E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
DERRY, NH -- For once, Mitt Romney gave credit today for President Obama coming through on a campaign promise.
"Candidate Barack Obama was here speaking and he said he was going to bring big things to America," Romney said, standing in the same high school gymnasium in Derry, New Hampshire where then-Sen. Obama spoke on January 6, 2008. "Well, he did. And they came with big price tags. And they didn't work out so well. Big things. Bad things. Expensive things. He brought Obamacare. We don't want Obamacare. We don't need it, we don't want it. "
Romney repeated the mantra several times during today's rally, labeling the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill and other Democratic achievements of the past three years among President Obama's "big, bad things, expensive things."
Here in Romney's firewall state of New Hampshire -- where NBC/Marist polling conducted this week shows Romney enjoying a 20-point lead over his closest challenger -- the former Massachusetts governor cautioned the more than 900 supporters in attendance not to rest on their laurels in the final days before the primary.
"Let me tell you, don’t get too confident with those poll numbers. I've watched poll numbers come and go. Things change very quickly; it's very fluid. I need to make sure you guys get your friends to go out and you vote as well," Romney said.
And while today's crowd, warmed up by Romney-imported South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, was largely friendly, the candidate did face a brief disruption by a small but vocal group of Occupy protestors, who chanted "Mitt Kills Jobs," while the candidate looked on. As a chorus of pro-Romney chants drowned out the group, and police closed in on them, Romney smiled.
"Well we're lucky to live in a country where people are able to express their views," Romney said. "Although I do prefer when we do it with respect and civility."
Leave a Comment:
As a 65 year old white man who, consequently, knows alot of older white men, I am quite confused about their attitudes toward the President...He's doing every thing he can to protect Medicare, Social Security, Pensions, etc...I'm pretty sure it comes down to one thing...Racism...These old f**ks can't stand the fact that there in an African American in the white house who is smarter than they are...Very sad...
Big Rog
You might want to take a second look at this situation! The President and the Progressives in Congress are unwilling to touch these programs. Left unaltered, Medi-care will not survive even this decade before it is broke! On top of that this idiotic PPACA adds untold numbers of people to its rolls, hastening its demise! Social Security can last, untouched for another couple of decades. As with Medi-care, while they refuse to help fix it, they are, again hastening its demise! This wonderful "Tax cut" they have been bragging about, wasn't a cut in Federal Income tax, but rather a 2% cut in the Socisl Security revenues paid into the system!
I fail to understand how anyone could view these actions as "doing everything he can to save" either of these funds!
Obama is doing nothing to protect SS or Medicare. Medicare will go broke shortly without restructuring. SS trust money has all been spent and SS is not sustainable. Denying these problems is not "protecting" them. Cutting the SS tax is adding to the US deficit and reducing our chances of collecting all promised,
Also pretending that his tax on rich can save them is nuts considering that would only give a small amount 5% reductiojn towards the annual deficit spending.
Big Rog - It's extremely doubtful you are what you claim to be.
You also spend a lot of time calling names, and attempting to paint anyone who disagrees with the President as racist.
Too bad you don't get the concept of civilized dialogue.
Don...please do a little research before you put out BS like the SS trust money has all been spent. That isn't ture. In fact it's invested in government securities earning interest. SS does not add 1 penny to the current deficit. The SS trust fund along with the annual amount of SS collected through pay roll deductions is sufficient to carry SS through 2036. So we have 24 years to tweak this program. The biggest drain on SS has been the baby boomers who have now reached retirement age and the ever increasing life span of Americans.
Don..if you don't believe me..read this
www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/cepr-blog/factcheck-gets-it-wrong-on-social-security-and-the-deficit
I hope people will stop taking it for granted that everything they are told by their right wing liars in Congress and media is totaly true fact. All it takes is a bit of research. And a basic understanding of how it all works. Social Security is there for us. It's a huge amount of money. Ask yourselves why Wall Street wants so badly to get their greedy, dirty hands on it that they are paying for the campaigns of the right wing presidential candidates (with our money they borrowed and still haven't paid back) to make sure they get what they want. What do you expect will happen to our social security once they do get their hands on it? Do you think the Republicans will allow oversight regulations so that we can try to keep an eye on what they are doing with it. Do you not remember how much of your retirement plans were lost to Wall Street's underhanded deals and their big crash. Can you not ponder how they are all living so high off the hog after such a disaster, while the average American is still suffering? It didn't hurt them any did it? How can anyone of you not see what is going on unless you've been blinded by the right.
Dont vote recklessly, I have researched this a lot. Most economists consider SS a "pay as you go thing" and attach no significance to the intergovernmental holdings or "ious". I can put a not in one pocket and claim I owe the other pocket trillions, but that does not make me rich.
The money that SS pay out from now on will all need to to collected from future generations or by printing more money that will devalue the money.
Since Congress can change rules for SS anytime , unlike other bonds, many do not consider this to be real debt. I really can't see any importance of the trust fund.
Considerit, there are both left wing and right wing liars in Congress. I was not pushing for private accounts, so saying that anyone that tells you the trust fund is real is being less than honest. Even Liberal Democrat friends of mine admit SS is a ponzi scheme and Medicare will be broke shortly.
Well I know the opposite of what you are saying is true. Just look into it more .
The SS trust fund money was consolidated with the general fund in the late 1960's. There has been a surplus each year since then and the government spends the money and places what they call a government bond ( actually an IOU to itself) someplace. The fact is that the money to pay out SS in the future will either have to be collected from future taxpayers or the government can print money that will tend to make the money worthless.
The government selling itself a "bond" in reality is giving itself an"iou". In reality, what SS pays out will depend on what future taxpayers are willing and able to pay. Congress can change these rules. Starting this year, SS is paying out more than it takes in , and is adding to government debt.
I would suspect the government will pay SS, but most likely need to print money to the point where it may be nearly worthless.
I do realize the government has a story to cover themselves, but taking a deeper look into the reality of how it works does not look good.
This article did not explain the whole truth.
Whats the difference between Romney and Bush? NOTHING!
GWBush: Tax Cuts for the Wealthy, Deregulation of Wall Street, War In Iraq
Romney: Tax Cuts for the Wealthy, Deregulation of Wall Street, War In Iran
The nation can not afford another Bush in the Whitehouse. The last one almost drove us into a depression; lied us into a war; and created huge deficits. Romney is more of the same.
Give it a break ZB! The current occupant of the White House has given us a larger deficit increase in three years than Bush did in eight! You are either uninformed or an Alinsky Progressive!
ZB, The major deregulation repeal of Glass/Steagall occurred before Bush came in office.
Bush gave tax cuts to all brackets, not just the rich. Tax cuts are very similar to "stimulus" programs as cutting taxes is the same as giving out money. Much of Obama's stimulus was tax cuts.
Obama also recently changed rhetoric on IRAN and began hinting we may need to do what is needed to block them from nuclear weapons.
Obama and Bush are much more similar than you think.
Whats the difference between Bush, Romney or Obama?
NOTHING........ all are supported first and foremost by Goldman Sachs and the Federal Reserve bankers. Second by the military contractors. Third by an endless stream of party legacy lobbies they have been taking billions from over the years.
The global elite bankers run our economy, currency and Treasury while the military contractors run the Pentagon and our foreign policy. All Obama or Romney are/would be are marketing managers to shove their unfunded bills, bailouts and wars down our throats.
They are/were all three 100% supporting an endless stream of totally unfunded welfare and warfare that profits their largest lobby's and the global elites. Neither party has cut a thing of consequence so it is totally moot who is in office. The only difference is which small time lobby's get to raid the Treasury along with the big boys.
You think that claiming Romney is like Bush will paper over the many failures of President Obama?
Wishful thinking.
Ted,,the current deficits are the product of the Bush administration. In Clinton's last year in office the deficit was $18B. Two unfunded wars, massive job loss from the financial melt down (resulting in lower tax revenues), an unfunded Medicare Prescription program, increased military spending (from $350B to $700B a year under Bush) and an unfunded tax break are what's causing the problem. Congress if you will recall, was unable to find a simple $120B a year in savings. Obama and several subsequent presidents will be faced with cleaning up the mess created between 2000-2008
Those criticizing BUsh for the prescription drug program crack me up. My Democrat congress was pounding his fists at a seniors meeting during Clinton administration saying how critical a drug program was needed. During Bush term, He criticized it as too expensive. When Obama became president and Democrats added a very expensive addition, he voted for it
I cant understand why if the drug program was way too expensive, the Democrats added the very expensive donut hole thing.
For wars, these are things that you can't plan for like other things Obamacare was not funded unless you count all the sleazy CBO stuff they threw out. Even liberal media criticized that as "less than honest".
Obama, is a statist, bent on increasing this huge, bloated, and bankrupt government to rule over YOU. Save your liberty and your property - vote him out.
All the mainstream party candidates from both party's are statist. Please list the massive cuts and giant government contraction of anyone but Ron Paul. The others won't even talk about them much less promise them............. much less do them.
I don't know why people can't see the same giant lobby's at the top own both party's. The same gigantic lobby's are pouring millions into both party's and have for decades. The federal government itself is statist with every employee from Congress to the paper pushers involved in marketing and pushing the statism. The lobby's love it too because the power is so concentrated they just get a handful of politicians and they have access to trillions. Highly centralized governments are doomed to massive corruption and ours is peaking.
If you want something besides business as usual don't vote for a mainstream party candidate. Both Romney and Obam's top lobby is Goldman Sachs.
No they're not genius. You are totally clueless - stay away from Maddow and form your own opinions.
I am a constitutioalist and not a liberal. Both party's mainstream agenda are corrupted beyond any hope of repair. To actually believe one party is going to come into this lobby owned mess and save the day is simply ignorant. If that was going to happen they would have dumped all their banking, energy, military contractor and healthcare lobby's decades ago.
As long as they are lobby backed they are lobby driven and will have lobby priorities. Simply follow the money and stop watching FOX or listening to Limburger. They are supported by lobby's, sponsors and other forms of revenue that have nothing to do with "the people". Maddow, Mathews, Kelly, O'Reilly are all the same bozo's with a different face.
It about removing the lobby's from the political agenda and both party's are so deep into the corruption they can't nominate a candidate that won't cater to the lobby agenda.
No lobby's no billions of dollars floating around Washington. No money floating around nobody gets rich. You are a fool if you believe Romney, Santorum or Obama give a crap about the American people....... much less upholding the constitution and a sound money policy.
Smoked -Really? Then how do you explain Obama's plan to cut troop levels and save hundreds of billions of dollars spent on Defense? We currently spend more on defense than the rest of the world combined (thanks to a Republican..Bush). That really doesn't sound like someone intent on growing the size of the government now does it?
Another brainwashed maddow leech. Defense is the ONLY thing our fed should should budget our tax money for. It's the rest of the @!$%# that needs axed, or given back to the states altogether.
smoked...while I know who maddow is I have never read or watched anything associated with her. Your simplistic view of government shows how shallow you really are. You really need to stop reading and worshipping at the alter of stupid. Get out a little more and experience the real world.
smoked,
What part of "provide for the common defense AND general welfare" is confusing to you?
any other part of the Constitution you would like to crap all over tonight?
The GOP will try hard over the next year to point to the failures of the current administration and will try to convince people to throw him out and let them take control again. Just remember folks, the "failures" that they are referring to are the messes the GOP helped create on their last watch and it's taking more than 3 years to clean them up. Things are moving in the right direction. The economy of this country was in free fall at the start of 2008 and look where it is today. The GOP are trying to use a reality distortion field on the facts but thankfully most Americans know they are just full of crap.
td3k..well said! Unfortunately it will take a lot more than 3 years to clean this mess up. Congress is really where we need to start to clean this mess up. Vote out any incumbent that's been in office for more than 1 term in 2012..regardless of party affiliation.
td3k All recessions in the past have ended! Unemployment numbers go up and then they eventially go down. To give Obama credit for making things better and blaming the Rep for not allowing him to make it better faster shows me that you are at best delusional and at worst a liar!
TES - the current president always gets credit or blame depending on the status of the economy based on where it was when he started and where it is when he finished. Those are just the facts so deal with it. My comments are neither delusional or lies; the reality distortion field emanates from the right as they are trying to hard to make people forget what happened in 2007 and 2008 when they were in charge. Those days are over and we can not afford to repeat them again. The GOP is the party that helps those who can help themselves.
And the Dem party is the party who helps those who are too lazy to help themselves (and use all kinds of excuses such as blaming it on the wealthy to rationalize their failure)!!
Well Mr. Mitt, there have been several and many Right Wing Bush policies which didn't exactly work out too well for MOST OF US. Like those big tax loopholes and cuts for the big money guys like YOU. Didn't work out so well for the country. We were a few trillion dollars short of revenue to cover the next two "big bad things" you right wingers were eager to push off on us. Those being the two wars for profit disguised as "wars against terrorists". And lets not forget the blind eye Bush and your buddies turned toward the towering wall street financiers and banks as they weaseled the American public out of their life savings then held their hands out to Bush for the American public to cover their greedy asses after they nearly collapsed our entire economy. But then you, Mr Mitt, were among the many who benefited from all this. You are a millionaire because you've spent your life FLIPPING BUSINESSES for profit like some contractors do with homes. Only there is a trail of lost jobs and people suddenly living on the edge of poverty or even in it because you are such a fine upstanding businessman. ONE COLD BLOODED, HEARTLESS s.o.b. Is it any wonder most Americans don't like or trust you???
You can get drop your story about the boogie man in the Whitehouse. It won't float. And please stop with the baby talk! You really believe the average American voter is so stupid we can't possibly understand specifics? You arrogant jerk!
Incomes actually fell more during the "recovery" than the recession. Hmmmm.... I am thinking we are just sinking deeper but what do incomes tell you. The press is what determines a depression and when it ends. It frightens me to see the democratic party go into a pivotal election during a depression with no discussion of agenda..... much less an adequate candidate.
Obama accomplished literally nothing during a depression and to assume the GOP is going to nominate such an inadequate person that Obama can win on no accomplishments is simply irresponsible. He lied about his last agenda and will lie about his "new one" assuming there even is one. He dumped the "end the wars" and "restore personal liberties" like a cheetah at a salad bar. They simply didn't fit in his lobby agendas.
To assume 4 more of the same is going to inspire the people to reelect him is a bit insane. From a logical standpoint It would pretty much have to be a rigged election to pull it off. Most people have nothing to lose by trying change because if they have not already lost their house and job they will with 4 more of Obama. I really wish the "people" of the democratic party were asked about the party agenda and candidate choice going into this election. It was all done behind closed doors by a handful of progressive elite. It is so close to a dictatorship it is alarming.
Wouldn't it be great if a "person" became President instead of a party. Someone who will slap around both party's and their corruption with equal enthusiasm? You elect lobby's when you elect a mainstream party candidate.
Ron Paul 2012 or just sit back and watch the lobby owned circus for 4 more years.
Adams,
Incomes for the top 1% have been rising steadily since Reagan's era. While in the same length of time the WAGES (we are talking wages here when it comes to middle class Americans) laid stagnant for much of it. However, if you will take a close look you will find that under G.W. Bush middle class America's incomes fell drastically and have not recovered yet. Romney intends to raise taxes on the middle class. Take a closer look at his plan. While at the same time lowering taxes even further on the top 1%. Taking care of himself as usual.
Obama has so many accomplishments to his name since becoming president that it is so hilarious to hear you right wingers making that ridiculous claim that he has done nothing. For sure he has done nothing that the right wing wanted done. That is to his credit. Obama is a great president.
Obama on several occasions has been willing to make some sacrifices regarding Medicare. In exchange for leveling the playing field on taxes, which currently disproportionately favor the richest in this country. The Republicans have been unwilling to compromise. As far as SS is concerned, by law it can not add 1 penny of debt, It is 100% self sufficient. There is a huge amount of money in the SS trust fund. However, at the current rate it will be depleted in 2036. We have 24 years to tweak this program.
www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/cepr-blog/factcheck-gets-it-wrong-on-social-security-and-the-deficit
Yes. That huge amount of money is the reason the Republicans are so eager to get their dirty hand on it to hand it over to Wall Street. Their plan to turn Social Security over to be "invested" will be a disaster. A TRUE PONZY SCHEME INDEED!
consider- if we simply look at MF Global, Citbank and Goldman Sachs and the fraudulent way they handle themselves (with regard to other peoples money)..you are right. The worst thing that could possibly happen to SS is to privatize it. It would literally be like putting the wolves in charge of the chickens.
Exactly.
SS, since by law it must be 100% self sufficient could be easily fixed in a number of ways...increase the retirement age (and why not..americans are getting healthier and living longer), a small increase in the SS tax (payroll deduction) or a small reduction in benefits. How about getting rid of or deducing the disability costs in the program?
Why is Romney afraid to show his Tax Returns? I mean he's already hiding stuff and ant even the nomine. I'm afraid this one will make Bush look honest? Na, but better.
He is a private citizen. There is no need to show his tax returns as they are his business. If i were running , I might not show mine either. Folks are are going to dig in and twist things all around to try to make him look bad.
Well we're lucky to live in a country where people are able to express their views," Romney said. "Although I do prefer when we do it with respect and civility."
you mean like what the tper's did and town halls calling people a bunch of nasty names. how bout when a rand paul supporter stomped on a woman's head. My GOD you people have no sense of respect or civility. How bout we give you same amount of respect as you and all the other freaks give.
And now for something completely different.
Tips for Internet Posts
If you want to look like a really regular guy or gal and not be taken for one of them there hoity-toity effete intellectual smarty-pants on the web, here are some easy and fun tips for posting:
Always use the following words interchangeably: "their" and "there"", "your" and "you're", "affect" and "effect", "its" and "it's". This makes you look the opposite of elitist and smarty-pants. After all, why would you want posts to be read thoughtfully and carefully by others who would never understand what you meant to say anyhow.
Say "Nuff said", "I'm just sayin'", and "From the gitgo" as often as possible. Work stuff like that into your post because those lame phrases make people think you're a real regular guy or gal. "First and foremost" is another good one to use from the gitgo, and it even sounds a little sophisticated. Remember, use lots of trite and popular expressions because, Lord knows, you never want people thinking you could come up with anything original yourself.
USE ALL CAPS ALOT, AND ALWAYS USE "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!" AT THE END OF YOUR POSTS SO THAT PEOPLE WILL NOTICE THAT YOURE SHOUTING AND CAN SEE THAT YOUR A SUPERIOR KIND OF GUY OR GAL WHOS LAUGHING AT THEM FOR THEIR STOOPIDITY. LIKE THIS!!!!!!!!!
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Use "alot" instead of "a lot", and "prolly" rather than "probably". Use lots and lots of exclamation marks!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That way people will be sure to see that you're making an important point. A really, really important point!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! REALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh yes, and use LOL and ROFLMAO alot. Aholelot.
sometimes if you dont use allcaps its betterer to go all teh way and dont use caps and punctuationand quotes at all so if you say there instead of their don't confuse themby them thinkingyour knowing what your talking about hahahahahahahahaha
"In times passed, . . ." is always preferable to "In times past, . . ." The same can be said for any other mangled quotes and phrases you can manage. You don't want people cruising through your words understanding what you're trying to say or undistracted by the way you're saying it.
If you want people to read your posts, be as obnoxious as possible. Call people idiots and morons and worse, but always misspell the worst words like "fvcker" and "azz" and anything else that would get you in trouble with the monitors. Get personal!!!!!!!!! Get down and dirty!!!!!!!!! The more insulting you are, the more popular you will become.
Never review or edit your post before putting it out for the world to see. Never correct spelling or grammar errors. Always assume that if the spell checker likes your words, you've used them correctly. After all, you aren't interested in making people understand what you're saying, you mainly want to score points in the never-ending game of "Us" versus "Them" by showing how clever you are by writing "Obummer" or "Teatard".
Writing is effortless! Why put a lot of time into editing just to improve readability for a bunch of idiot libtard right-wing azzhat fvckers who won't appreciate how clever you are anyhow? Lazy is as lazy does; zip it off right after you lay down the last trail of “!!!!!!!”s. Why make anyone think you're putting any effort into your words or thoughts; why allow them to consider that you have any thoughts at all?
Or . . .
If you insist on looking intelligent and thoughtful, get a copy of Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style". It's a small and entertaining book for anyone who cares about English. Read it: It takes only a few hours and you'll be glad you did. Read it again next year and the year after. There’s a great and succinct chapter on commonly misused words. Example:
Effect. As a noun, means "result"; as a verb, means "to bring about,"
"to accomplish" (not to be confused with affect, which means "to influence").
It will affect your mind and effect better writing, but prolly won't improve your standing amongst the regular guys and gals.
hey tony, thanks for the criticism. Golly. I dun didnt realize I was so stupid till you just n0w showed it ta me. Guess WE ALL OWES YOU ONE FOR YER CONSERN BOUT US LOW LIFE ODIOTS n are gramer an all dat. nEVER Ment to upset nobody wif it. jis caint hep it. yu might like ta go grade sum skool papers now. U is good at it.
And...signs of intelligent life. I hate to tell you, Tony- but you lost many at the second paragraph; grammer, punctuation, and basic prose are lost on texters.
I'm sure a lot of those guys are scratching their heads and declaiming: y u b n so h8fl 2 n e 1?
Caps and exclamation points are just the inevitable equivalent among posters of swearing- signs of a weak mind attempting forceful expression.
It's simply a toll you pay for the occasional gem of wisdom carefully winnowed from all the bovine excrement.
Better not to worry- and to laugh it all off with grateful irony.
After all, what if all the intellectual failures you describe were contagious?
My gosh, Romney sounds like a kindergarten teacher addressing a class of 5 year olds. Either he thinks Americans are a bunch of 5 year olds, or Romney is a 5 year old. Either way, Romney is bad news.
Actually, as a 52 year old cancer patient, I DO want Obamacare. I'm thankful that the insurance companies cannot reject coverage because of preexisting conditions. I'm sure there are millions of other cancer patients/survivors that would agree.
The president also helped turn the American auto industry around - demand has increased leading to additional hiring. Saving American jobs - something Romney has a hard time comprehending. Romney wasn't a "job creator" he was a wealth creator, and there's a major difference. We've seen 22 months of job growth. Mr. Wealth Creator Romney can't make that claim.
Why is he hiding his tax returns? To hide the fact that he's paying a lower tax rate than school teachers and policemen? Or because he's off-shoring money to avoid his tax obligations? What's he hiding. If he thinks the "scrutiny" he's facing now is tough - just wait til he's the nominee and bain, etc. is really investigated. There's a snake hiding behind the slick backed hair.
Romney is a really weak and factually challenged frontrunner - he's quick to criticize, but offers nothing in return. That schtick may play in the beauty pageant called the republican primaries, but on the national stage, empty snark isn't going to cut it.
Jill, there was some reform needed and one was that insurance companies need to accept folks that are ill. One company could not do that unless they all did it without going bankrupt, so that part was good.
They could have made some minor reforms for this without going overboard and coming up with a bad bill.
Don, you do realize that the Republicans did not want any part of any kind of health care reform don't you? Obama got his bill through before they could throw it out altogether. And they would have. Don't believe anything they say about passing laws to force the health insurance companies to give sick people insurance coverage. The first thing they will do if they get what they want and we are stuck with another Republican Corporate puppet like Bush is to throw out Obama's health care. Every last part of it. The next thing they will do is pass tax reform that puts the burden of paying for their new and deeper tax cuts for themselves and their puppeteers on the lower middle class. As well as pushing more of us into poverty. This is what they've been up to since Reagan. They hated Clinton mostly because he attempted to throw a wrench into their plans. The same reason they hate Obama.
I have a daughter who is in her early 20's. She's a sweet and very smart girl. She's been very sick most of her life. At the time Obama was working on his new health care plan she finished her 19th year and was promptly dumped from our insurance. We did our best, sold things and worked as many hours as we could get. We took second jobs. Just to pay for her medications. But she needed a doctors care. Her doctors couldn't see her any longer since her insurance was gone. Even if we had paid up front they couldn't see her. The one health insurance company that agreed to take her on at an astronomical premium, would not cover her illness. That's the main reason we needed it! She nearly died. Medicaid had to cover her emergency room and hospital expenses then. When that crisis was over, Obamacare had been made law. And the first good thing in nearly 8 years happened for our brilliant young daughter. She was once again covered by our health insurance and able to go back to her doctors and she is doing much better now. Her college education was interupted because of her illness and lack of medical care. WE LOST MONEY ON HER NON REFUNDABLE TUITION UNTIL WE WERE ABLE TO DISUTE THEIR RULING. Just mentioning this part to show there are such repercussions to these hardships. Many other things are impacted as well.
This is our own personal story of how important Obama's health care reform act is. I know there are so many others like ours. I couldn't care less about any of you selfish people out there complaining that you don't like being told what to do. Not anymore than any of you cared about my daughter and that we nearly lost her.
I actually do have sympathy for those that needed insurance and could not get it. This was probably the one thing that was good in that it allows more people to get insurance.
I don't have a problem with being "told what to do" and much of my problem was the way this was passed. I actually lost a great deal of trust in our government watching this thing . Most of the stuff they were telling us was untrue, claiming it would help with cost control and so forth. They did nothing for that .
From what I see, most of the waste is on the provider side with unnecessary treatments. Doctors will tell you folks insist on treatments they don't need and much unnecessary treatment is done for liability.
Blaming insurance company profits as the main culprit was not right.
Don,
I don't understand how a person can "instist on treatment they don't need". My health insurance company is one of the biggest with the largest share of the health care market in my part of the U.S. I can't even get a cat scan without it being pre approved.
I do understand your lost faith in our government. I lost mine a long time ago. But I love my country and I know this is the best place on earth to live. As bad as things get here. I just think in this case it's understandable why things had to happen the way they did for this health care bill. President Obama had no choice but to get his health care reform bill pushed through before the Republicans could take control of Congress. They would never have allowed it to pass. And my daughter might not be here with us today.
Consider-it: Thanks for sharing your personal story about your daughter. I'm glad you are finally getting the help you need and deserve. It just makes me so furious and outraged when I hear a multi-millionaire like Romney, and the rest of the GOP brat pack, stand up and say "we don't want Obamacare" that I could just rip their heads off. Of course they don't want it - they don't need it. I really don't think the GOP is going to stand a chance of getting re-elected to the White House. They are so far out of touch with the majority of middle class America that most of us are wondering how they could be so selfish and uncaring. The GOP, if elected, will dismantle all the protections that have been put into place to help the average American with their health care needs. The things that make the health care bill weak are all the compromises that the GOP insisted on and still refused to support it. Thanks for nothing GOP.
td3k, my family's story is just the tip of the iceberg too. It breaks my heart when I realize that over the years the same thing has happened time and again to other families. And too many people have lost their loved ones. With this new health care law there is more hope and more time. You hit the nail on the head about the GOP's spoiled wealthy candidates. Romney especially. Something about that man is just too spooky to me. He's so cold. Thanks for your good will. It's very appreciated.
Brianb, you write "Backhouse - There's a vast difference between Congress and the president. Many people vote for many different congressmen. Congress is not a body elected by everyone across the nation, the president is though".
Because of the conservative, corporate-bought idiots on the Supreme Court ANY and ALL elections in this country, at EVERY level, are influenced by money because "corporations are people that can donate to whomever they want to"!! There is NO such thing as a "local" election or "local" politics anymore! So Brianb, Congress IS elected by everyone across this nation. Pay attention!!!
Nancy,
Romney talks to the audience like they are 5 year olds because he knows they are Faux-News watchers and they all have a kindergarten-level understanding of politics, economics, and religion. Keep it simple and very black and white (Literally!). Don't encourage critical thinking! Keep them at an intellectually elementary level where they will never figure out that they are voting against their own self-interests.
All politicians talk down to the people not just Romney. In my opinion, probably most voters do not understand politics or economics. No honest politician that tried to encourage critical thinking would ever get elected or re-elected.
When Obama was campaigning for president, he really never said anything except vague promises that we all knew were ridiculous. no one could figure out his foreign policy views.
Lots of SS Sec. money... safe and secure? Then call your local Government Rep and ask him why he is allowing our government to borrow 4B per day and about 24% of that from China...use the Soc money you have been told is sitting there and pay the interest to Americans, right?!?
All that there is iou's to itself. Like putting a not in your pocket that it owes the other pocket trillions.
They aren't going to privatize SS. Even if thry I believe the individual would be in charge of his investments and could decide on investments. I am sure there would be safe options for folks not comfortable in stocks, probably a government bond fund if you wanted.
The good thing is the money would be in account in your own name that the government could not pilfer from. I would not put my money in stocks either, but I would like to have the money in my name.
And when another 2008 comes those relying on there 401K's would be toast..
You cannot "restructure" MediCare or afford ObamaCare. They are both totally insolvent and should never have been developed. MediCare was doomed right from the start to crash with the first change in population. I would take generations to build the system back up to 3 to 5 workers for every person collecting. ObamaCare is doomed right out the gate to deficit spending until it collapses.
Fascinating how people believe they "deserve" things they cannot afford. Most of this country will never afford the space age healthcare currently available. It is not designed for cost effective treatments. It is designed for whatever it takes to get the job done with total disregard to cost. There are no "cheap" heart surgeries, brain surgeries, chemotherapy's or any other life saving type of healthcare. Most people spend more in the last two years of life than in the rest of their entire lives. Many spend more in the last couple of days.
If you want "affordable" healthcare you have to eliminate the bulk of higher end procedures. Everyone seems to think because a treatment or procedure exists they are entitled to it and someone else should cough up the money for it.
I mean we have people who never made $24K a year in their lives then sucked down hundreds of thousands in entitlement support . These people then demand a $350,000 heart surgery. Oh wait.... two or three such surgeries. How in all God's name do we grasp that kind of logic?
It is not about loving they brother or sympathy etc. It is simple economics with our wish list deeply imbedded in insanity.
Adams,
You are one gold blooded, s.o.b. I am worth every penny of any amount spent to save my life. My children are as well. My husband and my sisters and brothers are worth it all. So are my neighbors and the guy that works at the gas station behind the bullet proof glass in the worst part of town.
And BTW you arrogant fool, Medicare and Social Security ARE NOT ENTITLEMENTS! That's a name given to them by the right wing in order to fool you. We've paid into them all of our lives and we damn sure do deserve to collect them. The right wing wants you to believe that they ar not solvent. Why? If they are basically worthless as they tell you then why are they and wall street itching to get their greedy filthy hands on that money which is not there???
Dummy - Social Security and Medicare are entitlements because you are entitled to receive them by law.
You are a comedian "consider it". Just what schmuck is going to pay for everything you and your family think they deserve but CAN'T AFFORD? Who is obligated to go work and hand over their money to you and your family because you can't afford what you want?
How the heck do you feel you are worth one penny of my hard earned income? Just how much are you going to let me keep? How much of your bills am I obligated to pay for with my hard earned money? Where does your insane logic end? Why bother working if I have to hand it all over to pay for you and your relatives?
You two have no clue what an "entitlement" is. It is a promise "Backed by NOTHING". That is why they are called UNFUNDED "entitlements". Because they are a dream or a puff of smoke. They don't exist. The government has to think up a way to dole them out on a daily basis and it is running out of credit line to borrow. I can't even afford healthcare for myself and my own family much less you and all your friends!
You cannot sue the Federal Government for Social Security or MediCare. They can change the amounts, any qualifications or eliminate them altogether anytime they please. You have no contract with the Federal Government. It has been taken to the Supreme Court already many times.
Just to give you two people some enlightenment as to where we are with supporting YOUR ENTITLEMENTS. This is why the U.S. credit line was downgraded and is sinking like a rock: What idiot would loan this country one dime to support this insanity with people like you who think they "deserve" everything while they can afford nothing? Your "entitlements' are hanging on by a thread is the mess of debt below. Don't hold your breath waiting on those.
Can you grasp the numbers reflect a MASSIVE amount more "takers" than "givers"?
* U.S. Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000
* Fed budget: $3,820,000,000,000
* New debt: $ 1,650,000,000,000
* National debt: $14,271,000,000,000
* Recent budget cuts: $ 38,500,000,000
Let's now remove 8 zeros and pretend it's a household budget:
* Annual family income: $21,700
* Money the family spent: $38,200
* New debt on the credit card: $16,500
* Outstanding balance on the credit card: $142,710
* Total budget cuts: $385
Got It ?????
OK now Lesson # 2: Here's another way to look at the Debt Ceiling:
Let's say, You come home from work and find there has been a sewer backup in your neighborhood....and your home has sewage all the way up to your ceilings.
What do you think you should do ......
Raise the ceilings, or pump out the crap?
You are both fools. I pay my own health care premiums. And thanks to Obama care I can pay for my daughter's health care while she is sick and can't do it herself yet. She's an adult but she's just in her early 20's. Due to her turning 19 she was thrown off of our insurance before her treatment could be finished and as far as the insurance companies were concerned, left to die. EXCEPT that when she did end up at deaths door she was taken to the emergency room, admitted to the hospital and underwent treatment. A whole month in the hospital. A team of specialists and surgeons (you can guess how much that cost) and OT and PT for months after. ALL PAID FOR BY YOU AND THE REST OF THE TAX PAYERS OF THIS COUNTRY JUST BECAUSE THE INSURANCE COMPANIES WOULD NOT ALLOW US TO KEEP HER ON OUR INSURANCE. President Obama's healthcare reform keeps her and others like her off of medicaid. Oh, lord, you probably don't even know what medicaide is.
We didn't want you to have to pay those bills! The insurance company wanted you to pay them OR let her die! They knew how sick she was. We wanted to keep her on our insurance but they wouldn't allow it. So you better get things straight for once. You can call me names all you want to and I don't care. I am just not caring what you think anyway. But your ignorance appalls me.
And Rick, you are even dumber than dumb up there. Welfare IS an entitlement because it is there for people who have never done anything to earn it or paid anything into it. Social Security and Medicare are NOT entitlements. You just can't grasp that fundamental fact because you've been brainwashed so thoroughly.
You do NOT pay "into" and entitlement or anything else the federal government manages. You simply pay taxes and the government puts YOUR money wherever they please. It is all in the General Fund and nothing is connected to any specific entitlement or service. That is how Congress can "borrow" any Social Security money they please and spend it on anything they want.
FDR was specifically told by the Supreme Court he could not engage in ANY insurance, retirements or hold any money in trust. These all clearly violate the commerce clause. SS was quickly changed to just a big fat tax. SS was changed to a big fat entitlement no different than welfare. People collect SS who never paid a dime into it or paid next to nothing then collect for decades. This is because you don't have an "account". If you did people could not spend "your" money by collecting your SS.
This has been fought in the Supreme Court a number of times and the court makes it clear "YOU HAVE NO MONEY OWED" you only pay taxes and SS is a tax. The government can give your SS tax money to whoever they please or spend it on a war etc.
If SS is not an entitlement exactly what is it called.... in your mind? The Federal Government calls it an entitlement.
What you don't seem to grasp is we BORROWED the money for your daughter and will be paying interest on that money for decades. It will quadruple the principal. Nobody can afford it so we just borrow it........ just how long do you think this little spending party is going to last? Did you see the above financial house of cards insanity propping up your MediCal and MediCare?
Under ObamaCare we will be forced into an irresponsible insurance pool that will bankrupt all of us. We can't afford space age, no limits healthcare on 300 million Americans and 20 million illegals. Of that 300 million we have 50 million HOUSEHOLDS that can't even afford one thin dime of federal income taxes much less full coverage healthcare on themselves and their families. Many are pre-existing conditions, gang members, alcoholics, drug users, massively obese, plain irresponsible, unemployable and an assortment of the highest risk people on the planet. They will very quickly bankrupt any insurance pool.... or country trying to insure them.
You still don't understand we BORROW to pay all these bills on the current entitlements. This is going to stop very soon. Our credit was downgraded and the dollar is failing on the global market. We are in a depression with a tiny underpaid worker pool. Jobs are leaving this country like chetahs at a salad bar. We created so much debt in the last 3 years we will have to devalue the currency or default meaning we have ZERO credit.
You are a dreamer.
Adams101 - And this ponzi scheme (ObamaCare) you talk about, who's idea was it?
The Heritage Foundation, the biggest right wing think tank out there. Originally brought up by Bob Doyle, and again by Newt Gingrich and the GOP congress as an alternative to universal health care being put forth by Hillary...
Where were you back then screaming and crying about how the GOP was dooming the country? My guess is you were talking about the virtures of Obamacare back then..
YEP, the right wing thought it up and the left with FDR ran with it. Do you think there is not massive collusion going on as these two party's tag team the country to death. SS was a Congressional slush fund right from the beginning.
Since it is pillaged beyond repair and everyone is watching the numbers the parasites in Congress need a new fund with trillions flowing through it that nobody is watching.
Thus............. you have ObamaCare. The new Congressional slush fund doomed to be pillaged from day one. It will be no safer for our funds than SS was. Congress needs a fund to collect trillions into so they can sack it and fleece the stupid federalists some more. They just didn't learn with Social Security and are back for another thrashing.
Ron Paul in 2012 or just sit back and watch the two party's "work" the system some more. You want the same candidates and agendas as always you will get them. The circus will continue until the credit gets cut off.
Left/right is all the same with mainstream candidates.
Adams, you've proven yourself completely and totally ignorant. After reading the first line of this comment I couldn't stop laughing for a couple of minutes. Your comments are disregarded from now on. At least to me.
(YEP, the right wing thought it up and the left with FDR ran with it.)
Heaven help us!
You are the ignorant one. Just look at the list of lobby contributions to both party's for the last 5 decades. You will see the same corporations on BOTH lists. But you would rather judge a party by their bogus blabbering on their corporate owned news media. If you can't understand the simple fact why countries DO NOT develop highly centralized governments there is no hope for you. For a modest sum of money the corporations and special interest groups can put a "team" into Congress and gain access to the Treasury. With no term limits they can keep them in office for decades. Heck they drained the Treasury with both party's on guard then let the corporations tap into our credit line with the bailouts. The bailouts were a totally seamless handoff from Bush to Obama. Not one thing changed during the transition as far as the mega corporations.
We had every mathematical combination possible of these two parties in the Congress, Senate and Presidency with the same results… our massive debt and massive corporate profits. It is not the party, President or Congress. It is the structure of the system that is doomed to failure. We can keep changing these circus performers in and out until doomsday with zero success. Ron Paul wants to CHANGE THE FAILED SYSTEM and not just put a new lobby owned bozo in office.
The welfare folks elected Obama in 2008 do you all think he will be able to rally them again?
Actually Rick, in 2008 Obama got 42% of the white vote. He got 63% of the educated white vote. Now, just look what happens when you get an education......
And don't tell me when you sent your kids to school you didn't tell them to do well in school... So the question, is were you satisfied with C's (GW Bush) or with A's (Obama). Now somehow you are going to try and spin this so C's are better......
And he's going to rally every educated vote out there, because the consequences are so dire if we elect any one of the GOP clowns..
And he got 95% of the welfare vote.
Actually Don... who told you there are no white people on welfare? If you look at the federal statistics the majority on welfare are white people. They just don't stay on it as long as minorities.
The people hurting the country more than the 2 million on welfare are the 50 million not paying any federal income taxes and using the lions share of entitlements and services. They pay little to nothing for federal police, college teachers, defense, massive services, other people's entitlements etc etc etc
After all that charity we still have to give them $1400 in food stamps, $500 mo with federal rent subsidy, free or reduced phone & utilities, free schooling, free daycare, free medical/dental etc etc etc Then they can get $5000 a year in PELL grant money (per person) for farting around a junior college and up to $5000 a year in Earned Income tax credit. I mean the list goes on and on while some poor slob makes $35K a year with no kids living in a little craphole apartment working 50hrs a week pays it all.
Making $18K with entitlements has you living better than making $36K without them. You also get to spend tons of time with your wife and kids. WIth the Earned Income Tax Credit they are also refunded all their Social Security and MediCare contributions back but that counts on a different spreadsheet giving the illusion they are paying SS/MediCare when they simply are not.
This is the "white welfare" and everyone of these parasites will vote for Obama. They would vote for Adolph Hitler if he promised to keep everything just the way it is.
It seems to me the only really big bad thing Obama has done that ticks off most Republicans is show that even the putrid mess the Bush Administration left is solvable with competent leadership. When Clinton left office this country was in very good financial condition but Bush managed to bring us to the edge of the next great depression by getting us into unnecessary and mismanaged wars and not making sure our financial institutions had proper oversight. An example of how a problem is handled can give you some insight into which party you are better off having at the helm. If you think the way we handled the war in Iraq where we spent trillions of dollars and were told we would be hailed as liberators give a big round of applause to Mr. Bush and his buddy Cheney. If you thought we handled our role in Libya fairly well give a tip of the cap to Obama. If you thought we scoured the world and really made Bin Laden nervous under Bush give his crew a big well done. If you think actually finding the guy and taking him out was more impressive give Mr. Obama a big thumbs up. If you think letting the guys at GM go belly up....well you get the picture.
Bill Clinton used his influence as president to get the SEC to allow Sandy Weill of Citycory to merge his company with the Travelers Group to form Citigroup, which was one of the worst in the sub prime scandal. Later when the republicans passed Gramm[-Leach-Bliley, Bill Clinton and the Democrats in Congress promised to block it unless the republicans agreed to amend a beefed up version of the Community Reinvestment Act. The CRA required that lending institutions meet anti-redlining requirements before they were allowed to merge. Further, after Barney Frank's boyfriend received a job as new product initiatives director, Fannie and Freddie began to push high risk, no questions asked loans. As the housing market began to take off Brooksley Born suggested that her Commodity Futures Trading Commission supervise the Derivatives Market. Credit Default Swaps generated by the burgeoning housing market was a huge part of this market. Clinton refused to listen and even pushed the Commodity Futures Modernization Act to prevent Born from looking into that market. After that, every time Bush tried to look for regulation of the market, Chris Dodd, Barney Frank and the Congressional Black Caucus resisted by playing the race card.
That is all a matter of public record. While I can't really defend Bush, to blame him for all our problems shows your ignorance. Can't really blame Obama for what happened but he has done a really crappy job of leading this country out of the problems caused by previous administrations. BTW, according to Al Gore, this country was entering a recession when George Bush took office.
Good information Rick.
What you have to understand is the Federal Reserve mafia was behind all of that Clinton era corruption as well as the subsequent "cover ups' on Obama's watch. It was financial terrorism and there was a complete cover up. The entire media was showing massive collusion by not bringing one thing up for prosecution. There were $16 trillion in bailouts flying out the backdoor of the FED in 2009 and 2010 and nobody said a word. Obama and Congress still won't talk about it. That is $700,000 per family in America and it didn't change a thing!
The reason all this goes on is because we are in debt and running a deficit. People don't understand when you borrow money you give your creditors influence over your decision making. We have $15 Trillion dollars worth of foreign and corporate banking influence given over our country. They can call in that debt and cause catastrophic results. That is a heck of a lot of influence.
To compound that problem we are still running a $1.7 trillion dollar deficit which means we either play ball with the FED bankers or they don't give us the deficit money shutting down the government and forcing us to live off only the money we collect in taxes. The Federal Government is looking out for its own interests so they give the FED bankers whatever they ask for. Obama just put the FED on our federal agency consumer "watchdog" financial regulation board. The board is supposed to protect us FROM THE FED.
Debt is weakness and credit is power. China is a creditor run economy while the US is a debtor run country. World War III is not going to be fought with conventional weapons but financial ones. With nukes nobody wants a battle no country can win so it will be an economic battle. We are a VERY financially weak country.
The only one that is going to lead us out of the Federal Reserve mafia mess is Ron Paul.