Obama: Fighting to finish on healthcare

From the DNC Swamp coverage, readers wouldn't know there were protesters outside when Obama spoke in St. Louis....

The kind of protesters the DNC Swamp loved to feature--when the protesters were protesting a Republican President.

Meanwhile, this week there's more bad job numbers--the kind of news Democrats in the White House, and in the media, are doing their best to hide.

Mark, come on now, we've got gay pugs coming out of the woodwork, disgruntaled democrats tickling each other, Biden blasting Isreal, and the best you can pull up are two articles this morning about healthcare?.......

It’s About Government, Not Health Care
What the Dems are doing makes perfect sense. For them.

So there was President Obama giving his bazillionth speech on health care, droning yet again that “now is the hour when we must seize the moment,” the same moment he’s been seizing every day of the week for the past year, only this time his genius photo-op guys thought it would look good to have him surrounded by men in white coats.

Why is he doing this? Why let “health” “care” “reform” stagger on like the rotting husk in a low-grade creature feature who refuses to stay dead no matter how many stakes you pound through his chest?

Because it’s worth it. Big time. I’ve been saying in this space for two years that the governmentalization of health care is the fastest way to a permanent left-of-center political culture. It redefines the relationship between the citizen and the state in fundamental ways that make limited government all but impossible
http://article.nationalreview.com/427119/its-about-government-not-health-care/mark-steyn

Great, I thought job creation & the economy
were going to come first!
If the insurance companies are the problem, make new laws to regulate the insurance companies (do's & don'ts).
Can't deny pre-existing conditions, can't unjustly deny claims, can't overcharge etc..
The problem is this bill costs way too much & contains un-necessary
entitlements which we cannot afford right now.
Now Obama is going to try & ram it through.

Thank God, America will finally start to put her citizens before her Health Insures' greed. It has been a long time, coming, since 1907. It took a first year Presidency to accomplish this heroic act. The Republican-Libertarians-T.Baggers weren't going to help him, help us, American citizens, all they wanted to do was confuse, lie, distort and accuse. They were and are, helping maintain the status quo and are in the pockets of the Healthcare Insurers. So, without seeming premature, I want to thank President Obama and Vice-President Biden for their honest efforts on behalf of almost all of the American nation, minus the Greedy Healthcare Corps, and especially those unfortunate souls who have been victims of that Greed of the Healthcare Insures. You have fought the good fight, on behalf of American citizens, in spite of the Republican-Libertarian-T.Baggers missing in action !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.

Could he possibly be more impressed with himself?

DOA!!!!!!!
Senate Health Care Bill Dead on Arrival, Pro-Life House Democrats Say
The health care reform bill passed by the Senate on Christmas Eve appears to be dead on arrival in the House, as seven anti-abortion Democrats intend to join the ranks of lawmakers who plan to vote against the legislation, Fox News has confirmed

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/03/10/senate-health-care-dead-arrival-say-pro-life-house-democrats/

As Americans continue to lose their jobs and the economy attempts a very feeble recovery at best President Obama and the Democratic Leadership
continue to spend all their time and energy on passing a Health Bill that a majority of the country does not want. The Democrats are going to pay a big price for this at the polls in November and it will not be because of anything great that the Republicans have done. As noted Democratic Political Strategist James Carville once said "It is the Economy Stupid." Unfortunately for the American people who will suffer the most, the Obama White House and a majority of the Democrats in Congress have not figured this out.

I thought the last President was a fool.

Democrats are so corrupt, dishonest, confused and rattled that they can't even keep their lies straight anymore. First, Obama Says Health Premiums Will Go Down -- President Obama, March 8, 2010: "Our cost-cutting measures mirror most of the proposals in the current Senate bill, which reduces most people’s premiums." Then, Durbin Admits Premiums Will Go Up If Health Care Bill Is Passed --
Sen. Dick Durbin, March 10, 2010: "Anyone who would stand before you and say 'well, if you pass health care reform next year health care premiums are going down,' I don’t think is telling the truth. I think it is likely they would go up." ObamaCare has never been about "reform" but about power, control and a quest for a permanent Democratic majority under Obama's vision of a Euro-trash, more socialistic America. VOTE. THEM. OUT.

Despite a whopping 38 speeches, no one is listening to Obama. New Rasmussen poll shows 57 percent of voters say his bill will hurt the U.S. economy. Just 25 percent think the plan will help the economy. Two-out-of-three voters (66%) also believe his health care plan is likely to increase the federal deficit. Underlying this concern is a profound lack of trust in Obama's numbers. SIxty- six percent (66%) believe it is very likely that the health care reform plan will cost more than Obama's estimates. This bill is a disaster and a growing number of Americans know it. November and 2012 can't come soon enough.

Yes the chosen one has revitalized our economy and jobs, if you want to be a Census worker or SEIU, you bet! Reduce your CARBON FOOTPRINT purchase a condom for a liberal.

Mt President--You have never managed anything that required you to be accountable for the bottom line, never met a payroll or balanced a budget- now you claim some sort of oracle –like knowledge that your course of wealth destruction is going to be proven right?

With all due respect Mr. President...your an arrogant, closed minded, condescending elitist jerk-

What Obama is really fighting is the vast majority of voters who oppose this bill but, still want a real reform bill put up. No president has ever gone against the majority of voters and won reelection. What the president and the liberal leadership in Congress is doing is telling its members to fall on the sword for them.

See, that's the thing about Obama. He always wants to demonize someone/something rather than actually govern. He's a con man. Nothing more.

This president has yet to solve one single problem. Has yet to follow through on one single campaign promise. Has yet to provide the transparency of government he promised.

What he has done is exactly the opposite of his campaign promises, yet the sheeple like Marky here continue to repeat the lies.

"They say, you know what, shoring up the financial system, not popular"...also didn't help a bit!

"Helping out the auto industry, not popular", also didn't help a bit!. The jobs lost in the auto industry have not been recovered and will never be as long as this guy's in office

"Passing the Recovery Act, not popular", also didn't help a bit and here we have trillions of more US debt and nothing to show for it.

The jobs created and/or retained is nothing but a guesstimate with phoney numbers that cannot be substantiated. The Recovery Act funds have been squandered and tossed to the political piggies in the hope that they continue to be the sheeple they are and support this failing administration.

This will get quite interesting....

RICHMOND -- Virginia's General Assembly is the first in the nation to approve legislation that bucks federal health care reforms by banning mandatory health insurance coverage.

Mr. Obama is seriously out-of-touch with America's major problems. And none of them is health care. There are, as of today,4,558,000 (that's 4.5 MILLION) people being paid by taxpayers for doing nothing (unemployment insurance); 14.9 MILLION people unemployed; another 15 MILLION in parttime jobs because they cannot get fulltime work, and 39 MILLION people below the poverty line (source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Yet, he focuses ALL of his attention on legislation that polls show a majority of Americans do NOT want. How do we bring this fellow into reality before America is devastated?

Never mind his "Waterloo." This is President Obama's "Iraq." If he loses this vote, his presidency is for all intent and purposes - FINISHED.

If he wins the vote, his presidency, whether it lasts one term or two, will be judged based on health care reform.

It's a no-brainer. Every president has to decide what is important - what matters most during his time in office.

For GW, it was fighting the terrorists (and the WMD) that he believed were ensconsed in Iraq. History has already proved him WRONG (I think that's what the "W" stands for).

Now it's Obama's turn.

History will judge whether "health care reform" was the issue of his presidency.

We the people must rise up and stop this insanity!

LISTEN to the people. The vast majority do not want $1,000,000,000,000.00 "reform."

If BO and his minions in congress do not listen to the people now, we will have to make them listen in November! (or sooner!).

In the meantime, over at the Capitol, the Democrats are looking for away to pass a bill that they can't pass because they lack the votes. To resolve this inconvenient problem: The "Slaughter Solution," and presto! You pass a bill that you don't have the votes to pass!

The arrogance of these Democrats is astonishing.

Wish he would put as much effort into JOBS like he said he would. As I recall, he said he was 'going to focus on jobs like a Laser' .. obviously that was a lie too...

More propaganda. I agree with BO on one thing though - the time for talk is over. He should heed his own advice. America is not going to learn anything from BO's latest hollow talking points that it hasn't heard in the 40-some other speeches he has given ad naseum on this subject. There is no failure to get the message out. America has heard it and rejected it. If BO's Dem allies want to walk the plank on this one and pass a bill the majority of America opposes, then shut up and do it.

OMG: "Obama: Fighting to finish on healthcare" Why doesn't the Tribune just put on a cheerleader uniform? If this was Bush it would read: "Bush: stubornly ignoring will of the people"

Hey, hey, hey! Whoa there Pony Boy! We aren't out the woods yet. The USA is hemmoraging jobs and funds faster than we can spit and taking credit for temporarily pumping the economy is fools gold.

You're right to say that being the leader of the greatest nation on earth requires difficult choices, that's a no brainer. But when you're decisions, (financial, moral, constitutional, et al) place the integrity of the USA at risk, we the citizens of the USA have the right to challenge those decisions.

Additionally, your State of the Union Address indicated that you were tired of the proverbial yelling that is consuming DC these days. How is your decision to push on a major cause of that yelling reducing the noise? America needs healthcare reform, but America also recognizes that the Bills in DC today are not the answer. If you want to be our leader, you better start directing your energy to where it's needed the most; Primarily at your own party who won't entertain anyone's ideas but their own. It's time to "undemonize" the enemy and realize that we are all in this together, Democrat and Republican alike.

For HC-reform, you need to step back, broker a meeting between all parties concerned and don't exit that meeting until you've come up with a plan that everyone agrees with. That would be presidential and that's a decision we can all live with.

It is heartening to see that the OVERWHELMING majority of comments here are agressively against Obama and his wrecking ball healthcare plan. Let's get this hack Obama out of office ASAP.

Isn’t it odd that a man who likes doing nothing but talking nonstop wants everyone else to shut up? Wake up, folks. Obama is not our friend.

Obamma has to press forward because the staus quo cowards will forever keep us under the thumb of the health insurance industry. I handled health insurance budgeting for a very legre organization. I personally saw rates more than double in less than 2 years. Tell me that we don't have a problem or that what we have now is ok. . Please. It's kind of funny because those who are playing politics don't have to worry about not having health insurance. Let them (or anyone) go without health insurance for a year and see how that feels.

Everyone knows that this Swamp writer (Mark Silva) is a left wing liberal. He's an Obama cheerleader of the first order.

He probably didn't notice that his Messiah was surrounded by protesters because he was too busy bent down worshipping at the hem of Barrys robes.

If this were Bush going against the will of the people all Markys columns would be about the public outrage and protests.

In November guys like left wing Mark will be writing about the GREATEST MID-TERM LOSS OF SEATS IN AMERICAN HISTORY.

This bill, if passed, will be DISMANTLED by the American people through the ELECTED representatives seated this January.

Gag on that Marky. .

This man is going to find out the hard way that HE will be one that gets worn down and that no matter how impressed he is with himself, he won't wear down the American people.

Demand. Sound like a typical Illinois request I DEMAND YOU DO THIS or THIS IS WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN to you. What Americans seeing happening is their freedom of choice is rapidly disappearing and Obama's taking it from the American people.

Obama is like a 10-year-kid who finds himself in the deep end of the pool and is now flailing and splashing around looking for anything to grab onto to save him. We have got to find a way to get this clown out of office sooner than 2012.

If they had the votes,contrary to what Pelosi says, they would put it up for vote and then they could move on to something else we do not want or need.

Great News: A new record low for Obama approval in the Gallop Poll out today -- 46 percent approval vs. 45 disapproval. Obama is on his way to 30 percent approval and then on his way out the door,

Several posters have noted that the great majority of the posters have expressed anti-Obama views and that Mark Silva is a card-carrying liberal.

Be that as it may, the issue isn't whether the majority disapprove or if Mr. Silva was once seen wearing a Carter button.

The issue is whether health care reform is a good idea.

History will be the judge.

So far, the score is as follows:

Social Security, Medicare and VA benefits: 3

Unfunded Republican-led war of choice: 0

With that kind of history, I'll take my chances that Obama is right, even if he winds up being a one-term president.

Today's Gallup Poll has Obama at a new low in approval--46%.

RE: "Could he possibly be more impressed with himself? Posted by: Kathy | March 11, 2010 9:50 AM " You SAID it, Kathy!!! IMAGINE if this administration would have tried to tackle jobs and the economy for the past year, rather than the healthcare "crisis" (aka bail the unions out). But they don't have a CLUE how to address a REAL problem such as jobs and the economy: it's far easier to just blame Bush and do nothing.

I saw a great sign the other day: "Will somebody just give Obama a bj so we can impeach him?!?!?". LOL!

Eerie photo. Is that a UFO (unidentified flying Obama) or have Gort and Klaatu returned to DC to threaten to destroy us if we don't do the right thing on heathcare, aka health insurance reform?

Contact Illinois representatives to stop this huge mistake.

http://www.lipinski.house.gov
http://www.house.gove/bean/
http://www.halvorson.house.gov

62% say start over on a bill.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/126521/Favor-Oppose-Obama-Healthcare-Plan.aspx

I agree. I don't like the Senate bill. Lucky for me, I have an enlightened, ivory tower liberal like Obama to tell me I don't really mean that, and that what is best for me is to embrace the Senate bill .. .and trust whatever amendments Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi add to it in backroom "reconciliation" deals. I'm so lucky to live during the reign of such enlightened liberals. I have complete, blind faith in . . . whatever it is they are doing right now.

Again, no one but the Democrats know what is in the bill. What is the hurry Barry? Usually it is because they want a bill passed before people can see what it is about. Why won't he address tort reform and allowing insurance companies to seel in all states. This would drive health care costs down and not bankrupt the country.

A couple simple questions for those who are opposed to Obama's plan.

1. Do you currently have health insurance and is all or most of it paid for by the company you work for?
2. Do you receive Medicare benefits?
3. Are you self-employed or do you own your own business or are you unemployed or under-employed?

It's easy to blast Obama's bill if you answered YES to either of the first two questions above. You're already covered and you don't see the need to pass the bill. You know what? You're selfish and you don't understand that our overall economy is being dragged down by the lack of healthcare reform. You won't find many people who answer YES to the 3rd question above who think this bill is a bad idea. They either live with no insurance or they pay through the teeth for it and it's only getting worse. Reform is desperately needed and it requires action. This bill is a first step and it will get us moving in the right direction.

Thousands of protesters marched through downtown Washington, D.C. yesterday, to arrest the CEOs of Big Insurance, and demand that Congress finish reform right.
Betcha your murdock/bloomberg republican news outlets didn't run that story.
ADOLPH...Yes by all means lets bring HC down to a BJ. After all you're already being screwed by the insurance co.
BECK...Considering that reagan had a 37% approval rate during his first year Pres. Obama has a ways to go.
LAKE....republicans are trying to use HC reform that would have benefited the country, as Pres. Obama's Waterloo. That says a lot for you people.
TELL THE TRUTH....at least the democrates never tried to make Iraq GWB's "waterloo". They gave him what he wanted and he in turned stabbed the American fighting men and women in the back.
HEARTBURN....before GWB became president he bankrupted 3 oil companies and the state of Texas..
DAVID R....your post makes no sense. But then it doesn't have to. You'll still get paid by the neo-cons. Shills like you are cheap and many.

Poster Tell the Truth says: "the issue isn't whether the majority disapprove..." Um, er, well, dude, yes it is. You will learn in November. I know Obama would like nothing more than a dictatorship, but we're not there yet little buddy.

WASHINGTON — Is President Obama losing his base?
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-03-10-liberals_N.htm

"...HEARTBURN....before GWB became president he bankrupted 3 oil companies and the state of Texas....."

Posted by: Independent and Free | March 11, 2010 3:46 PM

Independent and Free- and Bush fixated...

Could you possibly make a larger reach to defend Professor Obama??

When you dream about Bush- do you dream in color..?

A couple simple questions for those who are opposed to Obama's plan.

1. Do you currently have health insurance and is all or most of it paid for by the company you work for?
2. Do you receive Medicare benefits?
3. Are you self-employed or do you own your own business or are you unemployed or under-employed?

It's easy to blast Obama's bill if you answered YES to either of the first two questions above. You're already covered and you don't see the need to pass the bill. You know what? You're selfish and you don't understand that our overall economy is being dragged down by the lack of healthcare reform. You won't find many people who answer YES to the 3rd question above who think this bill is a bad idea. They either live with no insurance or they pay through the teeth for it and it's only getting worse. Reform is desperately needed and it requires action. This bill is a first step and it will get us moving in the right direction.

Posted by: Mike_from_Chicago | March 11, 2010 3:38 PM

Mike- what does any of your post have to do with whether HC coverage should become another MASSIVE money wasting entitlement ----?

And when you say the bill is a "first step" what could possibly be the second step?

heartburn, I'll take it from your response that you have healthcare coverage that either comes through Medicare or is paid all or mostly by the company you work for. Please let me know if that's not right.

I know it's hard, but try to put yourself in the position of someone who isn't as fortunate as you are. Someone who isn't in a large insurance pool or who doesn't have enough money to pay for insurance. It sounds like you don't feel they are entitled to get health care. I guess you think they should continue to either spend a large part of their income on insurance or go without. Is that right?

I think it's horrible that insurance companies make billions of dollars in yearly profits and millions of people don't get the healthcare they need. Don't tell me we can't afford this plan. The projection of the CBO is that it will REDUCE the deficit over a 10 year period. It not only is the humane thing to do, it's also the economical thing to do. Please get over your preoccupation with entitlements - do you know anyone who receives Medicare? Mother, father, aunt, uncle? Yourself? That's a government-run healthcare plan that has made life livable for millions of senior citizens over the last 50 years. How many of them would opt out of it? Is there waste and fraud? Yes, but that doesn't mean we don't need it. Please try to grow a heart and realize that health care is something all of us should be able to receive when we need it.

BO is almost done talking - 54 speeches - or I should say LYING to the American people. He says that insuring the 30 million people that don't have insurance will shrink the deficit. I guess its too bad that all 300 million of us don't have health insurance since his plan then would retire the national debt.

It is the entitlements - Social Security and Medicare - that have this country on the brink of financial ruin and the man theat has never run a lemonade stand says "Trust me, this will reduce the deficit".

He forgot to tell you that there is only 6 years of expenses to match 10 years of revenues. He also forgot to tell you that the Medicare cuts will be re-funded in a seperate bill - thus the savings will be in Obamacare and the spending will be in seperate legislation.

If you want to see how the U.S. Gov't runs health care, let's see how they are do out west:

http://www.reznetnews.org/article/indian-health-cares-broken-promises-35270

Do you trust this LIAR and his cohorts to take care of you when you are sick?

Do you know of a gov't social program that has met the customers' needs AND come in under budget? Social Security rates have gone up over sixfold since its inception and Medicare rates have quadrupled. Do you think this Trillion dollar plan will not cost $3 - $4 Trillion in the long-run (excluding inflation)?

SUPPORT SMALLER GOV'T. DEFEAT THE DEMOCRAT-SOCIALIST-FLATLINER AGENDA.

Mike- appreciate the candor...

Employer provided HC coverage is never a zero-cost benefit to the employee--- an employer provides this as part of a comensation package the cost of the coverage is reflected in a decreased salary or compensation that the employee receives... note how a contracted ( no benefits) employee will usually have a significant higher rate of pay than someone who receives benefits...

As to the more general question about universal coverage...
You are asking the wrong questions-and using some sort of moral blackmail argument to force the debate into a "if you don't do this, you are responsible for people not having HC coverage" argument. Your premise has no basis in law or this countries founding principles of limited government and individual liberties.

The bottom line question here is whether or not we as a country should allow our government to manage and allocate HC resources over and above what is doing right now- (and failing miserably BTW)

I challanege you to find language that defines legitimate constitutional rights (responsibility)that the government has to do this- you won't.

The only thing I see the Democrats fighting for is how fast they can end their careers. Because if the current bill passes that is all they will accomplish. Waiting in the wings for this bill to pass our 34 State Attorneys Generals with lawsuits in hand. We have 34 AG's who are saying this bill is unconstitutional. And I predict that if the loony liberals in Congress are arrogant enough to force this bill through we will see the destruction of a political party within less than three years.

heartburn, you are absolutely correct that the constitution does not state that everyone must buy health insurance or that everyone is entitled to healthcare. They don't have anything in there about buying car insurance either, but nobody (that I know of) has ever challenged the constitutionality of mandatory car insurance laws.

It does come down to moral and ethical questions. Should all citizens in this country be able to receive affordable healthcare? Should insurance companies be prohibited from turning away people with pre-existing conditions? The great majority of people would answer yes to these questions. The only way to make it work is to make health insurance mandatory - otherwise many people would wait until were sick or injured to buy it. Is that the government telling you what to do? Yes, it is. Does that take away one of your precious freedoms? Yes, it does. So what? Get over it.

When this bill passes (and it will) and if enough people end up thinking it's a bad idea they can vote only Republicans into office and they can repeal it. Just don't hold your breath waiting for that - it might be a really long time.

heartburn, one more thing while I'm at it - yes, most companies who give their employees healthcare benefits probably adjust salaries down to cover the cost of it. But there is a huge difference in the per person cost of a healthcare plan between an employee of a big company and a contractor for a big company. The employees are part of a big pool and they get rates that are significantly discounted from the rate that an individual contractor can get in today's marketplace. What this bill will do is take those contractors and other self-employed people and small business owners and enable them to pool together to get lower rates - still not as low as what the big companies get for their employees, but much lower than they can get currently. In the ideal world, everyone would be part of one big pool and that would drive down costs substantially, but that would require the public option. People like you who are paranoid that a public option equates to a government takeover of their lives have pretty much killed that one for now. I think that will have to wait for Obama's 2nd term.

Posted by: Mike_from_Chicago | March 12, 2010 2:36 PM

Mike_from_Chicago- you lose the argument when your main defense is a weak analogy to mandatory auro insurance - auto insurance is only a requirement if you choose to drive a car...requiring mandatory health insurance as a condition of existing in this country is not even closely related to the proof of financial responsibility requirement of legally driving a vehicle.

**
You completely disable your line of reasoning (and frankly, i I believe, expose the real motives of supporters of the HC nonsense) with your directive;
"...Does that take away one of your precious freedoms? Yes, it does. So what? Get over it. .."
This is a completely nihilistic point of view... what other rights are you willing to give away for the sake of an ideology?
**
If the moral and ethical issue of people not having access to health care is such a compelling one - then the solution is to amend the constitution to define this as a right... good luck with that-most people see this HC nonsense for what it is.

Swamp Scoreboard:

Heartburn - 3

Mike from ObamaTown - 0

heartburn, I'm not the one who is the ideologue here - that would be you with your insistence that healthcare reform somehow has to be first constitutionally mandated. Do you feel the same way about Social Security? Medicare? Assault weapons ban? Do you see those things as slowly eating away at your constitutionally guaranteed freedoms and turning this into a socialist country? It sounds like you do feel that way and the only thing I can say is that we live in a society where we pass laws. Some of them are challenged as to their constitutionality - laws like those that required a poll tax, that required separate schools based on race, that made homosexuality illegal. Those "rights" - to vote for free, to attend a school without regard to race, to be openly gay/lesbian were never explicitly granted in the constitution and were never part of any amendments to the constitution - they were rights handed down through laws passed by Congress.

Health care reform doesn't require an amendment. It requires laws being passed. If after the law is passed someone like you wants to bring suit against the government, saying the law's requirement for you to carry health insurance is unconstitutional, I say go for it. I would defend your right to bring that suit. That's the way the system works. To say that Congress can't pass a law without it somehow being explicitly part of the Constitution or an amendment to the Constitution first is just a silly and vapid argument and one that reveals your ignorance of how our country works.

Mike_from_Chcago

I have to agree with you on the part about a law being part of the Constitution or needing to have a amendment. One of the reasons we have a legal system and most definitely a Supreme Court is to make sure that a law is constitutional. And you are right in stating a bill must become a law before a lawsuit can be brought against it

Mike- you have got to be kidding.. I am an ideologue because I expect our elected leaders to adhere to the oath they took when taking office? When Reid, Pelosi were sworn into office they said…"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States"
If I am following your logic here-you are ok with HC being passed with clear conflicts to the constitution with the rationalization that the unelected member of the judicial will have final say in whether or not the bill stands? You have done nothing more than show your complete ignorance of not only the way our system of laws work when you say; "Those "rights" - to vote for free, to attend a school without regard to race, to be openly gay/lesbian were never explicitly granted in the constitution and were never part of any amendments to the constitution - they were rights handed down through laws passed by Congress. "
Mike congress can grant no rights-
Please read the constitution, declaration of independence and the federalist papers- you will learn a lot and won't be so quick to give away your rights and liberty when you do.

heartburn - this is getting a little stale, so here's my last comment. I put "rights" in quotes above because I realize there's a difference between rights granted in the Constitution/amendments and the "rights" granted by laws. Our laws have given us the "right" to drive when we are 16 years old and the "right" to drink when we're 21. Some states have given the "right" for same-sex couples to marry. Does the "right" to health care require an amendment? I think most people would say no.
Your key argument is apparently that the health care reform bills are "clear conflicts to the constitution". Well, heartburn, that's your opinion and I defend your right to hold that opinion, but the majority of Congress doesn't share your opinion and that's what really counts, isn't it?
As I said, after these bills pass, if someone wants to contest their constitutionality, they should go for it and see how far they get. I think that would be about as popular as someone arguing that Medicare or Social Security is unconstitutional.
You know what the real hypocrisy is in your argument? You contend that these bills, with their mandate that people carry health insurance is somehow taking away people's rights to not carry health insurance, that the government shouldn't be able to mandate that. The fact is that you and everyone else making that argument already has health insurance. You're just paranoid that the government will somehow make you pay more or take away some of your benefits because it will cover a lot of poor people who can't afford insurance right now. That's just you being a tad selfish, don't you think?