Advertisement ::

Enlarge Cartoon

US President Barack Obama told the US Wednesday that the time for bickering over healthcare reform is over, as he stepped directly into the fight after weeks of leaving it mainly to Congress, to push for his plan for a non-profit public insurance plan. His appearance on prime time television was aimed primarily at the American middle class, says NPR, and he took pains to reassure those who like their insurance plans that these would not be affected. The speech comes as his public ratings have been sliding. BBC, Fox News, The Globe & Mail, Canada, Huffington Post

Obama has faced harsh critics over healthcare reform, but another battle has been grabbing public attention, over US troops in Afghanistan. Growing public resistance to building troops, which Obama’s advisors have been warning him about, came into the limelight with the publication by Associated Press of photos of a dying soldier, despite the family’s wish for them to remain private. Guardian, UK, MSNBC