Obama: Health care anger not race-based [View All]

[RamboLiberal]

Source: MSNBC

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama said Friday that angry criticisms about his health care agenda are driven by an intense debate over the proper role of government — and not by racism.

Asked by NBC’s David Gregory of "Meet the Press" if he agreed with the assertion by former President Jimmy Carter this week that Republican opposition against Obama is motivated by racism, the president said "no."

“Look, I said, during the campaign, are there some people who still think through the prism of race when it comes to evaluating me and my candidacy? Absolutely. Sometimes they vote for me for that reason, sometimes they vote against me for that reason," Obama said in an interview that was to air Sunday. "I'm sure that was true during the campaign, I'm sure that's true now.

"But I think if you actually put your finger on what this argument's really about. And it's an argument that's gone on for the history of this republic," Obama continued. "And that is, what's the right role of government? How do we balance freedom with our need to look after one another?"

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32920370/ns/politics-white_house/