Obama: Health-care 'consensus... messy'

Definitely going to listen to the conference call. For now, I'll just watch the healthcare nightmare video one more time (too funny). Here's the video: http://www.governmentalityblog.com/my_weblog/2009/08/the-obama-healthcare-nightmare.html

Hey obama, go sit down and talk with Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity or Levin and try to spin them...I've never heard of a Michael Merconish.

Go figure....duhhh.

Paulo

The great Paulo has spoken. If he has not heard of a syndicated talk show host he can't possibly be Republican enough. Only if Obama goes on one of his approved shows would it be OK. Why not just listen to the discussion and maybe learn something. Should everything Dick Cheney says on Fox be dismissed?

pd, do you really think that hearing obama spew his lies and empty rhetoric that you will learn something?
no lobbyists, no earmarks, fixing washington, going through the budget line by line,
white house spamming people etc. How many lies can a guy tell before you call him a liar?
There is no healthcare "CRISIS" and the only reform healthcare needs is tort reform, but barry would never go after his buddies.
2010 we need another change, and "anyone but barry 2012" will be the new slogan. Even for the the democrats, most of which are embarrassed to admit they voted for this corrupt, spineless, chicago politician

Obama read every answer!!! It was so obvious. He never once looked up or at the radio host. The time from question until he started answering was less than a second so he never once spoke from memory. He is incapable of expressing himself fluently when he speaks without a prompter.

You see PD, it's not enough for a right wingnut to make an adult argument. Everything has to be prefaced with a liberal insult. A good deal of the time, they don't bother with an argument. If it comes from Obama, it is wrong. They often demonstrate the intelligence and social skills of 6-year-olds on the playground. Look at the person you responded to. He cannot think for himself. He first needs to hear it from Rush or Sean.

Obama's problem is that his video and audio tapes from the past refute what he told the national church audience. He has said in the past that he does indeed want a single provider ("payer" is a euphemism); that phasing out private insurance through regulations and restrictions is a long-term goal; and that the only way to reducing costs is to ration (meaning reduce) health care, even to the point of saying that pain pills might be preferable to health treatment for old people. Does he conveniently forget these tapes exist? Perhaps the media can simply quote Obama's words back to him. Sure, and pigs will fly.

Moreofthesame,

There is no healthcare crisis? You must be retired and currently on Medicare so I pay for your insurance. Healthcare cost are increasing more than twice the inflation rate yearly. Being employed, my companies yearly insurance cost increases take almost all of my raise. With inflation and higher taxes, most all American's standard of living is decreasing every year. There are many options for reducing healthcare cost. Tort reform is a starting point. But I would guess that you would scream the loudest if you were not compensated for a doctor who cut off the wrong leg in your operation.

Republican Congressman who oppose universal health insurance should immediately relinquish their federal health insurance. After all, these members of Congress have long enjoyed taxpayer-subsidized health insurance, a privilege that they apparently believe tens of millions of working, uninsured Americans and their families don't deserve.

If Republicans don't think being uninsured is a big deal, then they should go right ahead and try it out. And if they really believe a public plan is such a bad option, maybe they can persuade their parents to give up Medicare too.

There is no healthcare "CRISIS" and the only reform healthcare needs is tort reform, but barry would never go after his buddies.
2010 we need another change, and "anyone but barry 2012" will be the new slogan. Even for the the democrats, most of which are embarrassed to admit they voted for this corrupt, spineless, chicago politician

Posted by: moreofthesame | August 20, 2009 2:06 PM

On the contrary moreinsane. A typical republican response....can't see it from my house. You were probably one of the same who in August 08 was screaming...there's no recession, as thousands of Americans were losing their jobs. Americans are being denied coverage, self employed can't afford coverage, but hey.....as long as you're OK there is no CRISIS! Keep telling us about death panels and talk about telling lies.

101,000 Americans die UNNECESSARILY each year because of lack of access to basic medical care that they would get in most other industrialized nations.
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http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Content/Publications/In-the-Literature/2008/Jan/Measuring-the-Health-of-Nations--Updating-an-Earlier-Analysis.aspx

I keep asking my "Canada bashing" kool-aid drinking Wingnut friends to find me just ONE comprehensive poll in Canada showing that Canadians would swap their health care system, warts and all, for ours...Haven't seen any yet.

And believe me, if there were any polls favorable to the Republican cause of denying healthcare to everyone, the Republican minions would be linking to them all day long. Instead, all they have is a handfull of anecdotes that they get from Druggy Rush and that clown Glenn Beck etc.

Messy-
Because he can't shaft America with it.

JON STEWART DESTROYS GLENN BECK'S "HEALTHCARE FOR THE RICH, SCREW EVERYONE ELSE" RIGHT-WING TALKING POINTS ON HEALTHCARE.
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http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-august-13-2009/glenn-beck-s-operation
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The Big Health Insurance Lobby-Republican Puppets, who are using aggressive, foaming at the mouth tactics to shut down the possibility of a political discussion on healthcare in this country are reminiscent of the anti-desegregation movement, a point that becomes noteworthy when you aggregate the motives of the Wingnut "birthers", who loudly deny Obama's citizenship, the Wingnut "teabaggers", who loudly declare that the same taxes they paid under Bush are tyrannical under Obama, the Wingnut "deathers", who loudly assert that healthcare reform is secret plot to euthanize seniors and others that the government deems unproductive.

None of these positions makes a damn bit of sense or has any evidence to back it up, but in large part it is the same group of hard-right nutjobs, almost entirely white conservatives that believes all three at once. If you believe the Repug shouters themselves, in their own words, the healthcare debate isn't about healthcare but about a conspiratorial government and the end of the Republic.

This is, by definition, a far-right position, and less charitably a batsh*t insane one, and that it has managed to make it so far and be featured so prominently is testament to just how completely the farthest of the far right has captured the Republican party and why they can't win elections anymore.

These people are pathetic excuses for human beings - Right-Wing Lunatic Fringe 'Protesters" In Action.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K21_teAW0Zg
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Simple question Obama wasn't asked, and I have yet to see a Leftnut try and answer: If the federal government can't run the relatively small and simple "Cash for Clunkers" program, why should anyone think they can handle the Health decisions of 300 million Americans?

Speaking of the "Clunkers" program, a report out of New Mexico underlines the feds comedy of errors:

"Dealers stiffed as
clunkers pile up

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Some New Mexico auto dealers have backed out of the cash-for-clunkers program and more may do so as the federal government takes its time providing cash reimbursements.

Dealers across the state are owed more than $3.6 million, according to a dealers' group which says that so far Uncle Sam has only written three checks totaling about $14,000.

Cash for clunkers--officially its the Car Allowance Rebate System--allows consumers to trade their gas guzzlers for a more fuel-efficient rides while earning up to $4,500 toward the purchase price.

Dealerships put up the cash for the rebates after being told by the Obama administration they would be paid back within 10 days of the sale.
...

Don Chalmers' dealership received the most reimbursement so far.

"I pay my bills," Chalmers said. "If I was three weeks or four weeks late on paying my taxes I suspect that they would be in my office real quick.

"We just expect the same sort of courtesy and treatment from the federal government."

A preview of ObamaCare: red tape. stiffing creditors, and crashing computers....

Politicians will not be able to effectively reform healthcare. The only effective long-term solution to healthcare reform is preventative medicine. We must take our health into our own hands. Luckily, there are several online tools, such as Holosfitness.com, that can help you to get in shape, stay in shape, and lead healthy lifestyles.

Until health care reform is passed, all Congressmen should have all of their health care benefits suspended. Let them all go without health care / insurance until they gets their acts together and perform the jobs they were elected to do. And spineless clueless Harry Reid needs to be replaced by someone who doesn't roll over and play dead when the Republicans say boo.

Jason, dear, I have produced polls in the past that show Canadian dissatisfaction with health care there AND Americans living in Canada who prefer American health care. I will not post those again as I have done so three times already.
As usual, Obama lies. This moron can't tell the truth for the life of him. He says AARP endorses his plan. It has not. He says he is not for a single-payer system, but previously he has said that he is. Sorry, Barack, but the House bill, anyway, does cover illegals (they are part of the alleged 46 million without health insurance, mind you, that you and the Left keep talking about).
Anyway, here is a littany of proof of Obama's lies and the troubles in the Canadian health care system and things you will not find in the Chicago Obune or most other corrupt media outlets:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2009/08/20/obama_basic_standard_of_decency_allows_illegals_to_be_treated.html

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jbjzPEY0Y3bvRD335rGu_Z3KXoQw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpAyan1fXCE

And something Mark Silva and the Obune would never cover and that is the shady connections to health care reform and Silva's friend and boss, David Axelrod:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090819/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_health_care_consultants

So, Mark, if you don't take your orders from Axelrod, why nothing on this shady relationship?

Community Organizer - Good comparison to a program that is has nothing to do with healthcare. Why not do a comparison with the well run Medicare. Medicare pays docs much faster than private insurance companies. Could you next compare Obamacare with a how poorly the government waged the war in Iraq? Are you a birther?

For 6 of the last 8 years the Repubs had complete control of everything. My insurance premiums doubled in that time span. I don't give a rats arse what that Republipuke party thinks or wants. They're only motivation is to protect the insurance companies and corporate America.

Community Organizer - Good comparison to a program that is has nothing to do with healthcare. Why not do a comparison with the well run Medicare. Medicare pays docs much faster than private insurance companies. Could you next compare Obamacare with a how poorly the government waged the war in Iraq? Are you a birther?

Our health care system is disintegrating. Today, 46 million people have no health insurance and even more are underinsured with high deductibles and co-payments. At a time when 60 million people, including many with insurance, do not have access to a medical home, more than 18,000 Americans die every year from preventable illnesses because they do not get to the doctor when they should. This is six times the number who died at the tragedy of 9/11 - but this occurs every year.

In the midst of this horrendous lack of coverage, the U.S. spends far more per capita on health care than any other nation - and health care costs continue to soar. At $2.4 trillion dollars, and 18 percent of our GDP, the skyrocketing cost of health care in this country is unsustainable both from a personal and macro-economic perspective.

It always makes me laugh when I hear people say they want to preserve "insurance choice" in this country. What choice do you have when you work and are nominally "insured," but your insurance coverage doesn't pay for anything you need? Are you then going to have the ability to run out and purchase extra coverage on the wages you make? Well, I guess you have the "choice" to rob a bank or maybe win the lottery to pay for it, but that's about it.

Republicans and their rich oligarchy supporters (Healthcare CEO's and Lobbyists) will do anything to kill a good healthcare bill because they know people will like it and when that happens their electoral goose will be cooked for generations - if it's not already.

Ask yourself this:

If your employer announced that you were going to be laid off tomorrow because of the economy, and if you wanted to continue your insurance coverage by COBRA, it would cost of $915 a month (the average cost), how long would you be able to keep yourself and your family covered?

Nationally, COBRA coverage costs around 83% of the average unemployment benefit....and that's just fine with the angry old rich white guys who make up the Republican party, but the rest of us here in the real world can't afford it.
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http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09010/940941-28.stm

The insurance crisis could be your problem, tomorrow, through no fault of your own, as it has for millions of hard working americans in the last few months.

Community disorganizer:
(Aug 19, 2009 - 08:41 AM) : Don Chalmers Ford in New Mexico says the Cash for Clunkers excitement is still burning strong. 3 weeks after its official start, the Ford dealer in Rio Rancho and Albuquerque says they still have plenty of inventory of their most popular fuel efficient cars for shoppers.

Who is zoomin who?

Medical care in the United States is derided as miserable compared to health care systems in the rest of the developed world. Economists, government officials, insurers, and academics beat the drum for a far larger government role in health care. Much of the public assumes that their arguments are sound because the calls for change are so ubiquitous and the topic so complex. Before we turn to government as the solution, however, we should consider some unheralded facts about America’s health care system.

1. Americans have better survival rates than Europeans for common cancers. Breast cancer mortality is 52 percent higher in Germany than in the United States and 88 percent higher in the United Kingdom. Prostate cancer mortality is 604 percent higher in the United Kingdom and 457 percent higher in Norway. The mortality rate for colorectal cancer among British men and women is about 40 percent higher.

2. Americans have lower cancer mortality rates than Canadians. Breast cancer mortality in Canada is 9 percent higher than in the United States, prostate cancer is 184 percent higher, and colon cancer among men is about 10 percent higher.

3. Americans have better access to treatment for chronic diseases than patients in other developed countries. Some 56 percent of Americans who could benefit from statin drugs, which reduce cholesterol and protect against heart disease, are taking them. By comparison, of those patients who could benefit from these drugs, only 36 percent of the Dutch, 29 percent of the Swiss, 26 percent of Germans, 23 percent of Britons, and 17 percent of Italians receive them.

4. Americans have better access to preventive cancer screening than Canadians. Take the proportion of the appropriate-age population groups who have received recommended tests for breast, cervical, prostate, and colon cancer:

Nine out of ten middle-aged American women (89 percent) have had a mammogram, compared to fewer than three-fourths of Canadians (72 percent).

Nearly all American women (96 percent) have had a Pap smear, compared to fewer than 90 percent of Canadians.

More than half of American men (54 percent) have had a prostatespecific antigen (PSA) test, compared to fewer than one in six Canadians (16 percent).

Nearly one-third of Americans (30 percent) have had a colonoscopy, compared with fewer than one in twenty Canadians (5 percent).
5. Lower-income Americans are in better health than comparable Canadians. Twice as many American seniors with below-median incomes self-report “excellent” health (11.7 percent) compared to Canadian seniors (5.8 percent). Conversely, white, young Canadian adults with below-median incomes are 20 percent more likely than lower-income Americans to describe their health as “fair or poor.”

6. Americans spend less time waiting for care than patients in Canada and the United Kingdom. Canadian and British patients wait about twice as long—sometimes more than a year—to see a specialist, have elective surgery such as hip replacements, or get radiation treatment for cancer. All told, 827,429 people are waiting for some type of procedure in Canada. In Britain, nearly 1.8 million people are waiting for a hospital admission or outpatient treatment.

7. People in countries with more government control of health care are highly dissatisfied and believe reform is needed. More than 70 percent of German, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, and British adults say their health system needs either “fundamental change” or “complete rebuilding.”

8. Americans are more satisfied with the care they receive than Canadians. When asked about their own health care instead of the “health care system,” more than half of Americans (51.3 percent) are very satisfied with their health care services, compared with only 41.5 percent of Canadians; a lower proportion of Americans are dissatisfied (6.8 percent) than Canadians (8.5 percent).

9. Americans have better access to important new technologies such as medical imaging than do patients in Canada or Britain. An overwhelming majority of leading American physicians identify computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the most important medical innovations for improving patient care during the previous decade—even as economists and policy makers unfamiliar with actual medical practice decry these techniques as wasteful. The United States has thirty-four CT scanners per million Americans, compared to twelve in Canada and eight in Britain. The United States has almost twenty-seven MRI machines per million people compared to about six per million in Canada and Britain.

10. Americans are responsible for the vast majority of all health care innovations. The top five U.S. hospitals conduct more clinical trials than all the hospitals in any other developed country. Since the mid- 1970s, the Nobel Prize in medicine or physiology has gone to U.S. residents more often than recipients from all other countries combined. In only five of the past thirty-four years did a scientist living in the United States not win or share in the prize. Most important recent medical innovations were developed in the United States.

Despite serious challenges, such as escalating costs and care for the uninsured, the U.S. health care system compares favorably to those in other developed countries.

Obama is convinced that if he just keeps talking, his magical powers will charm Americans into socialism. Make no mistake, Obama is going to spend the next 3.5 years putting as much of the private economy under government control as possible to create his nanny state utopia where he is the boy king and our freedoms are diminished.
Let's continue to stand against Obama in every way and get Congress out of the hands of the insane Pelosi and Reid in 2010. Americans are waking up, but we need to remain forceful and diligent against the Obama regime.

Americans Can't Trust Republicans With Medicare

You want a simple message to counter dishonest Republican fear mongering on healthcare? How's this, Republicans want to do away with Medicare. They've always wanted to take it away, and if they get half a chance in the future they'll get rid of it then. It's not hard to find examples of them saying so in their own words since Medicare started.

Saint Ronny Raygun in the 60s: "if you don’t [stop Medicare] ... you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it once was like in America when men were free."

Republican Bob Dole openly bragged in 1996 that he was one of 12 House members who voted against creating Medicare. "I was there, fighting the fight, voting against Medicare ..."
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http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/07/29/medicare-44/

GOPer nutjob/ "guru" Newt Gingrich said of Medicare, "We don't get rid of it in round one because we don't think that's politically smart, we don't think that's the right way to go through a transition, but we believe it's going to wither on the vine." He then went on to propose cutting Medicare by 14% and forcing millions of senior citizens to seek out private HMOs or go without, all to help make sure Medicare would 'wither on the vine.' And it continues right into present day.
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http://www.nytimes.com/1995/09/16/us/gop-s-plan-to-cut-medicare-faces-a-veto-clinton-promises.html?sec=health&spon=&pagewanted=all

Roy Blunt: "You could certainly argue that government should have never have gotten in the health care business, and that might have been the best argument of all, to figure out how people could have had more access to a competitive marketplace."
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http://www.firedupmissouri.com/content/radical-roy-blunt-it-would-have-been-best-if-medicare-and-medicaid-never-existed

Former Republican House Majority Leader the Dick Armey reaffirmed this week on MtP that he thinks Medicare is "tryanny" and if that's not worrisome enough, he wants to "phase out" social security too.

Republicans want to do away with Medicare because they're against government healthcare, always have been, always will be. That's a core plank in GOP ideology, they hold it as dear and precious as some holy theology. Just yesterday, when asked about government healthcare, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said the "government is a predator, not a competitor" and went on to note he wouldn't vote for any healthcare reform bill as a matter of conservative principle, even if it has everything he wants in it. So when a Republican talks about "reform," says we must "get the government out of healthcare," pitches convoluted tax schemes and private accounts for the affluent, or spits out terms like "socialized medicine," like a dog whistle they all mean the same thing: getting rid of Medicare.
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http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/2009/08/sen-grassley-on-health-care-the-government-is-a-predator.php?ref=fpblg

Forget about grandma being unplugged, grandma won't be able to afford being seen, much less be able to pay for hospital admission. Grandma is on her own. All so that conservative zillionaires and their Republican congressional lackeys can save an extra 0.0145 of their gross, bloated paycheck, the same flat rate we all invest to keep millions of senior citizens alive and healthy today.

The whole debate is NOT about healthcare. It's about CONTROL.
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Liberals like to control others.
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There is no reason to allow the government to force us all into their HMO. It will be worst possible HMO, too.
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Medicare was supposed to be small (as was Social Security) and, as we all can see, these programs are a mess.
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Everything the government touches gets screwed up over time.
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All of these big programs are BANKRUPT.
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Just say no to government healthcare. Remember, it's about control, not healthcare. Be vocal and fight it.

"Obama read every answer!!! It was so obvious. He never once looked up or at the radio host. The time from question until he started answering was less than a second so he never once spoke from memory. He is incapable of expressing himself fluently when he speaks without a prompter."

Posted by: bill heller | August 20, 2009 2:14 PM

...Yawn...

Just say no to government healthcare. Remember, it's about control, not healthcare. Be vocal and fight it.

Posted by: Alz | August 20, 2009 3:58 PM
***********************************
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So, I'm guessing that you also want to do away with Medicare and Social Security?

Get lost you Republican Clowns - you had eight years to do some good things for this country and all you did was give tax cuts to the richest 1%, big corporations and big oil and then you started an unnecessary war (Iraq) so you could funnel tax payer money to your pals in the Military Industrial Complex like Halliburton, KBR and Blackwater etc!

I like how people are blaming Obama when he is just the puppet of the machine. Obama is the face of the same government that Bush was the face of. It doesn't matter who is in there, things won't change. The people drafting the 1000+ page bills need to be put on the pedestal for ridicule. Like the president or any other member of congress is really going to read 1200 pages of lawyer written garbage? Who could even understand that? How we went from the Declaration of Independance being written on 1 page to a 1200 page "Bill" is beyond me. 90% of these "Bills" that get passed have earmarks for BOTH parties. How do you think they get passed? Of course the party that wants the meat of the bill passed is going to add provisions for the other party just to get it signed into law. Educate yourself on American Politics before you spout off like a dumb "hick".

the health care that obama wants is unlike canadas there wont be any wait out in the country with all the healthcare facalities in the usa and there will be a major focus on preventive measures to make sure you dont have a major situation all of a sudden.i would like people to get thier facts straight on tv and on line

If we are to have a Public Health Care Plan, it should:
Be actuarial sound---abiding by same standard of private plans and same actuarial basis used for pricing.
Be funded only by premiums. No taxes or government funding should be involved. No shortfall will be made up by any governmental body.
Be non-profit to avoid problems like past GSAs.
To make its operations comparable for evaluation and auditing, all expenses should be paid from premium collected. Including claims, salaries, operating expenses, facilities.
The plan must be used for all government employees, Federal, State and Local employees, including Executive, Congress and Judicial. No other governmental plans will be paid for. Employees will be free to purchase from other private plans but no governmental subsidy will be used.
It will replace all other Federal medical plans such V.A..
No governmental employee will be allowed, directly or indirectly, to contact the administrators or any employee of the Plan to plead for special consideration of a patient or treatment, location of Plan offices, equipment [e.g. no request for vendor use].
All claims will be reviewed by adjustors and doctors without names available so no political influence will occur.
The top ten officials will be paid at the minimum of 1. average of top ten private plans compensation for equivalent positions, and 2. $200,000.
All other employees will be compensated at no more than the minimum of average of top ten private plans and $100,000.
All jobs will be non-union to avoid strikes. At a minimum all jobs will be under ‘Right to Work.’

It's amazing the way the GOP is always able to get the low and middle-income dittoheads in their base (mostly the South) to throw logic out the window and not only accept the GOP's crap talking points but to actually go out and protest against their own well-being i.e. healthcare, tax cuts etc.

The TeaBagger parties were the perfect example of this. The GOP oligarchy had working class morons from their base, who are most likely barely living paycheck to paycheck, out protesting the rich getting a small tax increase and themselves getting a tax cut.

Ha Ha Ha!!!

Bill Heller, In the picture listed above in the article Obama is looking directly at the host. Must have missed alot of the show. Are you an umpire?

i believe that obama has the right idea and their well be check ups and other preventive care measures taken to the hard working americans without delay . according to a healthcare administrator medicare is effecient system and the govermant pays promptly . have a nice day . i wish all the best to the prez especially in this economy

Jack, what freedoms do you think you will be losing? Please be specific.

"Obama is convinced that if he just keeps talking, his magical powers will charm Americans into socialism. Make no mistake, Obama is going to spend the next 3.5 years putting as much of the private economy under government control as possible to create his nanny state utopia where he is the boy king and our freedoms are diminished.
Let's continue to stand against Obama in every way and get Congress out of the hands of the insane Pelosi and Reid in 2010. Americans are waking up, but we need to remain forceful and diligent against the Obama regime."

Simple enough. If you trust the federal government to make decisions on whether you live or die, then you will love socialized medicine. If you really think you will be treated with courtesy and sympathy by a government bureaucrat, then I invite you to visit and ask a question at the federal building in Chicago, the Social Security Office there, or even in one of the county or city offices. Good luck.

Republicans shouldn't be trusted on any issue, let alone healthcare. They've proven over and over again that when given a chance to lead all they do is govern for the benefit of the richest 1%, big corporations, big oil and the Military Industrial Complex - everyone else can go off and die somewhere.

My 401K TANKED UNDER BUSH

Bush DOUBLED OUR NATIONAL DEBT UNDER HIS 'REIGN OF ERROR'

Oh, did I mention that 9/11 happened under his watch ??

And THERE WERE NO WMDs in Iraq !!!

That's why the Republicans DON'T MENTION BUSH

Did you see Bush or Cheney CAMPAIGNING for any Republicans in the Special Elections ??

Gee, I wonder why ?

Will Bush/Cheney be active in the 2010 elections ?

What do you think ??

The Economy is starting to recover

Unenmployment is a TRAILING indicator

The Stock market is starting to recover from the Bush Recession !!

Ronald Reagan, George Bush and Lil' W. Bush CREATED 90% OF AMERICA'S NATIONAL DEBT !!
90 PER CENT !!

Supply "the rich" Side Economics, huh ?? pleeeeease.
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http://www.headybrew.net/images/content/budget_deficit_or_surplus.gif

Sam,
John D and the rest of the T-Bagger posse think that's a documentary.
Hilarious.
But the sad part is, with the power of the right wing and the K street controllers so great, we will probably not be seeing any reforms at all.

And more distressing, it looks like the Democrats had no plan to counter these tactics that anyone with half a ounce of sense knew would be forthcoming. They, and Obama, seem surprised by developments in spite of:
Ann Richards
Max Cleland
Bob Kerrey
Al Gore
John McCain (2000 primary)
John Kerry

What I find most ironic about Obama's health plan is the fact that neither members of Congress or the Senate or the President will be covered by any new health care. Basically, it is them saying to us..., "it is good enough for you but there is no way that I want that type of heathcare". So who is the servant and who is the master?

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If you really think you will be treated with courtesy and sympathy by a government bureaucrat, then I invite you to visit and ask a question at the federal building in Chicago, the Social Security Office there, or even in one of the county or city offices. Good luck.

Posted by: Danforth | August 20, 2009 5:15 PM
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If you really think you are treated with courtesy and sympathy by a Republican supported Corporate Health Insurance bean counter, then I invite you to try and get an Insurance policy when you are over the age of 50 with a pre-existing health condition. Good luck.

Is there any core part of the Obrama Health Reform program that the adm. will not compromise on? Are we going to end up with a hodge-podge that pleases no one and accomplishes little? No legislation is going to please everyone. Diogenes would like to see some backbone for what is essential. If this is impossible then take James Carville’s advice and force the Republicans to filibuster and take the fallout in 2010. Hopefully this would result in a larger democratic majority in the senate.
It appears from republican statements and meeting disruptions that the only compromise the republicans will accept is democratic surrender leaving healthcare basically in its present form.

Desperate Republicans Fight Healthcare
with lies and meeting disruptions Part 1

Recently Republican House minority leader John Boehner said that Reform Healthcare plans recommended euthanasia. Republican VP Candidate Sarah Palin said that Reform Healthcare plans recommended euthanasia. Newt Gingrich republican leader said that Reform Healthcare plans recommended euthanasia. Newt also added, (clearly there are people in America who believe in establishing euthanasia). Unfortunately Newt did not name names or organizations. Also UNFORTUNATELY THIS APPEARS TO BE THE REPUBLICAN party line, Also UNFORTUNATELY IT IS COMPLETELY FALSE.

The reform healthcare plans provides a voluntary option to discuss end of life options, such as living wills. If a patient chooses to discuss this with a doctor the reform plan will pay for the doctor’s time. Many of these issues should be discussed before a person is seriously ill. But a large number of people for a variety of reasons do not. The number of people including well to do educated people who do not even have a will is surprising.

Other republican false claims are: Medicare payments will be cut ,less freedom to choose your own Dr., lose health coverage, ration healthcare, gov’t takeover, etc Part 2 Disruptions.

As a Chicagoan, I want to thank in advance my fellow Chicagoan, President Obama, for successfully getting this health care reform put into law.

I also thank the President for so thoroughly trouncing republicans in the process, as well as the loudmouth knuckleheads that actually voted for them in 08.

As an Iowan, I wish Grassley would crawl back under his rock!! He actually had THE NERVE to tell someone that if they wanted health insurance, they should get A GOVERNMENT JOB!!! Well, maybe if his antique self RETIRED, there would be one opening in "the government"!! That whiney voice of his is VERY IRRITATING, especially when he's trying to dictate who should and shouldn't have health insurance!!!

If all of congress, goverment and state officals are required to be covered under this plan--I'm all for it. But this will not happen.