The dress code was unusual for the White House, but the message familiar.
Today 150 doctors from all 50 states wore their starched white lab coats for a presidential photo opportunity in the Rose Garden.
"You all look spiffy in your coats," Obama told them.
The White House had invited the doctors to illustrate that there's broad support for health care reform from the people who, polls show, also have earned the public trust.
"Nobody has more credibility with the American people on this issue than you do," Obama said.
With the Senate Finance Committee set to approve its health care bill this week, the President's tone signaled impatience with the ongoing debate.
"We have now been debating this issue of health insurance reform for months," Obama said. "We have listened to every charge and every counter-charge -- from the crazy claims about death panels to misleading warnings about a government takeover of our health care system."
"But when you cut through all the noise and all the distractions that are out there, I think what's most telling is that some of the people who are most supportive of reform are the very medical professionals who know the health care system best."
The President called for the doctors in support of reform to fan out across the country to make the case for why reform is so needed.
"Every one of you here today took an oath when you entered the medical profession. It was not an oath that you would spend a lot of time on the phone with insurance companies. It was not an oath that you would have to turn away patients who you know could use your help. You did not devote your lives to be bean counters or paper pushers. You took an oath so that you could heal people. You did it so you could save lives."
MED
Today 150 doctors from all 50 states wore their starched white lab coats for a presidential photo opportunity in the Rose Garden.
"You all look spiffy in your coats," Obama told them.
The White House had invited the doctors to illustrate that there's broad support for health care reform from the people who, polls show, also have earned the public trust.
"Nobody has more credibility with the American people on this issue than you do," Obama said.
With the Senate Finance Committee set to approve its health care bill this week, the President's tone signaled impatience with the ongoing debate.
"We have now been debating this issue of health insurance reform for months," Obama said. "We have listened to every charge and every counter-charge -- from the crazy claims about death panels to misleading warnings about a government takeover of our health care system."
"But when you cut through all the noise and all the distractions that are out there, I think what's most telling is that some of the people who are most supportive of reform are the very medical professionals who know the health care system best."
The President called for the doctors in support of reform to fan out across the country to make the case for why reform is so needed.
"Every one of you here today took an oath when you entered the medical profession. It was not an oath that you would spend a lot of time on the phone with insurance companies. It was not an oath that you would have to turn away patients who you know could use your help. You did not devote your lives to be bean counters or paper pushers. You took an oath so that you could heal people. You did it so you could save lives."
MED
