Obama: The Health Care Bill "You Least Like" Is Still Good

Another snippet from President Obama's Democratic National Committee fundraiser last night: the president sought to allay liberal concerns about the health care bills being hashed out in Congress right now, telling the crowd that even their least favorite bill in Congress isn't so bad.

The Senate Finance Committee's bill, which was passed earlier this week, has been criticized by liberals, as it's the most conservative of the five pieces of legislation that have been passed, with other bills and sections of bills coming from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, the House Ways and Means Committee, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and the House Education and Labor Committee. According to consensus, it's the most likely blueprint for any merged package that will eventually pass.

But, addressing the crowd in San Francisco, Obama told his supporters that even "the bill you least like of the five bills that got passed" would accomplish important goals of the reform push.

From a White House transcript of the event:

You know, there are going to be some fierce arguments over the next couple of weeks about health care.  There should be.  This is big.  But understand that the bill you least like of the five bills that got passed would all provide billions of people who don't have coverage, coverage.  (Applause.)  Would all prevent insurance companies from barring you from getting health insurance because of a pre-existing condition.  (Applause.)  Would all set up an exchange so that small businesses could compete and get the same deal that big businesses do for their employees.  (Applause.)  Would all provide subsidies to people who don't have health insurance and give them a measure of security.  All of them.  (Applause.)