(Strongsville, OH)  --  President Obama is continuing his final push on healthcare reform.  During a campaign-style rally in Ohio, the President highlighted the plight of Natoma [[nah-TOH-mah]] Canfield, a self-employed cancer patient who had to give up her health insurance because of soaring premiums.  Obama read a letter from Canfield during a private meeting with health insurance industry executives last week.  The President urged Congress to summon the courage to take a "final, up or down vote" on healthcare reform.  Republicans vow to continue efforts to block the legislation, calling it too expensive and too complex. 

In the Ohio rally, the third such presidential event in a week, Obama scoffed at Republican calls to "start over."  He said people who are seeing skyrocketing health insurance premiums can't afford to wait any longer.  The President argued that the status quo is unsustainable and works better for the insurance industry than it does for the American people.  Obama has been pushing lawmakers hard to finish health insurance reform, which stalled after passage of different bills in the U.S. House and Senate last year.  Final votes may occur in the House by the end of this week.