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Competing Groups Prep For Presidential Visit

As critics challenge the largely unseen House Bill 3200, Obama supporters are stirring the fires, hoping voters will pressure their congressional representatives to support the health care bill.

"Organizing For America" is an offshoot of the president's election campaign, and Deputy Director Jeremy Bird says right now, the health care plan is the top issue.

"This is about the tens of millions of Americans, with small businesses, individuals, families that are struggling. It is so important that we get health care reform done this year in 2009, and that we make sure that we're able to make that happen. So this isn't about the success of a presidency. This isn't about anybody's popularity. This isn't about politics. It's about people. It's about real people's lives and it's about making the change that we fought for."

Bird admits the President is coming to a county and a town with a strong Democratic leaning, but stressed that he is continuing his efforts to get out of Washington D.C.

But at least one group opposed to President Obama's health care proposals will be on the scene during his visit to Shaker Heights tomorrow.

Jack Boyle is the Ohio Director of Americans for Prosperity. He says his group plans to bring 'hundreds of activists' to rally outside Shaker Heights High School in protest of what they say would be a government takeover of health care.

Boyle says: there are better options.

"We have the highly regulated government overseeing of the health care system as it is, but the answer to it is more market activity in the health care system, and less government control, not what we're, you know, seeing in the initiatives that are being put forth at the moment."

Americans for Prosperity is a nationwide organization which wants to reduce the size of government. It claims to have one half million members.

Rick Jackson is a senior host and producer at Ideastream Public Media. He hosts the "Sound of Ideas" on WKSU and "NewsDepth" on WVIZ.