we have to. so i was worried. >> reporter: for so many reasons, that fear is always looming. dabny surprised me when he pulled out this picture. these are his three boys. >> i discussed it with my wife, a letter to read to them. when it comes to that kind of thing, you hope that they're proud of you. one of the things you try not to think about. >> reporter: it must have been a tough letter to write, though. >> it was. it probably took me about -- being a dad is the most privileged and most important job you could ever have, no matter what you do. you know this. but at the same time, showing them what being a man is really

about, fighting for your country, sacrificing for your country. things that are more important than, you know, staying at home and avoiding this kind of thing. >> reporter: as for today's mission, dabny and his crew cheated the clock, again. it's now clear the two men they flew in to save will survive their terrible wounds. >> that was an amazing stories. they do such incredible work. tell me about that little boy malik, what's the update? >> it's been a roller coaster over the last couple of days. some of the video that you're probably looking at now, anderson, he had a fever, which can happen sometimes after an operation like this. it set him back a little bit, which made the next couple of days all the more remarkable. take a look at this, he's walking. they thought he was going to be paralyzed on the left side of his body. but with a little aid there,

he's able to walk. even as we're talking right now, we're uncovering more details what happened to malik and what's going to happen to a boy like this in a war zone. we'll have that for you tomorrow on a special. >> u.s. medics and doctors here work on afghan civilians as well as u.s. military personnel in need. i talked to sanjay a short time ago, we recorded that a short time ago. when we come back, in case you think u.s. marines are living on fancy bases here with the comforts of home, we'll give you a reality check and show you what life is like for the marines here. later, we go to taliban country. michael ware returns to kandahar to see how the enemy is thriving and how the city he used to live in is under siege. michael's report coming up. >> i'm from new jersey. i want to say to my husband nick on the west coast and the rest

of my family on the east coast. i miss you guys and i'll be home soon. welcome to progressive. how may i help you? i'm looking for a deal on car insurance. i think i might have a coupon in here. there's an easier way. we've got the "name your price" option. you do? follow me. you tell us how much you want to pay, and we'll build you a policy that fits your budgede and i still get great coverage? uh-huh. go ahead. you're the boss. i'm the boss of savings. more like the c.e.o. oh, oh. no glass ceiling. the freedom to name your price.

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driving anywhere in he willman province is a painstakingly slow province. the taliban are still here and still planting deadly ieds. we're returning to base along

the same road we came down. so any taliban who have been watching us know we'll be using this road. so we have to be very careful. we're in the lead vehicle, driving very slowly down this road, scanning the road ahead for anything that looks unusual. that was the end of our patrol earlier in the day. it looks so calm around here and all of a sudden you realize the road we had just gone down, an ied was exploded on it a short time later. an area that we passed through, which seemed calm a few hours later there was small arms fire, taliban entering the town. we head home in a couple of days. the same cannot be said of the marines stationed here at patrol base jaker. it's their home for the last two points or so, it will be some time to come before they get home. we want to show you behind the scenes, we've been showing you a lot what it's like outside the wire. we want to show you what it's like in this camp living here

under difficult conditions. take a look. patrol base jaker, for the marining of the first battalion, fifth regiment, it's become home. you may have heard stories of troops living on bases with all the comforts of home. patrol base jaker is nothing like that. they're about 50 marines here at any given time and the conditions they face are extremely difficult. temperatures here can reach 120 degrees. but there's no air conditioning in tents. no respite from the heat and dust. first thing you notice when you get here is this dust. the marines call it moon dust. it's a fine powder that coats everything and gets everywhere, in weapons, clothing, even food. there's nothing you can do about it. how do you deal with the dust? >> it is what it is, i think. you can't beat it, so you go with it. >> nothing seems to bother this sergeant.

he's had to deal with a lot more than just dust. you've been hit by two ieds? >> yes. >> does that make you lucky or unlucky? >> i say lucky. >> we met this lance corporal as he was burning excrement. this is probably the worst job here? >> yeah, it stinks. >> did you anger somebody and they assigned this? >> no. >> just at the wrong place at the wrong time? >> yeah, wrong place, wrong time. >> around the clock, patrols come in and out. marines move supplies. there's constant movement at jaker. >> do your job, go to bed, wake up, do your job. >> that's what it is like? >> yes, no burger king. >> there is food, of course. but it's all prepackaged. meals ready to eat.

as for leisure activities, a few old weights and a sledge hammer is the gym. for golfers, the whole place is a sand trap. there is no privacy here. no place to simply take a break. the bathroom facilities here are primitive to say the least. there are pipes in the ground which are -- well, it's obvious what the pipes are for. and the toilets, they're communal. up in the guard tower, tim admits he often gets frustrated. but being here, being a marine, is a dream come true. >> i just wanted to do it since i was a little kid. >> do you feel like you're doing some good here? >> yeah. >> despite all the hardships of life, there is a feeling of accomplishment, and the bonds of brotherhood. >> a nice home. >> what do you like about it? >> about here? >> yeah. >> all the marines we met are an impressive group. it's been a privilege to be here

the last couple of days. i've been here with peter bergen. let's talk about the cost of this war. some $200 billion so far over the course of eight years. $4 billion every month being spent here. is it money well spent, sit worth it? >> you know, part of the problem is the official funding of the war was so underresourced. this was the least resourced post world war ii the united states has been involved in. we did it on the cheap and we're paying the price now. >> in terms of money and in terms of troops, not enough troops on the ground. >> 6,000 troops here two years after the fall of 9/11. this is a country the size of texas, it's not enough. >> 68,000 by the end of this year. likely there is going to be a request for more troops to clear, hold and build in all the areas where the taliban is currently operating. they're certainly on the move. the situation is detieruating.

$700 billion is the cost in iraq. >> historically iraq has cost five times more than afghanistan. afghanistan is not a country that needs the same amount of resources that iraq, a much more modern place, needed. i don't anticipate that the political will for the effort that was made in iraq. >> we'll talk with peter more throughout the week. a lot more ahead tonight. we'll show you michael ware's experiences in kandahar, a city he used to live in. a city where many parts the taliban moving freely. and also tonight, dr. sanjay gupta getting some shut eye. the video he doesn't know we have. we'll bring it to you, later.

the situation on the ground here in afghanistan is

deteriorating. u.s. officials admit that. the last two months have been the deadliest for u.s. forces here. the taliban has been on the move, into areas traditionally they haven't been in, in the north and in the west. the fight for afghanistan is happening all across this country. the city of kandahar is a prime example. a place where citizens are terrorized by taliban members, and where attacks are launched against u.s. and nato forces. michael ware spent some time there recently. take a look at his report. >> reporter: how does that make people feel here in kandahar? i wanted to see what had happened to this place since i left. kandahar, the birthplace of the taliban and the capital of the south, the fiercest combat zone. i once lived here, before iraq and after the fall of the taliban. so much has changed here in kandahar. there's new buildings, there's new roads, there's new tree lines. but there's also a new taliban. there's a taliban here that wasn't here just a few years

ago. and this city now lives in the shadow of the taliban. the taliban control neighborhoods here. in fact, this is a taliban neighborhood. these police are from a police station right in the midst of the taliban strong hold. they're much on the front line, guarding the gates to kandahar. in fact, here in this market place, the mood among shopkeepers is anxious. everyone in kandahar is saying the city is surrounded, this businessman says. there's something like 200 men standing here. go, ask them. is there taliban or not? here, the sense of a city under siege goes much deeper than just hurting business. even here in the city, you cannot speak out against the taliban. those who do speak up face a terrible conclusion, this shopkeeper says. i found for many, these fears are growing. even though a major u.s. and canadian base is located at

kandahar's airfield, just outside the city limits. their vehicles are in the city streets. so for more answers, i turn to some old friends. one is ahmed karzai, brother to the afghan president and now leader of the family's tribe. >> it's not a major force to i should be have a fear sitting here that they come attack us tonight. this is now surrounding the city. >> reporter: but it also seems small pockets of taliban are turning to old and highly successful tactics. they're using the same valleys, mountain passes and many of the same old commanders who deceited the soviet army. this man, another old friend, was a guerrilla's hero in the war against the soviets here. he's now head of a massive tribe tied closely to the taliban. the taliban are walking in the

steps of the mujahadin who fought the russians, he says. if the taliban hear the government is coming to an area, they escape to a safe place to spend the night. and it's not just in the villages. just one week ago, a massive drug bomb detonated just here, right in the heart of kandahar city itself. on this side of the road was the offices of an aid agency and houses. you can see the blast absolutely leveled the building. on that day, over 40 afghan civilians lost their lives. and you can see the size of the blast, a week later, they're still cleaning up. on this side of the street was shops and businesses, and a reception hall for weddings. convoys carrying american trucks are passing by on this very street. and as i'm standing here speaking to you right now in

this devastation, just a few suburbs away over there, less than a mile, is a taliban controlled district. and local police commanders say there's no hint of improvement. the major u.s. military offensive in helmand province they say, is killing taliban fighters, but the taliban keeping evolving. and finding new ways to wage war. all of which leaves the view from kandahar one of the taliban war machine that shows no signs of slowing. a taliban war machine that's ever growing. while the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate, the country is in a national political limbo. they don't even know who their president is because of corruption allegations plaguing the presidential election results. and militarily, the american war plan is also in limbo. the generals have to go back to

d.c., they need more troops. they need to look at how they're fight thing war, and they need to rethink it. so all of this while the taliban is growing stronger. it's know all eyes on the white house. is president obama ready to step up to fight this war, anderson? >> yeah, a classified strategy assessment has been given by general mccrystal to president obama for him to look at. very likely in the coming months, or maybe even weeks, there may be an increase for u.s. forces here in the country. more from michael ware throughout the week. we're letting you hear from american troops here in afghanistan. we posted other messages from them on our website. logon to ac360.com to see those right now. ahead on "360," we showed you what it's like for the marines here. now it's dr. sanjay gupta's turn. we'll snow you where he and his team try to get some rest. images from a galaxy far,

far away. incredible photos from the hubble space telescope you have to see to believe. i'm from maryland. i want to say hello to my wife, melissa, and the rest of my family in northern minnesota. my doctor told me i should've been... doing more for my high cholesterol. what was i thinking? but now i trust my heart to lipitor. when diet and exercise are not enough, adding lipitor may help. unlike some other cholesterol lowering medications, lipitor is fda approved to reduce the risk... of heart attack, stroke, and certain kinds of heart surgeries... if you have several common risk factors... or heart disease. lipitor has been extensively studied... with over 16 years of research. lipitor is not for everyone, including people with liver problems... and women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. you need simple blood tests to check for liver problems. tell your doctor if you are taking other medications,

or if you have any muscle pain or weakness. this may be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. i learned the hard way. but you may be able to do something. have a heart to heart with your doctor... about your risk. and about lipitor. car insurance company in the nation. but, it's not like we're kicking back, now, havin' a cuppa tea. gecko vo: takes lots of sweat to become that big. gecko vo: 'course, geckos don't literally sweat... it's just not our thing... gecko vo: ...but i do work hard, mind you. gecko vo: first rule of "hard work equals success." gecko vo: that's why geico is consistently rated excellent or better in terms of financial strength. gecko vo: second rule: "don't steal a coworker's egg salad, 'specially if it's marked "the gecko." come on people. ♪ yes, you're lovely... ♪ what do you think? hey, why don't we use our points from chase sapphire and take a break? we can't. sure, we can. the points don't expire... ♪ there is nothing for me... ♪

there's no travel restrictions... we could leave tomorrow. we can't use them for a vacation. you can use the points for just about anything. i know... ♪ the way you look tonight ♪ chase what matters. get your new chase sapphire card at chase.com/sapphire. coming up, we'll give you a look at how dr. sanjay gupta has been living while on assignment here in afghanistan. some pictures he doesn't know we have. but first, erica hill joins us again with a "360" bulletin. the congressman who shouted you lied during president obama's health care speech has called the white house to apologize.

joe wilson of south carolina speaking to chief of staff rahm emanuel and issued the following statement tonight -- >> he goes on to say, while i disagree, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. a republican state lawmaker in california resigning after he was caught on video bragging about extramarital affairs. mike duvall wasn't shy as he talked about having sex with two women, one a lobbyists. his comments were picked up by a microphone. if you have children in the room with you, they definitely should not hear this. here's the outspoken politician. >>

>> let's head to deep space now. new photos taken by the hubble telescope. the images of galaxies were sharper than previous photos thanks to its upgrade. a magical run at the u.s. open is over. lost tonight 6-2, 6-2 in the quarterfinals. oudin never switched to get this far. still, a fine showing for that georgia girl. >> it was, indeed. still ahead, "360" m.d. sanjay gupta at work in ampg. how does president obama's make or breaking health care reform speech go over with americans? did he get his message across? what our polling shows so far

ahead on "360."

erica, tonight, we thought we would show you where dr. sanjay gupta has been staying. this is what it looks like, facilities with bare bones, simple cots, no privacy. you catch sleep when you can, which is apparently what he was doing when we shot this. doesn't know we took that picture, but we got it. erica? >> even san area gupta has to sleep. the man with 18 jobs, i'm shocked. >> i know, it is shocking.

that does it for this edition of "360." thank you very much for watching. the president's address begins right now. momentarily, we will hear those words, madame speaker, the president of the united states. president obama will be introduced as he walks into this chamber. in fact, they're getting ready to introduce members of the cabinet and others. let's listen in as the sergeant of arms gets ready for the first of several announcements, always an exciting moment. for those of us that love washington, love this process, love seeing what's going on on capitol hill, every single second has been weighed as they get ready for the introduction of the president of the united states. once he walks through that door, he'll be greeted by members on both sides of the aisle and he will have a chance to shake hands.

>> madame speaker -- [ applause ] >> among those invited, ambassadors from various countries. the members of the cabinet will be introduced. this is one of those moments that certainly sparks a lot of excitement. one thing we should be aware of, the president will be warmly received by republicans and democrats. but once he gets into the controversial aspects of this address, the democrats no doubt will stand, give him standing ovations, rousing applause. the republicans not so much. most of them will be quiet. they'll be polite. about like the british parliament. but they will certainly not stand up and give him the standing ovations.

there's the first lady, michelle obama, walking up in the gallery right now. she's invited several guests, including people who have special health care related issues. you see joe biden, the wife of the vice president getting a hug from the widow of the late senator kennedy. one thing the president will say tonight is that so many presidents have tried to enact health care reform. he hopes he will be the last president that has to try. he's going to try his best to get it approved. there she is, michelle obama, the first lady of the united states. very, very popular figure in washington as we all know. popular among democrats and republicans. campbell, as we get ready for those dramatic announcements of the members of the cabinet and the president, let's listen to

the speaker. >> madame speaker, the president's cabinet. >> there's the dean, the secretary of state, hillary clinton, the most senior cabinet position followed by the secretary of the treasury, timothy geithner, then the secretary of defense, robert gates, then the attorney general, eric holder. then they go on, the department of state, followed by the department of the treasury. they're walking in, they're getting ready. they will be seated and of course they will be enthusiastic as the president gets ready to

deliver his speech. campbell, paul begala made reference to what happened 16 years ago when the then-president bill clinton spoke on health care reform, delivered a speech. maybe paul wants to tell us what happened. because the speech that was in the teleprompter was not the speech he was supposed to be delivering that night. >> no. the president was editing the speech in the car, wolf, going to the capitol building, so the white house communications agency that runs those teleprompters had to use a seven-month-old economic speech to see if the plates worked and the teleprompter worked. so when we rushed in with his speech, the final edits that were made in the car, plugged it into the teleprompter, we didn't delete the old speech. so it all became one, long, endless -- he'd have given both speeches. gladly, i'm sure. so the first nine minutes of that speech, he had no teleprompter, he had last year's speech whizzing backwards and forwards. >> campbell, we have a little clip of that. let's play that. it brings back a lot of memories, what shouldn't have happened.

>> thank you. thank you. right. he's telling the vice president, al gore, you know what, i got the wrong script in the teleprompter, that's why i'm sort of ad libbing. he was good at it though, paul, i have to admit. a lot of people watching around the world had no idea. >> it was remarkable. the only person in the room who i know noticed anything different, was his daughter, chelsea, as soon as the speech was over, said, dad, what was going on with that speech? but he had spent hours and hours on the speech, knew it in and out. and later i asked him what it felt like to stand up there with no teleprompter, and the backup text was in tiny type. and he couldn't read it without his glasses. and he said, well, lord, you're testing me. well, here it goes. and on he went. >> and he did an amazing job, although in the end, he didn't get health care reform enacted and the democrats lost both houses of congress in that first midterm election in '94. that's history that president obama does not want to repeat.

david, you were there during those early years. >> and i watched paul valiantly working through this. it's been important to remember, when bill clinton did and gave his speech, the numbers in favor of health care went up. he substantially helped himself early on. it was the withering attacks that came later that brought it down. but he made that work. and i still think that's the test of president obama tonight. >> well, it's reverse timing. you know, obama is giving this speech after he suffered the withering attacks this summer, right? so the timing, in a way, may work to this president's advantage. >> those lines of attack, the death panels, the things that we heard at the town halls this summer, were republicans going to continue that tact going forward? >> i would hope that they would argue on the merits, because there's a lot of very significant differences and viewpoints and value systems. you're having a mandate, mandating to young people that they have to have insurance and it's a very expensive proposition. and the argument at the end of the day is that you're going to get less for more and the insurance companies are not going to have cheaper rates if

they have to cover all this stuff. so i think to a certain extent, there are a lot of substantiative issues we can fight about. but the key thing here, i think, is that you're going to have a lot of panic. it's the worst season you could have. it's an election season, and you've got a bunch of people who aren't sure they're going to get re-elected. that's always a scary part of the process. >> and that's the danger here. >> and we also have five bills. we don't have a single bill we're arguing about. >> and that's the problem. it's hard really to know. and what we've seen of the excerpts, there are not enough specifics in there to say, how, this is how the bill is going to take shape. kit change down the road, as we all know, lots of times on capitol hill. and as paul reminds me, there is, in the senate, the option to just go ahead and do reconciliation and only get 51 votes. and if they can do that and decide to do that, that is very good news for a public option and he's right. >> one senator who will fight it very strenuously is senator byrd who feels very, very strongly and is going to be a very important -- when you do need 60, he's the dean of the senate.

>> they're committed to getting this by hook or by crook. and i think the president's likely to say this, he really prefers bipartisanship, he really wants it. they're really courting olympia snowe, i think they'll name camp david after her, camp olympia. but if they can't get her -- and with her they'll probably get four or five wavering democrats. >> get anything and call it a victory, right? they will call it a victory. and they all, if you talk to folks at the white house, they say between the house bills and the senate bills, there's 70 to 80% unagreement. and a lot of areas mostly dealing with insurance reform. insurance reform is very popular in this country. getting rid of pre-existing conditions, very popular. >> let's go back to this. i think if this were going to be decided tonight in this chamber, they could come up with a deal, get a vote for it, and get it through. the problem they've still got is if the country, if the public is opposed to what shaped up as a

deal, then it becomes much harder to pass it. and that's why his main audience tonight is not in the hall. his main audience is to see if he can convince a lot of americans to go with him on this. not to be a game changer, perhaps, candy, but to reverse the tide. >> sure. to take control of the conversation, absolutely. i'm not saying it won't do anything, i'm just saying you can't all of a sudden get health care after a great speech tonight. >> but i also think his challenge is to kind of lay down some areas he feels strongly about and this is the obama plan. he has been so ambiguous, the country is confused. you say health care reform, they say, well, i'm not quite sure what the president is supporting at this point. so tonight they have to do that without getting so specific. >> but to that point, how do you do that? if everyone's demanding specifics, including the american people, how do you strike that balance? >> i'm told the speech started out a lot more specific than it ended up, because they don't want to alienate lots of people that they need, like the liberals in the house.

but they do have those moderates. >> but you also have 12 targets on you. and then it becomes if you don't get them, it's sort of more and more your failure. presidents don't like to take ownership of specifics until the very last part of the process. >> paul would know this better than anybody here, it's really hard to give a speech with too many objectives for the speech. you have to have one or two objectives and go for them. >> so what should the one or two objectives be? >> insurance reform. >> i think it ought to be simplicity and persuasion that this is good for you personally and wise for the country. and i think the rest of it -- if you try to have all the specifics and sort out the moderates and the liberals, you can't do six things in a speech. it becomes a mismatch. >> but how do you make the case that this is good for you and good for the country when you see the polls that the vast majority of americans are happy with what they have right now. you're asking them to sacrifice. >> you can say, this could happen to anybody. you may have a great plan right now, but you might get sick tomorrow and your insurance company might drop you. we're going to stop that.

>> there's 46 million on medicare and 24 million more going on medicare. that's the danger point. if you don't convince them that they're going to have what they have today, they're going to be a very angry constituency. >> the sergeant of arms is about to introduce the president of the united states. there he is. he's standing in the hall. he will be walking in, getting an enthusiastic response. let's listen. >> madam speaker, the president of the united states! [ applause ] [ applause ]

[ applause ] [ applause ] [ applause ] [ applause ]

[ applause ] [ applause ] [ applause ]

[ applause ] [ applause ] [ applause ] >> thank you. thank you. thank you. [ applause ] >> thank you. thank you.

[ applause ] >> thank you. thank you. [ applause ] >> thank you. thank you. [ applause ]

>> members of congress, i have the hard privilege and distinct honor to present to you the president of the united states. [ applause ] >> thank you! thank you. thank you so much. thank you. thank you. thank you very much. thank you very much. thank you. please, be seated. thank you. thank you very much. please, be seated. madam speaker, vice president biden, members of congress and the american people, when i

spoke here last winter, this nation was facing the worst economic crisis since the great depression. we were losing an average of 700,000 jobs per month. credit was frozen and our financial system was on the verge of collapse. as any american who is still looking for work or a way to pay their bills will tell you, we are by no means out of the woods. a full and vibrant recovery is still many months away. and i will not let up until those americans who seek jobs can find them. [ applause ]

until -- until those businesses that seek capital and credit can thrive, until all responsible homeowners can stay in their homes, that is our ultimate goal. but thanks to the bold and decisive action we've taken since january, i can stand here with confidence and say that we have pulled this economy back from the brink. [ applause ] now, i want to thank the members of this body for your efforts and your support in these last several months and especially those who have taken the difficult votes that have put us on the path to recovery. i also want to thank the american people for their patience and resolve during this trying time for our nation.

but we did not come here just to clean up crises. we came here to build a future. so tonight i return to speak to all of you about an issue that is central to that future, and that is the issue of health care. i'm not the first president to take up this cause, but i am determined to be the last. [ applause ] it has now been nearly a century since theodore roosevelt first called for health care reform. and ever since, nearly every president and congress, whether democrat or republican, has attempted to meet this challenge in some way.

a bill for comprehensive health reform was first introduced by john dingell sr. in 1943. 65 years later, his son continues to introduce that same bill at the beginning of each session. [ applause ] our collective failure to meet this challenge, year after year, decade after decade has led us to the breaking point. everyone understands the extraordinary hardships that are placed on the uninsured who live every day just one accident or illness away from bankruptcy. these are not primarily people on welfare, these are middle class americans. some can't get insurance on the job, others are self-employed

and can't afford it since buying insurance on your own costs you three times as much as the coverage you get from your employer. many other americans who are willing and able to pay are still denied insurance due to previous illnesses or conditions that insurance companies decide are too risky or too expensive to cover. we are the only democracy, the only advanced democracy on earth, the only wealthy nation that allows such hardship for millions of its people. there are now more than 30 million american citizens who cannot get coverage. in just a two-year period, one in every three americans goes without health care coverage at some point. and every day, 14,000 americans lose their coverage. in other words, it can happen to anyone. but the problem that plagues the health care system is not just a problem for the uninsured.

those who do have insurance have never had less security and stability than they do today. more and more americans worry that if you move, lose your job, or change your job, you'll lose your health insurance too. more and more americans pay their premiums only to discover that their insurance company has dropped their coverage when they get sick or won't pay the full cost of care. it happens every day. one man from illinois lost his coverage in the middle of chemotherapy because his insurer found that he hadn't reported gallstones that he didn't even know about. they delayed his treatment and he died because of it. another woman from texas was about to get a double mastectomy when her insurance company canceled her policy because she forgot to declare a case of acne. by the time she had her insurance reinstated, her breast cancer had more than doubled in size. that is heartbreaking, it is wrong, and no one should be

treated that way in the united states of america. [ applause ] then there's the problem of rising costs. we spend 1.5 times more per person on health care than any other country, but we aren't any healthier for it. this is one of the reasons that insurance premiums have gone up three times faster than wages. it's why so many employers, especially small businesses, are forcing their employers -- employees to pay more for insurance or are dropping their coverage entirely. it's why so many aspiring entrepreneurs cannot afford to open a business in the first

place and why american businesses that compete internationally, like our automakers, are at a huge disadvantage. and it's why those of us with health insurance are also paying a hidden and growing tax for those without it. about $1,000 per year that pays for somebody else's emergency room and charitable care. finally, our health care system is placing an unsustainable burden on taxpayers. when health care costs grow at the rate they have, it puts greater pressure on programs like medicare and medicaid. if we do nothing to slow these skyrocketing costs, we will eventually be spending more on medicare and medicaid than every other government program combined. put simply, our health care problem is our deficit problem. nothing else even comes close. nothing else.

now, these are the facts. nobody disputes them. we know we must reform this system. the question is how. there are those on the left who believe that the only way to fix the system is through a single-payer system like canada's, where we would -- where we would severely restrict the private insurance market and have the government provide coverage for everybody. on the right, there are those who argue that we should end employer-based systems and leave individuals to buy health insurance on their own. i've said, i have to say that there are arguments to be made for both these approaches. but either one would represent a radical shift that would disrupt the health care most people currently have. since health care represents one

sixth of our economy, i believe it makes more sense to build on what works and fix what doesn't rather than try to build an entirely new system from scratch. [ applause ] and that is precisely what those of you in congress have tried to do over the past several months. during that time, we've seen washington at its best and at its worst. we've seen many in this chamber work tirelessly for the better part of this year to offer thoughtful ideas about how to achieve reform. of the five committees asked to develop bills, four have completed their work and the senate finance committee announced today that it will move forward next week. that has never happened before.

our overall efforts have been supported by an unprecedented coalition of doctors and nurses, hospitals, seniors' groups, and even drug companies, many of whom opposed reform in the past. and there is agreement in this chamber on about 80% of what needs to be done, putting us closer to the goal of reform than we have ever been. but what we've also seen in these last months is the same partisan spectacle that only hardens the disdain many americans have towards their own government. instead of honest debate, we've seen scare tactics. some have dug into unyielding ideological camps that offer no hope of compromise. too many have used this as an opportunity to score short-term political points, even if it robs the country of our opportunity to solve a long-term challenge. and out of this blizzard of charges and countercharges,

confusion has reigned. well, the time for bickering is over. the time for games has passed. now is the season for action, now is when we must bring the best ideas of both parties together and show the american people that we can still do what we were sent here to do. now is the time to deliver on health care. now is the time to deliver on health care. the plan i'm announcing tonight would meet three basic goals. it will provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance. it will provide insurance for those who don't. and it will slow the growth of health care costs for our families, our businesses, and our government. [ applause ]

it's a plan that asks everyone to take responsibility for meeting this challenge. not just government, not just insurance companies, but everybody. including employers and individuals. and it's a plan that incorporates ideas from senators and congressmen, from democrats and republicans. and yes, from some of my opponents in both the primary and general election. here are the details that every american needs to know about this plan. first, if you are among the hundreds of millions of americans who already have health insurance through your job or medicare or medicaid or the va, nothing in this plan will require you or your employer to change the coverage or the doctor you have. let me -- let me repeat this. nothing in our plan requires you

to change what you have. what this plan will do is make the insurance you have work better for you. under this plan, it will be against the law for insurance companies to deny you coverage because of a pre-existing condition. [ applause ] as soon as i sign this bill, it will be against the law for insurance companies to drop your coverage when you get sick or water it down when you need it the most. [ applause ] they will no longer be able to place some arbitrary cap on the amount of coverage you can receive in a given year or in a

lifetime. [ applause ] we will place a limit on how much you can be charged for out-of-pocket expenses, because in the united states of america, no one should go broke because they get sick. [ applause ] and insurance companies will be required to cover, for no extra charge, routine checkups and preventative care, like mammograms and colonoscopies, because there's no reason we shouldn't be catching diseases like breast cancer and colon cancer before it gets worse. that makes sense, it saves money, and it saves lives. [ applause ] now, that's what americans who

have health insurance can expect from this plan. more security and more stability. now, if you're one of the tens of millions of americans who don't currently have health insurance, the second part of this plan will finally offer you quality, affordable choices. if you -- if you lose your job or you change your job, you'll be able to get coverage. if you strike out on your own and start a small business, you'll be able to get coverage. we'll do this by creating a new insurance exchange, a marketplace where individuals and small businesses will be able to shop for health insurance at competitive prices. insurance companies will have an incentive to participate in this exchange, because it lets them compete for millions of new customers. as one big group, these customers will have greater leverage to bargain with the insurance companies for better prices and quality coverage.

this is how large companies and government employees get affordable insurance, it's how everyone in this congress gets affordable insurance, and it's time to give every american the same opportunity that we give ourselves. [ applause ] >> for those individuals and small businesses that still can't afford the lower priced insurance available in the exchange, we'll provide tax credits, the size of which will be based on your need. and all insurance companies that want access to this new marketplace will have to abide by the consumer protections i already mentioned. this exchange will take effect in four years, which will give us time to do it right. in the meantime, for those americans who can't get insurance today because they have pre-existing medical conditions, we will immediately offer low-cost coverage that

will protect you against financial ruin if you become seriously ill. this was a good idea when senator john mccain proposed it in the campaign, it's a good idea now, and we should all embrace it. [ applause ] >> now, even if we provide these affordable options, there may be those, especially the young and the healthy, who still want to take the risk and go without coverage. there may still be companies who refuse to do right by their workers by giving them coverage. the problem is, such irresponsible behavior costs all the rest of us money. if there are affordable options and people still don't sign up

for health insurance, it means we pay for these people's expensive emergency room visits. if some businesses don't provide workers health care, it forces the rest of us to pick up the tab when their workers get sick and gives those businesses an unfair advantage over their competitors. and unless everybody does their part, many of the insurance reforms we seek, especially requiring insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions, just can't be achieved. and that's why under my plan, individuals will be required to carry basic health insurance, just as most states require you to carry auto insurance. [ applause ] likewise, businesses will be required to either offer their workers health care or chip in to help cover the cost of their workers. there will be a hardship waiver for those individuals who still can't afford coverage and 95% of

all small businesses, because of their size and narrow profit margin, would be exempt from these requirements. but we can't have large businesses and individuals who can afford coverage game the system by avoiding responsibility to themselves or their employees. and proving our health care system only works if everybody does their part. and while there remains some significant details to be ironed out, i believe, i believe a broad consensus exists for the aspects of the plan i just outlined, consumer protections for those with insurance, an exchange that allows individuals and small businesses to purchase affordable coverage, and a requirement that people who can afford insurance get insurance. and i have no doubt that these reforms would greatly benefit americans from all walks of life. as well as the economy as a whole.

still, given all the misinformation that's been spread over the past few months, i realize -- i realize that many americans have grown nervous about reform. so tonight i want to address some of the key controversies that are still out there. some of people's concerns have grown out bogus claims, spread by those whose only agenda is to kill reform at any cost. the best example is the claim, made not just by radio and cable talk show hosts, but by prominent politicians, that we plan to set up panels of bureaucrats with the power to kill off senior citizens. now, such a charge would be laughable if it weren't so cynical and irresponsible. it is a lie, plain and simple. [ applause ]

now, there are also those who claim our reform efforts would insure illegal immigrants. this, too, is false. the reforms -- the reforms i'm proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally -- >> lie! >> it's not true. and one more misunderstanding i want to clear up. under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions and federal conscious laws will remain in place. now, my health care proposal has also been attacked by some who

oppose reform as a government takeover of the entire health care system. as proof, critics point to a provision in our plan that allows the uninsured and small businesses to choose a publicly sponsored insurance option, administered by the government, just like medicaid or medicare. so let me set the record straight here. my guiding principle and always has been that consumers do better when there's choice and competition. that's how the market works. [ applause ] unfortunately, in 34 states, 75%

of the insurance market is controlled by five or fewer companies. in alabama, almost 90% is controlled by just one company. and without competition, the price of insurance goes up and quality goes down. and it makes it easier for insurance companies to treat their customers badly by cherry-picking the healthiest individuals and trying to drop the sickest. by overcharges small businesses who have no leverage, and by jacking up rates. insurance executives don't do this because they're bad people, they do it because it's profitable. as one former insurance executive testified before congress, insurance companies are not only encouraged to find reasons to drop the seriously ill, they are rewarded for it. all of this is in service of meeting what this former executive called wall street's relentless profit expectations. now, i have no interest in

putting insurance companies out of business. they provide a legitimate service and employ a lot of our friends and neighbors. i just want to hold them accountable. [ applause ] and the insurance reforms that i've already mentioned would do just that. but an additional step we can take to keep insurance companies honest is by making a not-for-profit public option available in the insurance exchange. [ applause ] >> now, let me be clear. let me be clear. it would only be an option for those who don't have insurance.

no one would be forced to choose it. and it would not impact those of you who already have insurance. in fact, based on congressional budget office estimates, we believe that less than 5% of americans would sign up. despite all this, the insurance companies and their allies don't like this idea. they argue that these private companies can't fairly compete with the government, and they'd be right -- if taxpayers were subsidizing this public insurance option. but they won't be. i've insisted that like any private insurance company, the public insurance option would have to be self-sufficient and rely on the premiums it collects. but by avoiding some of the overhead that gets eaten up at private companies by profits, excessive administrative costs and executive salaries, it could provide a good deal for consumers. it would also keep pressure on private insurers to keep their policies affordable and treat their customers better.

the same way public colleges and universities provide additional choice and competition to students without in any way inhibiting a vibrant system of private colleges and universities. now, it is -- [ applause ] it's worth noting that a strong majority of americans still favor a public insurance option of the sort i've proposed tonight. but its impact shouldn't be exaggerated by the left or the right or the media. it is only one part of my plan and shouldn't be used as a handy excuse for the usual washington ideological battles. to my progressive friends, i would remind you that for decades, the driving idea behind reform has been to end insurance company abuses and make coverage available for those without it.

the public option -- the public option is only a means to that end. and we should remain open to other ideas that accomplish our ultimate goal. and to my republican friends, i say that rather than making wild claims about a government takeover of health care, we should work together to address any legitimate concerns you may have. [ applause ] for example, some have suggested that the public option go into effect only in those markets where insurance companies are not providing affordable policies. others have proposed a co-op or another nonprofit entity to administer the plan. these are all constructive ideas worth exploring. but i will not back down on the

basic principle that if americans can't find affordable coverage, we will provide you with a choice. [ applause ] and -- and i will make sure that no government bureaucrat or insurance company bureaucrat gets between you and the care that you need. [ applause ] finally, let me discuss an issue that is of great concern to me, to members of this chamber, and to the public. and that's how we pay for this plan. and here's what you need to know.

first, i will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits, either now or in the future. [ applause ] i will not sign it if it adds one dime to the deficit, now or in the future, period. and to prove that i'm serious, there will be a provision in this plan that requires us to come forward with more spending cuts if the savings we promise don't materialize. [ applause ] now, part of the reason i faced a $1 trillion deficit when i walked in the door of the white house is because too many initiatives over the last decade were not paid for from the iraq war, to tax breaks for the wealthy. [ applause ]

i will not make that same mistake with health care. second, we've estimated that most of this plan can be paid for by finding savings within the existing health care system. a system that is currently full of waste and abuse. right now, too much of the hard-earned savings and tax dollars we spend on health care don't make us any healthier. that's not my judgment, it's the judgment of medical professionals across this country. and this is also true when it comes to medicare and medicaid. in fact, i want to speak directly to seniors for a moment. because medicare is another issue that's been subjected to demagoguery and distortion during the course of this debate. more than four decades ago, this

nation stood up for the principle that after a lifetime of hard work, our seniors should not be left to struggle with a pile of medical bills in their later years. that's how medicare was born. and it remains a sacred trust that must be passed down from one generation to the next. and that -- that is why not a dollar of the medicare trust fund will be used to pay for this plan. the only -- the only thing this plan would eliminate is the hundreds of billions of dollars in waste and fraud, as well as unwarranted subsidies in medicare that go to insurance companies, subsidies that do everything to pad their profits, but don't improve the care of seniors. and we will also create an independent commission of doctors and medical experts

charged with identifying ways to make you healthier. now, these steps will ensure that you, america's seniors, get the benefits you've been promised. they will ensure that medicare is there for future generations. and we can use some of the savings to fill the gap in coverage that forces too many seniors to pay thousands of dollars a year out of their own pockets for prescription drugs. [ applause ] >> that's what this plan will do for you. so don't pay attention to those scary stories about how your benefits will be cut. especially since some of the same folks who are spreading these tall tales have fought against medicare in the past,

and just this year supported a budget that would essentially have turned medicare into a privatized voucher program. that will not happen on my watch. i will protect medicare. [ applause ] now, because medicare is such a big part of the health care system, making the program more efficient can help usher in changes in the way we deliver health care that can reduce costs for everybody. we have long known that some places, like the intermountain health care in utah or the gisinger health system in rural pennsylvania offer high-quality care at costs below average. so the commission can help encourage the adoption of these commonsense best practices by

doctors and medical professionals throughout the system. everything from reducing hospital infection rates to encouraging better coordination between teams of doctors. reducing the waste and inefficiency in medicare and medicaid will pay for most of this plan. now, much of the rest would be paid for with revenues from the very same drug and insurance companies that stand to benefit from tens of millions of new customers. and this reform will charge insurance companies a fee for their most expensive policies, which will encourage them to provide greater value for the money. an idea which has the support of democratic and republican experts. and according to these same experts, this modest change could help hold down the cost of health care for all of us in the long run. finally, many in this chamber, particularly on the republican side of the aisle, have long insisted that reforming our medical malpractice laws can

help bring down the costs of health care. now -- [ applause ] there you go. there you go. now, i don't believe malpractice reform is a silver bullet, but i've talked to enough doctors to know that defensive medicine may be contributing to unnecessary costs. so -- so i'm proposing that we move forward on a range of ideas about how to put patient safety first and let doctors focus on practicing medicine. i know -- maws plause i know that the bush administration considered authorizing demonstration projects in individual states to test these ideas.

i think it's a good idea and i'm directing my secretary of health and human services to move forward on this initiative today. add it all up and the plan i'm proposing will cost about $900 billion over 10 years. less than we have spent on the iraq and afghanistan wars. and less than the tax cuts for the wealthiest few americans that congress passed at the qui beginning of the previous administration. most of these costs will be paid for with money already being spent. but spent badly. in the existing health care

system. the plan will not add to our deficit. the middle class will realize greater security, not higher taxes. and if we are able to slow the growth of health care costs by just .01% each year. one-tenth of 1%. it will actually reduce the deficit by $4 trillion over the long term. now, this is the plan i'm proposing. it's a plan that incorporates ideas from many of the people in this room tonight. democrats and republicans. and i will continue to seek common ground in the weeks ahead. if you come to me with a serious set of proposals, i will be there to listen. my door is always open. but, know this. i will not waste time with those who have made the calculation that it's better politics to kill this plan than to improve it.

i won't stand by while the special interests use the same old tactics to keep things exactly the way they are. if you misrepresent what's in this plan, we will call you out. and i will not -- [ applause ] and i will not accept the status quo as a solution. not this time. not now. everyone in this room knows what will happen if we do nothing. our deficit will grow. more families will go bankrupt. more businesses will close. more americans will lose their coverage when they are sick and need it the most. and more will die as a result. we know these things to be true.

that is why we cannot fail. because there are too many americans counting on us to succeed. the ones who suffer silently and the ones who share their stories with us at town halls and e-mails and in letters. i received one of those letters a few days ago. it was from our beloved friend and colleague ted kennedy. he had written it back in may, shortly after he was told that his illness was terminal. he asked that it be delivered upon his death. in it, he spoke about what a happy time his last months were. thanks to the love and support of family and friends. his wife vicki. his amazing children who are all here tonight. and he expressed confidence that this would be the year that health care reform, that great

unfinished business of our society he called it, would finally pass. he repeated the truth that health care is decisive for our future prosperity. but he also reminded me that it concerns more than material things. what we face, he wrote, is above all a moral issue. at stake are not just the details of policy, but fundamental principles of social justice and the character of our country. i've thought about that phrase quite a bit in recent days. the character of our country. one of the unique and wonderful things about america has always been our self-reliance. our rugged individualism. our fierce defense of freedom. and our healthy skepticism of government. in figuring out the appropriate size and role of government has

always been a source of rigorous and, yes, sometimes angry debate. that's our history. for some of ted kennedy's critics, his brand of liberalism represented an affront to american liberty. in their minds his passion for universal health care was nothing more than a passion for big government. but those of us who knew teddy and worked with him here, people of both parties, know that what drove him was something more. his friend orrin hatch, he knows that. they worked together to provide children with health insurance. his friend john mccain knows that. they worked together on a patients' bill of rights. his friend chuck grassley knows that. they worked together to provide health care to children with disabilities. on issues like these, ted kennedy's passion was born not of some rigid ideology but of

his own experience. it was the experience of having two children stricken with cancer. he never forgot the sheer terror and helplessness that any parent feels when a child is badly sick. and he was able to imagine what it must be like for those without insurance. what it would be like to have to say to a wife or a child or an aging parent, there is something that could make you better but i just can't afford it. that large-heartedness, that concern and regard for the plight of others, is not a partisan feeling. it's not a republican or democratic feeling. it too is part of the american character. our ability to stand in other people's shoes. a recognition that we are all in this together. that when fortune turns against one of us, others are there to lend a