economics reporter for "the wall street journal." "washington journal" is next. ♪ host: good morning, and welcome on wednesday, june 24. today the president will host a health care meeting with a bipartisan group of governors. he will also televise a prime time speech on health care tonight. our question for you this morning is how you feel about a public health care option? you can also e-mail us your

comments. you can also use twitter to send us a tweet. president obama spoke about a public health care auction yesterday at white house press conference. take a look. >> as one of those options we must be able to say here is a public auction that is not profit-driven, that can keep down administrative costs, and that provides you good quality care for a reasonable price as one of the options for you to choose -- i think that makes sense. >> when it dried insurers out of business? >> why would it? if private insurers say that the marketplace provides the best quality of health care, if they tell us they are offering a good deal, then why is it that the government which they cannot run anything will suddenly drove them out of business?

that is not logical. "the washington post" has this article concerning president obama turning to grassroots to support the reform. the author writes it remains unclear whether that will make a difference in the struggle. his toughest legislative challenge since reaching office -- campaign tactics have not been tested in the policy arena where clarity is elusive in success depends on the calculations of the 535 elected representatives. do you think his efforts at health care reform is gathering steam? how you feel about a public auction for health care? our first call will be from atlanta, georgia on the the democrats line. caller: good morning, ed thank

you for suspending new i think you are the answer to us ultimately getting public health care, so we so appreciate you. i just wanted to call this morning and expressed how important that it is. i think that democrats and republicans as they go back and forth, i think they have lost any sense of appreciation for the struggle that goes on for everyday working people who would be considered middle class. insurance rates for people are four, five, and a $600 per month at a time when everything else is flat or shrinking. it is impossible for a parent with a child in college -- is $400 for me and $100 for my kid who is very healthy and so am i -- i have a sister who just

could not afford it. we're spending $5,000 or $6,000 working independently and do not get to write it off on taxes. i am looking at these republicans out there who are nitpicking back and forth to reduce and shrink the population looking for health care down to indigent people which is absolutely absurd. we have people who pay our bills, are conscientious, and it is just not possible to have health care and we are angry over it. host: thank you. the next caller comes from the republican line here in washington , washington caller: hello. host: how you feel about a public health care option? caller: i would hate to see a public health care option be included. i am retired and now have medicare. it is the major bureaucracy.

host: are you able to get the coverage that you need? caller: sometimes yes and sometimes no. you have to take plan b which still does not cover enough, so you end up with a supplemental plan you add host: to that what would you like to see happen instead in the health care debate? caller: i think we need to reform it but i would like to see the reform cut costs. i know that it will be difficult. you do not want rationing or delayed access. host: thank you. the next call is on the independent line from rhode island. caller: good morning, in regard to the proposed public health care plan a think it is a great idea. insurance companies are guilty of making shameful products.

i listened to senators talk about the potential for insurance fraud perpetrated against the insurance companies, olivehowever, no one speaks aboe fraud perpetrated by insurance companies. people get sick and they find a reason to get away from paying. there is no question in my mind there needs to be some temperance. the insurance companies have had their way for a very long time. they are not prohibited from doing anything they want to do. no matter how limited a public program would be it would be a good opposite to the insurance industry. host: and "the washington post" it says that the president is mindful that supporters will not agree on all the details.

he has of the distilled his position to three principles. as for his details obama's troops are asking supporters to trust the president's judgment. there is an editorial in today's "the wall street journal" talking about why he supports a public health care plan. he knows some of the criticisms and then combat them. he says plenty of private plans are already not for profit. he says that critics complain of a public plan has an inherent advantage over private plans, but that is not the case. he also writes that a public plan might allow clinicians who form accountable care organizations to keep a portion of the the savings they generate. as opposed to the public auction -- option -- help it

would allow all private insurance is to compete -- they can and they should. here is an opposite viewpoint. his against a public plan and he says it could give the true the uninsured vouchers that would allow for choices and help to account for retirement. he also writes that in the name of cost cutting what is really going down is a major knock down a profit. he says liberals have always ruled against the excess -- excess profits of insurance firms and pharmaceutical companies. what do you think? our next caller comes from memphis on the democrats' line. caller: i do believe in would be beneficial. one, i am a single parent and thank god my children hardly ever get sick, but the cost

through my employer is well over 3000 hrs per year -- $3,000 per year. the cost to go to the doctor, the additional co-pay -- it cuts down on the things i need to do for my family. i would help people like myself in that this situation. where we could afford to get a lower premium, payment. there are others who make less than i do and still have to pay out the exact amount. to me it is not fair. host: what you think about this writer's idea about giving doctors or debit cards to use instead? caller: i do not agree with that. i do not mind paying a premium but it would be nicer if they could be lower premiums. the insurance companies have

these type of prices. i have worked in health industry. there have been times where somebody needs coverage for something and it through the big insurance companies they are pay no premiums but the benefits are not available. there will not be covered. it is a whole lot of red tape. a public option would help to cut down on the bureaucracy. and of the cost. i am all for host: it david is our next caller on the republican line from nashville. caller: 01 to every democrat, every liberal over 50 to remember this moment in our nation's history. we are in the process of destroying literally the best quality, best service, best health care service in the world. we are destroying it. we are taking it the way of

canada and europe. just as they are running away from it because what it leads to inevitably is government deciding what is best for your health care. it destroys the quality. it winds up with fewer doctors and hospitals. a government takeover of 15% of the economy. this is worse than quadrupling the national debt that obama did in the first five months. host: let's take a look at some of the headlines from around the country in the world. in this paper one of the top stories is "obama talks tough about iran." they also talk about the passing of ed mcmahon. johnny carson's sidekick passed away today.

the real-estate situation is the worst ever in miami in florida. that is for the ninth straight month. from detroit, and said the new chrysler, three keys to the plan -- reduce layers of management, make fiat the basis for new models, and pit the off over male against other luxury brands. and according, public grilling for brown and clear on iraq. president obama condemns iran's and just crack down. "the houston chronicle" -- heat sparse concern over public safety. call us this morning with your opinion on a public auction for the health care plan. it did on a public option for health care. next on the independent line is

darren from georgia. caller: thank you for c-span. i am against a public auction for medical coverage. i must make two comments about that. one, i would like to retort to obama's response about the government screws and all private insurers. his answer while it seems to have some logic basically ignored one key factor. the government does not have to be efficient. they can do what it wants to do by passing a law. by gun. they can force themselves into a situation -- by gunpoint the can do with it what to do in force everyone else out. it is no secret that democrats want a public plan and have been moving towards that. anyone who believes this is not a movement toward a single-payer

plan is deluding themselves. discussing the inefficiencies between government or private, the left grilled about the profit motive with in private plans, but never mentions the inefficiencies created from the government side. i would argue those take more money and a larger percentage of the overall pool of money than with the competitive -- then the companies do competing against each other. so, it is pretty much a wash, but i would lean toward the private sector for the long run. host: from missouri on the democrats' line. good morning. caller: [no sounds]

host: but the to our next call. hello, joseph. caller: i am against a public auction. i am a small employer who has employed people for 23 years and provided health insurance the entire time. i think we need to fix the existing problems in the system. the public option, we're not exploring how to fix the problems to begin with. the two main things as problems in the system, employees who have pre-existing conditions are forced to maintain current coverage or lose it. we need to fix that. secondly, we need to allow smaller employers to band together to buy insurance in larger groups to make it more economical for employees. host: ok, and on the democrats' line from tampa, florida. caller: hi, yes ma'am, first of

all, i'm a very strong republican. while i am not a big supporter of mr. obama on a lot of his issues i would like to state that i pay almost $5,000 per year through my company, my health care that covers almost nothing. i have had more issues and problems, and honestly, after reading some of the proposals and of looking at some of the issues, i believe that mr. obama's plan would actually work in the u.s. because right now as it stands it would be cheaper for me to take each member of my family to the doctor once per month than what it costs me to pay for the health plan where we

do not even go to the doctor that much. so, i definitely support the public health plan. i do hope they come up with something networks. and i definitely support president obama on this issue. -- and i hope the come up with something that works. host: next, a call from baltimore. caller: i support the public health care option for the simple fact that it is another option. if we let things go on the way they have, it will only get worse. these insurance companies need some competition, a little more competition. i have a better idea. if we start giving money back to the farmers and get away from a lot of this genetically-modified food that has made people sick that might be another option as well. people need to get off their

behind and go out and exercise and take better care of their health. everyone needs to do that. maybe that would lower costs. we need to take more responsibility for our health. exercise, people. host: first lady mrs. obama is helping to promote reform in health care. our next call is from jenny and tennessee. caller: if you watch the public health tunnel on tv you see why our interest is so high. one gang member was taken to the hospital at three times per month. they pay for nothing. the mexicans pay for nothing. we have so many callers who want to support this control freak we have in the white house that is taking over all the manufacturing we have left. he has taken over the finance. he wants to take over health care which is 20% of our economy. the next thing, he has taken over our energy.

he is a controlled socialist. people need to wake up, shake yourself alive. su what used to be america with the socialist and the white house who is taking control. he is a bully and a coward. we see how he reacted to what happened in india. in iran. he had the same response when russia invaded georgia. it took him four days to come out with some comment that made any sense at all. he is a bully and a coward. host: let's take a look at some of the headlines and leading papers. today "in the new york times" they're talking about the u.s. pullout and concerns about fallujah. they are also writing about president obama's approach to dealing with what is happening in iran. obama condemns the iron fist against protests. they also have a piece about

senator baucus concerning the health care bill. the senator is taking a leading role in a moderate position. the montana democrat is now considered to be an important player as a centrist in the health-care debate. "the washington post" is focusing on the crash for the red line. the trend upper used breaks in a failed attempt to stop the six- car train. in this paper, the recession generation. those just starting find it in game changer, how young people are bracing for a lower standard of living. "the philadelphia inquirer" talks about obama assailing the iran correct them. for now the conversation is about a public auction in health care. the next call comes from the independent line in florida. caller: i would first like to

comment on health care. as an insurance person i knew they do not charge willy nilly. the state's control what they can charge and they look at the experience. you cannot control experience. the thing that drives up the premiums in one place and keeps the premiums low and another is the indigent care hospitals have to give, and then bill back to the insurance companies who pay for people that can pay. the load it is as high as 750% in some places like brooklyn, new york where i practiced for a long time. they load the rate, they take the room and board, and they loaded the rate 750% to cover the indigence.

you cannot force people to buy insurance unless you create a tax and then everyone would be injured, including illegal immigrants. it is just impossible. host: on the republicans line from minnesota. caller: the gentleman who just called it was on the right track. i have been in the health-care industry for 32 years. the solution we try to put forward to many of the companies which make up actually about half of the expenses you pay, the insurance companies actually make a living the nine care, opposing innovative new treatments. -- make a living the ninth year. i have seen it with cancer. i cannot tell you how many people i have seen that. as republican i cannot stand. i sell lindsey's graham

bellyaching. he is on the government program. we need to push back the insurance companies who are in the business of the nine claims and paying huge bonuses. i spent my entire career fighting this industry, trying to get innovative, cost- effective measures. if we had a government system where you just walked right into nor care provider and of the costs were kept within -- into your health care provider, and the costs were kept with the norms across the country, it would be the most cost effective way to get health care out there. you could reduce the expense by at least 50%. i hate to say it been a republican, but the president is on the right track. i think we should support him on this. host: here is bob on the

independent line from arlington. caller: yes, i think we definitely need a public auction. i would prefer single-payer. i do not know what value insurance companies add to health care. we know that medicare which is currently a public auction for our retirees, the administrative costs to administer health care, about 3% per year. the administrative cost for private companies range anywhere from 20% up to 30%. gee, why do we need to spend that much administratively? when we can do it at 3%? we are already over-pain because we know that our international competitors spend much less for health care and get better results. our health-care system is so dysfunctional it is probably the biggest waste in tax and a job destroyer in our economy.

i think the president is right on track. hopefully, this will be a way to get the single-payer. thank you. host: thank you, our next call is from richard on the republican line from new york. caller: i was just wondering, there were saying, the people in congress do not come under this new health care thing. why? why? wait -- host: there are members of senate who are saying it would like to see the planet congress gets some help applied to the nation at large or used as a model. caller: would that entitle me to go to the doctors that they go to? host: thanks for your call, richard.

yesterday president obama called on "the huffington post " reporter concerning iran. >> since we're talking about iran i know that nico is here from "the huffington post" and i know that you and others have seen reports coming directly iran on the internet. another might be questions from people there who are communicating by the internet. >> if yes, i want to take the option to ask the question directly from someone in iran. from some one courageous enough to communicate online one wanted to ask you this -- under which conditions would you accept the election of ahmadinejad, and if you do accept it without any significant changes in the conditions there, isn't that a betrayal of what the

demonstrators there are working for? >> look, we did not have international observers on the ground. we cannot say definitively what exactly happened at polling places throughout the country. what we know is that a sizable percentage of the iranian people themselves, spanning that society, consider this election to illegitimate. it is not an isolated instance, a little grumbling here or there. there is significant question about the legitimacy of the election. ultimately, the most important thing for the iranian government to consider is legitimacy in the eyes of its own people, not in the eyes of the united states. that is why i have been very clear. ultimately this is up to the iranian people to decide their leadership in the structure of

their government. what we can do is to say a quick unequivocably that there are international norms dealing with normsdissent that spans cultures, spans borders, and what we have been seeing over the internet and in news reports or violates those norms. it violates those principles. i think it is not too late for the iranian government to recognize that there is a peaceful path that will lead to stability and legitimacy and prosperity for the iranian people and we hope they take it. host: nicio, the reporter, joins us on the phone. this has gained a lot of

attention in the past 24 hours. what is the main issue? guest: well, it depends on who you are reading. i mean, i think, obviously, i have gotten lots of letters and e-mails and messages from, you know, iranians, iranian- americans who were happy to see a question like this past of the prison. i thought that it was a laudable moved from the president to want to question that came directly from iranians. it is obviously difficult now for there to be direct contact. and of course, on the other hand you have some in the media who have a process problem with what took place. that is ath