NPR 2009-09-21

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President Obama says his effort to overhaul¹ the nation's health care system is not a radical² plan and can be accomplished³ without breaking his campaign promise not to raise the tax burden on the middle class. He also said it can be accomplished without significant Republican support in Congress although he would like a bipartisan approach.

"Let me put it this way, you know I'd love to get Republican votes, but I don't count on them. And I'm confident that we're gonna get health care passed."

Mr. Obama in an interview on the Spanish-language network Univision today, one of five television networks he appeared on this morning as he presses Congress to move ahead on health care legislation. GOP Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina made light of Mr. Obama's media blitz.

"The president is selling something that people, quite frankly⁴, are not buying. He's been on everything but the Food Channel"

Graham was on NBC's “Meet the Press”.

On other issues the president dismissed criticism that his change in missile defense⁵ strategy was influenced in part by Russia's strong opposition⁶ to the European-based defense system proposed by the Bush administration.

"My task here was not to negotiate with the Russians. The Russians don't make determinations about what our defense posture⁷ is."

Mr. Obama was speaking there on CBS's “Face the Nation”.

Iran supreme⁸ leader says the United States knows it's wrong when it accuses Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons. Those were the first comments from Iran since the White House decided⁹ last week to scrap¹⁰ European-based missile defense system reportedly because of intelligence indicating that Iran is currently focusing on short-and medium-range missile development. The BBC's Humphrey Hawksley has more.

In a speech to mark the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that the American officials who accused Iran of intending to build a nuclear bomb knew that their words were wrong. “It’s part of the phobia policy that controls behavior of these arrogant¹² governments
today,” he said, “we fundamentally reject nuclear weapons and prohibit the production and use of nuclear weapons.” He demanded the western governments revise their policy. “They must correct this, the Iranian nation is alert,” he said. The BBC's Humphrey Hawksley reporting there from Tehran.

New York governor David Paterson says he is not dropping his reelection bid despite reports that the White House has urged him to withdraw over concern that his low popularity ratings could weigh on other Democratic candidates in the state next year.

"I have said time and time again that I am running for governor next year. I am not going to discuss confidential¹³ conversations. Right now my focus is we have the most unprecedented¹⁴ deficit¹⁵ in the history of the state and the fewest means to fight back. And that's where my focus is."

Paterson was speaking to reporters at a parade in Manhattan today. When pressed, he said he would not discuss any conversations he's had with the White House or any administration officials.

This is NPR News from Washington.

A Colorado man, his farther and an accused accomplice¹⁶ are scheduled to appear in federal court tomorrow. They're facing charges of lying to federal agents about an alleged¹⁷ plot to blow up targets in the United States.   

A US helicopter crashed at the base north of Baghdad this weekend. One American soldier was killed, and a dozen others were injured. US military says the Black Hawk¹¹ copter went down on a night of high winds and sand storms in the area. The cause of the crash is under investigation¹⁸. 

Canada's government is attempting to dampen outrage²⁰ in the country's aboriginal²¹ community when flu kits²² containing body bags were delivered to tribes in Manitoba. More from NPR's Dan Karpenchuk in Toronto.

There was widespread outrage across Canada when flu kits delivered to isolated²³ reserves in northern Manitoba included body bags. Native leaders were horrified²⁴ saying the move was culturally insensitive. The government said it was a misunderstanding. Those reserves were already hit hard by the swine flu earlier this year, and hand sanitizers were delayed because health officials feared the alcohol content in the sanitizers would be too tempting¹⁹. In a rare weekend news conference, the Federal Health Administrator²⁵ Leona Aglukkaq announced a new flu virus communication plan for aboriginal communities, adding it will prevent episodes such as the body bag uproar²⁶. The plan includes a virtual summit to take place early next month that a commitment to share critical health information with native communities and meet regularly with native leaders. The plan was also approved by the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. For NPR News I'm Dan Karpenchuk in Toronto.

Police in Berlin say they are investigating a doctor who has acknowledged giving various drugs to participants during a marathon group therapy session this weekend. Two of the people died and ten others were hospitalized, the doctor is in custody²⁷.

I'm Craig Windham. NPR News in Washington.