Obama's health-care plan picks up support

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's much-challenged health care overhaul gained traction today as a liberal lawmaker became the first to switch his opposition and Catholic nuns declared their support in an unusual public break with the bishops.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, long a supporter of Medicare-for-all, voted against the House Democratic bill in November because it did not go far enough in creating a robust government-run plan to compete with private insurance.

But Kucinich said today the bill coming before the House represents the best chance to expand coverage to the uninsured, even if it does not include a public plan.

At a Capitol Hill news conference, Kucinich said his decision was a combination of pragmatism and concern about the impact that defeat of the health-care bill would have on Obama's presidency.

"You do have to be very careful that the potential of President Obama's presidency not be destroyed by this debate," Kucinich said. "Even though I have many differences with him on policy, there's something much bigger at stake here for America."

Kucinich said he'd met with Obama four times to discuss the health overhaul, most recently on Monday when he flew back to Ohio with the president aboard Air Force One. Obama called Kucinich's decision "a good sign."