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President Obama makes the rounds stumping for ACA

Dan Gorenstein Mar 20, 2014
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President Obama makes the rounds stumping for ACA

Dan Gorenstein Mar 20, 2014
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This month the Commander-in-Chief became the Promoter-in-Charge.

With less than two weeks before the deadline to sign up for insurance under the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama is making the rounds.

Today’s appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show is just the latest stop on the president’s barnstorming tour.

Now here’s the deal with these quick presidential cameos: In exchange for a few minutes to talk up health insurance, President Obama has to deal with questions about shopping trips to the Gap and exchanges with comedian Zach Galifianakis.

Here’s just one question from that Q and A:

Galifianakis:  I have to know, what’s it like to be the last black President?

President Obama: Seriously. What’s it like for this to be the last time you ever talk to a President?

The president has taken some heat for using pop culture to promote his ACA campaign — but here’s the thing: Federal health officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid – the people overseeing the ACA rollout – are expected to spend $52 million promoting the new health law over the first three months of the year.

All these Ellen and Zach Galifianakis interviews don’t cost the federal government a dime.

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