Obama in 2007: ‘I will judge my first term as president based on’ whether we delivered health care

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http://thinkprogress.org/2010/03/23/obama-flashback-health-care/

In just a few minutes, President Obama will sign a comprehensive health care reform bill into law. On March 24, 2007 — nearly three years ago to this day — then-candidate Obama attended a health care forum in Las Vegas sponsored by the Center for American Progress Action Fund and SEIU. At the forum, Obama delivered this pledge:

OBAMA: In addition to those basic principles, what I think is most important is we recognize that every four years we hear somebody’s got a health care plan. Every four years, somebody trots out a white paper — they post it on the web. But the question we have to challenge ourselves: Do we have the political will and the sense of urgency to actually get it done? I want to be held accountable for getting it done. I will judge my first term as president based on the fact on whether we have delivered the kind of health care that every American deserves and that our system can afford.