Obama braces for ‘vigorous’ health meeting today

Leaders agree on Honduras, battling recession

President Barack Obama and his counterparts from Mexico and Canada emerged Monday from a quick summit united on recession-fighting and Honduras’ ousted leader but still divided on security and trade, the areas that most define their partnership.

Since Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was ousted in a June 28 coup, international demands to return him to power have gone unheeded. The U.S. has suspended millions of dollars in aid and issued threats of more sanctions, but has mostly worked through the Organization of American States to try to resolve the situation. Some, including Zelaya, have criticized that as tepid.

Obama told critics they can’t follow decades of complaints about American heavy-handedness in Latin America with today’s pleas for more direct intervention. “You can’t have it both ways,” he said.

He got vigorous backing from his host, Mexican President Felipe Calderon, and from Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. “If I were an American, I would be really fed up with this kind of hypocrisy,” Harper said.

As heavily armed federal agents and police in riot gear sealed off streets, the leaders declared their intention to take “aggressive, coordinated action” to restore growth across recession-weary North America.

President Barack Obama, from left, Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper gather for a summit Monday in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Guadalajara, Mexico ? A day before facing a potentially boisterous town hall in New Hampshire, President Barack Obama praised the spirited debate over his health care plans on Monday and predicted “sensible and reasoned arguments” would ultimately prevail in Congress.

Obama plans to pivot his message somewhat today, addressing people who already have insurance through their employers and highlighting how his proposals would affect them. The White House is retooling its message amid polling that shows Americans — especially those who have coverage — are skeptical of Democratic proposals to expand coverage to many of the 50 million or more uninsured.

On Monday, in his first North American summit, Obama met with the leaders of Mexico and Canada, covering such shared hot topics as trade barriers, drug violence and the expected resurgence of swine flu. But questions about domestic policy — Obama’s drive for overhauls to U.S. health care and immigration policy — followed him to Mexico and stole the biggest share of the hour the three leaders appeared together before reporters.

Concerns over Obama’s health care reform proposal are heating up town hall meetings, chat rooms and radio shows in the U.S. — driving his poll numbers down and threatening the future of his highest domestic priority. While Congress is in recess for the month of August, lawmakers are hearing from constituents worried about divisive issues such as the government’s role in health care and the costs of an overhaul.

Republicans say the heated debate is a sign of widespread public dissatisfaction with Obama’s ideas. But with some of the anxieties spilling into angry disruptions and even threats, Democrats have accused Republicans of orchestrating the events to sabotage legislation. In an article published Monday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer wrote: “Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American.”

Obama stayed away from such provocative language.

“We are having a vigorous debate in the United States, and I think that’s a healthy thing,” he said, repeating that thought three times. But, he said, the dynamic will change once the recess ends and the lawmakers — and the debate — return to Washington.

“I suspect that once we get into the fall and people look at the actual legislation that’s being proposed, that more sensible and reasoned arguments will emerge. And we’re going to get this passed,” he said.

Obama will face a town hall audience today in Portsmouth, N.H.

Foes of his plans have disrupted events with members of Congress, and the White House is bracing for such incidents today, though Obama’s town hall audiences have tended to be orderly and supportive.