Declaring that the “time for bickering is over,” President Obama sought to revive the prospects for the passage of far-reaching health-care reform by seizing ownership Wednesday night of an initiative he has largely left in lawmakers’ hands.

In a televised address to a joint session of Congress, Obama prodded them to quickly enact comprehensive legislation that would impose strict new insurance protections, expand government health programs for the working poor and begin pilot projects aimed at reducing medical malpractice lawsuits.

“The time for games has passed,” the president said of his signature domestic policy issue. “Now is the season for action.”

Casting himself squarely in the political center with direct appeals to the middle class, Obama laid out his case for a 10-year, $900 billion plan that would build on the current employer-based health system with new requirements on individuals and businesses to contribute to the costs of coverage. And on the controversial issue of a new government-run insurance option, he maintained his flexibility.

“If you come to me with a serious set of proposals, I will be there to listen,” he said. “My door is always open.”

After being urged by allies in recent weeks to be more assertive, Obama condemned what he called the “partisan spectacle that only hardens the disdain many Americans have toward their own government.”

Public support for comprehensive health-care reform has dwindled over the past month as vocal opponents dominated the headlines with talk of socialized medicine and accusations that Obama was embarking on a “risky experiment” with the nation’s medical care.

“Out of this blizzard of charges and counter-charges, confusion has reigned,” he said.

“I will not waste time with those who have made the calculation that it’s better politics to kill this plan than improve it,” he said. “I will not stand by while the special interests use the same old tactics to keep things exactly the way they are. If you misrepresent what’s in the plan, we will call you out. And I will not accept the status quo as a solution. Not this time. Not now.”

After months of leaving the bill-writing to Congress, Obama for the first time spoke of “my plan” to meet the twin goals of controlling medical costs and providing affordable care to every American.

At the same time, he declined to put an end to bitter intraparty divisions over the question of a public insurance option for individuals and small businesses that have difficulty buying coverage in the private market.

While repeating his belief that the approach provides needed competition for private companies, he pleaded with his “progressive friends” to remain open to other ideas that could accomplish the same goals.

“Its impact shouldn’t be exaggerated — by the left, the right, or the media,” he said. “It is only one part of my plan, and should not be used as a handy excuse for the usual Washington ideological battles.”

But he pledged: “I will not back down on the basic principle that if Americans can’t find affordable coverage, we will provide you with a choice.”

With the nation in the midst of a recession and two wars, many had counseled Obama to delay the battle over health care, an issue that bedeviled so many of his predecessors and proved to be treacherous politics for fellow Democrat Bill Clinton. But he argued that revamping the nation’s $2.3 trillion system is central to long-term economic solvency.

Obama used the broad reach of the prime-time address to fight back against what he called “bogus claims,” calling the talk of “death panels” “laughable if it weren’t so cynical and irresponsible. It is a lie, plain and simple.” He also rejected claims that his proposals would increase federal funding for abortion or provide coverage to illegal immigrants.

Obama was professorial through much of the speech, giving little evidence of the passion that his aides say drives him on the issue. He was interrupted repeatedly by applause in a chamber dominated by members of his own party.

Although he at times reached across the partisan divide — at one point embracing an idea put forth by his presidential rival, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) — Obama warned that he will not tolerate the strategy of “death by delay” articulated by some GOP strategists.

“I will not waste time with those who have made the calculation that it’s better politics to kill this plan than improve it,” he said. “I will not stand by while the special interests use the same old tactics to keep things exactly the way they are. If you misrepresent what’s in the plan, we will call you out.”

Hours before the address, Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) announced that he intends to push forward on a measure next week, regardless of whether he has GOP support.

“The time has come for action,” he said after a morning session with the panel’s bipartisan “Gang of Six.” “We must get this bill done by the end of the year.”

Obama said his plan broadly includes one of the key ideas included in the Baucus blueprint, a proposal to tax insurance companies on plans worth more than $8,000 for an individual and $21,000 for families.

Before the August recess, three House panels and the Senate health committee approved bills that would have reached near-universal coverage through mandates and subsidies.

Obama said he now supports a requirement that all Americans carry insurance, a provision included in every reform bill. He opposed the so-called individual mandate during his presidential campaign last year, but has said this year that it is necessary to make insurance reform work.

Obama plans to convene a Cabinet meeting Thursday, with the focus on health care, and will travel to Minneapolis on Saturday for a public rally.

His address in the 198-year-old House chamber was reminiscent of a speech Clinton gave 16 years ago to a joint session of Congress in which he implored lawmakers to write a “new chapter in the American story. Let us guarantee every American comprehensive health benefits that can never be taken away.”

Seated with first lady Michelle Obama on Wednesday night was a group of Americans who have struggled to keep or afford health care, symbols, the White House said, of the system’s disrepair. Also in the chamber were the relatives of the late senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), who wrote shortly before his death that universal coverage was “the cause of my life.”

To bolster his case, Obama invoked the memory of the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, citing his friend’s desire to see “that great unfinished business of our society” finally pass.

During his campaign, Obama made three specific pledges: to require insurance for every child, to reach universal coverage by the end of his first term and to save the typical American family $2,500 in health-care costs.

Since he began the push for health-care reform, Obama has sought three times to reach a broad national television audience during prime time. He convened an East Wing news conference in July and organized an ABC-sponsored health-care town hall meeting in June.

The efforts did not head off a barrage of criticism from conservatives nationwide who converged on public forums with lawmakers in August to voice their opposition. Support among Democrats for the president’s health-care goals also slipped even as Obama held his own town hall meetings across the country.

Before Obama stepped to the podium, Republicans declared themselves open to “common-sense reforms” but blasted what they expected to hear.

“It’s time to start over on a common-sense, bipartisan plan focused on lowering the cost of health care while improving quality,” Rep. Charles Boustany Jr. (La.) said in the Republican response. “Replacing your family’s current health care with government-run health care is not the answer. In fact, it’ll make health care much more expensive.”

President Barack Obama delivers a speech on health care to a joint session of Congress, Wednesday, Sept., 9, 2009, on Capitol Hill. Photo by AP Photo

Jason Reed