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Subscribe to RSSHealth care’s two-year anniversary, but White House is quiet on the subject. … Supreme Court takes it up next week and will determine its fate by June. Whatever the outcome, it will have a big impact on the president’s legacy. If it’s upheld, it’s good for him; if not, it’s bad. It’s as simple as that. … Dems still have a message problem on it … But so does Romney despite his efforts today … Did Santorum go too far with his criticism of Romney? … Biden will again name names when he talks to seniors in Florida about Social Security and Medicare … Previewing the Bayou battle Saturday … Plouffe on Meet the Press.
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
Republican Conference Chairman Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, and fellow GOP House members meet with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 22, 2012, after the House voted along party lines to repeal a Medicare cost-control board that's part of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law. From left are, Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, Hensarling and Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-La.
*** Health care takes center stage: Two years ago today, surrounded by legislators and cameras, President Obama signed the health care act into law. Today, there won't be a commemoration but the real action is NEXT week. The fate of the president's signature legislation will be in the hands of the Supreme Court, which begins oral arguments in the case Monday. The country remains split to slightly more unfavorable on the law, and how the Supreme Court will decide is anybody's guess. But it's clear whatever the court decides in June could have a big impact on the presidential race. There are a lot of different ways to slice it and speculate what the various potential outcomes could mean, but no one's EXACTLY sure how it will all play out. Certainly, if the mandate is struck down, that will be a major black mark for the president. Anything other than it being upheld is bad for the president. It’s simple: The court upholds it, it’s good for the president. If it doesn’t, it’s bad for him.
*** Public will likely still be swayed by outcome: While the public’s views of the Supreme Court have become slightly more polarized again, there’s still a good chunk of folks who don’t view it as ideologically as partisans do and how they rule will probably sway them. This case will draw a ton of interest across the country. It’s one of the reasons why this is the hottest ticket in town. Bloomberg/Business Week looks at efforts by everyone from congressmen to lobbyists to think tank fellows trying to get in and work any contact they can to snatch one of the 400 tickets available to WATCH oral arguments next week. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), very enthusiastically on TODAY, announced she had gotten a ticket.
*** Still a message problem for the Democrats: This fight over health care is not just an ideological and rhetorical one; it's also about big money. And a war has been waged on the TV airwaves with more than a quarter billion dollars spent -- $262 million -- on health-care-related TV ads since its passage, according to an analysis by Kantar Media Campaign Media Analysis Group. Opponents have outspent supporters 2-to-1 and have focused their advertising in swing states. Supporters have spent their money on national TV and California markets. But look at that ratio again. Opponents have outspent supporters 2-1 and supporters want to know why the public is slightly unfavorable toward the plan? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that health care wasn’t communicated well by this White House – and it’s doubling down lately by not selling it. Though his campaign is using health care to try and appeal to women, the president is not selling himself very much or very well. It’s clearly one of those things they don’t want a discussion about, but with Romney as the nominee, maybe they’re banking on the fact they won’t have to have a long discussion about it.
*** Romney in focus, too: Romney, who signed his own health law in Massachusetts with a mandate, will be in focus today, too. He’s trying to keep the focus on President Obama with an op-ed today in USA Today, entitled, “Why I’d repeal ObamaCare;” his campaign sent out a press release this morning called, “Two years of broken promises from ObamaCare;” and his event today in Metairie, La., is called: "Repeal & Replace Obamacare.” Rick Santorum has said that if Romney is the nominee, then health care is off the table as an issue, and for the most part, he’s right. One reason, as National Journal points out today: “It was in 2009 that Romney penned a now-infamous op-ed in the same paper [USA Today] suggesting that President Obama would do well to follow Massachusetts’ model in creating a national health plan, even going so far as to mention that his state used ‘tax penalties’ to encourage the uninsured to buy insurance.” And NPR points this out: “Perhaps it's ironic that one of the most articulate spokesmen for the individual mandate is someone who is currently campaigning for the repeal of the federal health law — GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney.”
*** Did Santorum take it too far? But did Santorum go too far on another criticism of Romney yesterday? He said, reelecting Obama would be BETTER than electing Romney. “If you're going to be a little different, we might as well stay with what we have instead of taking a risk with what may be the Etch-A-Sketch candidate of the future,” he said. Gingrich, who also continued to use Etch A Sketch (showing up with a pink one and using a toy gator to chomp one), fired back at Santorum, saying any of the candidates running would be better than Obama. And Romney, whose campaign yesterday penned a memo calling Santorum Obama’s “most valuable player,” said on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show that Santorum was “desperate.” “Desperate polls call for desperate pols,” Romney said. On Etch A Sketch, by the way, he said the timing was “not ideal,” coming right after a win in Illinois and he labeled it a “gaffe.” “This wasn't me speaking,” Romney said. “This was Eric. And you know, everybody's going to make a gaffe now and again. I've certainly made my share of them, and I'm sure others will.” Ouch. He again said the context of what aide Eric Fehrnstrom was talking about was “organization.” But the questioner asked about ideology. Did Fehrnstrom not hear the question? Unlikely.
The Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd talks about Rick Santorum's comments to a crowd of supporters, in which he said President Barack Obama is better than Mitt Romney.
*** Biden and third rail: In Florida today at 12:20 pm ET, Vice President Biden delivers the second of his campaign speeches framing the general election for Team Obama (the first was in Toledo, Ohio, on the auto bailout). Today’s topic in senior-citizen-rich Florida: Medicare and Social Security. As the Obama campaign previewed in a memo yesterday, “Biden will discuss the importance of protecting Social Security and Medicare in Florida, a state where Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries make up about 20 percent of the population.” Biden will say, according to excerpts: “The American people won't be fooled. They know there's a fundamental difference between us and the Republicans. We believe in strengthening Medicare. They don't.” And he will again name Romney, going after him for supporting “Cut, Cap, and Balance.” Biden will say, “”Let’s cut through it and say it in plain English. The ‘cut’ is cutting Social Security. The ‘cap’ is putting a cap on what we ask the wealthiest Americans to pay in taxes. And the ‘balance’ is balancing the budget on the backs of seniors and middle class Americans.”
*** Louisiana cookin’: Louisiana Republicans go to the polls Saturday, where Rick Santorum is the favorite, and Gingrich concedes that he’ll likely come in third. Per NBC’s John Bailey, 20 of the state’s 46 delegates are at stake Saturday. Polls close at 9:00 pm ET. It’s a closed primary, meaning only registered Republicans can vote. Louisiana allots its delegates proportionally with candidates needing at least 25% of the vote to get delegates. But all of the votes for candidates receiving less than 25% will go toward delegates designated as uncommitted; those delegates do NOT get reallocated to those that DID received 25% or more (it’s a delegate blow to the winner). So if Candidate A gets 40%, Candidate B gets 35%, and no other candidate exceeds 25%, then Candidate A will get 40% of the delegates, Candidate B will get 35% of the delegates, and 25% of the delegates will be designated uncommitted. Of the state’s 26 remaining delegates, three are RNC delegates and the other 23 will be elected at the party’s state convention in June. All 26 are unpledged.
*** What to watch: In 2008, Louisiana’s primary took place on Feb. 9, just days after Mitt Romney withdrew from the race, Bailey reports. Mike Huckabee narrowly won with 43%, a one-point margin over runner-up John McCain. Turnout topped 160,000 (161,169 to be exact). Louisiana reports its results by parish and had only four parishes with more than 10,000 GOP voters last cycle – East Baton Rouge (31,343), Jefferson (16,279), St. Tammany (13,364), and Caddo (10,612). These four parishes accounted for 44% of the vote and broke mostly for McCain despite Huckabee’s statewide victory. East Baton Rouge (Baton Rouge), Jefferson (New Orleans), and St. Tammany (across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans) went for McCain and Caddo Parish (Shreveport) went for Huckabee. The state broke down roughly along geographic lines, with McCain winning Baton Rouge, Lafayette, New Orleans and the rest of the state’s southeastern portion. Huckabee won the middle and northern block of the state, including Shreveport.
*** In case you forgot about him, Paul is back: After a weeklong absence, Paul holds two campaign events today in Louisiana. Also on the trail, per NBC’s Adam Perez, Paul isn’t the only one in Louisiana: Romney hits Metairie and Shreveport… Santorum stumps in West Monroe, Shreveport, and Pineville… And Gingrich visits Port Fourchon and Kenner.
*** On “Meet the Press” this Sunday: NBC’s David Gregory interviews White House adviser David Plouffe.
Countdown to Louisiana primary: 1 days
Countdown to DC, Maryland, Wisconsin primaries: 11 days
Countdown to Election Day: 228 days
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Transportation Reauthorization Bill
With just 10 days until the current short-term authorization plan expires, last night House Republicans rejected the Senate’s bipartisan transportation reauthorization bill and said they would instead adopt a short-term resolution that would maintain current funding levels for 90 days. That means House Republicans have made possible a transportation shutdown that could force more than 1.9 million workers off the job. The Senate passed its transportation bill, 74-22 last week.
It appears that John Boehner’s signature legislation for this Congressional session has become a Chinese fire drill. He has struggled with his caucus for several weeks to pass his signature legislation, finally giving up and waiting on the Senate to act. As one person put it “The GOP’s five-year highway bill has been reworked, rethought and pulled off the floor so many times that Republicans have lost track which bill leadership is whipping.”
The Senate acted last week and now Boehner and his conference are planning to punt or possibly worse … put nearly 2 million people out of work.
Does that include 7% of the population who believe HCR has ALREADY been overturned by SCOTUS?
There is a reason they are referred to as low information voters!
JUSTICE FOR TREYVON MARTIN NOW!
I am so looking forward to Barry’s rousing campaign speech today celebrating the two year anniversary of his greatest achievement: Signing his ClunkerCare HCR into law!!!!
What??
Huh??
What the Hell??
He’s going to basically IGNORE the second anniversary of this great event??????????????????????
Is he ashamed of it????
Oh well, maybe the first two paragraphs in today’s front page WSJ article explains the reason. Remember when Nancy Pelosi famously said “We have to pass this bill so you can find out what’s in it.”?? Well two years later the majority of American people still think it sucks:
The WSJ editorial on ClunkerCare had the best line on the individual mandate and the circular logic Barry and the lefty liberal’s claim gives the federal govt the right to impose this mandate under the Commerce Clause: “In a word, the government is claiming it can create commerce so it has something to regulate.” Somehow it seems to me that at least five SC Justices will not be able to get past the fallacy of that argument.
Thank God for the Supreme Court.
At least one arm of our government is there to protect us from overreaching socialists.
As FR mentions (correctly, for a change), we're not hearing much about Obamacare from the White House. With the two year anniversary of the law upon us, we would have thought the champagne would be flowing in lots of photo ops as Obama proudly reminded the folks of his landmark legislative achievement.
Maybe he's not making much of a fuss because most Americans still think the law is a turkey. And since this is an election year, why remind voters of the most egregious symbol of expansive government to come down the pike in our lifetimes. Actually "expansive" doesn't do full justice to the impact of this law – try "coercive" instead. Just ask the Catholic church about that.
In fact, much of the recent publicity on Obamacare has been a tad negative. Besides the contraception flap that made mincemeat of religious freedom, we've seen that CBO's latest analysis has given us a more honest accounting of the cost of the law and we're about to see the Supremes consider its constitutionality. Gee, if I were president I guess I wouldn't be boasting about this thing either, especially since this fabulous achievement might well be found unconstitutional.
So the president instead goes down to the oil patch to take credit for a piece of pipeline he had nothing to do with. Yes indeed, since Newt jerked his chain with $2.50 gas the president has been on a mission to convince the folks that he really does feel their pain. He even goes so far as to brag about increased domestic oil production on his watch – even though the decisions to enable that production were made on someone else's watch. This man is a master at sleight of hand.
But whether the issue is oil or healthcare or whatever, don't watch his hands and don't listen to his words. Look instead at what the president actually does -- that way, no one will be fooled.
What about the 70% that opposed the law? Do they count?
DumbFux
Feisty, Good morning.
Nancy Pelosi spoke about The Affordable Health Care Act on-camera yesterday, flanked by colleagues and a dozen folks with their stories. A nursing administrator spoke of all the lives it was saving at her hospital. The health reform act has a provision that allows children to stay on their parents' plan until they are 26 years old. She told of a young woman who came in with a lump in her breast. She was in her early twenties. Turned out it was cancer. Cancer ran in her family. The lump was removed and had not spread. She was not disfigured. Without the Affordable Health Care Act and the initial check-up and surgery, this young woman would not have had such a good luck story.
The ACA also covers pre-existing conditions. Any illness that befalls you from childhood on becomes a pre-existing condition. The Act makes sure this does not give insurance companies a reason to to deny anyone care and no lifetime limits or caps. These are a few of the benefits already implemented, with more coming.
It is well past due that the USA joins the rest of the industriallized nations in providing health care to their citizens. In 2014, thirty million (30,000) Americans will receive health care coverage for the first time in their lives, under exchanges.
It's amazing you two Michael and Joe want to repeal something and don't even know if it will work or not. I know all mighty Fox (aka tea people Koch republican propaganda machine) has told you it won't work so you believe it. We all know you two can't think for yourselves but due try to give it a little thought, as hard as that might be for you. Tea people Koch republicans fall in line, with never a thought of their own. Must be a sad political life.
Good Morning, Backhouse,
Speaking of women's health care, did you see where fund-raising is down dramatically for the Susan B. Komen foundation?
Big shake up's on the board of directors as well!
Let that be a lesson to those who want to mess with us!
Girl Power!!!
Do the looney left just make sh*t up because the sun is shining?.....lmao
".....for the first time in their lives"? How in the hell would you know that?
Does that 70% include the people opposed to it because it didn't go far enough?
*Unless of course you're a conservative girl - then you're evil
DumbFux
This is the poorest excuse for a House of Representatives ever seen. Speaker Boehner cannot even get a bi-partisan transportation bill that passed the Senate 74-22 through the House. He and House GOPers talk about the "uncertainty" for businesses while creating "uncertainty" for states which cannot make long-term infrastructure decisions with a 90-day stop gap bill which is all Congress has been able to pass since the last long-term bill expired in 2009. Boehner and House GOPers talk about jobs lost because of the Keystone Pipeline delay yet they cost construction workers thousands and thousands of jobs because Boehner cannot get his own caucus off their rear-ends long enough to do something. What a poor excuse for Speaker of the House and what a sham the GOP House majority is when it comes to doing the people's business.
As I keep stating, Republicans are their own worst enemies regarding the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare. If it is weakened and repealed by SCOTUS then the very next move for any nation that wants to be taken seriously among "ciilized" nations, is Universal Healthcare like Medicare for all. And I am 100% for that and would vote for anyone running on that.
LOL....O-M-G....settle down babe.
Now, go outside and burn that bra and get it outta yer system so we can have a rational discussion....m'kay sweetums
DumbFux
A lot of the provisions make total sense, like an insurer can't drop you when you get sick, etc.
However, if the mandate is overturned, the nondiscrimination for pre-existing conditions will make no sense. People will just not have insurance until they get sick, at which time they can get it (since insurers cannot discriminate for pre-existing conditions) and then once they're healthy, drop insurance again.
Either way, the number of people that flat out refuse to get insurance is astounding. When they get ill / injured their costs are passed onto the state and to the rest of us. I for one am sick of subsidizing other peoples' laziness. Therefore one of two things needs to happen imo:
1) Everyone is mandated to get insurance, as hospitals cannot turn away the sick and dying (even if they have no insurance).
2) Hospitals can be allowed to turn away those without insurance and are unable to pay.
The second choice seems rather heartless, but one of the two needs to happen. People need to be held accountable for themselves.
I'm only for this if it is funded by a specific tax like SS / Medicare and everyone is required to pay the tax.
Keeping my fingers crossed that the Supreme Court does the right thing for the American people and not make a political football out of this case. I know that the majority of the Court has no love for President Obama, but this is not a personal thing, this is for the good and health of the vast majority of the people of America, the poor and the middle class. Please don't destroy this valuable asset for the people of the United Sates.
Obama in 2012.
Yes lets take a moment today and remember the most transparent White House ever with these remarkable words from the Democratic Party, we need to pass this bill so everyone can find out whats in it. Which pretty much sums up the contempt that Obama and the Democrats have for the people of this country.
Ruken,
Only two? You have to be kidding. How about what AnaBanana said:
Me, too, AnaBanana!
Honestly that one didn't cross my mind. But I added my opinion about that in my post.
The only way I could support universal health-care is if it is universally paid for by a dedicated tax (like SS / Medicare) that everyone would be required to pay. Too much freeloading going on atm, and people seem to think lately that taxpayer funded = free, when that's definitely not the case.
Backhouse, it's hard to believe that people can be so easily fooled about ACA simply based on politicians saying it's bad for them. They talk about wanting honesty yet they themselves are unwilling to spend a little time researching on their own.
In addition to Komen donations being down approximately 30%, participation in the Race for the Cure in some areas is down 40% and more executives are resigning. While the news reported donations down to Komen and suggested that was bad for women, my guess is that donations to similar nonprofit groups are up. On my way to the county democratic convention March 10, I saw a bright pink bumper sticker KOMEN NO MORE. For the naysayers, no, the vehicle did not pull into the parking lot where I was headed.
ACA Preventive Medicine
The law makes insurance companies practice Preventive Medicine.
Last year I got my pap smear at no cost to me.
Preventing costly treatments is a good thing.
Recipients of medicare pay a monthly premium as well as the amount paid toward the system by workers. Medicare along with the Veteran's health care system are efficiently run at a far less expensive administrative costs. Our current private health insurance system is run for profit and traded on the stock market. It doesn't make sense that people's health care is subject to the whims of Wall Street, profits for shareholders, multi-million dollar executive salaries, television ad costs and then those insurance companies get around to spending OUR premium money on actual health care. It is a nutty system.
As a couple that does not get insurance through work,nor qualify for Medicare,nor have insurance through the military
- but pay the whole cost on our own
- I don't care which party's plan goes through as long as it has a provision
to guarantee that we can keep our son on our health plan until he is 26, we will not be turned away because of preexisting conditions and our insurance payments will go down
because right now we're paying more for health insurance than we pay in mortgage payments.
Now you guys from both sides tell me which plan does that.
Because if it doesn't do those 3 basic things - it's stacked against people like us who either work for themselves or work for small business owners who don't provide health insurance.
We're not asking anyone to give us something for free - we're the hard working middle class and we pay through the nose right now and we just want some relief.
and don't tell us to just drop our insurance until we're sick and then go into the ER -because by then,it's too late
Sandy yes, Preventive care is the critical key and a must for saving lives.
For info on preventive services for children, women and pregnant women and adults under the Affordable Health Care Act:
http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2010/07/preventive-services-list.html#CoveredPreventiveServicesforAdults
Actually, we leave the lie telling to Flip Romney and the low information radical right.
HCR? What's that?
Obama has no idea- never heard of it.
Anyway, it's no more his fault than the Solyndra loan.
Obama is very clear on this- Solyndra was congress' fault. Or, maybe the Chinese' fault. Not his.
The fact that he changed a law to protect on of his donors? Not his fault. Nope.
His Energy Secretary, at the urging of another of his big dollar donors, giving the cash to a company heavily invested in by another of his big dollar donors? Nope, not his fault.
I'm truly glad he said it- if anything epitomizes his complete inability to ever take responsibility for failure, this is it.
@ Backhouse
Affordable Health Care Act was my point.
Affordable the key word.
Some people just refuses to see anything good about the act.
I am still waiting for the GOP to tell us their replacement plan.
FR:
That's exactly why I think the radical Roberts Court will strike it down. Their rulings are strictly political and they'll decide whatever servers their corporate masters' interests, and those interests want Obama out of office. After Roberts' Citizen United abomination, there's no reason to expect he will base his decision on the Constitution.
There are a lot of different ways to slice it and speculate what the various potential outcomes could mean, but no one's EXACTLY sure how it will all play out. Certainly, if the mandate is struck down, that will be a major black mark for the president.
Jody, the right wing disinformation machine does not save lives, and it hurts millions of people in so many ways.
GOP politicians rely on folks not getting firsthand information, to promote the interests of Big Insurance and corporations.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform/map#healthcare-menu
On this map, we can click on our state or any state to find out how the Affordable Care Act, see how the Act is affecting folks in that sate. There are stories from young adults, seniors, folks with pre-exsting conditions, etc.
Just a great resource as told by Americans in their own words.
Serious Question:
Are there precedents when the "General Welfare" clause is argued against the "enumerated powers". I've heard the argument that if the "General Welfare" argument is used then it overrides the purpose of creating a constitution with enumerated powers.
I was wondering if this has been decided before.
Yesterday on NPR I heard an interview with President Obama (I must stress interview so the RWNJs don't respond with accusations he was using a teleprompter). That interview, together with a number of other speeches and interviews lately, have convinced me he will decimate Romney in the debates. Increasingly he sounds so calm and confident and knowledgeable and presidential that Mr. Wannabe will panic and become increasingly desperate as the debates proceed.
While healthcare is on everyone's mind, just wanted to post this again for anyone who might have missed it.
Maybe it will open a few eyes up to the FACT that HEALTHCARE, or lack thereof, in this country has to be addressed. The naysayers of ACA offer no solutions only uneducated sound bites. Makes a person want to say STFU already.
the religious right (LOL) believe Jesus would have turned his back on those people in need of care like them SS recipients They should have saved more money when they were young (now they are just on the Government dole right) the least among us like those handicapped people should get a job picking vegitables or weeding gardens or makeing beds in some hotel (they are just fakeing it to get a Government hand out right) ...the hungry should starve because they are to lazy to start their own busines ( food stamps and school meals are just another Government hand out fron the Government .. According to the Religious right (LOL) the only people that should get government hand outs are the rich and the international Corporations .. according to the religious right (LOL) if you cant afford health care a death panel should be brought in like the one in the Ryan Budget Plan
this statement above by no jo, no blow, whatever was written by a moron.. of course we all know that most republican sheep are illinformed morons.. but this guy has to be in the top 95 percentile of morons..
Lack of a Healthcare mandate is just one more way to keep poor people poor and rich people rich. Give Romney some credit here...
So will you take your Healthcare:
It WILL be one or the other (and for the good of the nation!!).
xx
Sandy,
Affordability IS IT. Such a relief to know your children have health coverage until they are 26 years old.
And it is a burden lifted for a young person just starting out - who has maybe just graduated from College and looking for a job, to know they are covered.
Jack in Portsmouth
Romney can't even get through interviews on Fox News without throwing a hissy fit when asked about his Massachusetts health insurance law. I expect there's a good chance of an even worse on-air tantrum if a debate moderator asks him to explain why he suggested in 2009 that Romneycare should be the model for a federal health insurance program. Could be quite a spectacle.
How to be a RWNJ
Lesson 1: Insult the president by making some distortion of his name.
For Example: Barry, O'bummer, Hussein
Lesson 2: When dealing with issues regarding to the economy within the last 12 years make sure you give any faults to the current administration and all successes are either A. a result of the previous administartion. B. the workings of congress or C. the ecnomony correcting itself. Remember Obammy has no positive influence on this issue.
Lesson 3: Do not allow any speak about President Bush. Well atleast when its not convenient for you.
Lesson 4: If one of those lefties are hitting you with too many facts and you no longer can dispute. IGNORE HIM AT ALL COSTS. This will not further our proaganda. We count victories here not losses.
Leson 5: When ever saying negative things about the president insert other off-topic "failures" this double downs on your message. For instance, when speaking about the ACA say things like. "The ACA stinks. You know Bammy's track record for decision making, we all remember Solyndra" Note I did not say why the ACA stinks but hey Solyndra does so I don't have to.
Lesson 6: This one will save your life DEFLECT DEFLECT DEFLECT!
Lesson 7: Personal insults such as communist/ socialist/ bottomfeeder/ welfare queen are your WMD's. These will get you far.
Lesson 8: Never speak about any of our candidates. Its not about them being good, its about 'him' being bad.
Lesson 9: War is neccessary. No further need for discussion
Lesson 10: Tea Party? We dont have much on this one just say something about patriotism or fiscal conervative I dont know.
Lesson 11: Always state how you hate big government. We do not like the government interfering with our personal lives. The only purpose of the government is to ensure we are all following the good old Christain values, or atleast the ones we feel are most important.
Lesson 12: Most importantly Jesus hates taxes!
(of course this does not apply to all conservatives or Republicans just a select few)
Lesson 13: When asked for sources for your 'facts' never ever provide them.
@Katheryn Brandy
Again a serious question but why should kids stay on their parents insurance until 26? Why not 24 or until they leave home. They become adults at 18 or 21 so it's seems to be an arbitrary decision.
In your case are you buying an individual policy? If so, I don't know why the law did not combine these policies into the group policies offered by an employer. It would seem to me that the actual risk pool for an insurance company is all the individuals it covers. I don't see why they should be split out into different pools based on product.
If you have insurance why are you worried about pre-existing conditions?
I don't think any party has a feasible plan to reduce premium costs. They both run away from the issue because at it's core it will involve rationing, and whoever proposes that is immediately attacked by the other side.
That's exactly why I think the radical Roberts Court will strike it down. Their rulings are strictly political
_________________________________________
This is why I love FR: Hillaryously entertaining statements like this one. The same lefty liberals that claim they "think for themselves" and "consider all the issues before making a decision" ALWAYS boil it down to a black and white issue of: If "they" disagree with me its all political and if "they" agree with me they are exercising common sense.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks Houston.
Akeem,
That was great--thanks for the chuckles. It was one of those If-they-could-see-themselves-the-way-we-do moments.
Houston,
Actually, I'm not as pessimistic as you are about the Supreme Court striking down HCR. That said, one of the most important reasons to re-elect President Obama is Ruth Ginsberg. I can't imagine her heath is gong to allow her to remain on the court another 4 years.
I heard a couple of suggestions on this on NPR this morning. One is that there is an enrollment period similar to what employers do. You can only sign up for insurance in one month of the year. So in the case of catastrophic or emergencies you would have to pay if you could. The other option was that if you are out, you are out for 5 years (or some other time period). This means you could not use any subsidies to buy into the system for that period.
Both these suggestions were in response to the mandate being struck down but the rest of the law being left alone.
Alan, it seems there really isn't a RIGHT age. For everyone the age where the child becomes self sufficient is different. We could argue back and forth but I do not think we would all walk away with an answer.
What no one seems to address is that the court could very well issue an opinion that the time for the case is not yer ripe as the individual mandate is, in effect, a tax which can not be challenged until it has to be paid, in 2014. IMO, that is the most unlikely scenerio, but who ever would've thought they would strike down the EPA, strike down law enforcement use of technology in warrantless searches, yet appoint GW Bush ?
And I guess you think the same of LWNJ?
For Example Mittens, rethugli-cants, Tea Banger, little Ricky, Self-serving nut jobs
and I didn't even get to references of Palin.
Both sides are the same.
Alan -- Here's an opinion piece from WaPo on the subject of SCOTUS and healthcare. Interesting take, IMO.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-the-roberts-court-could-save-health-care/2012/03/07/gIQALljXGS_story.html
Something else I find interesting is the two competing "plans" put out by Republicans on Medicare. One group comes forward with a plan to throw everyone into private insurance for Medicare and the other plan Ryan offered is to allow people to stay in the old system or choose a private option. Both of these "plans" came out in the past week or so. Are they attempting to cover all the bases here depending on what SCOTUS rules? FFT.
That is fair, I did not say anyone was excluded Alan. I was just basically venting my frustration with dealing with some people on the site and some of their responses. Typically when I speak to you, whether or not we agree you at least respond to the question I ask and provide an opinion and that is all I ask for. I do not belive everyone should think like me, I just hope when we are communicating there is some thinking going on.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform/map#healthcare-menu lol........Those are some mighty pretty dots there. All I know is this year my wifes supplemental policy went up 22% and as of now they will no longer offer this type policy in 2014 and possibly 2013. So is my situation helped by this law....... yes and not positively!
Akeem, terrific post!! Perfect description.
Alan -- Monday, WSJ ran an article written by Louise Radnofsky, on insurers contingency plans if the mandate is struck down. Here are some of the contingencies:
Source WSJ reporting
The kicker? Insurers appear to be setting up a death panel and a credit busting plan. And I suppose the naysayers of ACA will applaud these insurers plans. After all the private sector has our best interests at heart, right?
The right has a problem when the president talks about helath care. The right has a problem when the president DOESN'T talk about health care.
Seems the right just has a problem, period.
Akeem,
you may not have seen Game Change, yet; but in the Republican's OWN words (steve schmidt to be exact),...on point # 6 the word is PIVOT!
(I'm sure they learned that in a circle jerk somewhere! I kid,...some jokes write themselves!)
Thanks for the laugh!
Katheryn, I know just where you are coming from.
My wife and I are both contractors. We have no health care through our employers and cannot afford it on our own. We are both healthy at the moment, so we made the decison to save a little bit of money as a contingency fund should we need it for a medical emergency. It's cheaper than insurance. Of course, as we get older and our son advances through college, this situation will not continue.
The health care situation in this country is not working in its present form. The Democrats proposed an alternative. Even in it's watered down, band-aided form, negotiated by Republicans, it is better than what we had as a country. The Republicans hate it and want to repeal it. But they have no workable plan with which to replace it. This is madness.
Look at the examples of other countries. They have better care and healthier people. Just do an online search. As I said, this is madness.
well, jolly, for the first time in 11 years, my insurance premiums did NOT increase. Most likely your problem is the insurance company. I'm guessing those premiums went up at various percentages long before ACA was passed.
Joe in Albany
I gave my reasons for expecting the Supreme Court to deliver a politicized verdict on ACA: their politicized verdict on the Citizens United abomination. But Joe, being a kooky connie, doesn't like reasons based on facts and people who are guided by reasoning.
I'll admit I have a problem with the personal mandate. If it was a tax then to me there would be no issue. The idea that the government can force me to buy anything just rubs me up the wrong way.
On the ideas of insurers, if this is the cost of not being able to turn down people with pre-existing conditions then maybe, I really cannot predict how that will turn out.
On the question of death panels, or rationing, I am all for it. This was the biggest omission of ACA and one that the democrats ran from. There is no way we can have any system, single-payer, private, socialized without some form of rationing. This is where a basic public option could have been the answer. Instead of the government attempting to mandate everything into private policies, it instead offered a public option that covers "necessities". This is how you raise the general well-being of the population (this is where you include contraception). This basic care should have been funded through taxes. Catastrophic conditions like heart by-pass and cancer would not have been covered. For that we can look at supplemental and subsidized policies. Chronic conditions would be included.
I think the government made the mistake of trying to offer Cadillac policies at the first attempt.
Alan, NJ
All those insulting names were earned as a result of "teabaggers" and "rethugs" insulting the president with their birther crap and their hateful slurs. The Republican OFFICIALs who passed around the cartoon of a watermelon patch on the White House lawn and other racist insults certainly deserve to be called "thug" if not "rethug."
Sarah Palin brough it on herself by whipping up mobs by claiming then-candidate Obama "pals around with terrorists" -- an attack that had the Secret Service call the McCain campaign to tone down the rhetoric to avoid inciting a violent incident against Obama.
And if Mittens would stop lying about Obama, maybe people wouldn't call him Mittens so much.
But that's at the heart of the problem. At some point in each of our lives we will need and take part in the health-care system. Hospitals cannot turn us away.
So really, hospitals are forced to service us, so we should be forced into paying for said service. It's both or none.
Alan...The idea that the government can force me to buy anything just rubs me up the wrong way.
hmmm.it seems the SCOTUS has already ruled that the government CAN force you to buy stuff..
You might want to read about the case of Wickard v. Filburn, 317 U.S. 111 (1942). The US supreme court forced a farmer to destroy his crops because it reduced the amount of grain purchased from the free market economy and made him buy it from a store.. It seems the government CAN force you to buy something from the private sector..and the SCOTUS has to consider this case when applying the Commerce Clause..
Alan - lord,these threads are long - I hope you can find me down here!
I seriously doubt my son will need our help with health insurance - if he continues as he has - he has always worked and paid his own way -from phones and phone bills to entertainment to clothing to buying his own car and paying for gas and repairs (we pay for the insurance right now).
But I have looked around at friends -both democrat and republican - and their kids are graduating college and having a hard time finding work or they can only find work with companies that don't cover health insurance and the one thing they all say they want help with -their kid's health insurance.
We have thought about shopping around for cheaper health insurance but preexisting conditions keep us tied to our present provider.
My husband and I have always lived on a cash basis -(except for car and house payments and we drive our cars for 10 years or more),we've always tried to save for future expenses -an old fashioned concept - but our insurance payments are eating up our savings.
The present healthcare laws may work for you -it's not for us. I don't care if it's Obamacare - Romneycare or something else - but those of us in the hardworking middle class who do not have their health insurance covered by a company, the military and don't qualify for medicare need some help.
Alan -- Although I do not agree with you on some of these issues, I will give you credit for your honesty and consistency of opinion.
Next week we will be able to listen to the radio broadcasts of the arguments over ACA. It will be riveting to say the least.
Added note Alan - this democrat wife has longingly wished we could take a few credit card financed vacations - but am thankful my republican husband prefers to put our money in the bank for a rainy day and go strictly cash. We'd be sunk without those savings (don't tell him I said that) But even he is up in arms about healthcare.
They did not make him buy it from a store. They did stop him from growing it for his own use. There is also the case that forced the militia to buy there own weapons or ammunition.
However, that does not mean I agree with it. Again, if this was a tax I have no beef. It's the idea of being forced into buying a product from a private company. In fact this was subject of an Obama commercial in 2008 attacking Clinton, because her plan "forced" people to buy insurance.
Congratulations on raising such a self-reliant kid. I fear for my step-son that he thinks "life" will just be handed to him.
One of the suggestions on NPR this morning, if only the individual mandate is struck down, was that you could not be turned down if you had continuous coverage. However, and I think this is true of the current law, there was no guarantee of a "reasonable" premium.
To a lessor extent I feel your pain. My employer premiums have gone up every year for 5 years but I've had no cost of living increase over that time, so I see my bottom line getting smaller every year. The issue with ACA is that it does not lower costs, it expands coverage and that is going make everyone who presently has insurance pay more. That is an admirable social goal but as I said above they are attempting to expand coverage with Cadillac policies and I believe in the long run the system will collapse under the costs.
Alan I agree on many of the things you said you wanted included in the HCR. Iw as very displeased when a lot of these things were abandoned in what we got from the ACA. Though the Democrats ran from it, but will you not at least give a wave of the finger to many of the Republicans who were demonizing the public options. Who scared families at homes with talks of rationing, and the government death pannels? Do you not remember the "pulling the plug on granny" rhetoric. I am not saying one side is better.
Its simple it was politics that caused a lot of the shortcomings of ACA. To shoulder that blame on Obama and the democrats I believe is unfair.
Until everyone is forced to buy it, but the mandate isn't in effect yet. Once everyone is forced to actually have insurance premiums should go down since we are no longer paying for all the freeloaders.
But it's not true that you need insurance. For example, 10 years ago I broke my arm, and I had pretty crappy contractor insurance. I didn't even reach the deductible amount so it all came out my own pocket.
Even if everyone is forced to buy insurance it is not going to lower the premiums for those who already have insurance. Under the ACA most of the newly insured are moved into Medicaid. There are already papers out on the internet on how cost shifting will occur from these newly insured patients to privately insured patients.
And, the cost of treating 30m instead of the fewer patients who actually get treated now is much greater. (Sad fact).
Well yea, but if you get in a car wreck and are close to death, hospitals have to take you in.
And if you don't have insurance, there's no way the average person can pay for all that out of pocket, and then the hospital and insurance companies eat it, passing the cost onto us.
Alan - to hear my son tell it - he is the only kid in America who is soooo deprived- "no one else has to work....no one else has to pay for everything".
I tell him every kid needs to have an" I was so abused"story for when they get older - we're just trying to provide him with more material"!!
Yes the fun of parenthood never ends!
SMART!
The sad part is that the decreased fundraising for SGK only hurts those women that need SGK's help with cancer treatments, and other support.
So just how smart are those contributors that have pulled back their contributions? Perhaps we should ask the women that need that help.
Sounds like the proverbial 'cut your nose off to spite your face'...
Yep they're fun when they're young. When they hit adolescence this is the only fun we parents have. Keep up the good work supplying him with more material.
oh yeah, Alan! And when that boy went off to college -this mama was doing a happy dance!(and only another parent would understand that sentiment is full of love)
BTW - any hurdle we face - parents with "steps" face ten more -when my husband and I discuss my son, it's only he and I in that conversation. Some steps have to rent a hall to fit all of the people connected!
How many of you have actually waded through the entire Health Care bill? How many know what things are buried in there, hidden from view? Our own representatives and Senators who voted for it cannot even tell us? And why is it that so many of these things don't come to active use until many years down the line.....? Where is the relief now? Everyone who dutifully pays for their own care and insurance, and is responsible, whether their insurance comes from an employer or privately, has seen increases in the premiums, the co-payments, the deductibles....so where are there savings and who do the savings benefit?
Are you aware that the health care bill gives your government direct access to your checking account, savings accounts, retirement investment accounts? It is in there, couched in very lofty terms, but in a society where people are paying services to protect their accounts, investments and identity, do you think that the same people want government to be able to access all of these things with the click of a computer mouse?
A federal sales tax on real estate transactions doesn't begin until January of 2013, and you can say that it is only 3.8%, however, due to states rights and home rule, how long will it take for the State, the County, and the City you live in to add a real estate sales tax as well, and that 3.8% might well become 13% or more. And what is to prevent them from raising that tax when they discover that it won't be enough money to fund the Health care anyway.
Take a look at the list of things that the government health care program won't cover. If you are over a certain age, even if in excellent health and still able to work, you will not be treated for things like skin cancer lesions, or prostate cancer (both highly curable if treated early), you won't be eligible for a pacemaker, or bypass surgery, because you will be deemed to old for it to offset the expense, the benefits expected will be too small.....You are screaming about not being covered for pre-existing illness, but what difference does it make if all we are entitled to is "end of life" counseling after a certain age. Government is going to provide you with bare minimal health care to keep you as a working tax paying unit, and the minute the expense outweighs your ability to contribute to the government via taxes, you are expendable. Read it people, it is more chilling than a Stephen King novel.
Sue: I don't mean to come off rudely at all when I tell you that the government could already have access to your bank account and really anything else because they know your social security number and your date of birth. Anything else they wanted to find out could be done with the use of an experienced hacker (They have many excellent ones employed to keep their own systems from being hacked).
Alan: I enjoy your conversation today! I think we also have to hope that the competition of new insurance companies will aid with the cost in a few years. It won't happen right away which is why I think the mandate being a few years away from the initial start of the legislation is a good thing. Hopefully, new companies will crop up with better insurance rates and force the others to go down too. This is one of the good things about a free market that doesn't allow monopolies. We can talk about Wal-Mart later. ;-)
The fact is that health care is ALREADY rationed. It's rationed between those who can afford it and those who cannot.
For all the right-wing's sound bites to convince people to go against their best interests, the Republican Tea Party has offered NO affordable plans to replace "Obama Care."
This nation -- like what many other democratic, industrialized nations came to eventually experience -- will come to the point where their population's financial situation cannot afford to not have a SINGLE PAYER HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. Given this then, it can be argues that the Obama Administration's HCR and the ACA are steps in the correct economic direction.
And take note that the conservative mindset in this country is VERY DIFFERENT in some respects, compared to their conservative counterparts in America's allied countries.
For example, conservative political parties in Canada and the UK argued that nationwide health care is a MORAL OBLIGATION, as health care is a NECESSITY for ALL their citizens, and not just a privileged benefit for the, "monied class."
Mitt Romney: The Etch-a-Sketch candidate in a 4G World.
Food for thought from “Washington Rules: America’s Path to Permanent War” by Andrew J. Bacevich. Bacevich is a retired military Army officer who teaches international relations at B.U. His son died in 2007 fighting in Iraq.
“The world—we are incessantly told—is becoming ever smaller, more complex, and more dangerous. Therefore, it becomes necessary for the nation to intensify the efforts undertaken to ‘keep America safe,’ while also, of course, advancing the cause of world peace. Achieving these aims—it is said—requires the United States to funnel ever greater sums of money to the Pentagon to develop new means of projecting power, and to hold itself in readiness for new expeditions deemed essential to pacify (or liberate) some dark and troubled quarter of the globe.
At one level, we can with little difficulty calculate the cost of these efforts: The untold billions of dollars added annually to the national debt and the mounting toll of dead and wounded U.S. troops provide one gauge.
At a deeper level, the costs of adhering to the Washington consensus defy measurement: families shattered by loss; veterans bearing the physical or psychological scars of combat; the perpetuation of ponderous bureaucracies subsisting in a climate of secrecy, dissembling, and outright deception; the distortion of national priorities as the military-industrial complex siphons off scarce resources; environmental devastation produced as a by-product of war and the preparation for war; the evisceration of civic culture that results when a small praetorian guard shoulders the burden of waging perpetual war, while the great majority of citizens purport to revere its members, even as they ignore or profit from their service.”
A moon-man, an etch-a-sketch, and a preacher walked into a bar.
Moon-man, in a loud, bombastic voice ordered a "Horny Monkey".
Etch-a-sketch ordered a "Cosmopolitan". His eyes darted left and right as he changed his mind and ordered a "Millionaire". Shaking now, he again changed his mind and ordered an "El Presidente". He did a back-flip off the bar and yet again changed his mind and ordered a "Martini" (shaken, not stirred).
The preacher, growing exasperated, interrupted and asked for a "Virgin Sex on the Beach" (hold the fruit juice).
The grizzled old bartender frowned and lowered his head. He had to admit that he didn't have all the ingredients to make those fancy drinks, but he could make them the house specialty. He called it "Ron's Revenge". A smile passed his lips as he reached under the bar for the bottle of arsenic ...
Joe in Albany,
Let the speculation begin. The SCOTUS will weigh in only on the law after they hear the arguments, but I think more importantly what is the role of the court and the role of Congress.
Here is a thoughtful speculation on this issue.
http://www.latimes.com/health/la-na-court-healthcare-20120318,0,208090.stor
It will be refreshing change next week. Fatigue is setting in watching Romney and the others running around in circles trying to find their way to Tampa.
No surprise that the Obama supporters don't want to talk about ObamaCare, as neither does the president. But when you lay an egg that big, not talking about it doesn't mean you can hide from it. Apparently even Obama rushed to sign it so he could find out what was in it, and he has run for cover ever since.
Good on you Jack and TOG. Pleasure to see you'll this morning. You too Northstar.
Jack, thanks for sharing that article. I don't recall his exact words but during the 2008 campaign, Candidate Obama often commented regarding war: that we must change the mindset in Washington that leads us into unnecessary wars.
TOG, oh, that's a good one; now we just wait for someone to complain about the threat of violence implied even though it was a joke.
Northstar, the fatigue of watching Mitt, Rick and Newt is tiresome even for a political junkie like me.
I have lost all respect for this Supreme Court.
I don't care which way they rule on this health care law - their last major decision has tainted any future decision they write.
They are the same majority that brought us Citizens United - one of the worst decisions in the history of the Supreme Court.
This one decision corrupts everything else they have or will do.
How many scandals will be a direct result of decisions they have made.
Just who are they working for? Who are these people that are behind Citizens United?
Rick-3416939
People frequently discuss the Affordable Care Act and its benefits like ending exclusions for preexisting conditions and permitting adult children to remain on their parents' health insurance plans. If you didn't know that, it kind of suggests your an idiot. No surprise there.
Santorum is typical and the same type of mindlessness and thoughtlessness that characterizes the TEA PARTY.
yeah, they are a bunch of cry babies..
Jack -- Thanks for sharing that with us. Very insightful.
Still repeating that erroneous old line Rick? It is not what was said. And it's out of context. Repeating it again STILL doesn't make it true. Never will.
Yeah fielden let me give you the exact quote. Nancy Pelosi said "we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it."
That is verbatim what Nancy Pelosi said about ObamaCare, and no amount of denials can ever change the truth. Repeating it should remind everyone about the closed door backroom deal held at secret locations orchestrated entirely by the Democratic Party that resulted in ObamaCare. Perhaps the worst piece of legislation ever, or why would you need to hand out 1200 waivers? If allowed to stand, the worst of ObamaCare is yet to come.
At the end of the day, BAD LEGISLATION is still BAD LEGISLATION !
The cost of this monstrous takeover of the health care industry was bogused to make it appear revenue neutral and squeeze through the process of "reconciliation". Assumptions used to justify have already been debunked.
Then, of course, our beloved federal government is now over $15.1 trillion in debt, the level of that keeps rising and Medicare is going broke before long. Social Security will follow. Our government cannot manage the programs in existence now so we must give them more to mismanage.
Also, this bill contains numerous "sneaky" little taxes like the medicare tax on stock transactions and selling your home. Go to a sun tan booth and pay a litle more, the AGI foor on medical deductions has been raised (making it harder to get a medical deduction if you have a "bad health" year), and the allowable amount you can have put into a cafeteria plan for medical reimbursement plans has been reduced. All of this is "disguised taxes" the gullible are unable to see.
Nothing in the bill lowers the cost of health care coverage and costs will and have already risen because of pending tidbits which will broaden coverage for pre-existing conditions, remove limitations and SUBSIDIZE "those who cannot afford it". Thus, WELFARE is part of this plan so we can help pay for non-family members whether they take care of themselves, or whether they drink heavily, do drugs or have other poor health care habits.
The regulations to ENFORCE this mess are now in the thousands of pages and there is no accountability over who decides the rules.
In short, this bill is the "mother of all clu$ter@!$%#$" and only a short-sighted liberal would be unable to see its numerous problems.
No, Rick. Here is what Nancy Pelosi REALLY said. In context.
It's different from what you're trying to make it out to be.
Part of the reason that everyone seems to hell bent on nationalized health care-(which isn't remotely free, although it is perceived as such)-is because they want to feel that every dollar they have is like a kid's allowance, and only has to purchase the perks, the treats. It seems that Americans have become a nation of people who don't want to pay for their homes, their health, their food, their education.....it is somebody else's responsibility to do that-government....suggest that somebody do something for the good fo their own health, and if it costs money, they aren't going to do it unless they can bully a doctor into writing a prescription that insurance will pay for. The trade off is that you don't get to choose anymore when somebody else is setting price, footing the bill.....All one has to do is look at the restrictions currently in place on what Medicare will and will not cover, and what senior citizens either have to pay for out of pocket, or purchase supplemental or gap insurance to cover....and you have a pretty good idea where we all will be. It will be fair all right, as we will all be treated like the "poor senior citizens" that you are fond of defending. We won't have choices either.
Sue-3329001
Nobody said it was "free". Like a typical kooky connie, you're just making stuff up.
Houston ! You have a problem. You just violated the Code of Honor by calling her a name. Whether you like it or not, there ARE SOME who think that it will indeed, be free to them.
For those who "cannot afford" Obamacare, they will be "subsidized". Tell me what that means. Subsidized by whom and for how much ? Who makes that decision since "afford" can be such a slippery term.
I've seen a woman at the grocery store, "dressed to kill', heavily perfumed trying to buy cigarettes on WIC coupons. She apparently could afford her image but couldn't afford to feed her child ? Who decides ??
jim-1455434
Funny how you kooky connies think you run things. And people who make stuff up have no honor. And she's still making stuff up because NOBODY said health insurance was going to be free. There will be subsidies for those too poor to afford it. Maybe you'd prefer to let them die in a ditch if they get sick. That seems to be the kooky connie health care plan.
"And that's the way it is"....this week.
The "founding members of the Flat Earth Society" continued their "gas" attack blaming President Obama for higher prices at the pump. People should recognize by now that the Flat Earthers suffer flatus of the mouth.
Former democratic IL Gov Rod Blagoyevich was locked up to serve 14 years. Maybe he and republicans George Ryan and Duke Cunningham can get together weekly to play poker.
After first saying he would "get rid of Planned Parenthood", Romney flip flopped saying he doesn't want to close Planned Parenthood, he just wants to de-fund it. That'll get women's votes especially considering he wants to de-fund Title 10, eliminate contraception and whatever else he thinks should be fired.
Ann Coulter declared that the conservative party has "more charlatans than democrats do". Wow, who'da thunk she'd actually say it?
Ohio State Senator Nina Turner introduced legislation that requires men to have a certified statement from their partners to prove they need Viagra, have a stress test, see a sex therapist and watch a video of the side affects and risks. Obviously, men cannot possibly know what's good for them without government telling them and showing them pictures!
Based on documents found in his hideout, Osama bin Laden was upset because President Obama stopped using the term War on Terror like Bush and instead used War on Al Qaeda. OBL knew that signified the US wasn't fighting a war with Muslims but rather one with the real terrorists. What say the GOPers who whined Obama wasn't using War on Terror any more? Seems to have bugged the heck out of OBL!
At the rope line after a speech at Prince George's Community College, a deaf student signed to President Obama "I am proud of you" and to Stephon's surprise, Obama signed back "thank you." Who knew our President understood sign language?
Paul Ryan released a video trailer last week touting his latest budget con complete with gloom, doom and scary music. Then he released his "Pathway to Prosperity" and the gloom, doom and scary music made sense. Religious leaders released statements calling the Ryan plan an "immoral disaster"; a Catholic bishop in Ryan's district called it a "cruel budget plan". What's stunning is that after his disastrous plan last year which included killing medicare and just about everything else, Paul Ryan doubled down--maybe he thinks changing the word "voucher" to "premium support" will make a difference. More stunning, the GOP House gluttons for punishment will vote on it!
AZ GOP Rep Rick Crawford announced to his district that he would propose a 5% surtax on individual incomes exceeding $1 million per year. Finally, a realistic republican with the courage to disagree with King Grover Norquist. Crawford gets a Gold Star.
Wisconsin GOP State Senator Pam Galloway unexpectedly resigned effective midnight last Friday. Guess she decided it was easier than facing her June recall.
PA Gov Tom Corbett wins the Clueless Prize for his support of the mandatory ultrasound legislation by saying "they don't have to watch, they can close their eyes." Well, then, what is the point of forcing women to have an unnecessary, expensive medical procedure, Gov Corbett? Is it to humiliate and degrade women? Ahh, yes, there we have it.
Meanwhile the PA Medical Association told the govenor and lawmakers to butt out of medical decisions. Cheers to the doctors.
The maverick John McCain appeared over the weekend. He called Citizens United "one of the worst Supreme Court has ever made" and attributed it to their "naivete and sheer ignorance." Whoa, those are four republicans appointed justices he's talking about appointed by none other than GOP presidents.
On MTP, McCain said repubicans should stop the anti-contraception talk. Perhaps McCain can explain why he voted "yea" on the Blunt-Rubio amendment to ban contraception coverage; or does he want to ban it just not discuss banning it?
VA's mandatory ultrasound bill also mandates women pay for something they don't want or need but McDonnell said democrats are playing politics because they tried to amend the bill so that it doesn't require women to pay for unnecessary procedures that the state mandates. Yeah, right, McDonnell. It's the democrats who are playing politics--may the bird of paradise fly up his nose.
The IA Supreme Court ruled that Gov Branstad's use of the line-item veto on SF517 was unconstitutional because he didn't return the money saved to Congress. Branstad's angry response was to threaten more closures of Work Force Development offices and more lay offs. Temper tantrum, Terry?
The Donald was back with "wind is destroying the environment in many, many places." True, tornadoes and hurricanes wreck havoc on the environment--wind wrecks havoc on Trump's hair.
Karen Santorum tried to reassure women that Rick would never interfere with contraception rights for women. In the words of Newt, that's "pious baloney". Any candidate who views contraception as evil, who has not denounced the state and federal GOP legislators trying to restrict and/or ban it, will gladly promote its outlaw and sign the bill to do it. Let's just call bull what it is--bull.
Mitt Romney had a Whopper of a Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire Day on FOX. He said it is President Obama's failed leadership that caused an American soldier to kill 17 Afghan civilians; he should be more engaged. He repeated the falsehood that in 2008, Candidate Obama said he wanted higher gas prices. And President Obama "outlawed the Thomas Edison light-bulb." Psst, Willard, it was George W. who signed the law requiring more energy efficient light-bulbs plus incandescent bulbs are not outlawed. Has Mitt been reading Michele Bachmann speeches again? Romney, a serial liar who wants to be POTUS! Would you trust him?
Rick Santorum told supporters he's a "fighter for freedom" and the unemployment rate "doesn't matter to me." The next day he said he really didn't mean it.
Romney gave his Yippee, I won IL speech with all the robotic enthusiasm he could muster. He mocked President Obama for being a Constitutional law professor and a community organizer while bragging he spent 25 years in business--bankrupting companies wasn't mentioned. Hey, Willard, try reading about Altgeld Gardens before joining Palin's community organizer crazy train.
Santorum gave his Uh oh, I lost IL speech in PA and indicated he would "saddle up like Reagan in the cowboy movies did" and head off to find that shining city on the hill in Louisiana or Wisconsin or....Onward Christian Soldiers...
AZ Sheriff Joe Arpaio requested the US Selective Service help him with his investigation of President Obama's birth certificate. Sheriff Joe claims it's a forgery and that Obama's selective service registration form is likely a forgery as well. How many "birthers" does it take to change a light bulb? Doesn't matter because birthers wouldn't recognize a light bulb as a light bulb in the first place.
Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny presented President Obama with a framed, official Certificate of Irish Heritage saying "these are rare, as rare as the man himself." Obama thanked him, "this will have a special place of honor...(big smile) along side my birth certificate!"
Not to be ignored this week, Newt Gingrich blew the secret Muslim dog whistle again by stating that President Obama "appeases radical Islamists and attacks Christians." Newt refused to correct a supporter who called President Obama a Muslim--the Cowardly Newt Lion talks tough about Iran and doesn't have the courage to correct a supporter let alone stand up to Rush Limbaugh.
Then there was this priceless gem. Less that 24 hours after his win in IL, Romney's senior campaign staffer declared they would push the "reset button" for the fall campaign like an Etch-a-Sketch, just shake it up and start over!
The Dept of Justice and FBI will investigate the death of 17-year old Trayvon Martin who was shot to death walking back to his dad's from a convenience store with a bag of Skittles and an iced tea. George Zimmerman remains free to walk the streets still carrying his 9mm weapon to Stand his Ground with the next unarmed teen he thinks looks suspicious who is walking while being black.
Romney tried to credit George W. Bush and Hank Paulsen with saving the economy. Lying again, Willard? It was widely reported and documented in books that Paulsen contacted Candidate and President Elect Obama for help because Bush had disengaged and McCain didn't get it. But, hey, if Romney wants to run on the Bush economy--have at it. Mr. Etch-a-Sketch can push the reset button tomorrow and wipe out his words!
Jeb Bush sort of endorsed Mitt Romney by issuing a statement saying it was time for republicans to unite and elect Romney. Bush was more enthused about suggesting Marco Rubio for VP. While a Bush pat on the back might help in the GOP primary, it is likely to be a Bush-albatross for the general election.
The Three Muskateers--McCain, Lieberman and Graham--said President Obama must resist the calls to leave Afghanistan. How many more American lives, how many more years, how many more tragedies will do it for these guys?
The Bachmann "Chitspa" Award this week goes to Pastor Dennis Terry who introduced Rick Santorum at a church and told non-Christians to "get out" of the US. What is it with these yahoos? GOPer Allen West told liberals to get out of the US and now non-Christians must go, too. Chutzpah runs amok. Personally, I intend to stay in the country where I was born and annoy the self-righteous, intolerant numnuts every chance I get!!!
It was reported by Blago's barber, since hair dye is not allowed in prison ex-Governor 'Good Hair' will soon be as grey as Jay Leno! lol
Excellent wrap up as usual Jody!
***laying down NJ nut job repellent***
You keep out-doing yourself, Jody!
Rove pulled "a Smiff" in an article in the Wall Street Journal yesterday, attributing a quote to Bill Clinton he never made. It wasn't simply an "out-of-context" quote; it was a re-wording of what Clinton said, with quotation marks around it. Rachel Maddow said the WSJ had been contacted to see if they were going to issue a correction, but hadn't heard back yet. But, hey, Rove is a good Christian, so it must have been an honest mistake--right? Stay tuned.
Good morning Jody, Another Great Weekly Wrap-up on you part. I love it.
Great stuff again Jody. Pastor Terry makes Reverend Wright look like a 100% American saint.
Another stellar wrap up, Jody. Thanks for all your hard work. Mixed emotions for this daughter of Pennsylvania---what an embarrassment Governor Corbett is--to suggest women undergo a procedure they neither want or need, pay for it and then "close their eyes" during it. Bravo for the Pennsylvania doctors for calling this out.
At first I thought Romney was a typical politician, flip flopping from one position to another to get re-elected. After seeing so many of his outright lies uncovered, I'm starting to believe his desperation to be President has overtaken any sense of honesty he ever had.
Great as always Jody ... and with Foster Friess again touring with Rick, you should have another batch of gaffes next week to add.
GOP gubernatorial candidate wrote book on soliciting prostitutes.
A Republican candidate for governor in Montana also turns out to be an expert on “illicit pleasures” like gambling, drugs and prostitution.
In a recent interview, Neil Livingstone, who bills himself as a counterterrorism expert, admitted to The Associated Press that he had been on a yacht where his wife was “the only non-hooker on board.”
While mention of that incident was scrubbed from from the biography on his official website, the Montana Cowgirl Blog uncovered a 1997 manual Livingstone wrote to advise business travelers how to solicit prostitutes and find drugs.
The chapter (PDF) on “Adult Entertainment Districts” has recently been passed around among concerned family values Republicans in Montana.
“Never give the hooker your real name,” Livingstone writes. “On the one hand, some experts say that you should never take a hooker back to your hotel room or apartment, as this invites trouble. On the other hand, your hotel is the safest place for a tryst.”
“Select a high quality brothel,” he advises. “Patronizing a high quality, and therefore generally more expensive, brothel or escort service is always preferable to picking up a bar girl or streetwalker.”
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/03/19/gop-gubernatorial-candidate-wrote-book-on-soliciting-prostitutes/
Here’s one you missed Jody
Back Hoe is on standby. Which reminds me folks we’re having a sale on Yahoo poop down at the DDI this early spring? Turns out that it the richest form of fertilizer availible. Better for those ‘Maters and Flowers than Vigaro.
Lets mark this second anniversary of ObamaCare by not talking about it, since it has become a boat anchor for all the Democrats that supported it. Maybe if Obama didn't have to sign it into law before he could find out what was in it, perhaps he never would have.
Great wrap up, Jody. I look forward to it every Friday.
I also get tired of people telling anyone who doesn't agree with their political or religious beliefs to "get out". I love this country, served it proudly, and ain't going anywhere!
I also can't stand it when they say they want to "take their country back". Back where - to the 19th century?
@Jody - Woo Hoo. Stellar job as always!!
@Rick - for someone spouting on and on about not talking about the healthcare act, you sure do enjoy bringing it up.
@Obama - Woo Hoo - thanks for the Healthcare Act. While not perfect, we like it!!
Thanks, friends.
Jack, I won't hold my breath waiting for the WSJ to print a correction to Rove who wrote the book on How to Lie and Get Away With It. Rumor has it Romney bought 50 copies.
IR, I missed that one and sorry I did. It's hard to keep up with them. I'll be buying some of that Yahoo poop at the DDI; you're right, it really produces great flower and maters. Glad the backhoe is ready.
Rick, you have to listen to President Obama's speeches once in awhile; same with democrats who speak about it often and tout it as an accomplishment for the good of the people. If you did listen to Pres Obama, you'd hear him talk about the health care law often. He's proud of it and I am proud of him for pushing it against the odds and proud of democrats for doing what every democratic and republican president and Congress tried to do since Truman except George W who was only good at starting wars and not paying for anything. It's only a boat anchor for Mr. Etch-a-Sketch Mitt who wants to have it both ways.
When the leading cause of death among Black teenagers is MURDER by OTHER Black teenagers, isn't the HUGE deal being made about Trayvon Martin's murder kind of like seeking a cure for some rare tropical disease and ignoring cancer? Just sayin'...
Jody, excellent wrap-up!
The crap that Damage spews on this board is cancerous. That nut job needs to stand in the middle of Fukushima to radiate that garbage from his brain.
Jody, a zillion thanks for your great work.
It is so helpful to see the important stuff all at one time!
Ann Coulter this week said something like "It is time to go after Obama's children". That is how much she stinks and how desperate to hurt anyone she perceives as in her twisted way.
As for the Trumplington's hair - it was last seen windmilling happily about, as he stomped his feet & lectured about the Wickedness of Windmills. Windmills have been doing great work for humankind - on record in Persia in the 9th century!
Great post as usual Jody!
Ideology, when I heard the clip of Pastor Terry, I wondered why people were upset with Rev Wright's one sentence. I listened to Wright's entire sermon and while his choice of words in that sentence was offensive, the context of the points he made were absolutely accurate. But Terry's entire firey speech was offensive to anyone who has a different faith and who believes in separation of Church and State. It was full of hate and intolerance.
As Rev Gaddy said on Rachel last night, Terry and those like him are the War on Religion. As he said, it angers him that the alter is being used as a substitute for political speeches. It is troubling that candidates like Santorum give campaign speeches in churches. I agree with him, it is not liberals waging a war on religion, it is evangelicals and people like Santorum whose goal is to control government, eliminate religious freedom and replace it with their version of faith. They want a theocracy, a Christians-only theocracy.
Damage, only someone as hateful and uninformed as you cannot see the difference. No one excuses any person killing another person, black, white or other. There was no excuse for what George Zimmerman did, none and trying to compare his stalking of an unarmed teenager after being told not to pursue to gang violence as you did is sick.
See Damage, the shooting of 47 people in Chicago last weekend doesn't count. You have to have racial tensions of a hispanic shooter killing a black kid. It's sad that they try to say he's white, you know, it won't be news. Either way the guy who shot that kid should be arrested, but what MSNBC is doing is just has bad, pitty............
See Jody, that's where you're wrong. Where's the out cry from Sharpton and the other so called black leaders marching in the south side of Chicago? 47 people Jody!! You don't have that on a bad day in Afghanistan!
What that guy did is wrong, I think everone believe that, but for MSNBC and the black leaders use this kid to fight for whatever they're fighting fo it sad.
To address the issue again. No one is saying one murder is worse than another. The reason why the Trayvon Martin case gets such a following is it stirs many emotions. There is more than the Black vs White Narrative.
Gun wielding vs Unarmed
Adult vs Child
Aggresor vs Victim
When you combine the whole story it just doesn't make sense. When looking at the evidence, at least of what I have seen, there does not seem to be a reason why an arrest was not made. Not a conviction, just some detention of the man who just shot a teenager he pursued claiming self defense. It causes outrage and justifiably so. Yes race was involved and is one of the larger issues but there are many complexities in the case that amplify it.
The Donald should no since he is a blowhard...
Great weekly wrap up Jody! and the usual I love it! I love it! I love it! from me. Thanks again for the great read.
So Akeem, what's you chances of getting shot in Chicago by a white guy compared to a black guy? You want to include race, so what's your opinion?
To add another thing, being a white guy in south Chicago, what's my chances of getting shot by a white guy compared to a black guy?
What race is Zimmerman? White? Hispanic? Does it really matter what race? It doesn't, the cops messed up and Zimmerman should be arrested.
So those 47 shootings last weekend didn't stir up any emotions? Really?
Truth is, NONE of us know what happened in the last couple minutes before the shooting. This Zimmerman guy says that Martin, who was 6'3" (big for a "child" dontcha think?) attacked him. The grand jury will decide.
Meanwhile, the liberal media will continue to pursue their agenda of making Black folks think that their children are in danger of being killed by paranoid White folks, when an occurence like that is RARE and everybody knows it.
And if the grand jury says it happened the way Zimmerman says and there are no charges? It's LOOT THE LIQUOR STORE TIME!
The racial drums are a beating!!!!
When I see the same reaction in Chicago then it might be a story.
Paul- 47 shootings!!!!!!!!!!!?????? Holy Crap! Why didn't MSNBC cover that around the clock? Ahhhh,didn't fit their requirements. I understand. By the way. When will the liberal media stop showing pictures of Trayvon Martin when he's 12 years old in a blatant attempt to stir up anger over the shooting of this 6'3" "child"?
Rush is still on the air too! Bwahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!
"The jury will decided." What do you think they'll decide - that because a young man was tall, someone gets a free pass to shoot and kill him?
Got any sons?
Some of us have sons that started sprouting up at eight years of age, and grew up to be extremely very tall teenagers. And teenagers that were good to others, and never raised a hand to anyone.
Paul, I can easily have this conversation because it is something I deal with everyday I hope you don't think you asked me "Tough Questions". (sorry for hi-jacking your post Jody by the way)
Your questions on Chicago are irrelevant. I am honestly not sure of the purpose. Do you want me to say you have a better chance being shot by a black man or are you making the point race doesn't matter?
The reason why race matters in the Florida case is only because of Zimmerman made it matter. It is his fault and no one elses mine or yours. Race matters to me is the same as why it mattered to Trayvonn, besides a few years I fit his description. As a former college athlete I have many times walked around in neighborhoods I didn't know. I could imagine given the same circumstances being followed by an adult in the middle of the night i could serve the same fate.
The entire event is tragic and I wish to make no spectacle of it. Everytime I hear more information I get more upset. At the end of the day I just do not understand why Zimmerman wasn't detained. It does not even seem that Stand your Ground was the reason as there was evidenced Zimmerman was asked not to follow the child. What reason would you give as to why it happened?
I'm in!
Great post, Jody. I especially liked the birther light bulb line.
Akeem,
Believe me that's not intended to be a "tough question". It was a question, straight up. For you think it was "tough" makes me wonder why you would say that?
No Akeem, I what I was applying is that what happened in Chicago is just as bad as in Florida. The cops messed up, but you and I don't know the facts, right? You have 10 dead, 47 shot and there's no, zero, zip out cry. Why is that?
Well at least you could imagine and it didn't happen to you, I've been mugged in Chicago in 94 while supporting World Cup Soccer. It happened right outside of McDonalds off of Ohio Street. I had a gun stuck in my ribs and was told to give up my wallet. Now do you want me to say what race this person was? Does it matter? Oh, I can say it, but what will that do except bring up racial crap.
It is tragic and it's sad but people are making a spectacle of it.
How about let the state and Feds work their investigation and not listen to MSNBC.
Paul, why don't you read what I wrote. I do not excuse any person killing another. Gangs are a problem but cutting taxes and then reducing the police force doesn't help make the streets safer; drug sellers don't help either and neither does our War on Drugs. Maybe TV news needs to report a daily tally of the numbers of murders nationwide, the number of rapes, the number of assaults then we as a society might actually start thinking about how to solve it, how to reduce it, how to prevent it. Too often we do not hear about the events going on nationside but occasionally something happens that begs for public outrage--Trayvon Martin, an innocent highschool junior, walking along minding his own business is stalked and killed by a "neighborhood watch" guy. Sadly, murders happen daily, they happen in big cities and small towns. Why is that, Paul? Care to share your infinite wisdom with us. Do you honestly believe that this particular case does not deserve outrage? Listen to the 9-1-1 phone call Zimmerman made and tell us, Paul, that Zimmerman was not the agressor, not the stalker. All Zimmerman had to do was stay where he was, that's what the dispatcher told him to do but he decided to follow. Akeem is right, this goes beyond a black vs white situation but the 9-1-1 call indicates race was a part of what happened; there was an element of stereotyping prejudice verbalized by Zimmerman in that tape--fairly or unfairly, it is there.
Incidentally, Paul FL, why is it you only quote murders in Chicago? This isn't the first time you poke your finger at Chicago. Why don't you give us the murder rate in Tampa or Miami or Orlando or Tallahassee? Could it be that in mentioning Chicago, you take a back-handed swipe at President Obama in more than one way. Oh, yes, that's exactly what you are doing; it is you who is playing the race card via the back door.
fielden, you can help me annoy them at every opportunity.
Damage,
I don't think MSNBC even mentioned the shootings. Damn, I guess those inner city kids are not important. But I did see that now Obama is getting involved with this case. What do you think he will do? The Feds are already doing something.
Jody,
How about Detroit? I lived there, what are they ranked #1 in the country. As for where I live, I think there was one a few days ago. A lady killed a 80 year old man. Where's the AARP!!!!
Murder rate in those Florida cities? When it hits MSNBC than I will let know.
LOL, are you saying because Obama is from Chicago I used Chicago? That's funny has hell!! No Jody, I used Chicago because I don't know ANYWHERE in the United States that there was 47 shootings in one weekend. Bahgdad? Maybe, but the United States? But since you think that's what I was applying it just proves my case then, why isn't Obama saying anything about the shootings in is home town? Now that's the question. I wasn't even thinking about Obama when I was discussing this, the fact that you did is pretty sad on your part, well no it's pretty funny that you try to pin anything Obama on someone.
I am not sure you understand my point Paul. I do not mean that in a rude way either I just think you are unable to get it.
This case did deserve the attention it did as had it not been given the attention Zimmerman would never have been tried. I have not heard anyone outwardly claim that they believe Zimmerman did not murder that boy do you want to be the first? Do you belive the police were correct that Zimmerman should have been free to go and that be the end of it? Again, I am not saying you do I am simply defending why this case deserved the attention it did. It is not the racial murder alone, the injustice plays a big part.
Again as your references to Chicago I am not sure what reponses you are looking for? I do not see how the two relate in regards to what did cause the Florida case to get its national attention. I think I get what point you are trying to make, but in my opinion I don't see how it makes sense/whether it provides any value.
The references is that if you have an out cry for a crime that hasn't been proven and being feed by MSNBC as a hate crime. If it turns out to be a hate crime, Zimmerman needs to be in prison. I agree with you about "Stand your Ground", it doesn't apply in this case as of yet, saying yet because we don't know what happened.
The two are related in a CERTAIN way. You had 10 killed, 47 shot and not a word on MSNBC and now you have a kid get shot over a week ago and MSNBC goes nuts and stir up racial tension. If you can't see what MSNBC is doing, ie Sharpton, because he works for MSNBC then I don't know what else to say. I just hope justice is done.
Akeem,
It's clear he doesn't get much of anything--unless it agrees with his mindset.
What I like about your posts is that you're always polite. I admire you for that. But you also need to understand that some of these guys don't deserve your politeness. Damage tops the list.
In all honesty Jack, its funny that is not my personality in real life, not a mean guy but in situations like this I am not as polite. I have just noticed from my experience on the internet I have had better reults being polite. I also keep in mind those who read our posts and don't leave a comment. I want them to clearly see the chain of reason I am presenting and not my heated opinion.
I was wondering the same thing?
For someone who lives in FL - he sure has a fixation on my City!
First off the majority of those shootings were gang related. Like every other metropolitan city, we have gang issues. It is going to take a 'village' to correct the problem
Second, I don't give a @!$%# how tall Treyvon was - he was an unarmed teenager carrying a bag of Skittles & some ice tea on his walk home!
He did NOTHING to justify being gunned down like some kind of animal!
Not surprising though, Zimmerman called him a '@!$%#ing coon' on the unedited 911 tape!
Spin this until you fall over - it was WRONG ON SO MANY LEVELS!
You insistance in defending it tells me more then I ever wanted to know about ANY of you!
Here's the deal Paul you worry about your whacked out state and I'll worry about my city
Paul,
Did the shootings in Chicago involve someone working with the police and a neighborhood watch organization?
Did the shootings in Chicago involve a call to 911 and the 911 operator telling the caller to 'not go there'?
Did the shootings in Chicago involve the police not detaining the shooter or confiscating his weapon until an investigation could be conducted?
Did the shootings in Chicago involve no investigation whatsoever, especially when the shooter was known?
Please notice - I didn't mention color or race at all.
Just back from Topeka to get my Friday Jody fix. Thanks young lady. A very fine read as always.
I believe what you meant to say was, "...President Obama signed Mitt Romney's health care act into law."
Da Noid - Frankly I would like to know more about Romneycare.
They say it is really working in Mass.
How does it differ from Obamacare? Are some parts of it better than what Obama is offering?
Just where do the majority of doctors stand on the health care plans the two parties are offering?
Where do the private insurance companies stand on the health care plans the two parties are offering?
Where does the big pharma companies stand on the health care plans the two parties are offering?
Katheryn Brandy. MA RomneyCare has lowered the cost of health care for Massachusetts citizens, lowered the health care costs trajectory (lowest in the nation now), improved the health of its citizens and now 95% of all MA folks are covered. The experts who helped write RomneyCare helped democrats and President Obama write ACA. There are some differences between the two and those differences are primarily because of writing a law to cover 50 states to incompass interstate commerce such as insurance exchanges, etc. I have heard the architect of RomneyCare say there is very little difference between the two.
Wow, thats great to hear at some point I have to do some research on my own. It is sad with moments like the one we are facing now when politics come in the way of us moving forward.
PolitiFact offered this article this week...
www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2012/mar/20/romneycare-and-obamacare-can-you-tell-difference/
Katheryn,
You imply that the Republicans are offering a plan. That's news to me.
Thanks Jody and DaNoid - I do know Massachusetts has one of the lowest levels of people without health issurance - around 4%, I believe - and they say that is a direct result of this health insurance plan by Romney. (of course they also have the highest debt per capita - don't know if that's from the other benefits they pay out for or if it's the health care)
The debt per capita is not strictly tied to public benefits. My guess is that just like the federal tax code, MA state tax codes need reform. Whenever tax codes benefits those with the most wealth, when wages of everyone else stagnate and decline it deprives states of revenue needed to fund public sector government as well as education, infrastructure, sewers, garbage collection. That's what unfair tax codes have been doing to state and federal governments for 30 years. It tilted everything and finally fell over in 2008 when the entire economy collapsed. When government stopped investing in the country beyond the military industrial complex, the private sector economy erodes.
Jody,Iowa
Maybe you should update your facts on the RomenyCare.
Here is an excerpt article from CNN dated 06/15/2010.
Notice that it says that the cost of RomneyCare has increased not decreased.
When Massachusetts launched its reform program in 2006, it already had the highest medical costs in the nation. Today, the burden is still rising far faster than wages or inflation, from those already lofty levels. A report from that state attorney general in March -- remember, this is a Democratic administration -- asked rhetorically "Can we expect the existing health-care market in Massachusetts to successfully contain health-care costs?" The report concluded, "To date, the answer is an unequivocal 'no.'"
Costs are rising relentlessly for both families and for the state government. The median annual premium for family plans jumped 10% from 2007 to 2009 to $14,300 -- again, that's a substantial rise on top of an already enormous number. For small businesses, the increase was 12%. In 2006, the state spent around $1 billion on Medicaid, subsidies for medium-to-lower earners, and other health-care programs. Today, the figure is $1.75 billion. The federal government absorbed half of the increase.
Thanks Jody - I've learned something new
I really don't understand the opposition to the Affordable Care Act. Who is against insurers not being allowed to refuse coverage for pre-existing conditions? Who wants their adult children to be refused coverage while they are starting out? Who wants people to gamble with their insurance coverage and then when the gamble fails put the bill on the doctors and hospitals providing the care because they weren't turned away?
That's easy Steeler Fan, the tea people Koch republicans and the only reason is because President Obama proposed it.
Oh I agree Steeler Fan. Any responsible adult who doesn't want to buy health insurance is not a responsible adult, but instead a leach who wants to have the tax payers pay for their medical bills.
So, we can say any adult who doesn't want health care is not only a fool, but is pretty darn stupid.
Maybe if we didn't have to pass it to find out what was in it, we might have gotten a good bill. One thing for sure, Obama has been running from it ever since he found out what was in it.
The Republicans are quick to bring up the survey results that show only 37% of people support the ACA. They fail to mention that same survey reported that only 33% understand the ACA. I am sure that is the same group.
The ACA was not perfect, but it was a good step forward. The Republicans want to repeal it but offer no alternative. I am disappointed the Democratsa nd President Obama have not done abetter job of explaining the law and its many benefits.
Did you read that one of the plaintiffs in a Florida lawsuit against the ACA had to file banktruptcy in part because of $14,000 in unpaid medical bills? PRICELESS!
Steeler
I was reading a rather comprehensive description of the healthcare bill over on the ABC website yesterday, until my eyes started to glaze over. I think, many people automatically reject something that seems difficult to understand.
The other layer is the legal challenges brought against it, and things like the Anti-Injuction Act, which some say means you can't challenge HCR until it's in effect, if you argue that HCR is like a tax. Explaining all this is quite a challenge for the White House.
It's the mandate that the anti-AHC's are so upset about. Never mind that car insurance is mandated, taxes are mandated, school attendance is mandated. So it's not like we don't have mandates in this country.
I don't get it either. If everyone is insured, then the hospitals won't have to roll the deadbeats' costs into my insurance premium, and healthcare costs will go down.
Obama/Biden 2012
The people against AHC can best be described as non-thinking, low information, freeloaders. They expect everyone else to pay their way. They are the lowest tier in society - it is time for them to step up to the plate and begin paying their way.
TNSEVOL - It's all part of the "Screw Me!" Campaign.
Here was the ad that gentleman was on:
"I can't afford to pay my medical bills.
Repeal the ACA!
Screw Me!"
It's catchy.Fits on a bumper sticker.
Jody
Well done, but it still doesn't change the fact that Obama is the worse President in the history of this country.
You and so many others like you are so misguided about Obama when you say he doesn't have any influence on the price of a gallon of gas. Of course, you are a die hard democrat that for what ever reason refuse to see the obvious.
Obama's public statements that he would like to see gas at $10.00.gallon or more to cut our dependency on foreigh crude, the report that the Fed is driving up the price of a barrel of crude to $200.00, and the Obama ad campaign that credits Obama with reducing our dependency on foreign oil by 15% all indicate that he, in fact, is driving the price of gas up. Driving it so high that its expected to reach $6.00 or more by the end of the year. Of course, these continued raises in the price of gas only hurt the working middle class and the working poor.
What I would like to know is this. As a die hard Democrat have you become blind to the fact that Obama is stripping you of your Constitutional protections little by little or do you truly believe as Obama believes that the Constitution has out lived its usefulness?
I see the pathological liars are out in full force again today. Got a citation for that? Nope, because he never said that. Got anymore lies you care to perpetuate this fine Friday?
what happened,
Are you going to provide the source for this assertion? Or are you just going to mouth off and say whatever pops into your mind, regardless of whether or not it's true?
You're one of the "non-thinking, low information" voters that RedDevPS spoke about above.
Oh I agree Steeler Fan. Any responsible adult who doesn't want to buy health insurance is not a responsible adult, but instead a leach who wants to have the tax payers pay for their medical bills.
So, we can say any adult who doesn't want health care is not only a fool, but is pretty darn stupid.
So Job, tell me why I have to give up my health care for Obama care if I already have health insurance? I'm very happy with what I have now.
I don't think he said $10.00 a gallon, but he did say he wants gas prices to raise gradually. So what's gradually? Today's prices? So what he said in 2008 is an 180 from today? Obama wanted this, I just don't think he wanted the high prices this fast.
Your use of the phrase is STILL wrong, Rick. And so are you.
@Paul
Where in the health care act does it say you have to give up your current insurance. Hint, it doesn't
Also, you just love to perpetuate the lies, don't you. Rather than what you think he said, or what Fox wants you to believe, how about an actual quote. And since you are too lazy to look it up, I've done if for you. Now after reading this, you have to be an idiot to stick by a claim that Obama wants higher gas prices.
And more on the subject from Obama
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/the-claim-that-wont-die-did-obama-want-higher-gas-prices/2012/03/13/gIQAf0EW9R_blog.html
Oh Paul, do you really believe that?
There is no big "Obamacare" policy. You can stay with the policy you have now. The ACA only requires that everyone have insurance, and offers subsidies for those who can't afford to purchase a policy.
It is NOT a government take-over of healthcare. For the most part the ACA uses government subsidies to allow everyone to participate in the free-market insurance system that exists now.
Jack in Portsmouth
Apparently you don't bother to watch your President on TV or listen to him on the radio. If you bother to do just that you wouldn't need a source. You would not only know what the man stands for, you would know that what he says to gets votes and what his actions are don't even come close to representing the same thing.
I love the way you Obama supporters are so uninformed about the man you support.
You are aware that on December 31, 2011 Obama signed into law a Bill that authorizes the Military to detain any American citizen on American soil for any reason indefinitely without having to provide that citizen with their Constitutional protections?
Are you aware that Obama's pick that heads the Justice department, said publicly that Constitutional protections don't apply to military authority.
Are you aware that Obama wants to create a domestic military to administer military justice.
Are you aware that its been reported that internment camps are being built in the south.
Are you also aware that Obama has stated publicly that the Constitution has out lived its usefulness.
So to you I say this. If you have time to post here on Newsvine, then you have the time to educate yourself about the man you support. That is, unless you are a fool who doesn't value your Constitutional protections.
Red,
It’s true that given the opportunity, Obama did not dismiss the notion outright that higher gasoline prices might be a good idea to create incentives for people to switch to alternative energy sources. But the context of the question was that gasoline had risen to $4 per gallon. The rapid rise in the price of gasoline was, he said, “such a shock to American pocketbooks” and “not a good thing,” and that he would have preferred that they had risen more gradually. That’s different from advocating for gradually higher gasoline prices in the future.-FactCheck.org
So Red, I don't like to call anybody names, because you know it make you a better person right?
"Obama: I think that I would have preferred a gradual adjustment"
What I wrote: but he did say he wants gas prices to raise gradually
So Red, what's the difference from 2008 and today?
Lordy, lordy, there's enough unsubstantiated comments allegedly made by President Obama to fill Romney's many homes.
what happened, if you are going to make a statement that President Obama said the Constitution has outlived its usefulness, you better darn well quote the link or provide the source for it. Otherwise, it is just so much Newt "pious baloney".
Tnsevol,
"Oh Paul, do you really believe that?"
Well yes I do and since you don't know what type of HC I have, I will educate you.
Administration officials told Congress that one goal of the increased fees is to force military retirees to reduce their involvement in Tricare and eventually opt out of the program in favor of alternatives established by the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.
Any comments there Tnsevol?
@Paul - I am typing this very, very slowly in the hopes that by reading it very slowly, your reading comprehension skills will improve.
You made the claim that Obama wants higher gas prices. Obama never said that. Obama said, in response to a sharp increase in gas prices in 2008, that he would have preferred that they had risen gradually. There is no 180 degree reversal.
One thing we apparently agree upon is there is no difference between 2008 and 2012. He did not advocate higher gas prices in 2008, and he has not advocated for higher gas prices in 2012. In fact in both years, he said that higher gas prices are not good.
Jody
If you're so uninformed about the man you support, I suggest you get off here and start educating yourself. I know it will be hard for a die hard like yourself that believes more in the party platform then the man who is supposed to be representing it, but that is the problem with you die hard party supporters.
You have all educated yourselves into stupid with the belief in the platform rather than the actions of the man your party puts up. That is why Obama is stripping your Constitutional protections right out from under you nose.
All that matters to you is that the label Democrat/Republican wins at any costs. Screw the country, screw the people, screw your children's future as long as the party wins.
You are an Obama wet dream. You'll support him out of ignorance because he is a democrat and who cares what he does as long as he wins.
Well Jody, your family's share of the National debt went from $45,000.00 to $122,303.00 in 2.75 years under Obama when he created a debt crises that is on going today even after seven months.
Stupid is as stupid does. Keep supporting him not on his record, but because he's a democrat.
what happened,
Man, if this isn't typical. I ask for a source for your allegation that "Obama's public statements that he would like to see gas at $10.00.gallon or more" and THIS is your response? And then you go running down a completely different path and expend 150 words or so talking about military detention, leaving gasoline prices completely behind. That's called deflection, in case you didn't know it. And what this adds up to is that you don't have a source because the president never said anything, ever, about wanting gasoline prices to rise to $10.00. I must therefore conclude that you are a liar.
Paul - here you go again, misrepresenting the facts. The healthcare act is not making you drop your Tricare coverage for something else. Congress and the Pentagon are fully responsible for any changes to Tricare coverage. If you do not like the changes they are proposing, take it up with your congressmen and/or your Veterans Affairs representative.
http://www.gazette.com/articles/house-118236-committee-portions.html
Jack
I'm not a paid researcher, so I'm certainly not going to do your work for you. I've learned here on Newsvine, even when you post a link, Obama supporters refuse to acknowledge it.
And quite frankly, I could care if anyone believes me or not. He's against the pipeline and now he for it is just one example of you don't know what to believe when Obama opens his mouth.
So all you knowledgeable Obama supporters, if you would, could you answer one question for me.
All we all know, Obama has been crying about his tax reform and how the republicans are preventing him from getting it passed. As a die hard Obama supporters, I sure you remember Obama's first campaign when he made his tax reform a major issue with a promise he would get it passed if elected.
So here is my question for all you die hard Obama supporters. Its really a simple one too.
With Democratic control of Congress for two years why didn't Obama propose his tax reform and get it passed as easily as the got the Affordable health care act passed?
Wow, isn't it just amazing how he's ressurrected tax reform and made it a campaign issue after he lost democratic control of the House and knew he couldn't get it passed.
What is even more amazing is that he signed into law a Bill that gives the military the authority to detain indefinitely any American citizen on American soil for any reason without having to provide that citizen with their constitutional protections.
Tax reform not that important, but stripping you of your Constitutional protections, well that is another story isn't it. Gee why do you think he signed it on News Years eve? Could be because most of the press core was away for the holidays? NA, he wouldn't be so slimy.
Keep supporting him. Be interesting to hear what you have to say when he truns this country into a 3rd world nation.
what happened,
You can't prove it because President Obama never said it. It's a lie. Period.
And there you go deflecting again. You can't prove it, so you try to change the subject. It's a time-worn strategy and it won't work here. Go back and try it with the 3rd graders.
And then you said this to Jody: "If you're so uninformed about the man you support, I suggest you get off here and start educating yourself." You've got to be kidding. Jody is about 500 times more informed about the subjects on this site than you are.
I think "what happened" is that you got dropped on your head when you were a baby.
@Jack - and more than once, I might add.
RedDevPS,
Agreed. Have a good weekend.
Jack and to all other Obama supporters.
I'm the one informed and apparently you aren't, so that makes me a liar because I know something that you don't.
Well I believe that you know many things I don't and I don't call you a liar or hater or anything else other than being a moron for not being informed.
All it goes to show is that you are narrow minded, too lazy, and scared to do your own research. Afraid that I might be right and your blinded support for Obama might be in questions, so I will pose this to you.
Obama has publicly said that he wants gas to be over $10.00/gallon to cut our dependency on foreign oil. What was the price of gas when he took office? What is it now? I just filled up my tank and the cheap gas was $3.95/gallon. The highest price I've ever paid for a gallon of gas.
I suppose you missed the report from about a week or so ago that said the FED will cause the prices of a barrel of crude to be at $200.00 by years end. Gas prices are expected to be $6.00/gallon by the end of the year. Of course, the FED is doing this all on their own and Obama has no influence over what the FED does. I'm sure you believe that one or is that another one of my lies?
I don't believe you've missed the Obama's campaign ads that claim Obama has cut our dependency on foreign oil by 15% as they are all over the TV and Internet. Well how do you think that cut came about? Now you're going to have to think like an adult to figure that one out.
Gee I can't wait to see what his campaign ads say about our dependency on foreign oil when gas is $6.00/gallon.
The problem with you all is that you are like drug addicts in denial. You know the truth, but don't want to admit it too afraid of the truth.
I see Gingrich is flogging the "Obama is dangerous" meme lately. I know it resonates with many right wingers I personally know, who are convinced the "gubmint" is coming after them, society is on the verge of collapse, and they may soon need to defend themselves against poor people fleeing the cities.
Ironically, it's our right wing governor, Paul LePage, who is axing many of these same low income Mainers from Medicaid, and cutting aid to Maine cities which the mayors say will lead to increased homelessless. So, these right wingers' worlds are getting more dangerous - thanks to the policies of their own Paul LePage. So ironic.
Whereas left wingers like Amy think the Gubmint is God, and 'poor people' are totally helpless and must be taken care of for life. Poor people, worship the welfare state, you have no chance to rise up from poverty.
Paul LePage dares to stand up to clueless progressives and will get Maine moving forward with economic recovery, not government dependency.
Amy---hasn't your governor also made drastic cuts to the education budget?
Maine is a welfare state thanks to decades of Democrat control in the legislature. The adage reads, as Maine goes so goes the nation. People should take a good look at Maine, the Democratic Party has created a welfare state funded on the backs of anyone that can find a job. Maine is no longer vacationland, it is taxationland. You can thank Mainer's for sending two of the architects of welfareland and taxationland to Congress in Michaud and Pingree.
Bob -
You are right, the rich have our best interests at heart and the poor are out to get us. Cut Medicaid so we can afford more tax cuts for the wealthy......
The poor are asking for a "helping hand", not a handout.
Bob in Virginia-5210392
That's absolutely not what I think. I don't think government is God. If you are going to criticize individuals for taking government handouts, why not criticize companies who get so many subsidies and tax breaks, it's as if they are on welfare themselves?
Paul LePage was an abused child who grew up in poverty in Lewiston, Me. His gripe against welfare seems to be predicated on his experience with some of his low life siblings, who exploited the system and him. I think many right wingers grew up in such circumstances and that colors their view that welfare recipients are moochers.
Because I don't own a car, and use the bus, I have rubbed shoulders with lots of dysfunctional people, overhearing loud cell phone conversations discussing their "benefits" etc, and I am always reminded of the phrase "hell is other people." The difference is, I look at these folks and I think 'thank God, that's not me." I also see moments of humanity in these folks, for instance, when a bus full of people tried to help a demented, elderly man find an address where he needed to go. Moments before, I'd been thinking judgmental thoughts about a young woman, one of the welfare types, who then volunteered to guide the man to his destination. People are surprising.
What are you talking about, Amy? We middle class folk out here in the Burbs have been having to defend ourselves from the "poor people fleeing the cities" for decades now thanks to liberal mismanagement of said cities, idiotic SCOTUS decisions and liberal social engineering projects.
Maine does have a huge debt, per capita one of the highest - of course, they also have one of the lowest numbers on people without health insurance, the lowest on people living below the poverty line and one of the lowest rates of unemployment.
Also has the lowest violent crime rate in the country.
Don't know how much of that good stuff or bad stuff is the Republican governor or how much is due to previous governors. I suspect, like most things - it's a mixed bag.
Can you tell us anything about these figures,Amy?
Maine is a welfare state thanks to decades of Democrat control in the legislature
This isn't true, but if you repeat it enough, people think it's true.
The average time spent on TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) is 21 months. 85 percent of families leave the program within two years. Only 4% of families stay on longer than five years, and those cases usually involve people with disabilities.
Maine has the largest polpulation of seniors in the nation. Our median age is 42. The median age of the population in Utah, in contrast is 29. The national median age is 37.
Having an older population automatically skewers those numbers showing participation in federal programs, such as Medicaid.
Although we are also the least ethnically diverse state in the nation (i.e. we are mostly white), some people like to claim our "generous welfare benefits" are attracting foreign immigrants to Maine.
The truth is, far more people on assistance leave Maine, than come here. Refugees receive eight months of assistance fromthe federal government, no matter where they settle. Non-citizen refuggees can get geneneral assistance in Maine, that is true. In Maine, that's $485 a month for a family of three, the lowest in New England.
Maine is a state where a man or woman who can feed themselves off the water or land and work that land can make a living. I lived in REAL Maine (not Portland) for 10 years.My freezer was always full of Various meats and wild fruit (Blue berries, Strawberries) and vegetables (Fiddle heads were amoung my favorites.) No matter where in Maine you live (besides Portland) considered M@ssachusetts by most Maniac's you can feed your self and family pretty well. I lived on Bailey's Island for a few years and had fresh seafood almost every day. Its an easy state to live in as long as your willing to go out and get the plentiful amount of food available. Michigan is close to the same once you get out of Detroit/Flint
Bailey's Island isn't "real Maine," by your definition, I hate to tell ya'. It's a beautiful, upper income Democratic stronghold in the Southern part of the state.
And there are very few people receiving government assistance, there.
If you want to see rural poverty, and people living off their deer and canned vegetables, you go inland and up. Nothing wrong with how they survive, and neither is there anything wrong with us Portlanders, which is the economic engine of the whole state, per Forbes magazine.
What has happened in Maine over the past decade, however, is something very different than what has taken place in the past. Once, enrollment in the welfare system rose when times were tough, and then dropped in periods of economic growth. Under the Baldacci Administration, though, enrollment in welfare has risen year after year, in good times and in bad. Indeed, the budgets submitted by the state agencies that run Maine’s welfare system suggest that had the state not faced budget deficits almost every year, the state’s welfare programs would have expanded ever further and faster than they actually did.
Worse still, the state’s welfare system, once focused only on the truly needy, now reaches well into the middle class. The state offers subsidized child care to families with $40,000 in income. A married couple with three children can earn more than $50,000 a year and still receive taxpayer-funded health care under the state’s Medicaid program, an eligibility limit more than three times the national average. The state’s welfare system is “so well integrated,” as a DHHS spokesperson put it, that once Mainers show up to get assistance from one program, they are automatically enrolled in as many other programs as the state can find for them.
The evidence is overwhelming that Maine’s welfare addiction is unsustainable. In FY 2008, Maine state and local governments spent $2.506 billion on our public welfare system compared to just $2.278 billion on the entire K-12 education system. In contrast, Maine’s Department of Economic and Community Development, the state agency charged with helping to create jobs, spent just $47.6 million. The next governor and the next Legislature will inherit a budget deficit totaling more than $1 billion, in no small measure because the state’s private sector economy, which has seen virtually no job growth over the past ten years, cannot support an ever-expanding welfare system which consumes hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars each year and which discourages work and self-reliance. No state can have more people on government welfare programs than working in the private sector, yet if present trends continue, Maine will be there in just a few short years.
This was prior to Paul LePage taking office, but what a mess left to him from the decades of Democratic Party mismanagement and social engineering.
Katheryn wrote: Don't know how much of that good stuff or bad stuff is the Republican governor or how much is due to previous governors. I suspect, like most things - it's a mixed bag.
I do not agree with the agenda Governor LePage has promoted, of dropping thousands from Medicaid, cutting aid to Maine cities while they grabble with the needs of the disabled, addicted and mentally ill in this state, while cutting taxes for the wealthiest. I doubt these policies will turn us into Utah. Check back in two years, though, and we'll see if the population has grown younger and wealthier. (oooh, I'd like to be younger and richer!)
Dear Rick,
Your post is cut and pasted from a right wing think tank, Maine Freedom Forum, funded by a national group promoting Grover Norquist's lobbying efforts to keep taxes low for the wealthiest, at the expense of public education and human services.
It's a piece of sophisticated propaganda, but it's not based on facts.
The fact is, during the recession, more people did sign up for assistance, but that doesn't make us a "welfare state," as in generations of Mainers on assistance, since, as noted, 85% of folks who receive aide are off it in two years. Furthermore these "generous benefits" amount to $485.00 a month for a family of three.
The rightwing in Maine are painting a distorted picture of the cost to the state of "moochers" to justify dropping sick and elderly people from Medicaid, in order to give tax cuts to the wealthiest. It's a national agenda, not a homegrown, Maine initiative, and its disgusting.
Amy, so true. The GOP is really good at tapping into fear.
Iowa's GOP majority House cut $100 million from the bipartisan passed Senate education bill. Who knows why because the State has the money and can afford the $100 million. This from the party of Gov Branstad who said he wants to improve Iowa's education system--forgetting to mention, of course, that it was Branstad who ruined it during his first 16 years--so the party makes a drastic $100 million cut.
Hey, Rick #s, how do you explain Texas's big budget mess; some $25 billion short again. When was the last time a democrat was Governor or the state House had a majority of democrats running it? Inquiring minds what to know what your excuse is for Texas.
Amy, never been to the Maine Freedom Forum, maybe you can post the link for me. The real propaganda is coming from the liberals with a socialist agenda. Liberals have been trying to hide the truth in Maine by creating welfare assistance under so many different names and agencies to make it difficult to follow the money trail. But the numbers do not lie, and Maine is absolutely a welfare state. We spend more on welfare then education.
Rick-3416939
All I had to do was Google a few of your phrases, and it brought me right to websites fueled by the Koch-funded Maine Heritage Center. You are spreading right wing propaganda.
Maine spends more than other states on Medicaid because we have the oldest population in the nation, and the poorest in New England. 75% of people in nursing homes are on Medicaid. Furthermore, the state pays only .37 of every dollar spent on Medicaid, the federal government makes up the rest. Cutting spending on Medicaid in Maine isn't a good deal for our state - we are getting our people covered by insurance and keeping healthcare providers employed, which is good for Maine. Contrary to what rightwingers believe, if you cut Medicaid, people don't suddenly stop needing healthcare. They just wait longer to get care, and arive sicker at ER's.
I bet Romney would make fewer gaffes if he'd just stick to the truth. It's really hard to avoid gaffes when your entire campaign is based on internally inconsistent arguments ("I will solve the demand side problem causing unemployment with more supply side stimulus") supported by made up facts (aka "lies", like "Obama's trying to destroy medicare as we know it") and blatantly insincere platitudes ("Hey, deep South, I sure do love y'all's cheesy grits, but what's up with your trees? They're all the wrong height.")
No matter what you do, when you build a house out of tissue paper, eventually people are going to poke some holes in it.
Many of the low information Republican folks don't understand facts. They just hate President Obama no matter what.
I get great pleasure in knowing that President Obama is going to stick it to these Republicans by winning re-election, and helping to stop the dumb down of America crowd from advancing.
I also find it amazing that people, consisting of low information mind sets actually overlook the total lies that Flip Romney tells on a daily basic. I bet the new definition of “Snake Oil Salesmen,” is going to be listed as Willard M. Romney.
Because Obama's been so honest, eh? Whatever buys him a vote....lying to Mexicans for example. Amnesty? Yeah right. Solyndra, overspending, no job creation......
WORST....PRESIDENT.....EVER.....
(Yes even worse than Carter!!)
W. Bush is actually considered the worst President ever.
Sorry Laker Steve, GW Bush wins that one by a LANDSLIDE!
Show me another President who:
-Took a budget surplus and turned it into a deficit
-Attacked a sovereign nation with no provocation
-Ignored our constitution with impunity (Patriot Act, wiretaps, secret CIA prisons, torture, etc.)
-Took a nation united by a great tragedy and tore it apart by using that tragedy for political gain.
-Destroyed our reputation across the world with his "cowboy" diplomacy and arrogance towards other nations.
Bush is the worst president ever, hands-down, no doubt about it!!
W. Bush is actually considered the worst President ever.
At the end of his presidency, when we finally started seeing Bush in informal interviews, I was shocked at how inarticulate he really was. They call Obama the teleprompter President, but when you see PBO in casual settings, he can actually string sentences together, unlike Bush. I think Republicans are used to running these campaigns where they sell a guy like Bush or Romney with a massive marketing strategy. If Romney hadn't been slowed by Gingrich and Santorum, they would have managed it again. Unfortunately for them, the public has seen more unscripted moments with Romney than we did with Bush, and it's opening the public's eyes.
To me the sad thing is I think George Bush is a good man -just wasn't made for the office of the Presidency.
I think Cheney should shoulder a lot of the blame for that period,and yet ....Bush is the one whose name will bear the full brunt of any actions that were taken.
And I know,I know - it's the price of being named president... it's still kinda sad.
Didn't Norquist say the Republicans didn't need a President who can independently think for himself,they just need someone who can hold a pen and sign what they tell him to sign? But that was Bush's problem in the first place.
I agree Katheryn - GWB was in WAY over his head.
I think he is a good man who had the best of intentions, but he relied on his advisors too much and did not spend enough time thinking things through.
I have known several people like him in my professional career - they see everything in simplistic "black and white" terms, are absolutely convinced that they are right and God is on their side, and will never admit their mistakes or change their minds about anything.
Just repeating what the conservative media tells you, doesn't make it true.
A conservative OWN THAT TITLE! The war time hero, draft dodger and economic genius, bush.
x
"The country remains split to slightly more unfavorable on the law,"
What? ? Are you serious? Is this the Axelrod talking point? "The country is split"?
Obamacare remains massively unpopular! Recent analysis showed the massive GOP landslide of 2010 was in large part due to public opposition to this disastrous law.
Nothing has changed!
A while back, I had a discussion with a 50 year old who hates President Obama and the Health Care Reform act, along with hatred of all progressive ideas. This fellow said “no way is hell would he let anyone force him to buy health insurance. “ So, my question to him was if he had a major accident or illness, that lets say cost $100,000 or more, what would he do? His answer, “go to the ER.”
Of course with additional questions of how he would you pay for this, his answer was to pay $20.00 a month. Of course my response was $20.00 a month was not going to satisfy the hospital or ever going to pay the bill. I went on to point out that such as a plan of action on his part flies in the face of what his far right friends believe in, and that he would be considered one of the dead beats he and his far right friends accuse the progressives of doing.
So, we can say any adult who doesn't want health care is not only a fool, but is pretty darn stupid.
Bob -
Get the facts. The latest polls show 50% oppose, 45% support - that is "split". But included in the 50% opposed is the 13% who say it does not go far enough.
Only 18% want to repeal it entirely, so if I used Republican logic then an overwhelming majority (82%!!!!) DON'T want the ACA repealed.
#.T2JW78hdA14
And only 1/3 of those surveyed said they understood the regulation.....
Job1
Conservatives go ballistic over the idea that healthcare is a "right," however, that doesn't stop Republicans, such as your friend, for behaving as if it's their right. They will show up at ER's, expecting healthcare, whether or not they can pay for it.
Last weekend I became alarmed by symptoms I thought might be a heart attack. I felt anxious inside and my hands were sweaty and shaky. I went to our local First Care center (not an ER), as instructed by my doctor's office. The diagnosis was low blood sugar. They gave me an electrocardigram, just to make sure, but my heart was fine.
Yesterday I got the bill: $590 dollars. Thank goodness, I have insurance, but what if I didn't? If I were still an uninsured daycare worker, that would have taken me a year to pay off, on my $9.00 an hour salary.
You have a college degree and your making $9 an hour?
Glad to hear you're OK, Amy!
You have a college degree and your making $9 an hour?
I'm saying when I was a daycare worker, without employer provided health insurance, I made $9.00 an hour.
I worked for years as a customer service rep for L.L.Bean, made $10 an hour and no health insurance. Plenty of jobs in Maine are like that. Thank God, I have insurance in my current job.
Has anybody seen a politician or anybody for that matter lie like Romney does? This is how it works in the Corporate world, you lie out your butt, then when caught you blame your secretary or assistant. Folks this is how Romney will govern if elected. We won't have a clue whats going on because he'll change his mind at least twice everyday.
But i tell you our stock market wouldn't be as high as it is were it not for obamacare. Health care costs are finally under some control and not going up by 40% every year. Finally the country has a modern medical system with computerized records. It's being competitive.
And i ask you. Do you know of anyone, anyone who doesn't need health care. Never needs a check up. And what about a massive accident. Who can say that they will never be in an accident. Mr grover, the gop, & the rushbo will tell you there are people to whom accidents never happen to. That have magical powers so that they can turn back time and redo incidents in their lives so that they will never get into a train wreck. That global warming does not exist. That 97% of the scientists are absolutely wrong.
How could this be his signature achievement? I thought when the president ripped his shirt up to make a bandanna, got his Rambo knife, and personally went and got Bin Laden with his bare hands, that was his signature achievement. At least when you hear some of the liberals talk how wonderful he is, that is about how the story comes out.
ClunkerCare is so good that all the politicians are opting out of it.....
But I guess it's good enough for the Dimwit voters.......
With gas pushing to $5/gal, I guess all the unemployed can walk to their doctor visits?
CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN!!!
In honor of the Second Anniversary of Health Care Reform being signed into law, here are the 10 Most Ridiculous Quotes from the debate on its passage:
10. "The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's 'death panel' so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their 'level of productivity in society,' whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil." - Sarah Palin, 8/7/09
9. "To our seniors, I have a message for you: you're going to die sooner." - Sen. Tom Coburn, 12/1/09
8. "If ObamaCare passes, that free insurance card that’s in people’s pockets is gonna be as worthless as a Confederate dollar after the war between the states — the Great War of Yankee Aggression." - Rep. Paul Broun, 3/18/10
7. "Baby Killer!" - Rep. Randy Neugebauer shouting at Rep. Bart Stupak, 3/21/10
6. "They intend to vote on the Sabbath, during Lent, to take away the liberty that we have right from God. This is an affront to God." - Rep. Steve King, 3/18/10
5. "Exercise freaks are the ones putting stress on the health care system." - Rush Limbaugh, 6/12/09
4. "Obama's got a health care logo that's right out of Adolf Hitler's playbook. Adolf Hitler, like Barack Obama, also ruled by dictate." - Rush Limbaugh, 8/6/09
3. "You have three people in the White House that are in love with eugenics or whatever it is you would call it today. Please dear God, read history. Please dear God read the truth of what these people have said in their own words, and ask yourself this one question: Do you trust these people enough to give them control over who lives and who dies? Because that's what health care is when you have no other choice but to go to the state." - Glenn Beck, 8/6/2009
2. "We should not have a government program that determines if you're going to pull the plug on grandma." - Sen. Chuck Grassley, 8/12/09
1. "That's why people need to continue to go to the town halls, continue to melt the phone lines of their liberal members of Congress, and let them know, under no certain circumstances will I give the government control over my body and my health care decisions." - Rep. Michele Bachmann, 8/20/2009
What is ridiculus is that the Democrats blame a failed publicity campaign for the public dislike........not that it is a flawed Bill.
You forgot "Let's pass it, then we will see what's in it" -Nancy Pelosi, do not have the exact date.
I know the GOP and every RWNJ loves to keep perpetuating that lie by taking it out of context (Mitt Romney-is that you??) Glenn Beck & Fox were the first to do so however, here is what Nancy Pelosi actually said:
Kind of changes the whole perspective now, doesn't it? If you want to continue with anymore lies about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act I'm sure I can reward you with some more facts.
@Cynthia - Bravo !! The pathological lying scum posting their crap on the Vine is getting very tiresome.
When something is bad its, bad. You don't have to be a rocket science to know that eggs sitting out in the sun for a week are bad and you certainly have had enough information about this health care program to know its not only bad, but will never work. Come on, start paying for it in 2014, but won't receive the full benefits until 2024. Even the Democrats that voted for it, don't want any parts of it.
But to support it because you are a die hard democrat unwilling to admit this Affordable health care act is bad is just plain moronic.
You got that right, and what is horribly bad are your failed arguments the AHCA is moronic. What nonsense are you talking about when you say you pay in 2014 but won't receive full benefits until 2024? Which Democrats do not want "any parts" of it?
The people who don't want "any parts of it" must be the ones who failed English 101..... :)
Red,
If Obama Care is so great as you say, why isn't Obama out there pitching it? Saying how great it is? Did I miss these great speeches? You know the ones he uses props to show that something is working? Only thing I heard was that Obama is going to speed up the pipeline from OK to the Gulf Coast, which by the way already started so that's pretty much of a fib, don't want to say lie, that's to offensive.
Really dirp? How does an English class relate to HC? I don't want it, where would you like me to return my degree to? I will say I'm not one of those that failed. Or maybe the people that have a degree understands it's crap and don't want it. You know it's easier to have someone tell you whats in it instead of reading it you know?
Paul, Obama has been pitching it. Blaming Obama for your personal failings and laziness to research the act is a good definition of offensive.
@Dirp - makes you wonder why Paul spends his time on this site, since it entails reading, which is apparently beyond his capabilities.
Cynthia's Point, THANK YOU!
I am constantly trying to correct people on their use of this quote. Your context is perfect in that it really does change the whole meaning.
Sadly and typically, conservatives continually misquote and take it out of context so that it will fit their narrative. They probably don't even understand it in its correct form.
Red,
He has? When? Where? This week? Damn, I must had missed that part. I only seen the part where he took credit for things he didn't do.
LOL, good one Red, when in doubt, use insults....................lol you're the smarter one.
Cynthia's Point, cheers for that, excellent!
Paul FL, you have to watch President Obama's speeches and read the newspapers in order to see him talk about the AHCA something you obviously fail to do on a daily basis.
" It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that health care wasn’t communicated well by this White House – and it’s doubling down lately by not selling it."
Again, with the liberal spin. How much more communicatung did you want? The President made dozens and dozens of speeches about ObamaCare, as usually promising free goodies for everyone. Didnt work, because voters understood this was a government takeover.
The 2010 elections showed how unpopular Obama Care is.
The verdict is long in...cant sell this dogfood no matter what the ad budget..
...but, Bob, what about all those great Republican ideas that were included in Health Care Reform?
You know, like the mandate.
Any adult who doesn't want health care is not only a fool, but is pretty darn stupid.
and silence from bob....
This President is no lightweight when it comes to politics.
We'll just let the Republicans keep on with their campaign of misinformation.
The SCOTUS has a way of bringing out the facts of a matter and this will not be any different. Come November when it is all said and done, the AHCA will be viewed by the majority as better than paying emergency room care for the uninsured.
BOB: Check out the amount of money spend on anti-healthcare reform ads as compared to ads supporting it. The Right has massively outspent and might I add, mightily out-demagogued this issue. "Death Panels", "Socialism", "Un American", man, I sure am glad you Righties don't get right down in the gutter, trying to win your argument.
Funny thing, cause the "Individuale Mandate" that you're all screaming abut WAS A CONSERVATIVE IDEA, created by no less than the Heritage Foundation along with many GOP Congressman including Newt Gingrich. Obama's plan happens to be a line for line copy of Willard's plan in Massachusetts. Funny how Romney thinks is just fine when he implements it in his state but it's somehow toxic when Obama does it for the entire country. And he will soon be your party's nominee. Look forward to hearing him explain this one away.
You don't think your party is showing a double standard or anything, do you??? I've never seen so many "Patirotic" and supposedly "Christian" people so gleeful at the prospect of denying tens of millions of Americans decent health care. It's kind of like the way they mocked Christ, when he was crucified, don't you think? We wouldn't want to join with the rest of the advanced nations of the world, ALL of whom provide health care for their citizens, now would we? We're Americans, and therefore smarter than the rest of the entire world which is why our health care costs more than double of any other nation's and yet we lag far behind in terms of quality of care, life expectancy and infant mortality. Way to go, U.S. A.
Ozzie boy
You support Obama's desire to retire the Constitutional Protections afforded each American citizen.
I have no respect for you and what you say. You want to see this country turned into a third world nation.
I want health care...... for me and my wife. But I will pay for it, thank you very much!
HAPPENED: Thanks for NOT ADDRESSING A SINGLE POINT THAT I MADE IN MY POST. Mightily impressive. You choose to ignore my main point that this program was a CONSERVATIVE IDEA, supported by many GOPers who now rail against it.
Once things for sure, you were never in a debate club during your college years.
Ozzie
Like your boy Obama, you like to twist and remake everything to fit in your nice little bag of BS.
The Republicans were and are in favor of a national health care plan, but one that's not going to bankrupt this country.
With 46% of the country living in or at the edge of poverty, just how do you expect the government to buy health insurance policies from for profit insurance companies to cover all these people?
OH that's right, Obama has a money tree growing in the back yard of the White House.
I would address and have addressed your posts in the past, but you are so uninformed about the man you support it is a waste of time.
You should really grow up and spend your time getting informed about the man you support. You are completely in the dark about how he is stripping your constitutional protections from you, and that makes you a fool.
Bob who will never be VP McDonnell, well, let's put it this way skippy--it was pretty difficult for any voice of reason to get past the death panels, killing grandma, government take-over screamed daily by the GOPers and the Tea Party lunatic protests with their racist and hateful signs which so entralled the news media that those legislators and President Obama's factual statements were ignored.
what happened at #16.8 is that ozzie boy was "owned" by what happened.
The only reason some people may say they are not satisfied with the health care reform that was passed into law is because ---IT DID NOT INCLUDE PUBLIC OPTION as had been initially expected by people who were in favor of healthcare reform.
Some questions asked by those taking the polls are misleading. When I was polled, the question I was asked was--"Are you satisfied that healthcare was passed without public option". My answer to the question posed was a 'No' because I wanted public option. This does not mean I do not support the reform. I believe the person who asked me the ambiguous question went ahead and included me in the number of people opposed to health care reform while in the actual sense I do support it.
If people being polled were asked straight-forward questions instead of tricky and ambiguous questions, the result will show that over 80% of Americans are in support of the healthcare reform.
Very true. Even your last example could be confusing. Are you in favor of THE health care reform (45%) or are you in favor of health care reform (85%). The problem is that the current bill has a lot of flaws.
A public option would mean the federal government is competing against the private insurers ...... while at the same time MAKING ALL THE RULES and REGULATIONS ! LOL !! EPIC FAILURE in logic !!!
They are against healthcare,because their precious drug companies have been ripping off our government with unnecessary drugs to seniors. Also the drug companies give Doctors incentives to hand them out. Also unnecesary test to bill the Gov. Fraud and abuse has been the biggist problem in healthcare. Insurance companies only want healthy people on their roles,but even they get sick. Guess what they will eat you out of your house,your car and leave your family destituted. You people complain about tax dollars,I personally don't like war but I pay. Healthcare provides jobs to our newest doctors and nurses also aides and janitors. War provides an never ending healthcare problem to all of us.You better hope Scotus decides for it because our wounded soldiers won't go away,of course you wish death on our seniors and poor children. I hope the rapture comes soon so you can all leave. You have no common decency,you worship money! Who the hell has built this country for decades we have,and who has left this country in shambles you Republicans have. And keep attacking women,we will show you who wears the pants in this country. OBAMA-BIDEN 2012 J-MAL
So, the drug companies are writing the prescriptions ??? FAILED LOGIC !!!!!!!!
Doctors write prescriptions and they are sometimes excessive because if they miss something, then they will be sued by the trial lawyers.
.
j. malbrough wrote: "They are against healthcare,because their precious drug companies have been ripping off our government with unnecessary drugs to seniors."
Also, they're charging Americans 50% more for the same meds as they do in ANY other nation and trust me, I began my career as a synthetic research chemist designing industrial processes for pharmaceutical intermediates: they don't need the extra profit from America for "research."
So if what you say is true lets take care of the overcharging and not BLOW UP the whole system as an excuse to expand GOV power that the gov does not have DUHHH
$262,000 million wasted trying to put lipstick on this pig......
Obamacare will now cost us double what was first sold and rates have gone up not down........do not think it is a "message " problem ....it is a "substance" problem......the overall Bill sucks........has some good points........but not many.
I posted this yesterday, but based on the continued misinformation it bears repeating.
You do realize that the major reason the cost estimates for the ACA went up is because the period they were being evaluated for (10 years rolling) changed?
Republicans and conservative media are cherry-picking a figure in a new Congressional Budget Office spending estimate (PDF) to assert that the cost of "Obamacare" has nearly doubled to $1.76 trillion. But the claim ignores the corresponding savings during the additional period of the spending projection, thus distorting the actual cost estimates of the law.
"The new CBO projection estimates that the law will cost $1.76 trillion over 10 years — well above the $940 billion Democrats originally claimed," Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), the No. 4 House Republican, declared in a press advisory. Republicans on the powerful Energy & Commerce Committee said the CBO report "reveal[s] a shocking new sticker price of $1.8 trillion."
Fox News and other conservative outlets have trumpeted the out-of-context number as vindication for those who warned that the Affordable Care Act will cost far more than advertised.
CBO's actual revised estimate is that the "gross costs of the coverage provisions," — the money used to provide people Medicaid or private insurance — has risen by about $50 billion over the 2012-2021 period since its previous estimate, from $1.445 trillion to $1.496 trillion. That's the only relevant change to spending projections in the report.
So where are conservatives getting the idea that the cost of the law doubled? When it passed in 2010, CBO said its 10-year outlays would be about $940 billion. But because the law isn't set to be fully implemented until 2014, when the coverage expansion takes effect, that initial estimate included several years in which the law cost very little. Now that it's 2012, CBO's 10-year outlook captures more years during which the law will be in full effect. The law's price tag appears higher, but its costs in no way doubled.
Conservatives, however, want to use the effect of this sliding window to make it appear as if the health care law is a budget buster. But this latest CBO report focuses exclusively on the law's spending provisions, and ignores its savings — the taxes and spending cuts, that also mostly take effect in 2014.
Indeed, CBO still holds that the law reduces the deficit by billions of dollars over 10 years. That's just not in this report.
"CBO and JCT have not estimated the budgetary effects in 2022 of the other provisions of the ACA; over the 2012-2021 period, those other provisions were previously estimated to reduce budget deficits," the CBO report reads.
All of which means that the cost projections have only experienced minor changes in the CBO report, a far cry from the conservative claims that the Affordable Care Act's price tag has skyrocketed or doubled.
Another example of either distortion of facts or outright lies - the costs only went up slightly, and the latest CBO report shows only the additional costs for 2022 because the savings haven't been calculated yet.
so now its the CBOs fault...........priceless!!!!
This is as bad as his 3.1 million green job number......and trying to take credit for the pipeline yesterday
Our "CON"mander in Chief..........
1Hiram -
No one said it was the CBO's fault, the Republicans are once again distorting the facts and not telling the truth about ACA. If it is really so bad, why do they have to lie about it to make their point?
And show me where Pres. Obama took credit for the pipeline. You can't, because it didn't happen.
Neither is Obama........those saving you claim in paragragh 3..... have not happened.....rates that Obam projected to decrease by $2500....have now been figured at an increase of $2200 on average. Those saving did not happen ........that is why they were not counted!!!!
Alsdo the over 1200 exemptions Obama gave out were not figured in the first CBO forcast.
Hiram, the one at fault here is you.
You cannot and will not read the facts. Even when you do read, you refuse to understand or accept the words. And when people try to show you the facts and offer to explain them, you condemn those people.
fielden, I believe you are suffering from delusions of grandeur once again.
Somehow, you think your "opinions" are SUPERIOR to everyone else and you elevate your "beliefs" to "facts".
On second thought, maybe your delusions are on a much, much lower level.
Obamacare is and will remain a ma$$ive government boondoggle ... a clu$ter@!$%# beyond all repair. The bill does nothing to lower costs so it has failed in its mission ..... even before it got off the ground !
The Democrats wrote this and crammed it down our throats.........and now they have to spend $262 Million trying to convince us they did right..........Remember Nancy's famous words..."We have to pass the Bill, to find out what is in it".......
It is realy funny how the Left thinks,over 50% of the public does not want Obamacare and that has never been under 50% on any legit poll since the Radical left pushed it through against the peoples desire,this fact is not in dispute and it will the (Purchase Mandate) be overturned . The midterm elections were a message to Washington we the people DONT WANT OBAMACARE.Thank God there are 5 SCOTUS judges that will overturn this Gov attempt to take over our freedom of choice.
What is really disgusting is how the Right wants everyone else to pay for their medical care. If you want AHC overturned, you are a freeloader. Nothing more, nothing less.
Red....That is just a stupid statement. You are basically claiming that 50% of the people in the country are freeloaders. The ACA is a terrible and harms 85% of Americans. Why should we want that?
Speaking of stupid statements. How does ACA harm 85% of Americans? Does it cut off their arms, cause brain damage? Please, do explain!!
frankbrown and PutAmericaFirst -
As stated above the "50% opposed" is misleading because it includes 13% who think it did not go far enough. So well over 50% of the country want healthcare reform.
PutAmericaFirst - The ACA is a terrible and harms 85% of Americans
Facts please. Where did that number come from?
And where in the hell do your numbers come from, TNSEVOL ?
All we truly know at this point is that the "cost numbers" were bogused on ridiculous assumptions, double counting of so-called "Medicare Savings" and it will put our highly inefficient, bureaucratic federal government in charge while Medicare is going broke and social security is not far behind.
For everything else, there is Mastercard, that is what Obama is counting on, and that is why our country is up to its proverbial a — — hole in debt !!!!!!!
Just how Good can the affordable health care act be if Congress has excluded itself from it. Even the Democratic Congress members that voted for it don't want any parts of it.
If that doesn't tell you how bad it is, then look a the exclusion list that's growing and growing. Anyone with half a brain wants no parts of the Affordable health care Act.
You Obama supporters need to grow up and start thinking like mature adults.
It isn't health care, its a permit for the "for profit" health insurance companies to rape this country.
With 46% of our population living in or at the edge of poverty, do any of you really believe our Government can afford to purchase health care policies for that many people from the "for Profit" insurance companies?
what happened
If you seriously do not know the answer to your own question, I honestly don't know what to say to you.
The President, Congress and all federal employess will be able to get their health insurance from the exchanges under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act(Obamacare) in 2014.
http://www.healthcare.gov/law/timeline/
I know the answer. We need to create a national health care program around the definition of health care which is; a humanitarian need of people.
In order to to that we have to have nonprofit health care organizations administer the national health care program based on a persons ability to pay.
We have successful models of nonprofit health care organizations throughout this country that provide excellent heath care services and treatments to patients on their ability to pay.
You know this and I know this to be true. All we have to do is get back to believing that health care is a humanitarian need of people and not a profit for an insurance company.
How quickly most have forgotten the health care crises the insurances companies created about 40 years ago to drive up their profits.
Now Obama has turned our health care over to them, its insane. He's redefined health care to mean; meeting the profit needs of an insurance company.
Name me one medical service or treatment a "for profit" insurance company provides to a patient? You can't because they don't provide any medical services or treatments to anyone.
Now tell me how many services and treatments they keep a patient from receiving and you can list hundreds.
what happened, you really should read the Act before you sit down to post.
You have got it almost exactly backwards. Like kingofmyhill above, if you refuse to read and absorb and understand, there is little anyone can do to help you see your error.
fielden,
The ongoing, haughty arrogance of your tone in #23.4 is quite noticeable. Furthermore, I think you are a pretender who has not read all 2,700++ pages, nor the ever-growing 5,000+++ estimated pages of regulations.
Pull your head out and save the showmanship for someone truly gullible enough to believe your real.
People thought there was a deal between Newt and Rick.
"Gingrich, who also continued to use Etch A Sketch (showing up with a pink one and using a toy gator to chomp one), fired back at Santorum, saying any of the candidates running would be better than Obama."
With Newt's latest statement against Rick - I guess no deal.
Democrat, republican! The only way you are going to get a workable national health care program is to take the government out of the health care business once and for all and have Nonprofit health care organizations administer health care on a person's ability to pay.
Most of you have lost sight of the fact that health care is defined as a humanitarian need of people, not the profits of an insurance company.
Until you all recognize the fact that health care is in fact a humanitarian need of people, we will never have a national health care program that works in this country.
Nonprofit? In the healthcare industry? When do you think that'll happen?
Most of the health insurance companies started as non-profit. Blue Cross/Blue Shield were non profit and many parts of them still are.
So why didn't they stay non-profit? And it doesn't really matter what they started out as, what matters is what they are now and they are all profit driven.
Kingof my hill
Its already happening and has been for decades. There are hundreds of nonprofit health care organizations operating successfully around this country this very minute. I'm not talking insurance companies, I'm talking hospitals, clinics etc. where people get actual services and treatments, not insurance companies BS.
Most Americans can no longer seperate the fact that health care and insurance are not the same thing. Until we do, a national health care program is not possible. Our government can not afford to sustain the profits needs of an insurance company.
Health care is defined a humanitarian need of people, not a profit for an insurance company.
Until we understand the meaning of health care, we will never create a workable national heath care program.
So, what happened, when Republicans tell us that the sole purpose of a business is to make a profit, are they lying? Or are the businesses like Blue Cross lying? Or are you lying?
The AHCA aims to take insurance profits out of the equation by mandating that every person have a health care plan and that insurance companies cannot cherry pick those that they insure.
Insurance company profits are not a significant percentage of health care spending in this country anyway. We needed regulation to allow more folks to get insurance and one insurance company could not reject sick folks unless they all do without rules.
By all means .... eliminate the profits. Then you will eliminate the business itself and all the jobs for the people they emply ! Businesses that are not profitable go bankrupt and out of business. That's what happened to a failed, propped-up Solyndra that had received a "going concern" report from their independent auditors.
Obama lent them the money anyway. The minds of libtards is like flying an airplane backwards.