Obama Enlists Religious Leaders to Fight for Health Reform

Religious leaders and Paul Krugman have called on Obama to tackle health care as a moral imperative. Frankly, I don't think Americans care much that others don't have health care, especially the ones who oppose reform. They are the bootstrappers--if you don't have health insurance, it's your own fault. Selling health insurance reform as a moral obligation is a good tactic with religious leaders, but it's not a good overall strategy.

On a conference call with 140,000 people today, Obama said reform doesn't fund abortions and it doesn't give healthcare to undocumented workers, contrary to what RNC's Michael Steele and every other republican is saying. Republicans don't know how to oppose anything without deceit as far as I can tell.

But I sense a shift in the debate. I think those who support reform have seen and heard enough from the opposition (and have been sickened along the way) and are now in gear. People are rallying again. Now the democrats need to get it together to come up with an awesome health reform bill.

The president directly addressed a number of pervasive rumors about his proposals.

The allegation that health care legislation would set up "death panels," Mr. Obama said, is "just an extraordinary lie." He also rebutted false claims that health coverage would be provided for undocumented immigrants, that there would be government funding for abortions and that there would be a "government takeover" of health care.

These fabrications, Mr. Obama said, are distracting the country from its "core ethical and moral obligation... that we look out for one another."

"In the wealthiest nation on earth, we are neglecting to live up to that call," he said.

After kicking off the conference call with a prayer led by Dr. Cynthia Hale, senior pastor of 6,000-member Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Georgia, religious leaders echoed the president's message that there is a moral imperative for health care reform.

Rev. Jim Wallis, president of Sojourners, one of the groups sponsoring the initiative, said he has been "deeply concerned" by the shouting and hostility at town tall meetings. He said the fatih community is putting out "a clear call for truth telling" in the health care debate, and is "calling on people of faith to make our political representatives understand the faith community will be satifisied by nothing less than accessible, affordable care for all Americans." CBS

Tomorrow, Obama will conference on health care with the peeps at 2:30 pm.
Update Aug. 20: Nancy Snyderman also thinks Obama should argue the morality of health care. Ha! The skeptic in me has arisen. Obama telling people what's in it for them is the best way to sell reform. If we morally cared about people in a way that called for individuals to sacrifice, we wouldn't have people who are homeless and health care would've been taken care of a loooooong time ago. I don't agree with the token republican strategist, who says Obama is talking to religious leaders because he's desperately seeking a miracle:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

National Prayer Service Washington Cathedral Jan. 21

Photo by Kwaku Alston part of the display and Manifest Hope DC art show

The National Prayer Service will focus on themes of tolerance, unity and understanding. It's intended to be an inclusive worship for all Americans. From PIC:

The National Prayer Service will include a traditional prayer for civil leaders, a prayer for the nation, a selection by the Washington, D.C.-based Children of the Gospel Children’s Choir, and, for the first time, feature a sermon delivered by a woman.

Reverend Samuel T. Lloyd III, Dean of the Washington National Cathedral, will welcome attendees to the event, followed by the invocation of Reverend John Bryon Chane, Episcopal Bishop of Washington.

Reverend Otis Moss Jr., Senior Pastor Emeritus, Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio will provide the opening prayer, followed by a prayer for civil leaders delivered by Reverend Andy Stanley, Senior Pastor, North Point Community Church, Alpharetta, Georgia.

Scripture readings will be provided by Dr. Cynthia Hale, Senior Pastor, Ray of Hope Christian Church, Atlanta, Georgia as well as Archbishop Demetrios, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, New York City, and the Most Reverend Francisco Gonzalez, S.F., Auxiliary Bishop of Washington. Rabbi David Saperstein, Executive Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Washington, D.C., has been asked to deliver a psalm.

Responsive prayers given by six leaders will symbolize America’s traditions of religious tolerance and freedom:

—Dr. Ingrid Mattson, President, Islamic Society of North America, Hartford, CT
—Rev. Suzan Johnson-Cook, Senior Pastor, Bronx Christian Fellowship, New York City
—Rabbi Jerome Epstein, Director, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, New York City
—Rev. Carol Wade of the Washington National Cathedral
—Dr. Uma Mysorekar, President, Hindu Temple Society of North America, New York City
—Rev. Jim Wallis, President, Sojourners, Washington, D.C.
—Rabbi Haskal Lookstein, Congregation Kehilath Jeshurunm, New York City
—Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell, Senior Pastor, Windsor Village United Methodist Church, Houston, TX

The service will conclude with a prayer for the nation delivered by Donald W. Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, D.C., followed by a closing prayer provided by Bishop Katherine Jefferts-Schori, Presiding Bishop, Episcopal Church USA and a benediction by the Reverend Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, General Secretary of the Reformed Church in America

The Presidential Inaugural Committee previously announced that Sharon E. Watkins, General Minister and President, Disciples of Christ (Christian Church) will deliver the sermon. PIC