U.S. President Barack Obama said Friday the angry criticism about his
health care agenda is not driven by racism, but is instead motivated by
an intense concern about the proper role of government.
The
nation's first black president spoke about health care reform and race
during a battery of interviews Friday with five television networks.
The interviews will air on Sunday talk shows.
Some excerpts
aired Friday shows Mr. Obama continuing to distance himself from
growing sentiment that recent protests against his health care reforms
and other issues are racially motivated.
The president said
the things that are being said about him are similar to what was said
about President Franklin Delano Roosevelt - that he is a "communist"
and a "socialist."
Earlier in the week, former President Jimmy
Carter said the angry outbursts at town hall meetings and in Congress
about health care reforms are racially motivated.
Mr. Carter said some Americans are opposed to Mr. Obama because they do not feel an African-American should be president.
Last
week, Republican House of Representatives member Joe Wilson shouted
"You lie!" as President Obama addressed a joint session of Congress on
plans for health care reforms. He later apologized for the outburst.
On
Tuesday, the majority-Democrat House passed a "resolution of
disapproval" against Wilson. The vote was mostly along party lines.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
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