RALEIGH
President Obama will try to generate support for his health-care plan today in North Carolina, a state that may be critical for the plan's chances at passage.
The president's speech in Raleigh this morning is his first visit to the state since his election victory in November, when he became the first Democrat since 1964 to win North Carolina.
Now, as he tries to achieve an overhaul of the nation's health-care system, he needs the support of the moderate wing of his party, which has concerns about the overall cost of the plan and the wisdom of including a government-sponsored insurance option that would compete with private insurers.
In recent weeks, North Carolina has become a battleground in the fight over health care. Interest groups are running TV commercials. Activists on both sides of the issue are organizing rallies and petition drives. And members of the state's legislative delegation are watching closely.
"We have some key members of Congress who are seen as moderate, and could go either way on health reform," said Adam Searing, the project director of the N.C. Health Access Coalition, a Raleigh group that supports Obama's plan.
Foremost among North Carolina's key legislators is freshman Sen. Kay Hagan, who won her seat in part because of Obama's momentum. She is a member of the Senate Health Committee, which approved one of the health-care bills now moving through Congress. Hagan voted for the bill in committee, but she hasn't committed on how she will vote on a final bill once one comes to the floor.
Hagan said she is watching how the legislation develops and wants to make sure that an health-care overhaul doesn't add to the federal deficit.
Other important votes in Congress are Rep. Mike McIntyre of Lumberton, Rep. Heath Shuler of Waynesville and Rep. Larry Kissell of Biscoe. All three are centrist-leaning Democrats, and all three are being targeted by the Republican National Committee, which is spending $1 million to run ads in the home districts of Democrats who the RNC believes can be persuaded to vote against health-care reform.
Republican congressmen from North Carolina are generally opposed to Obama's health plan, saying that it would cost too much money and create too much government interference in medical decisions.
Yesterday, Rep. Virginia Foxx, a Banner Elk Republican, announced that she is co-sponsoring an alternative health-care bill that would provide tax credits to help families buy private health insurance.
Today's visit by Obama, which is billed as a town-hall meeting, is scheduled to begin at 11:45 a.m. at Broughton High School in Raleigh. Tickets ran out over the weekend.
Republicans are planning a protest of Obama's plan in Raleigh this morning.
■ James Romoser can be reached at 919-210-6794 or at jromoser@wsjournal.com.
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