Despite rumblings from detractors on both sides of the aisle, President Barack Obama held his ground as he held forth about health care reform in a speech at the White House on Friday afternoon, declaring that he was “absolutely convinced” that substantial changes to the system will be made this year.

The Washington Post:

With every new brush fire, Obama faces growing pressure to relent on his midsummer deadline for House and Senate passage. That marker was established to keep momentum going, but with two weeks remaining on the House calendar and three in the Senate before they recess, the timetable appears all but unattainable.

Yet so far, the president has refused to yield. “I realize that the last few miles of any race are the hardest to run, but I have to say now is not the time to slow down, and now is certainly not the time to lose heart,” Obama said.

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