During last night’s address to a joint session of Congress, President Obama made one final effort to win-over Republican support for passing comprehensive health care reform by the end of the year. He repackaged his campaign health care plan into a smaller $900 billion package, embraced Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) high-risk pool proposal (sort of) and even opened the door to malpractice reform.

But Republicans, who successfully translated their flamboyant town hall tactics into the halls of Congress, managed to interpret the address as a “partisan pep rally”:

- Eric Cantor: Something that I was taken aback by was the partisan nature of the speech.

- Karl Rove: This was not an exceptionally good speech. It was gratuitous and bitterly partisan.

- Lindsey Graham: I quite frankly was offended by the whole tone. I thought it was a partisan pep rally instead of a chance to bring the country together.

Watch this very partisan video:

The Republican claim of ‘partisanship’ ignores Obama’s overtures and their own behavior during the speech (not to mention the hostility of the August town halls). At one point, Obama addressed the myth that his health care proposals would insure undocumented immigrants: “This, too, is false – the reforms I’m proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally.” In response, Republicans not only began booing him, but Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) shouted out, “You lie.” As Matt Corley points out, according to The Hill’s Walter Alarkon, the only Republican senators seen standing and applauding Obama’s dismissal of the “death panel” myth were Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Susan Collins (R-ME), Bob Bennett (R-UT) and Judd Gregg (R-NH). “Four or five House Republicans also appeared to stand and applaud Obama’s remark, but it’s unclear which ones they were,” writes Alarkon.

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) could also be seen wearing a homemade sign — similar to the ones seen at town hall protests — around his neck, which read, “What bill?” The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank reported that “there was derisive laughter on that [Republican] side of the chamber when Obama noted that ‘there remain some significant details to be ironed out.’” Some Republicans “applauded as he spoke of ‘all the misinformation that’s been spread over the past few months.’” Others laughed again when he said that ‘many Americans have grown nervous about reform’ and shouted ‘shame!’ when Obama addressed the charge that he plans “panels of bureaucrats with the power to kill off senior citizens.” “Shortly before the speech ended, Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) walked out to beat the rush.”

On the whole, the president — who did endorse an employer mandate and an IMAC proposal — may have played it too safe. His speech reminded Americans that “concern and regard for the plight of others…is part of the American character” but it also demonstrated a willingness to compromise important progressive principles. He stressed that “the public option is only a means to that end” and even expressed some support for establishing “a co-op or another non-profit entity to administer the [public plan] plan” or “triggering” a public option if private insurers were “not providing affordable policies.” “These are all constructive ideas worth exploring,” he said. He did not explain that a real robust plan that piggy backs off of Medicare’s infrastructure could save us somewhere between $75 billion and $150 billion over 10 years or help lower government subsidies in the Exchange. He committed to “choice” but failed to define it, stressed that insurance should be “affordable” but implicitly endorsed a package with lower subsidies.

While conservatives continue to fear-monger and misrepresent public health programs as “inefficient rationed care,” “government run” or “controlled,” a weakened economy and rising health care costs are pricing many Americans out of the market. Increased job loss and skyrocketing premiums are leading a greater number of Americans into government-sponsored safety-net coverage.

According to new Census report released today, in 2008, the number of people without health insurance has increased from from 45.7 million to 46.3 million. The number of Americans with individual and employer-sponsored private coverage decreased, while enrollments for Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) grew.

In fact, the uninsurance rate declined significantly for Americans under 18 and over 65 — the two groups who are eligible for government-sponsored coverage (CHIP or Medicaid).

Last year, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation released a report that underlined the important role public health programs like SCHIP and Medicaid play in providing health care to children. As the CEO of foundation pointed out, “programs like SCHIP are a true lifeline for vulnerable children. Hard-working parents need these programs, and their children benefit greatly because of them.” As Jeane Lambrew –Director, HHS Office of Health Reform — has pointed out in Congressional testimony, public “fill certain cracks in the system.” “Altogether, these programs insure over one-fourth of the population and finance 45 percent of the health system, including the safety net programs that directly pay for services for vulnerable populations.”

In other words, government programs pick-up where private insurers leave off, providing insurance for the sickest Americans. Lambrew noted that “public programs serve at least four functions”:

– Make health insurance affordable for low-income Americans

– Insure a disproportionate percent of Americans with disabilities or severe health problems

– Help private insurers manage risk by taking on the sickest and costliest patients

– Offer an alternative to private insurance

Enrollees of government programs are satisfied with the cost and quality of coverage. In fact, “research has shown that Medicare has performed as well as private insurance on costs and has exceeded it on satisfaction,” which begs the question: “Why should policymakers give private insurers the exclusive right to cover Americans? If private insurers can better meet our goals for the health system, why object to a level competition with public plans?”

Our guest blogger is Emma Sandoe, Health Policy Intern at the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

Over the Congressional recess, Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Mike Enzi (R-WY), Representatives Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Mike Pence (R-IN), to name a few, attempted to scare seniors and Americans with erroneous claims that the health care reform proposals would “kill granny” and lead to death panels chalk full of government rationing.

While they were busy spreading these untruths across their states and nation with op-eds and Facebook updates, the health care crisis worsened. More Americans lost insurance and were turned away due to pre-existing conditions, the economy suffered the burden of a broken system, and our nation continues to pay the price of the millions of uninsured.

Last night, President Obama refocused Congress and the nation on the need for health care reform. “Our collective failure” to pass reform, “has led us to a breaking point,” he said. The chart below illustrates how our health care crisis is crippling our nation: