by Mark Silva
So an interview of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi by MSNBC commentator Rachel Maddow may sound something like an interview of former Vice President Dick Cheney by FOX News' Sean Hannity.
Cue the choir.
President Barack Obama is "legislatively ambitious,'' Maddow said at the start of the interview aired last night on The Rachel Maddow Show, asking if the president's stated goal of starting on health care reform this year is feasible.
"That's a priority of the president of the United States,'' said Pelosi (D-Calif.) "It has always been a priority for the Democrats...
"If you're going have entitlement reform, you must have health care reform... and it's an economic issue.... It's a national debate for our country. We have to bring people together.''
It would be great to have the Republicans on board, the speaker said. "We should strive for that.''
And if they're not on board?
"Hopefully... the strategy is so clear and the results are so promising that the American people will insist that their representatives vote for it.'
Comments
Not to worry, folks, Big Brother loves us and will take care of our every need.
Posted by: Vast Right Wing Conspirator | February 26, 2009 8:49 AM
We as a people through our government, are "wasting" almost a $1 TRILLION in money we don't have now with the spendulus package, which grows daily when you read about it. We are allowing this government to throw our hard earned money, in the way of taxes and in the amount of a quarter TRILLION dollars, to pay for those mortgages of those who could not earn enough money to pay for those $800,000 homes they bought.
And now this government wants we, the people, to fork over another $1 TRILLION for universal health care? For whom? 11 million illegal immigrants and their children? For those "American People" who sit on their tushes all day watching Jerry Springer and American Idol, because they don't want to be ambitious enough to find a job, or jobs?
It is much easier to sit and collect money from the government. It is much easier to cross into this border and live here because you will get "free universal" health care. It is much easier to expect "entitlements" from the government than to work 2 and 3, or even 4 part-time jobs, like many hard working Americans do.
BO so eloquently stated the other night that only those earning over $250,000 would see any tax increase...but he also failed to state that even if we took EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR by those earning more than $250,000, it would still not pay for the universal health care package of $1 TRILLION. So where then does the rest of this money come from? The rest of us may not see the taxes increased, but we are surely going to lose on any tax deductions we claim now. That's not much of an incentive for me to go out and work harder.
Think I'll sit on my tush like the rest of 'em and get my "entitlements" too. It would be nice to get a free ride for a change.
Pelosi needs something other than Polident when she is in front of the camera...
Posted by: regionnus rattus | February 26, 2009 9:43 AM
Nancy Pelosi and her constituents are separated from the rest of the country by more than just San Francisco Bay. The rest of us don't lead lives of privilege nor have spouses who profit from congressional largesse. Most of us are struggling to pay bills of which taxes are the largest component. Someone please protect us from self-serving do-gooders.
Posted by: Rich | February 26, 2009 9:49 AM
"Entitlement reform" what reform? Why didn't she say entitlement enhancement, a more factual statement. Well, the mini-president has spoken. Wonder why she wasn't asked about the no earmark priority that the campaign Obama had? How do you explain that one away, lefties? Leftover Bush requests?
Posted by: Bubba Porter | February 26, 2009 9:51 AM
But Dimwit Nancy looked so good in her pea green Snuggie the other night when Obama spoke
Posted by: Terry | February 26, 2009 10:07 AM
"So an interview of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi by MSNBC commentator Rachel Maddow may sound something like an interview of former Vice President Dick Cheney by FOX News' Sean Hannity. Cue the choir."
It also may sound like an article on Barack Obama by Mark Silva.
Posted by: Bruce | February 26, 2009 10:11 AM
It was very disturbing to have to look at Speaker Palooza's facial contortions the other night. It really detracted from the show. It's times like that that I really miss the narcoleptic Tip O'Neill for pure comedic value.
There is nothing funny about that women.
Posted by: Rob | February 26, 2009 2:09 PM
Well Dimwit Terry, you too can have a snuggie; I'm sure you'd look danged cute.
Posted by: gladys | February 26, 2009 8:17 PM
Gladys,
.
As Abe Lincoln once said "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."
.
You just removed all doubt.
Posted by: Terry | February 27, 2009 11:01 AM
Health insurance companies make huge profits and their CEOs make millions, while the rest of us face skyrocketing healthcare costs, impossible bureaucracy, and life-threatening insurance denials.
HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY PROFITS IN 2007:
• UnitedHealth Group -- $ 4.654 BILLION. UnitedHealth Group owns Oxford, PacifiCare, IBA, AmeriChoice, Evercare, Ovations, MAMSI and Ingenix, a healthcare data company
• WellPoint -- $ 3.345 BILLION. Wellpoint owns BLUES across the US, including Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin, Empire HealthChoice Assurance, Healthy Alliance, and many others
• Aetna Inc. -- $ 1.831 BILLION
• CIGNA Corp -- $ 1.115 BILLION
• Humana Inc. -- $ 834 million
• Coventry Health Care -- $626 million. Coventry owns Altius, Carelink, Group Health Plan, HealthAmerica, OmniCare, WellPath, others
• Health Net -- $ 194 million
The huge insurance company profits—BILLIONS YEARLY—could provide quality healthcare for millions of people.
Get the insurance companies OUT of healthcare. The only solution is a NON-PROFIT SINGLE-PAYER HEALTHCARE SYSTEM – and the single payer should not be insurance companies.
The solution? The United States National Health Insurance Act, H.R. 676. You can read about it here: http://www.healthcare-now.org/hr-676/
Posted by: Lauren N | February 28, 2009 1:25 AM
I think a reform of our healthcare system would be much needed. however, it sounds a little too optimistic to go according to plan. Could get worse before it gets better
Posted by: B | March 10, 2009 3:38 PM
YAY for healthcare!!
Posted by: kiholol | March 10, 2009 5:49 PM
"A government big enough to give you everything you want,
is big enough to take away everything you have."
Thomas Jefferson
Posted by: NoNoNancy | March 20, 2009 12:31 PM