Thousands Rally in Minnesota Behind Obama’s Call for Health Care Overhaul

By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
NYT

MINNEAPOLIS — Thousands of roaring supporters turned out Saturday to rally behind President Obama’s call to overhaul the nation’s health care system, packing a basketball arena here as Mr. Obama warned that nearly half of all Americans under 65 could lose their insurance at some point during the next decade.

“It can happen to anyone,” the president said.

The rally, at the Target Center, was the first of what the White House said would be a series of similar events intended to whip up public support for a health overhaul. One of the biggest obstacles the president faces is winning support from middle-class workers who already have insurance, so he is stepping up his warnings that people could lose coverage at any time.

On a day when demonstrators crammed onto the west lawn of the Capitol to protest what they regard as Mr. Obama’s brand of big government, including his health plan, the images of screaming, cheering Obama supporters here provided a welcome visual counterpoint for the White House.

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