BBQ Averted By Good Advance Work

To reconnect with the American people, President Obama is having a series of casual backyard chats -- you know, get together with a nice couple from Falls Church, their neighbors, and whomever happens to have been flown in by the White House:

Half the guests were neighbors of the Brayshaws; the other half — who, along with the president, did all the talking — were handpicked by the administration and came from around the country to share exactly the kind of stories the White House wants to tell, personal tales of how the [health care] bill had improved their lives.

A cancer patient who had been uninsured told Mr. Obama she had joined a high-risk pool and now has coverage for her chemotherapy and radiation. A mother told the president that her son, who had a disorder that required repeated eye operations, could now get insurance because the law bars companies from excluding children with pre-existing conditions. An elderly woman told Mr. Obama that she paid for her heart medication with a $250 government rebate check.

“That’s a wonderful story,” the president said.

“And I thank you from the bottom of my heart,” the woman replied.