Excitment is brewing in Nevada where large crowds are expected to greet Barack Obama at Reno, Las Vegas and other locations.

Things are also heating up for the big walk on June 9. Locally here in Sascramento, we've pulled together a lot of people for this event.

Today, Barack Obama sent out a letter to supporters on his health care plan dubbed Obamacare by some.

“This is not who we are. We have done everything right. We have done everything we were supposed to do. This is not who we are.”

- Amy in Iowa
submitted online via My Policy

The story of Amy and Lane is the story of America’s health care crisis.

Successful small business owners, Amy and Lane provide vital Internet services to their rural Iowa community. Despite their success, they are on the brink of bankruptcy, paying forty percent of their annual income in health care premiums. They’ve played by the rules of the American Dream, and it’s left them with no savings, no retirement plan, and a growing mountain of credit card debt.

Watch a short video about Amy and Lane’s story, and learn more about our health care plan:

http://my.barackobama.com/healthcare

Amy is right, this is not who we are. We are not a country that rewards hard work and perseverance with bankruptcies and foreclosures. We are not a country that allows major challenges to go unsolved and unaddressed while our people suffer needlessly.

Amy and Lane shared their story -- their concerns, their fears, and their hope -- with us via My Policy the same way you have already done. Their experiences and yours helped shape our approach to health care. Take a minute and learn more about our health care plans:

http://my.barackobama.com/healthcare

Today I want to share the details of our health care plan -- a plan that not only guarantees coverage for every American, but also brings down the cost of health care and reduces every family’s premiums by as much as $2,500.

My plan begins by covering every American. If you already have health insurance, the only thing that will change for you is that you’ll spend less money on premiums. If you are one of the 45 million Americans who don’t have health insurance, you will have it after this plan becomes law.

Coverage without cost containment will only shift our burdens, not relieve them, so we will take five steps to remove waste and inefficiency from the system:

1. Catastrophic cases – patients with serious illnesses account for 80% of all health care and insurance costs, and the federal government should pick up the tab for a large portion of these cases directly.
2. Prevention -- refocus our health care system on preventing costly, debilitating conditions in the first place.
3. Quality – track and report treatment outcomes and reward hospitals and providers for quality rather than quantity of service.
4. Electronic Medical Records -- move to a 21st century industry based on the latest information technology.
5. Drug and Insurance Companies -- break the stranglehold that a few big drug and insurance companies have on the health care market.

These steps are designed to help people like Amy and Lane create a hopeful, happy ending to their American Dream. But we’d like to hear your thoughts on how this plan will affect your family and healthcare. We all have a stake in this, and want to hear what you think:

http://my.barackobama.com/healthcare

We have come so far in the health care debate in America, but the real challenges still need to be met. Now is the time for a movement of Americans, working together for the common good, to deliver on the promise of affordable health care for all.

Thank you,

Barack Obama

Barack's interview on WQAD, Iowa City

Barack Obama gave a one-on-one interview with Matt Hammill of Iowa City's WQAD radio station. Here's what he had to say about his development into a presidential candidate:

I did not arrive here because I had a father or family members who are powerful politicians. I do not come from wealth- I came here because I was a community organizer working with churches, helping people who had been laid-off from work at steel plants. As a civil rights attorney, as a state legislator, people can take a look and see that I have generally risen in politics based on relationships with folks at the grassroots level, and that is the reason I am in politics. I truly believe that there is a core decency to the American people and that ordinary people, if they have a chance to get the levers of power and make government responsive, usually make pretty good decisions and the country goes in a good direction.

Read Barack's whole interview here.

Obama campaign prepares Walk for Change

The Obama campaign send out a letter yesterday asking supporters to make final preparations for the big national canvas on June 9:

Hundreds of thousands of Americans will have their first conversation about Barack Obama on June 9th, and you can make it a success.

Volunteers across all fifty states will be teaming up to tell their neighbors about our campaign for change. We know we can’t just depend on traditional media to tell Barack’s story, or yours. There’s no one better to share those stories than you.

Talking to your neighbors can change America. Find a Walk for Change near you, or host a walk in your community:

my.barackobama.com/walkforchange

More than a thousand people have planned neighborhood walks in communities across the country, but they are relying on your commitment to make these events a success. Help them out by encouraging your friends, family, and colleagues to join.

Walks with five or more registered participants will receive a special package of materials to engage people, so your response is crucial.

RSVP by midnight on Wednesday, May 30th, to make sure the walk nearest you receives materials:

my.barackobama.com/walkforchange

Politics in America doesn't have to be a screaming match. Our campaign is proving that people everywhere who care about our country can come together with a shared stake in our common future. Reach out to your neighbors and see just how hungry Americans are for change.

The family next door is looking for leadership on the same issues we all care about -- Iraq, health care, climate change, corruption in Washington. Together we're building a movement that will find common ground and advance the common good for all Americans.

Be part of the change -- sign up now to host or join a Walk for Change in your neighborhood:

my.barackobama.com/walkforchange

Local change is real change, so let’s go out together and connect with our neighbors.

Thanks,

David Plouffe

Campaign Manager

Obama for America

Barack's Health Care Plan

Barack Obama revealed details of his new health care plan at a speech today in Iowa and on his website.

We are not a country that rewards hard work and perseverance with bankruptcies and foreclosures. We are not a country that allows major challenges to go unsolved and unaddressed while our people suffer needlessly. In the richest nation on Earth, it is simply not right that the skyrocketing profits of the drug and insurance industries are paid for by the skyrocketing premiums that come from the pockets of the American people.

This is not who we are. And this is not who we have to be.

One issue that Obama avoided in his plan was the shortage of health care workers. The lack of doctors, nurses, technicians, nurse's aides and other workers has consistently been a driving force in skyrocketing medical costs.

However, one of the solutions to this problem -- the importation of health care workers from abroad -- is a sensitive issue especially with the current immigration debate going on.

Barack's Plan for a Healthy America

"Today on the Trail" with Barack Obama

The Today Show has a series "Today on the Trail" and today they interviewed Barack Obama. The interview is available on the YouTube video below provided by Dartmouth for Obama.

Barack Obama unveils sweeping health care plan

The Associated Press today received details of Sen. Barack Obama's new health care plan that he will announce later in the day.

The plan would provide universal health care even for those with preexisting conditions and regardless of age. The system would remain private but with government funds to cover those who cannot afford insurance using a sliding scale subsidy based on income.

A number of cost-cutting measures are included such as increasing preventive care, reducing emergency room costs associated with the uninsured, and decreasing paperwork costs with an electronic filing system.

Obama would also raise money by axing Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and by requiring all but the smallest businesses to contribute to the system.

According to the proposal, Obama's plan would save the typical consumer about $2,500 a year in medical expenses.