Poll: Obama loses ground on health care

What exactly is his plan? The article only talks about this poll and that poll, begat this, begat that, lo and behold someone said some....

Well, you can always go back to Bush, he is the one who brought this on. Obama doesn't deserve the flack he's gotten. He's simply trying to do what we need in this country, but the big business insurance CEO's and doctors don't want to give us all health care we can afford, or medical care that benefits us. No, lots of people are stupid all right, but that's okay, they can still put out 45% of their pay towards health care, in just a few short years, and get just about nothing as they do today.

He like CLinton is suffering from the millions being spent on the tv ads that are total lies. Just like the guy in walking tall when he pulled off his shirt and showed the jury his back and said look what they did to me if you let them get away with it they will do it to you. People who jump ship had no business on it anyway.

Right now there is no plan so how can you be against something that does not exist?

And this poll, like all others are totally meaningless.....just 1000+ people interviewed out of 303+million. Very poor odds if you are a gambler. Would love to see how each question in the poll was worded and ASKED (tone of voice, etc.). Was it the same questions as the last poll, worded exactly the same? Were each question asked in the same tone of voice by the same exact pollsters? Was it the same 1000+ people as the last poll? Where did the samplings come from for each poll? What demographics were actually included? How do they prove the accuracy of those demographics? These are all questions that NEVER get answered by any of these pollsters.

Hey Ginger. So you think he's a superman ? What are you smoking ? This has nothing to do with Bush, but more with taking OUR money to pay for the health INSURANCE (not care) of MILLIONS of ILLEGALS !!! It concerns people who have a decent health plan AND PAYS FOR IT WITHOUT HELP ! I'm not asking you to pay for mine......don't ask me to pay for anyone elses.

I thought this article was about the Polls and Obama's decline in them , not other issues. Sticking to the article. it is interesting to note that while the President has been out pushing his programs like he is running for office, the public is not buying into it. How much support there is for the issues he holds dear remains to be seen but I suspect the Polls will not influence those in Congress much- they will push their own agenda regardless of what the public thinks. This has been true for Decades- they have their agenda and they know what is good for us better than we do.

I found it hilarious that Pelosi comes off with worse ratings then Palin for all the hysteria that has been made about her(Palin)

I am waiting for someone to discredit the poll- after all , it was not put out by the Huffington Post so what possible validity could it have?

Oh stop with the Bush stuff....enough...its old and doesnt fly anymore..

This is "Get it done in a hurry" Obama...ideas and his "turn the lights out" and "behind closed doors" Pelosi who want things passed before anybody even reads these bills

"We all know it was going to take a superman to budge the paid off corporate Congress..."

Hey Ginger, you mean the same Congress that's been controlled by President Obama's party for over a decade, right?

How Obama Stages Town Hall Meetings and the Healthcare Debate

Fox News Piece - A Good Introduction:

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

Corroborating AP Report on Debby Smith (see youtube video) being a Town Hall plant. Debby was part of Obama's campaign:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090701/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_health_forum

Teleprompters, staged press conferences, staged town hall meetings.

Is this the "Change" America bargained for?

This is what I want to know;

1. How long has the Congress, regardless of who is or has been in the White House, been working on health-care reform?

2. Why haven't they come up with a way to fix it and pay for it?

3. Why are people that wanted health-care reform, now turning their backs on it?

Basically what I know is true about most Americans, they are one step away from losing their jobs, homes and health-care. It would seem like most people would at least want to have the assurance that if they were to lose everything, they would still be able to get some good health-care. Just my questions and opinion.

His popularity would not be anywhere close to 53% if his followers were better informed. Most people I have met that voted for him, cannot tell me anything he has done or not done.... in his whole life. They all usually say, "He is a great speaker." People, that is not a reason to vote for a person for president. You have to know where he wants to take our country, and how he plans to get us there. I do not want to go where Obama wants this nation to go... I do not want to live in a socialist/fascist country. I do not want to live where the government supplies me with everything they think I need, and I supply the government with everything I earn. I do know want to live for the state. I do not want to live where, "From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs." That is where Obama wants to take us.

Americans have to make up their minds... either they want healthcare or they don't! If not, then tell him, so he can move on to something else!

Tell your Congressmen which way you want to go on this thing. He has health insurance, so he doesn't need it! This is supposedly a plan for the American people. Find out what's in it, and let him know what you like about it, or what you don't like abou it.

DO NOT DEPEND on political pundints to tell you what the plan is all about. FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF and make an intelligent decision. If you think he's moving too fast, SAY THAT. But, this nonsense about Obama having some underlying plan to undermine the American people is FOOLISHNESS! We elected him, now let him know whether or not he's moving in the right direction.

Remember, if things don't improve, you'll have no one to blame but yourself! I don't care one way or the other, I have insurance. I'm speaking to working people who are struggling to pay their medical bills. If you let this chance go by without saying something, then you must accept whatever comes your way. Speak Up. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD ON THIS ISSUE!

Just imagine if you had to answer 5 questions correctly on the healthcare reform bill, before you could be counted in a poll. Based on the BS on here, they would need to go to at least 10 - 15 thousand before they could find 100 who qualify.

WHITEBIRD.... My Gosh, I was just watching the news and President Odumo is back on the Blame Bush again. My Lord, six months have passed and all he has accomplished is to put us 10 times further in debt then what bush did.

I seriously feel when and IF he lives to be 85 years old, and he is sitting on the pot and has diarhea....he will say it is Bush's fault. He is having Diarhea of the mouth now and it is not Bush's fault. We need to let our politicians know we do not want anymore Government takeover. This President is the closest thing to a communist outside of Europe. We need to get rid of him when this four years is over...IF we can last that long.

Kat-

Couldn't of said it better myself. Don't listen to pundits. Ask yourself if you and your loved ones would benefits from realistically affordable health insurance or even having health insurance at all.

Speak up.

"spike,

Are you related to Glenn Beck?"

No way! I think Beck is a jackass.

Before the election I was asking everyone I knew - What sort of change?

Obama never defined it. Obama never said anything other than he will bring change. I kept on asking. What is the definition of change that Obama will bring.

Obama gets elected.

What's Obama's plan? Does anyone know what Obama's plan really is? Obama won't define it. Obama never talks about his plan. I am asking a deaf audience, what IS OBAMA'S PLAN?????

If anyone knew what change meant to Obama, he would never have been elected. Now that he is elected, Obama never talks about his plan. He would be run out of Washington on a rail if he ever said what his plan is.

His vision of change for America is "SOCIALISM." HIS PLAN IS "SOCIALISM!!!!!" Government run healthcare IS SOCIALISM, this is why he wants it passed NOW

Wake up AMERICA!! Time to WAKE UP!!!

Wake UP AMERICA!

When liberals stub their toe or make a wrong turn in their car I bet they blame Bush for that too...

These are sad comments. The insurance companies, drug companies and hospitals are sucking the life out of the American people. Until people wise up and figure out that corporate profits are making health care unaffordable nothing can change. No positive recommendations here, just railing against the common good. Pitiful.

Is it any wonder that this potus has no idea what he he doing?????????????????

Barry-boy NEVER had a job at McDonalds; never had a job at Lowe's; never had a job at Best Buy.

Fact is, he NEVER had a real job at anything----including his stint in Chicago, where he claimed to be a "community organizer..................."

This total imposter of a potus is a laughable disgrace. He lectures world leaders on how to solve cultural problems, when his ideology is pure socialism--------his lecture to Israel was pure fatuous demigogery...........................

When, the rest of "intelligent" citizens recognize his total lack of credentials to be a potus; his game will be up. Maybe, his "game" is already up. Last Wednesday, during his choreographed "news conference", Three things happened.

1) He suggested that physicians choose treatment ( your child's sore throat ), from a payment schedule that maximizes their re-imbursement. His implication that physicians seek money over proper treatment is typical of low-life lawyers, of which he is a member.

2) Some "guy" stood up and asked a question and he was NOT Mr. Kopf----does potus "handlers" have no idea of who is who???????????????

3) The executive leader of the USA thought it was a good idea to comment on a minor snafu in Cambridge ,Mass- the hotbed of lame liberal politics???????????

The police "stupidly" arrested a cantankerous citizen................???

The fact they shared skin tones makes this a national problem, worthy of comment by the potus????????????????????????????????????????????

This potus is nothing more than an incarnation of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton-------purely lousy representatives of their constituency.

What is wrong with you guys? Obama has yet to pu out a health care plan of his own!

Demorcats in Congress have made a proposal. the insurance companies have made their proposals as have the drug companies. But nirther the White House or Republicans have put out thier plan.

The magic word to what I just said is PROPOSALS- no law, no comittee vote, just talk. The internet ans tlak radio are giving our SO much misinformation right now that its funny. And all those that don't or can't read, eat it up.

Pathetic!

I agree with whitebird, I am tired of paying out 1300.00 a month to keep my family covered, and thats not including all the deductibles, I say stop the medical program and make them go out and buy their insurance just like I have to. I am looking forward to some relief from President Obama.

NO S SM!! You are looking at this exactly the way Obama wants you to. You are looking at the issue without regard to the big picture. He has you caught up in a sort of class type warfare mentality.

If Obama gets universal healthcare passed, this country is doomed. The government will control EVERY aspect of your life. They will have access to all your personal records, bank, medical, all - without you being able to do anything about it. That means you completely lose your privacy. They, then can control what you eat, how you sleep, what you do... or you will lose your benefit and be taxed at rates that are astrnomical. It's all in the house bill.

By you defending the bill, you are part of the problem and not the solution. We do NOT want government control over our lives. Big Brother is NOT Obama, although he wants to be!

Hey Ginger, you mean the same Congress that's been controlled by President Obama's party for over a decade, right?

um... no.

BESMART I could get behind this legislation as well if that was what it was. This isn't "health care reform". This is a whole new BS legislation. They are not reforming a darn thing.

What's wrong with "reforming" and regulating what we already have. Why can't they make the insurance companies accept pre-existing conditions etc.... Why can't we utilize medicaid? Why can't we retrofit that program. They could make uninsured people pay a premium according to their income and family size. They could allow people to participate in medicaid only if they are uninsured. When people get a new job or are in between jobs they could go on the medicaid program.

I wouldn't be so ill about their tax increases if they made it a tax that is affordable to all "AMERICAN CITIZENS". I would be willing to have a tax taken out of my paycheck if it was exactly what others pay (ie.. $10.00/week). But you know as well as I do that this is not going to happen. Also, I ask you how long do you think it will take before they are taking all the funds they collect, in the form of "taxes" and throw them into a general fund and spend it on anything they deem necessary? We've been down this road before. Why do you think social security is going broke.

"The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Wednesday shows that 29% of the nation's voters now Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-nine percent (39%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -10."

When Obama first took office in January, his Presidential Approval Rating was a + 27%.

That's a 37% drop in his rating in 6 months. I wonder what the future holds?

Well stated Robert3rd!

I think ALL conservatives would know the answer to that!

Has anyone ever noticed that the Hospitals are the only industry where you don't know how much its going to cost until you receive a bill in the mail? This has to stop!!

They charge people differently per insurance package and raise the rates through the roof if you have no insurance at all.

No propaganda here!

Okay, everybody. Let's look at this from a logical point of view. We were all mad at the Republicans for 470 Billion dollars national debt. Now, President Obama's projected health plan bill of over 1 Trillion, will make the prior national debt look like a joke. I am the first to say every American needs health coverage. But, let's face it, who is picking up the bill for this lofty expectation? Employers! President Obama is the first to say all companies with over 500,000.00 annual payroll will be paying for this. Many of you may say, well that doesn't affect me - - -  think again.

Goodyear Tire, Denny's Restaurants, McDonald's, Walmart, Kentucky Fried Chicken. These are just a few of the companies hit by this projection. You think we have a high national umemployment number now, just wait! Now, let's talk about hospital layoffs, school district layoffs, police force layoffs, hotel chains, etc.  (just to name a few). It isn't business to business, it is all entire payroll over $500,000.00. What about the family businesses just trying to survive now.  (Foster Chicken company, small wineries, etc). What affects middle America  business's, always trickles down, affects everyone large and small.

I am not trying to turn this into a Republican against Democrat argument. However, I don't need lofty policy ideals, that are going to further bankrupt this nation, dramatically increase unemployment and create financial hardship on future generations (down to our great grandchildren) paying for this.

Perhaps, we need to take a leaf out of Canada's book. Every working citizen, large and small,  has a minimal weekly deduction taken out of their payroll and applied to pay for the national health care plan. All Doctors are put on an annual salary and every citizen, poor and rich, receives the basic medical, dental, prescription and optical coverage. Citizens have the option of purchasing additional coverage, if desired. And Canada doesn't have doctors and insurance companies canceling coverage, refusing to treat patients or living in multi-billion dollar homes at the expense of their patients.

If George W. Bush had made a joke at the expense of the Special
Olympics, would you have approved? George Bush belonged in the Special Olympics

If George W. Bush had given Gordon Brown a set of inexpensive and
incorrectly formatted DVDs, when Gordon Brown had given him a
thoughtful and historically significant gift, would you have approved? I can care less! Petty BS.

If George W. Bush had given the Queen of England an iPod containing
videos of his speeches, would you have thought this embarrassingly
narcissistic and tacky? I can care less! Petty BS.

If George W. Bush had bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia, would you
have approved? Another mountain out of a mole-hill. You want him and his wife to bow to a white Queen, but not a brown King. Petty and silly.

If George W. Bush had visited Austria and made reference to the
non-existent "Austrian language," would you have brushed it off as a
minor slip? WOW!

If George W. Bush had filled his cabinet and circle of advisers with
people who cannot seem to keep current on their income taxes, would
you have approved? Karl Rove!

If George W. Bush had been so Spanish illiterate as to refer to "Cinco
de Cuatro" in front of the Mexican ambassador when it was the fourth
of May (Cuatro de Mayo), and continued to flub it when he tried again,
would you have winced in embarrassment? I didn't know you loved the Spanish language so much. George Bush should be fluent in Spanish. I bet Obama knows Indonesian and a few other languages.

If George W. Bush had mis-spelled the word advice would you have
hammered him for it for years like Dan Quayle and potatoe as "proof"
of what a dunce he is? LMAO

If George W. Bush had burned 9,000 gallons of jet fuel to go plant a
single tree on "Earth Day", would you have concluded he’s a hypocrite? He earned that right when he became the President!

If George W. Bush’s administration had okay-ed Air Force One flying low
over millions of people followed by a jet fighter in downtown
Manhattan causing widespread panic, would you have wondered whether
they actually "get" what happened on 9-11? Obama had NOTHING to do with that!

If George W. Bush had been the first President to need a teleprompter
installed to be able to get through a press conference, would you have
laughed and said this is more proof of how inept he is on his own and
is really controlled by smarter men behind the scenes? Bush might have benefited form a teleprompter. Key Word: MIGHT!

If George W. Bush had failed to send relief aid to flood victims
throughout the Midwest with more people killed or made homeless than
in New Orleans, would you want it made into a major ongoing political
issue with claims of racism and incompetence? When and where did this happen? And you truly can't compare a whole region to a single city. That's just plain silly!

If George W. Bush had ordered the firing of the CEO of a major
corporation, even though he had no constitutional authority to do so,
would you have approved? Reagan did it! Did you complain then?

If George W. Bush had proposed to double the national debt, which had
taken more than two centuries to accumulate, in one year, would you
have approved? He actually did do that!

If George W. Bush had then proposed to double the debt again 10 times
within years, would you have approved? Any alternatives? Maybe he should have let the country slip into another Depression? Would that have made you happy?

If George W. Bush had reduced your retirement plan’s holdings of GM
stock by 90% and given the unions a majority stake in GM, would you
have approved? ?????????

If George W. Bush had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to take
Laura Bush to a play in NYC, would you have approved? Hundreds of thousands of dollars? Are you kidding? You don't think George took Laura out to dinner in 8 years? LMAO

Dude....GET A CLUE!!!!!

Okay, everybody, let's look at this from a logical point of view. We were all mad at the Republicans for 470 Billion dollars national debt. Now, President Obama's projected health plan bill of over 1 Trillion, will make the prior national debt look like a joke. I am the first to say every American needs health coverage. But, let's face it, who is picking up the bill for this lofty expectation? Employers! President Obama is the first to say all companies with over 1/2 million annual payroll will be paying for this. Many of you may say, well that doesn't affect me - - - think again.

Goodyear Tire, Denny's Restaurants, McDonald's, Walmart, Kentucky Fried Chicken. These are just a few of the companies hit by this projection. You think we have a high national umemployment number now, just wait! Now, let's talk about hospital layoffs, school district layoffs, police force layoffs, hotel chains, etc. (just to name a few). It isn't business to business, it is all entire payroll over 1/2 million. What about the family businesses just trying to survive now. (Foster Chicken company, small wineries, etc). What affects middle America business's, always trickles down, affects everyone large and small.

I am not trying to turn this into a Republican against Democrat argument. However, I don't need lofty policy ideals, that are going to further bankrupt this nation, dramatically increase unemployment and create financial hardship on future generations (down to our great grandchildren) paying for this.

Perhaps, we need to take a leaf out of Canada's book. Every working citizen, large and small, has a minimal weekly deduction taken out of their payroll and applied to pay for the national health care plan. All Doctors are put on an annual salary and every citizen, poor and rich, receives the basic medical, dental, prescription and optical coverage. Citizens have the option of purchasing additional coverage, if desired. And Canada doesn't have doctors and insurance companies canceling coverage, refusing to treat patients or living in multi-billion dollar homes at the expense of their patients.

If its such a good plan, how about Congress, Senate and President give up their taxpayer funded insurance and join in the one they want to shove all of us into. Or better yet, give every American the opportunity to purchase the same policy they all use now.....that should give the tax payer one heck of a group discount... I'm actually laughing out loud....never gonna happen.

You don't know what you are talking about. It is clear you haven't worked in the health field and your insurance must not be an issue. I am currently paying 400$ more a month because teahcers with families cannot afford insurance for their families.
If we continue at this rate, we will be a third world country in 50 years!
Inform yourself before you open your mouth!

Momus - in giving your responses, the only thing I can say is you must be living in bliss.

momus,

Your sophomoric response to robert's post was just that---sophomoric.

I especially liked the mature closing---"Dude"! What is next---"Dawg"? Nome ah sayin?

Community organizer elected President of the United States, enough said.

BP1948

Shizzle-1024032

"We all know it was going to take a superman to budge the paid off corporate Congress..."

Hey Ginger, you mean the same Congress that's been controlled by President Obama's party for over a decade, right?

Congress being controlled by the dems since 2000??? What exactly have you been smoking? The patriot act and guantanamo was pushed through by a GOP majority in congress. The Dems only had the majority in 2006. That's less than 3 years. Or do you not have that many fingers left to count?

Ginger -> another one living in bliss!

yea exact, the dems have had control since 06, well let me see when did we start crashing in 07 plus the dems favorite Prez mr. clit was the one who caused 80% of the problem look it up he loosened regulations on everything from banks to wall street and if no one believes me do some research and see where this mess started from, now we have this freak-in community org. running our country wow were really in bad shape, you people who voted for him who now want to jump off a bridge because u thought he was someone he wasn't go jump, the guy ( obama ) has no voice he has a great speech writer thats all........... he wants to punish people with ideas, people who want to strive to be the best, he wants to punish the person who studies and works hard to be the best and give to the person who wants to sit on there a#$@# man this country is in real big trouble

Sure depends on the polls you are looking at. On Rasmussen if the 1012 Presidential election were held today, Mitt Romney and Obama would tie at 45% each. Palin only lags behind Romney by about three points. Rasmussen, by the way was the most accurate on the recently past elections all the way through as analyzed by a top University statistical analysis so watch out Obama. The "hope 'n change" bubble has burst. My Sis who voted for you said, "I wanted change, but Socialism certainly was not the change I was looking for."

Obama care is a death sentenct--a slow and painful death sentence--for anyone over 50. If you are over 50 or ever plan to be you should be very worried. If you have a child with learning disabilities you should be concerned as well. They want to warehouse the "retarded"--yes Democrats pretend to be all politically correct, but there is that old fashioned and derisive term right in the bill. Also there are provisions for the government deciding when to withhold food and water.

WILL OBAMACARE LOOK LIKE CANADIAN HEALTH CARE? THE SHOCKING TRUTH ABOUT CANADIAN HEALTH CARE ... DON'T MISS THIS, AMERICA!!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2jijuj1ysw

Super Interesting Video.

More facts: One month wait to see a Cancer Specialist? LMFAO!!!

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/26/international/americas/26canada.html

While Barack Hussein Obama is trying to TRICK America to create a Welfare-State Health-Care System?

Canada's moving AWAY from their DISASTEROUS Welfare Health-Care System!

Decide for yourself, America ... and spread the word!

OBAMA = One Big Assed Mistake, America!!!

BTW?

Canada is a PUNY country population-wise.

WITHOUT our ILLEGALS. WITHOUT our demographic that tends to fill our prison systems. WITHOUT the demographic that strains our legal system ...

There's only white folk up there!

And THEIR Welfare-State Health Care System is in SHAMBLES.

Think about it, America.

What if our Resentful and Naive Gaffe-Machine President has HIS way and creates HIS Welfare State?

Tigere,

My mother is 91 still in good health and I would be happy to "pay for her health care" if and when she needs it. The problem with this plan is that you can't. You are forced to take only what the government will let you have. You and your Dr. will be fined if you try to pay him more than allowed by the government.

This is already partly in place. My husband had back surgery. It was extensive and could have left him paralyzed but we had a superb surgeon who billed $3000. The assistant also billed $3000. I thought the latter a little high, but the Dr. deserved every penny. Our private insurance only paid $1200--all that was allowed under OBRA passed by Congress and only $300 for the assistant. When he paid his office staff and hospital privileges and our portion of his malpractice insurance, I'm quite sure he didn't make a penny for his time that morning. We wanted to pay him the rest. We were not allowed to do so as we would be fined if we did and so would he.

I can see trying to help everyone get a certain level of health care, but denying us the right to pay for more if we want better and stiffing our Dr.'s so we have a rampaging Dr. shortage is not the way to go Obama!

had this health care agenda been brought forward to the people with all details and constructive opinion..maybe the General American Public would have been more positive..personally I do like buying something, not seeing or knowing the facts/ details..I feel the the majority of the American People feel the same way..I do not like SURPRISES and Americans don't either..especially when it effects my livelihood and my house hold budget..by all this talk, we're all screwed either way..the poor/ denied can just die with dignity..there is no hell, hell is here with no money or very little..misery and torment lives on..brought to you by the progressive ; United States Of America..land of liberty, only if have money,,,,,Lots of it !!!....

spike,

Thanks dude! Please explain what a "sophomoric" response is? Would that be a sophomore in high school or college? Or would you be trying to actually put down Momus? Do you even know who Momus is? Mature? Define mature too? Do you expect me to believe that you're as mature as you would like to think you are?

You say some off-the-wall BS like: "Obama's approval ratings are even taking a beating among blacks. His approval among blacks has nose-dived to 98.9%, down from 99.0%"and I'm supposed to actually take what you say seriously? Now that's laughable and "sophomoric" as you put it. Keep up the good work dawg! Nome ah sayin? LMAO

Oh yeah, I almost forgot Brianb.....You damn right I'm living in bliss. My doctor makes house calls, how about yours? I can care less about this broken down economy and people that don't have health-care. I have mine! I pay cash!

Noticed Here Libbies Diverting the Issue and Talking about BUSH!!! LMFAO!!! OK!! Let's talk Bush vs Obama ...

Bush attacked Saddam Hussein, the Taliban in Afghanistan and Al Qaeda everywhere. Protecting America from attack.

Whiney libs? Well, whined of course.

Barack Hussein Obama is attacking our CIA, our Military, our Firemen even! And Now? Policemen!

As well as AMERICA in front of muslims while quoting the KORAN!!!! LMFAO!!!!

And now he wishes to ramrod his Welfare-State Health Care Program down America's throat attacking the fabric of America from within!

The gaffe-machine, teleprompted stuttering naivete extraordinaire Barry Hussein Obama (spelled with an S) is WAY more dangerous to the United States of America than Osama (spelled with an S) Bin Laden could ever be.

OBAMA= One Big Assed Mistake, America!

And only SIX months in office no less!!!

MOMUS2009 - you're funny. Not humorous funny, just funny. See, you crew relentlessly ridiculed Bush with exactly the kind of crap you are now saying doesn't matter, soooo, those of us sick of your fool-in-chief are more than tired of all of your new-found tolerance for your idiot.

We were often embarrassed by our representative in the white house, you need to have the good sense to do the same with your idiot.

The FACT is that the Obamacare doesn't exist - he is selling vaporware. He doesn't know what is in the current democrat bill as he could not answer specific core questions when asked.

The FACT is the medical "industry" is SCREWED up in many ways. From mountains of litigation from democrat trial lawyers to greedy hospitals, doctors, insurance companies and other "deciders".

And the FACT is, government has no solution to any of the existing problems, as their own version of healthcare is going bankrupt according to your idiot-in-chief. He is either a liar, or the manager of a failed system.

So before you and your goons screw with what IS working, how about you fix what ISN'T working with your own system and PROVE that anything you think should be changed would actually work.

Yeah, I know, that makes too much sense.

Power to the people - you know, the citizens, not these moronic, bought-off politicians - and don't worry, I'm talking now about both parties.

Stuttering Obama Talking Health Care:

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

Too funny!

And The Naivete Extraordinaire is LOSING the Healthcare Debate?

LMFAO! Now that's a BIG surprise!

Look. Think about it, America. How do you write, read and pass a massive healthcare bill in a matter of weeks?

You can't. Unless you're trying to fool somebody ... like ALL of America ...

BTW the bill is 1000 PAGES LONG!!!!

Can't even read it in a few weeks let alone understand it!!!

Does anyone here actually pay attention to what is going on. Do you guys make this stuff up as you go?

Sure none of our politicians are middle class but you voted for them! Want things to change? Quit voting based on political party! This does not define their character.

Unfortunately Momus - I wasn't referring to your happiness level. I'm sure my comment went way above your shoe size.

You see, ignorance has a way of rearing it's ugly head in the fray. Making comments devoted to instigation has a price to pay. It's definitely not free, no matter how much you pay your doctor to make house calls. Treatment defies even the most trivial individuals and in the case of your type of ideology, there is no cure. Liberalism is a disease that effects the rational thought process. There's plenty of evidence in regards to the wording and the phrases chosen by innate responses. Being blue leaves traces of hatred, racism, disfunction, disassociation and malice. My guess is that grape Kool-Ade is your favorite flavor.

sicken,

In post 1.31 1300 per month for family coverage in the unfair U.S. How's this 1320 per month in France for single coverage and that is over three years ago. So the government get involved and the costs go up and the care gets worse. Hard to believe? Barry OMG said that using subjective measures would not be fair so care would be denied. Or in other words your too old and you can get pain pills but not a joint replacement. The government decides not you or your health care provider ( doctor). Stay healthy and you will have health care be old and sick maybe you smoked or used tobacco too bad here is your pain medication. Have a nice death. One last thing the government could not run a whore house and make a profit and you think they (the gornment ) can run a health care system? What have you been smoking???

obama pelosi and co. are TRYING to collapse our economy and country. I am not sure why, but it is very obvious.

Brianb,

You attack far to many people. Dude you are not as smart as you would like to think you are. Your comments are terrible. Instead of leaning while typing, try sitting up straight and thinking before typing.

You guys sit here and bicker and fight when the present government is not the (MAJOR :) ) cause of this economic mess we are in. Corporate Greed IS!! But you are the same people that believe the free market needs to go unmanaged. So which is it?

Most of you would rather fatten the pocket books of fat cat insurance companies instead of focusing on A Healthy America. Insurance Companies don't give a damn about you. Live? Die?

With the Obesity in this country you think Americans would be concerned about their health and not Politics, especially when they know very little about how things work in this country.

As for Bush!? He is the reason most of you currently care. You watched this country go down the tubes for 8 years and now you want to stand up and blame the new guy? I however would've like to see things done differently but these guys have been here discussing this very issue for a couple of decades, so what could possibly make you or I think we know better than them? Want someone micromanaging you?

I like Chuck Todd a lot, but I think he needs to do a lot better job of analyzing these polls. Most of the changes they're talking about are within the margin of error. They're statistically unchanged although they write that they have changed. Further, reliability (the 3.1% margin of error) doesn't take into account validity threats- if you oversample a particular segment of the population then your sample will not reflect the views of Americans overall. From the numbers, it looks like there may have been over-representation of higher income, self-identified conservative, older Americans (i.e. those least likely to support President Obama and most likely to be influenced by Republican scare tactics).

Throughout the survey, the numbers look entirely like party-line responses. Chuck, you took a survey that essentially said 'eh, the numbers are pretty predictable based upon party affiliation' and tried to make a story out of it.

What is perhaps most important is that when they ask about specific healthcare proposals, even this conservative sample provides support in the 55% range. My advice to President Obama based upon this poll is to continue to clarify the specific changes that will be made if this is passed. The people support them, though the lack of clarity provides room for the insurance lobby spin machine (like those posting here) to scare people away from fixing a broken system. Chuck did correctly identify this as what President Obama needs to do when he was on Morning Joe today.

The truth is that these numbers look very good for President Obama.

Well dua.....MSNBC When 2 out of 3 voters polled say they dont want this health care plan, and a full third of the house and 15 senators are up for re-election in 2010....what do you think are teh chances that this piece of crap bill will pass? Nancy is so stupid, as well as Reid and Waxman, all three are soooooo far behind in their state polls for re-election in 2010, you'd think they'd let this dead horse lay down and died. No, they know whats good for us, not us. Shove a health care plan down our throats and tell us its good for us. But, at the same time, keep their free health care plan, making themselves exempt from having to take this plan themselves.

Think about it. Obama wants to add , what , about fifty million people , to health care, many of whom will not pay anything for their care. And... we have the same number of doctors and nurses. Those of us who work, and pay our own way are going to have our health care rationed and controlled by the long arm of government. We are going to have to wait much longer for care. Health care is NOT a right, if you are able bodied, you should work and/or pay for your own care. Obama will do nothing for working/responsible people, but make life much more difficult.

Jimmiesgirl,

with a 10% (I like 16%) unemployment rate and a 300,000,000 American population?

So that would indicate that a large portion are unemployed, you would also have to take into account insurance through a spouse.

You are so off, you would really regret your words if you could see the big picture in the future.

The greatest victim of preventing health care will be our communities.

As globalization contiues to expand, with more and more opportunities for the wealthy to exploit the economic structures - only using communities to maximize profit and once that profit is drained will leave that community in ruins in two seconds to find another target to exploit.

A denial of health care reform will only add into a greater denial for the Opportunites of an American Dream - fostering American dreams only for more and more people are are simply born into wealth and into a system which exploits the economy. Leaving less and less jobs.

The rich are richer than ever before - YET THERE ARE NO JOBS. Trickle down theory has proven itself false. SImply giving massive tax cuts to the rich does NOT create more jobs. we had 8 years of that under Bush, and the rich are simply richer while there ARE NO JOBS.

The wealth gap will expand by leaps and bounds, as globalization turns more and more into class based colonialism.

This is just one example of the excessive Greed, and a denial to embrace any changes due to fear of change and Greed.

We really need a modern Robin Hood - who will steal from the rich exploiters and give that money to the victims in various communities. People need to make the wealth that THEY DESERVE - our globalized economy and wealth gap are slowly turning our country into a system were wealth is once again based on the capacity of exploitation.

And Greedy Republicans are building the path-way to merely expand this exploitation and future colonial economic system based upon class exploitation

momus wrote: "..You say some off-the-wall BS like: "Obama's approval ratings are even taking a beating among blacks. His approval among blacks has nose-dived to 98.9%, down from 99.0%"and I'm supposed to actually take what you say seriously? Now that's laughable and "sophomoric" as you put it....."

It WAS SUPPOSED to create a laugh, while making a point!

As far as not knowing what sophomoric implies---you must be in high school.

sophomoric--intellectually pretentious, overconfident, conceited, etc., but immature

jharter,

I am not a democrat but I couldn't agree with you more.

Want to see the future? Watch the movie Johnny Pneumonic

Nothing is lost it only changes ownership, where do you think all the money has gone? THINK! :)

Robert3rd - your comment was perfect. Thank you!

Watch out, between Tyler from Newsvine likely suspending you possibly forever for daring to show up Obama to the rest of the leftist's on NV you better enter the witness protection program for sure. And with MichelleUT, Joules Beef, Killfile (violent name), Tenney, jdoyle and others you are in deep doo-doo.

riggznet - are you the pot calling the kettle black? As far as attacking people, you are sadly mistaken. I attack ideology. If what you say is true, that I attack people, why has newsvine never taken down one of my posts in violation of the rules of conduct?

If my attacking an ideology offends you, TFB. Don't read my posts. You do have a choice, exercise it.

I disagree completely with your assertion that corporate America is the blame. The government is the blame 100%. There are far too many regulations issued by the feds that stifle growth, freedom and individual choice. Don't believe me? When the income tax code was first written in 1913, it was 6 pages long. Today the code is 2500 pages long. Argue that point.

I could sit here a list a whole litany of items where government involvement in the corporations have created situations where people of a certain mindset have formulated blame against corporations. If it weren't for corporations in this country, we would have no economic growth at all. While you want to blame corporations as evil entities, I believe your mind has been brainwashed.

As far as my intelligence goes - I must have hit a chord to produce such an attack on your part, probably out of some dormant need to attack someone of superior intellect.

Richard Baxter - do you know how long a US Congressman's term is? Please look it up. How long is a US Senators term? I don't want to give you the answers because I believe it's extremely important for you to be able to research out and discover them on your own.

We need healthcare not health insurance.

All the people who post these negatives seem to be feeding at the health insurance trough. The negatives must be insurance company employees or others

The kettle is most certainly black. I agree!

Look around you does this look like 1913? If corporations are not to blame than explain the gap in the so called American Classes with the understanding that money doesn't just disappear and more is printed everyday.

Come on I am not some highschool dropout and have worked within the political system for some years now. Its all about the power baby!!

I will do just that! With regards to your comments as truthfully not exactly sure why I even bothered, other than your a Bully Blogger! God day to you!

riggznit - voting for your own post is what? A quest for power? ROFL!

To answer your question about corporations, are you unaware of the involvement of unions, regulators, environmentalists, PITA, and a whole list of liberal groups that are against capitalism? Corporations in many respects are owned by private citizens through stock holdings. A corporation's sole purpose is to produce one thing: Money. Whether the product is a grappling hook, or a B-52, corporations are in existence for one thing, and one thing only: Profits. I realize this offends many people, but it's the stark reality. The crooks in Washington have allowed lobbiests to rule the day by providing money to congressional and senatorial coffers. This is one area I feel there is a lack of regulation. Unfortunately, like most of the crooks in Washington, they will never impose such regulations that take away from their power and gain.

The system is, what the system is. Until the government changes the way THEY do business, we will have individuals like you blaming corporations for payoffs and domination. I suggest you look past what the corporations are doing and focus in on the benefactors. That is where the true corruption lies.

I believe in the corporate system. A mail room clerk can work his way to the top of a corporation if he applies himself. As he is doing it, he crosses many economic classes. If you have a need to blame someone, then blame the individual for short selling himself and not applying his desire to grow from one class to another. It seems you have overlooked that in this country we are all free to take the risk and reap the rewards. The moment a person loses the will to succeed, he has given up that freedom.

You are right, this is not 1913. Concerning the tax code; the 2500 pages is extremely excessive. Do you think the code could be reduced to say 1000 pages? How about 500 pages? Or do you think the 2500 pages is about right? Do you know what's even written in there? I dare say that even Charlie Rangle doesn't know whats written in the tax code and he's in charge of it. My example was that we have a government that is out of control and it needs to be reigned in.

Atleast he is trying to do something! Busch just sat on his butt. worrying about how much money he could make from gas prices. Obama is a hands on President. He don't piss around. Maybe if he didn't inherit the economic problems from the last 8 years. Everyone would have a different view on him. Don't even tell me Busch did ANYTHING for this country... He was all for himself. Just watch him from past press conferences. What a narcissist. The guy thought he was God. We have soldiers being killed for WHAT. No one has ever said why we are in Irag. We are spending billions of dollars over there. To rebuild what we destroyed. But Why are we there.... Because the Busch family is fighting over oil. Wake up America.. That is why Busch never changed the taxes on the millionaires of this country. He was one of them.. And who is buying the stuff that these millionaires are selling. You guessed. The middle class, and the lower class. I have a great plan. Maybe us middle class and lower class should stop purchasing things that support the millionaires off this country. BOYCOTT.... We are the ones making them money. Why not stop it. If they get our money that we have taxes and SSI taken out of. WHY should they pay the same taxes as us. We are supporting their A;;. If you make $60,000 a year. As a couple. You are paying the same taxes a someone making $150,000 a year. A single person. And those most likely making that are the ones working for a insurance company. Sitting at their desk finding policies. For suckers like us.... That is where our money is going. To the insurance companies. Policies on insurance are going to keep rising. Do you know that they rise becauce of the people that don't have insurance. So we are paying for them.. Get it right already. Why do I have to pay for someone else. My daughter broke her wrist last summer, and I am still paying for it. But I am also paying for someone elses bill. I also pay on my electric bill something for lower income families. I never signed up for that. Why do I get charged about $3.00 a month for that. Where do I sighn up for this money...

I see that the American Nazi Party is collapsing comments on Newsvine.... Psychopaths.

First of all (in terms of journalism) that Palin tag at the end of this piece was terrible writing and definitely "yellow journalism." Enough said there....

But did I miss the part where it was mentioned that over 90% of those polled were WHITE? Yes, that matters in this instance. About 10% African American; 1% Asian; etc. Think about it.

What really was being polled here? We NEED health care reform NOW. Damn the Blue Dogs and the Republican fear tactics. Thanks for the feeding them MSN/Wall Street/NBC.

Please:) Everyone take time to read all the Health-care Bills they are all a Load of CRAP!!Tell a friend and family to take time and read it. we can't afford this B.S bill to pass, and for the one who say we need this bill please read it first,

MOST OF YOU people cannot tell your congressperson anything because i hear them stand up there and say it does not matter what the taxpayers want it is what we in congress want.. look at the bailouts. look at the automobile take overs. look at the foolish stimulus (pork,pork,andmore pork)bill. and now look at the health bill they american public did not want any of these but our dumocrat congress and dumb president laid it on us, by spending more in five months than all of the previous administrations COMBINED.....

bob ream: You are,of course, exactly right, And, that's why next year's election is going to be so much fun. I think we're gonna see a lot of new faces.

The President's popularity will continue to sink as long as he supports plans like the 1000 page "health bill" It doesn't take 1000 pages to reform health care. This bill is an attempt to take over YOUR private life. And it will be unsustainable as there is not the funds needed to fund it. What you gonna do when the govt. can't pay for your care??????????/

How can someone called besmart be so dumb. You say at least Obama is standing by his health care plan. Exactly what plan is it? When he is asked questions about it he doesn't seem to know the answers. He has admitted, just like the congress people he hasn't read it. So if he hasn't read it, and congress hasn't read it who exactly wrote it? His little ACORN friends? We the PEOPLE elect our officials to propose the bills and to look out for our well being. Democrats are afraid to stand up to this guy! Why? I guess I know the answer to that question. Look what happened to Gerald Walpin when he found corruption within Americorp and Obama's friend Kevin Johnson, he was fired illegally and everyone looked the other way. Well I hope they will be prepared to lose their jobs next year.

People are reading the bill. Yes, they can read and they see that the medical decisions are going to be influenced by people they don't know and may not trust. They also see the overall level of care to be less. Worse yet, the bill gives the Fed more power to deduct money from their accounts without asking first.

Empty suit - good orator but inexperienced leader... Too bad America voted him in. Look at the leadership in Washington in the White House and Congress - they can't even align their own party let alone the course forward for the country... This drop in approval is only the beginning...

The biggest thing I can see so far is that no cost have been come up with...telling me how much would be saved says nothing .... Where will the competition between companies come from .... and in that area...what is the cost each of us would be having to pay out of pocket..have not seen nor heard anyone give out thoise numbers... with out thise numbers how would anyone know just what they were getting for their money ? Also, the insurance companies have all the lobbyist they can get in washington right now pushing for everything they can...this brings to question the honesty of congress,,which is not much if anything.

welcome to the real world of change and just WORDS,this man is a communist,a raciest and a militant,he and first mama have one agenda,destroy America.

The ignorance and arrogance I am reading here is astounding. Get the message, people, health care is all about you, and under the current health care system, how much longer you will actually be able to afford to keep your health care. This does not have anything to do with the President. He has health care, and your representatives in Washington have the best health care in the world, and you pay for it. Since it seems that all any of you are capable of is placing blame on the President for trying, and who will succeed in doing that many President's in the past have failed to do despite you, and that is to improve the health care system we now are burdened with. Now, if you support health care to fail, then make no mistake, you will continue to pay a lot more money in premiums, you will continue to see astronomical increases in out of pocket expenses each and every time you go to the doctors, you will become more and more limited to drugs you may need, tests you may need, because make no mistake, it is the insurance companies who more and more require preapproval by them for testing and for medication approvals for patients. In addition, in order to continue to pay for the current health care system, we will without doubt increase the federal deficit under the current plan, there is no denying that, and Washington is not denying that, Medicare and Social Security and Medicaid will continue to be gouged to support an already unsustainable health care system. What that represents is in 10 or 15 years, when many reach retirement age, you will not have Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security, because it will be all gone. Again, this has nothing to do with President Obama, like he said, he has health insurance. It absolutely has everything to do with you and whether you will even have health insurance in a few years. Make no mistake, health insurance companies only want to cover those people who can afford it. When you can no longer afford to pay their prices, they will drop you. Right now, if you are sick, they drop you. It is the insurance companies who don't give a damn whether you live or die, whether you are covered or not, whether your kid gets the treatment he or she needs. Wake the hell up, get a grip, and realize that the current health care system in this country has nothing to do with your health and it has everything to do with money and how much money these companies can acquire off the backs of people who need health care. They don't care about the quality or the quantity they provide to you, they only care about the profit. It is absurd that anyone in this country who has any brains at all in their head, can really have a problem with the fact that there is actually someone in the White House who is willing to go to the mat with these insurance companies who are raping the system, for us, but yet all of you can only dare to blame him for trying to reform something that is ruining this country's economy, more and more people are dying in this country on a daily basis because of a health care system that simply is not working. While people are dying every single day is the absolute reason why health care needs to be fixed in this country. Do you want to talk about how the US is second to last in the world on infant mortality? How much evidence do you all need to put aside petty politics and petty dislikes and finally admit and realize that the current health care system is killing our people, our babies, that it is ruining our economy and that the cost of the current health care system is not sustainable, either now or in one, two, five or ten years. The evidence of the failure of this health care system is right in front of your eyes, and yet all you all are capable of is petty crap. It looks like only the brave among us are willing to fight this necessary fight, even for the morons among us who obviously have no clue. The rhetoric flying out there does not scare me and those like me, unfortunately it obviously scares all of you. When your company gets yet another increase in the premium they have to pay to the insurance company to cover their employees, and you again don't get a raise, or like many millions of people, get laid off because the company has another increase in the health care costs they have to pay, and can't keep you on, then go cry in your corner, then ask yourself why you didn't have the guts to stand up to Washington and their outright lies, scare tactics, and minimizing the desperate threat that health care is imposing on us and our economy, but rather caved to your fear or you have swallowed the lies and untruths being spouted by a special interest group, and your own representatives in Washington who are without a doubt putting the money before what is right for you and the future of our country. Get a grip and realize, if you let health care fail, then it will be you who pays the price, not the President and not your representatives in Washington. Your reps have health insurance paid for by you, so they don't have to worry, and the Republicans in Washington obviously don't care about you either if they feel that it is okay for you to continue to pay for their health care, and to pay for services you don't even get, while their buddes in the insurance industry, who get them reelected, are reaping all the rewards. How truly disgusting of all of you really, who are stupid enough to believe all the government takeover crap. Right now under the current health care system, insurance companies have taken you over, have taken the health care system over, and are stealing your money, and you are letting them. Insurance companies are deathly afraid that when this reform passes with a public option, they will be forced at that point to put together more affordable insurance packages that no longer rip you off, yet all you people seem to have the capacity of is backward thinking, and you give the okay for the insurance companies to keep raping the system, stealing your money, padding their bottom line in the billions of dollars, and yet all you can do is swallow outright lies and scare tactics being thrown out there by a bunch of Republicans in Washington. Truly truly disgusting, and how cowardly of anyone who believes that crap.

Golly Clara it seems you have taken the bait and swallowed it. All the government has to do is to reel you in and they have the catch of the day.

Government controlled healthcare will seal the deal on SOCIALISM, PERIOD! They want people like Clara to be convinced that the current system is so flawed that only the government can take control of our lives. Clara - tell me one government run system of social benefit that is not close to bankruptcy or costs the tax payers a whole lot more money that it was intended to do. Need help? Just ask and I will let you know how inefficient the government is.

The health insurance companies make trillions of dollars in profits, they don't want a single payer plan, that will puts them out of business. Now they spend billions of dollars to misinform the American public with lies and scare techniques. I have been in Europe and seen it myself how they get their health care. They have a health insurance like here medicare for everyone (mandatory). Then you can get a supplementary insurance for upgrade care, like private room and more choice. A couple pays about 136.00 Euro per month, this includes Doctors, Hospital, Dental, Eye care and Medicines. No co-payments. Don't believe what you all read in this discussion page, a lot of them are working for the insurance companies.

Holy crap. Paragraphs please Clara.

and the Republicans in Washington obviously don't care about you either if they feel that it is okay for you to continue to pay for their health care

I don't think you've been reading the comments or listening to what the right is saying. They've been proposing bills for health care REFORM for years now and it's always shot down by Democrats. What they're saying is wrong with this bill is that it's NOT reform, it's just a new deduction for a gov't run business and that the bill specifically says you'll have to go to it if you decide to change insurance companies in the future. That means private insurance companies will just slowly die out without new customers and that's all thanks to the left wing proposal.

So trying to blame it on the right without knowing anything about the history of this issue or what the other side even said? Putting lies out there like they don't care when they're the only ones trying to actually come up with something FOR the people? Come on. That's only heard on liberal media and is an outright lie or very uninformed individuals just trying to spread hate with misinformation.

Steven - Obama doesn't desire a European type system. This is not what we will get. No matter what the government tells you through the state run media, the only reason Obama wants it is to move this country into a socialized system of government.

This is so obvious that everyone should be getting it but it seems that people just don't want to take it at face value. Why is it being rushed? Why is Obama so insistant about it? He doesn't care about you, nor your health. Why have democrats rejected it? What AREN'T we being told?

People trust this government way too much. The arrogance and the demanding ways of this administration speak for itself. Keep on thinking that government is the answer. One day you will wake up and realize that they own you completely and there will be nothing you can do about it.

How weird for people to be asking what his plan is when the article tells them what it is!

The repukes will always see what they want to see and don't see what they don't want to see.

Just close your eyes and the boogyman will go away, right?

Yeah Esam - very much like the democrats did during the Bush administration. Funny thing - we got through it and the Constitution is still somewhat intact. Obama has a different desire for the Constitution since he's already stated that it's getting in the way of what he wants to accomplish.

How can anyone be for the genocide of our elderly people who have supported this country, for the most part, all their lives. Its in the bill stephen and clara, just not worded that way.

Attention folks!

EVERY PERSON IN AMERICA CURRENTLY HAS HEALTH CARE!

Here are some interesting facts;

1 – 85% of people have health insurance – either through their employer, the government (for the poor), or private insurance.

2 – Another 12% choose to self-insure and pay for services if and when needed, hoping against a catastrophe.

3 – The remaining 3% are people (usually illegal immigrants) who go to an emergency room for medical care because they know the law requires they be treated – they just ignore the bill.

This is NOT about providing health care – it is about CONTROL over a major aspect of our lives and how government will find a way to reach into your pocket for more money.

Clara how is things going over at ACORN?Iit does seem that you have the democrat speel down pat. The only rhetoric word I haven't seen you use yet is mean-spirited I think you have covered the rest, that just must have been a oppsy on your end, feel free to use it now. OH and btw GOOD JOB!!!! Tell Wayne and Dale I said hi.

"Democrats continue to lead Republicans in the handling of several key issues, although the GOP has gained ground from a year ago."

Interesting, but in conflict with overall polling data such as the following;

"A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 42% would vote for their district’s Republican congressional candidate while 39% would opt for their Democratic opponent."

That's a decline of over 10% for Democrats since the election.

The big changes are among the Independents, who voted for "Change", but don't like the change they got.

This is NOT about providing health care – it is about CONTROL over a major aspect of our lives and how government will find a way to reach into your pocket for more money.

Yes, and all need to ask themselves do we want the government to control every aspect of our lives or keep what freedom of choices we still have?

momus Ref: post 1.40

answer to your questions: NO, and the dems would have been all over it and you know it.

You have too much time on your hands!

Republicans who attempt to shut down healthcare reform, on principle, without an alternative plan, are questionably patriotic.

Says who Brandon? Is this just your opinion? What makes you feel there needs to be a plan anyway? 85% of all Americans are satisfied with their current plan, or no plan or whatever they have. Why would 85% of Americans be unpatriotic because they don't want the government controlling their lives?

Maybe you should rethink your assertion.

Brian,

Ask the 40 million uninsured how they "rate" their insurance plan.

I guess they can just go to the ER, like Shrub said, and increase costs for all of the rest of us.

Stellar thinking, Brian. Stellar.

Brandon - you are buying into the propaganda. How many of the 40 million elect NOT to have coverage? For many years I didn't have coverage and I did just fine. So for that period of time, since I elected NOT to have it, would it be fair for me to be forced to have it by the government?

What makes you think forcing the American public to have insurance run by the government is fair anyway? Now that's stellar thinking along the socialist line. Let's interject a whole system upon 300 million Americans for which 85% don't want it.

Brian,

Get out of granny's basement, read a book, stop watching Faux News, get a job, and have some kids. Anyone with kids knows that you HAVE to have insurance.

85% don't want health insurance?

You are either really stupid or unbelievably stupid if you believe that.

Brandon,

That's right - resort to name calling and beratement. A typical liberal ploy. Divert the attention away from the issue and make your argument about the other person.

It doesn't work with me. I see through your argument as if it were air. You have emotionally attached your thinking to the "poor souls" that don't have insurance. My question to you is: What happened to personal responsibility? What happened to each person taking care of themselves without relying on the government to bail them out? Your opinion that the government should take care of everyone is not only against what the Constitution says, it's downright sadistic. Your thinking is flawed and by you thinking that the government needs to take care of everyone's needs you omit a whole lot of other needs such as: should the government pay for a persons transportation, food, clothing, heating, DVD players, TV's and on and on.

Government sponsored healthcare will be a disaster to this country both economically and socially. You want to help, pay for someones coverage - don't force ME to pay for it through a government sponsored program. I do well enough to pay my own way in life without relying on the government to intervene. Grow up!

You probably also hate those services that the Government provides like clean water, unemployment insurance, disability insurance, social security, public education, FDIC protection, labor law protection, minimum wage, drug regulation, food protection, private property protection, public defenders, public defense, $100 billion/year in corporate welfare, etc, etc, etc.

We all have to pay for these, whether we want to or not.

Stop paying your taxes and you will STILL receive all of these benefits...as long as you get away with it.

Face it, under the Welfare State, you have done very well for yourself, thank you very much.

And now, you @!$%# about universal health insurance?

If you have children, without health insurance, I am calling CPS.

Why are people so stupid? All they care about is themselves. There are people out here without any health care and others who have it but it doesn't cover much, and if I were President Obama, I would say to hell with all of you and get on with doing something that no one cares about. Anyone with half a brain knows that our health care system costs more than every other developed country together, but that's okay as long as you have yours. By the way, where were you when George Bush was draging the country into debt? I am sure you didn't complain about what that was doing to the country or future generation.

Bill and Hillary were correct decades ago - health care is bankrupting America. The high cost of health care has made corporate America less competitive. American corporations must compete with countries with national health insurance.

Oh, the games people play! Who knows what is ever in someone else mind? For all of those that took the time to respond to my little snidely made remarks, I Thank You! I've learned so much from coming on the Newsvine. Some of you try to twist my words and some of you don't have the simple God given sense that He gave a billy-goat to understand the difference between someone stating that they care and they don't. I absolutely love it when someone thinks that I don't understand what "sophomoric" means and I pretty much give the definition, in a round about way, in my response. How delightful! I'm just surprised that a dictionary had to be broken out to try and to make oneself actually look smart.

So, to spike, Brianb and PAUL F.....This Bud's for you. CHEERS!!!!!!! LMAO

I did the math on this bill at work yesterday. According to the bill I will have to pay a 4% penalty if I do not provide health insurance to my employees, which I do at a cost of $30,000/year. I pay for it, they do not. This bill will be paid for mostly by employers, most of you think that is a great thing, because you don't own companies. Basically I don't have much to worry about other than some addition to the bill that won't be read stating I have to pay higher personal taxes so that the less fortunate can have insurance. That might not be too bad, but when the bill comes due for all of his other spending, 140 million for his inaguration (spelling?) 787 billion spending bill, 1 trillion for health care and I can't pay it, where do you think I'll get it? I'll stop providing insurance and pay the penalty of $3-4000 for a savings of $26-27,000. I'm not sure that will pay it but my taxes will pay for their insurance anyway if they accept the govt option. Thanks but my insurance is fine as it is and I think my employees would rather be on the insurance they already have.

According to the bill I will have to pay a 4% penalty if I do not provide health insurance to my employees, which I do at a cost of $30,000/year. I pay for it, they do not.

Are you serious?????? You mean to tell me that your company makes so much money that you can afford to pay all of your employee's health insurance costs? You mean to tell me that they don't have to pay a single dime in health insurance?

If what you say is true, you're fronting a socialist business! People in the military actually have a small amount taken out for insurance and that's the largest form of socialized medicine in the United States. Surely you can't be serious with that BS!

Momus,

I do pay for my employees health insurance through our company plan. They do not front a dime, if they choose to have any family members on the plan, they pay for that. It is factual. Rising costs have forced us to raise deductables but it is still paid, and I will continue to do so as long as possible.

I am not a socialist nor do I support a socialist agenda. I have always done this as a benefit to my employees. It is a way to attract and retain better employees, especially now that we've cut hours.

theD,

WOW! That's cool....I'm really sure your employees appreciate it. How much does the ones with families have to pay though? I know it will vary on the amount of dependents, but on average...let's say someone with a wife and 2 kids, under your plan?

Of course his numbers have slipped. That's only to be expected since they were so high to begin with. He is still heads above other politicians and much better than the last President. His plan has to be tweeked but at least he is working to make changes. He is doing an outstanding job considering the mess he inherited. I'm still proud to say he's our President.

We don't need " reform " untill after Rehabilitation..The tax deductions for the employers is immense when they pay a doctor to tell you to get back to work the week after you gave birth...Why would they give you a dollar unless they can deduct two dollars from their taxes? and then drive away in the company car..Hummer, bmw or mercedes...tax deductions for that too...

Good heavens. A lot of people want to see Mr. O aborted.

Obama was voted into office for no other reason than the record-breaking number of African-American voters that turned out at the polls, and September 18, 2008. That's the date of the crash. People were frightened. And as we all know, spooked sheep will rush over a cliff to their deaths, and a drowning man will grab the edge of a sword....

Whatever. Because the 'Obots' are waiting to battle hard to keep O in office, we aren't going to get much mileage out of O's country of birth, or the very likely mass voter fraud that elected him. No easy way of extracting him without a nation-damaging uprising.

All that we have to hold onto now is the good Congress, including both Democrats and Republicans, to rein-in O before he can do permanent and lasting damage to our country.

This is a disaster that 50% of Americans knew was coming from day-1.

Well duaaa...First they come out and tell us and the media "we'll say what you want us to say", telling us economy is coming around, won't be long we have it right! Just yesterday he is out telling people we're back, things will start looking up. Then comes the August financial news. Now he says the economy is on the brink! Hua? Then it was the stimulus package, no body read, not Nancy, not the president. Then it was the cash for clunker program. First it was on, then off, then on, now we're not sure what or where it is. We're told they took the billions out of the stimulus fund. Once again, "Hua?" The man and his administration, have no clue as to what they are doing. Congress will recess, come home to some WHITE HOT VOTERS, and decide enough is enough. Tax and spend will be over in September. health care is dead in the water, as well as any other 'program' Obama thinks is best for us. By the way, have they changed their minds in Congress to join the new health care program? No, they still want their free private plans for life....We need REAL change in Washington in 2010, 2012. Vote them all out of office...let's start with term limits.

It don't matter if any Republicans read it at all..There are too many Democrats. There is NO balance. They can pass it even with no republican votes at all..READ THIS ..even if every republican votes against it..IT will Pass with a majority vote...

The straight party ballot was the killer. All of you people who voted for the party of the "Democrats" and did not pick individual candidates. shot yourselves in the foot. and the rest of us too. you wanted to make history so bad and elect the first black president that you forgot to see who you were re-electing too. NOW it is hurting the whole country...and there is nothing you can do to stop it...!!! thanks to the low information voters... start with term limits and then eliminate the straight party ballot.

Six months after sitting on the edge of Armageddon....President Obama has made sense of and stabilized a bankrupt financial system.....had enough confidence in us to commit billions to support the development of a better, stronger country....and will soon stop fraud and abuse in our health care system, saving us billions of dollars. Compare that to osama bin bush. Please.....President Obama has not disappointed..... he is doing exactly what we elected him to do.

Momus, your comments seem a little sick to me. Do u want the red or green pill?

Oh Yea....he also stopped the nonsense in Iraq and restored the reputation of the United States......in six months.....HELLO

everybody is going on and on about health care reform but this article is about Obamas poll numbers,

the one thing that really stuck out ,in my opinion,is that by the numbers shown,the majority of the people polled were Democrats ,only the writers call them "the public",,, get it . Like when they say "67% of Americans don't want Sarah Palin as president but 43% of Republicans don't. So really,this poll is biased,which means that Obamas numbers are really bad within his own party,,,,think about it.

Obama should not worry about health care, Bush didn't. The mess Bush created in our economy will take years to straighten out if ever. It took eight years and two wars to create this horrible mess, it can not be resolved in eight short months, Obama is not God and he does not profess to be. We stood by and watch Bush ruin our country and our economy and said nothing, now we try to crucify Obama. Get off of it, we let this hell be created now we have to live through it. We knew going into Iraq was a mistake, we listened as Colin Powell advised against it, his words " if you invade it you will own it", now we own it. We all knew ceiling prices should have been put in place to keep the 'Greedy" under control but who spoke up, you certainly couldn't expect the wealth to do so, hell under Georgie Boy they got a hell of a lot richer. We talk of the deficit and the price our children , grandchildren and great-grands will pay under Obama's plan, wake the hell up we are paying now and we will continue to pay. Jobs are being lost and businesses are closing every day, so the ones of us still working have no choice but to help the ones not working. The mess will come when we are all unemployed by job loses, and closing businesses . I guess we can continue to blame Obama but that will be small comfort without a computer to voice an opinion on. I have lived a great many years but never have I seen the economy in such terrible shape, it took years to get us here and it'll take years to get us back to normal, if possible. Our survival depends on our nation coming together for the good of us all, we will never do that. A nation divided against it's self can not stand, this country sees everything in Black and White. The color now is 'Red" cause we are in the red. I don't want a popular president, I just want the economy back on key, and I understand I have to help, by working and paying my just taxes. I'm in a position where my health care is great, but this today, tomorrow could be different and then I could be needing one of the potential plans being put on the table. It's great to be critical when you are not needy but it's hell when you are in need. It would help all of us to care about the rest of us, because except for the grace of God, there goes you instead of me.

The more we allow goverment to do -- health care for example - the more rights we lose. We are going to lose the right to decide our medical coverage and how our last years will be, because the government will decide. Seems to me - we already fought this battle. We did win WWII, didn't we? Our men lost their lives so we and others could be free to make our choices, didn't they?

It's a poll dummies.Man are you divisive nimrods.He's actually affecting change.And your all terrified to find out how wrong and misled you've all been. Well, you are and have been and it's clear to all those who seek progress.We're called progressives.You are polarized by pablum.All someone needs to do is wave an f'n crucifix in your face and your eyes role back and and your arms extend like zombies!

why does JOHN-385319 get collapsed by the "community" when he has 110 votes?

WHO does that collapsing? if you click on the + sign you can uncollapse them and find that OFTEN there are very interesting quotes that are missed if you skip the collapsed comments. MEAN TRICK. often times it seems prejudiced people collapse things. and on the other hand, some really vulgar sorts get to stay up. HOW does THIS happen?

How about Carl the Plumber to flush them all.

...and after six months he looked at what he had "created" and said.."it is done" and on the seventh month he vacationed...

BOTH democrats and republicans are the problem. Nothing will change until we can get both corrupt parties out of office.

penchic,

Did you get that from the Reverand Wright sermon? Well said my friend. Well said. : )

More paid lackeys dropping their lines and their pants for the corporate bosses......

Flush Bush, Obama and all of the cheating, lying, thieving politicians. Time for a wet vacation and a one way ticket.

Ginger, you just revealed yourself as one of those mindless, liberal idiots that will continue to blame Bush for everything. Do you plan on making these stupid comments for the next 3 1/2 years?

At what point - in YOUR opinion - does Obama take responsibility for the CURRENT direction the country is moving ?? Or do you think we're on the right path? NOT !!

Loudmouth...it was from a joke via email good for a chuckle :)

Ginger...get a grip...

HA ! HA ! Ginger - I swear, you just crack me up !! You have to be posting your comments just for comedic effect.....right? Nobody could actually BE that confused.

And I'm NOT a Republican.....Bush made MORE than his share of mistakes. But in Obama's case, he is consciously TRYING to turn this into a Socialist nation.

Did you get that from the Reverand Wright sermon?

So, this all really has nothing to do with healthcare.

Ginger

kkk?? Byrd became a rep, I missed that one.

It is pathetic to read the opinions of the people.  They are so poorly informed their opinion is worthless.  They have been mostly taken in by the sound bites of the drug companies and the insurance industry.  They have no idea how the health care industry operates in  this country and how badly they are getting screwed.  How many people know, as a country, we spent 2.3 trillion dollars on health care in 2007 and that lots of the total went to the insurance companies.  We are already paying for universal care, we just arent getting it.  Nobody comes close to the amount we are paying per capita and getting so little for our money.  Be prepared for an onslought of lies to scare you about any change in our health care.  The people who are carving a big chunk out of that 2.3 trillion dollar pie wont give up without a hell of a fight.

'Ol Glenn - nobody (well, almost) would argue that the health care doesn't need drastic reform in America. But do you honestly think a program administered and directed by government appointed bureaucrats will be an IMPROVEMENT? Just try and think of ONE program run by the Federal Government that isn't at best inefficient and is in most cases is CORRUPT.....think about it. I don't think this bill should pass.

Government run ANYTHING is usually a disaster!

speaking of vacation, I believe I'm correct in saying that GW Bush the flunkie boy dry drunk with ADHD you adored so much, spent more time on vacation than any President in history.

In fact, I believe he was on vacation of sorts while he ignored 9/11 and read the upside down book to the kids. And Cheney was fishing

and President Obama has spent more time outside of the Whitehouse than any other President in History in just 6 months?

Your point Ginger?

Pete, way to go. I have been saying this for years. It is why I vote libertarian. But, unfortunately, until we eliminate the Electoral College it will never happen. Too many people won't vote, like my wife, because in our region, it goes to Democrats no matter who you vote for. With each vote counting, at least in the presidential elections, we would finally get some progress on a third party. Right now, even if a third party candidate got 3-4 million votes country wide, it won't be seen by people, because it won't get the candidate any Electoral votes.

Let's see the government told us the cost for medicare would be one number ( I don't have the exact amount) but the program ran about seven times the number the government bandied about does anyone really expect this to change? Both the house and the senate have lunchrooms one is privately run and makes a profit the other is run by the government and looses money. Another example the museums in Chicago used to have lunch counters run by the city. The food was terrible and expensive. Now McDonald's not fine dinning but not terrible and at a reasonable cost. McDonald's makes a profit. Moral: private companies for most things do a far better job than government run entities.

Ginger - you're STILL whining about boy George? Get over him.

And at the rate he's going, your idiot is going to lead all comers with the most vacation days ever. I think this will be his 3rd, in what, 6 months?

I haven't had a real vacation in 10 years, and I never had to manage a financial collapse like Odummy has on his hands. You people are pathetic.

And what I mean by you people is the people that think they are better than everyone else, that somehow you "deserve" better pay, healthcare, an "upper class", lazy good for nothing over-educated idiots like, well, like our president.

He is good for a laugh though, and that VP of his, I LOVE Joe Biden. He's a HOOT.

Thanks to George, he lied us into war which has costs a trillion dollars, then failed to include that cost into the yearly federal budget. Thanks to George, we got hated the world over, which made us less safe. Thanks to George, we suffered the absolute worst terrorist attack every on our own soil. Thanks to George, we lost over 7,000 Americans, at home and abroad. Thanks to George, we have a 1.7 trillion dollar deficit that we somehow have to overcome. Thanks to George, Wall Street crashed, and we are dealing with those consequences now. Thanks to George, a 793 billion dollar medicare prescription drug plan passed by Republicans at 3:00 in the morning in 2007, and was not paid for. Need I go on? Don't think for one moment that the more knowledgeable among us, who really get the facts, know the real truth here. Thanks to George, he took our country into the toilet, and every day we are battling to get back on our feet. If all any of you can contribute is keeping this country down, by standing in the way of progress, are truly disgusting and really contribute nothing to our society. Pettiness and stupid lies and rhetoric are expected from the Republicans who failed this country. I expect much much more dignity, respect, and truth from the citizens of this country. Yet it seems all of you who can only bash and be scared of lies coming from repubs in Washington have nothing to offer here in getting this country back on its feet and finally moving forward. How reprehensible are you.

Oh, For God's sake, Clara !! You are wrong on almost EVERYTHING ! Especially when referring to yourself as one of the 'more knowledgeable'. If you would read up on the FACTS instead of digesting all the liberal media crap, you wouldn't make such stupid statements.....

Yes Clara. I'm so reprehensible I actually want to take care of my own responsibilities, pay for my own health care, and life my life without government interference. What a lowly person I am. I am so stupid to think that private health care packages are not a right. I am so ignorant to believe that I should decide where my money goes. I am so terrible I want my business to succeed so I can feed and support my family.

Thank you for showing me what an awful person I am.

Thank God intelligent people are starting to reject this. I can only hope it continues! Obama care and Cap and Tax need to just GO AWAY!

Who is Joe Bidden ?

Yes deccles02, MSNBC and the rest of the media are a bunch of right-wing nutcases.

How often do you have access to the asylum's computer, by the way?

You can believe whatever you want. But this information in this article ( link provided if you can read) will and is proving to be completely accurate. Do you actually believe they serve your interests?

Obviously the current mental health system has failed you miserably if you actually believe all that nonsense you've been typing

Okay, I dare you to prove the article in the link provided to be wrong. In fact, I dare anyone on here to do this.

Deccles,

Every other country with a single payer system is a Democracy? You been drinking way too much Kool-Aid. France? NOT, Germany? Not. Canada? Not. Cuba? Not. Etc Etc Etc. But please feel free to go to one of these countries and try to get a Drs. appointment. That'll keep you busy in Canada for....5-6 months. Germany, 5-6, Cuba 18-22, France, 5-8. That's just for the appointment. Why, you idiot, do you think so many Canadians come here for treatment? Especially considering theirs is supposedly free and they pay, out of pocket? And dipsh-t, the REASON we haven't become a socialist country, (as I assume must be something you want) Is because brave patriots are willing to die to keep this country free. So go suck Obamas butt like the sniveling puke you are!!!

It is going to cost less? You've got to be kidding me. I agree with rationalthinker and steven from Iowa - it'll cost far more than they EVER thought or predicted. If you don't think so - go back and look at every other government plan.

And who do you think is going to pay for this? All of us who have great health care. All of us that have small businesses. This plan calls for small businesses to be required to provide health care for their employees - then to TAX them for the health care. To think that my tax would jump from the 20'ish tax bracket to the 45 % bracket is ridiculous. Health care is a choice for most - they choose not to get it - I think Tom Zigler says it best in his blog...http://tomziglar.com/

And the luxury tax? Give me a flippin break. If you can afford to buy a luxury car, or have plastic surgery or whatever the case may be - you've worked darned hard to get that money to make your purchases. Why should you pay more taxes? You're already keeping more people employed for goodness sakes! Where is the logic in that?

Grrrrrr..........

first off, i said "most every other country", not all. I would expect people to actually read what I say before jumping to conclusions.

Last time I checked, all the o@!$%#ries you mention (except cuba, thus my statement) have free elections for president and parliment.

Also, people waiting for appointments must not be happening here at all, so how do you explain the shorter life expentancy, higher infant mortality rate and poorer health of Americans than nearly every other country you mention if our system is so dam great? How do you explain the 20,000 needless deaths in this country every year because they couldn't afford the insurance?

Fighting and dying for the chance to file bankruptcy because of medical bills? You call that freedom?

You're confusing true freedom with economic slavery.

Can't see the forest for the trees, and I still have yet to see any one of you prove the article wrong with any facts or data.

But you're welcome to keep trying, lol

Deccles

And why should I believe what Joshua Holland has to say? Because you say so, you and most the people on these posts are nothing but media zombies freaks, while the authors sit back laugh and collect on their advertisements

Here is the truth? why should I take that over another?

Know one knows the truth only time does.

What I have found works is this, get something in place, let it run, identify the problem areas in real time and adjust. Build in a 12 month evaluation period, etc. That is the only way to know the truth. Then penalize those who took advantage and move on.

Why so hateful...I'm proud to be a socialist. Maybe if you go to college you will learn something about the military industrial complex that our rampant capitalism has produced. Silly boy!

All of you anti-current plans better start reading ALL of the various current committee plans. Even today, the one House committee made revisions (would reduce the federal subsidies designed to help lower-income families afford insurance, exempt additional businesses from a requirement to offer insurance to their workers and change the terms of a government insurance option.) Guess the Blue Dogs and the Repugs are starting to get their way toward more support of the greedy insurance industry and more positioning toward maintaining the status quo.....in other words ever increasing premiums to further support the constantly rising profits of the insurance companies, while more and more people go uninsured or underinsured because they can't afford the premiums. By the time this bill finally gets passed, it most likely won't get signed by the President because it does NOTHING to improve our national health care. The Repug option today is just as bad as these new changes in the House version released today. The Senate compromises are going to be just as bad......so here we go.....another 40 years and no real health care reform.

The article and the poll are from WSJ. Who owns it? Yep, Murdock...

...and 'they' complain about MSNBC not being balanced!

deccles

if you are going to reference a site you should try to use one that is not a liberal opinion site. especially one who doesn't understand functions of govt arms. take this quote from your "source":

What is it “worth” to our society to ease that kind of pain? It’s not in the purview of the CBO to say.

when major proposals arise which will affect every citizen in our nation it is the job of the cbo to hash it out and weigh in on it.

health care is not a right. reform should be the big issue in politics. but not the way obama and the other far left liberals wish to do it. they want to do it for political points and damn the repercussions. the correct aqpproach should begin with the ambulance chasers. something that obama, a lawyer, has not even put on the table. the democrats are all about party and power.

here's a quote by rangel concerning not meeting the july 31st deadline imposed by obama:

we have let our president down

not "our constituents".

at least the republicans believe every citizen is capable of progression. the dems think we are not capable of rising to their stature and should be happy with the droppings from the table. have you even noticed that they will be exempt from the plan?

bill m -

You are a prime example of what our "higher education" is turning out, alright. You numbskull - you owe your right to BECOME so arrogant and naive to the brave folks who have served and are serving our country in the military.

You're damn lucky in spite of your ignorance.

Time will Tell, and everyone else who has been kind enough to comment.

I want to clear one thing up. Obamas plan stinks. I don't support his plan. Never have and never will.

The only plan, as evidenced by the article in my first post, along with numerous other studies and HR 676 (which has been on the books in congress for over 7 years now), single payer is the only plan that provides effective health care for every american, and will do it at a cost far lower than any current plan. Including doing nothing at all which everyone knows will spell certain doom for this country economically.

The documentation and evidence proving this is extensive and available to anyone who is willing to take the time to find and read it. Unfortunately, as evidenced by most of the comments to my original post, laziness is pervasive in this country, and people will believe whatever companies and the insurance industry tell them.

So to answer your question Time Will Tell. Yes, I do believe this article over others because I've done the homework myself and the data in the article is completely accurate.

BTW Chuck,

I too have served my country in the military. Now I serve it in a social-change capacity because it is my patriotic duty as an American citizen to do so.

I don't sit on my butt and whine about things and cast insults at others (unless they've earned it). I actually take to time to understand something before taking it to a public place such as this and showing people the truth of this nation and the people who are in charge.

easy

for you:

By Mark Murray
Deputy political director
NBC News

murdock does not own nbc

Decc

You did fail to mention that the CBO didn't revise their numbers until after a closed door metting with Obama. Think maybe some pressuse was brought to bear on what is supposed to be a non-partisian group??

Armageddon,

Trust me when I say I hold the democratic congress and the republican congress equally responsible for this fiasco. Republicans do believe in progression, but more often than not they back it up with repression. You can't expect people to find their own way if you take away their ability to get started. It's hypocritical and anti-democratic.

Al Gore-703890,

Dear AL, you fool, why don't you deal with a fact or two in your life. First off the real Al Gore, the one who was VP, when he needed a specialist for his child after an accident he took him to Canada to see one. Second with the exception of Cuba every other country you listed had a freely voted government. Third, you do not wait months to see a Doctor in Canada, the health care is not free, and Canadians are not pouring over the border for healthcare.

However on the bright side, the health act does include mental health, I would suggest you look into it, perhaps it can help.

Let's not leave out NBC..You know Obama's best buddy Jeffery Immelt who Obama appointed to his economic advisory board...So if you are going to spout half truths at least pick a subject you are familiar with..

deccles

i will agree both parties are responsible. i'm not so sure about the rest of your post. how do the republicans repress anyone? lower education is free in america. higher education is available. laws are in place guaranteeing equal opportunity and protection. being a republican or a democrat is a matter of political viewpoint. every few years one party becomes the majority and then when the public becomes tired of that party the public swaps them out.

I grew up in a US-Canada border town and have Canadian in-laws and relatives and yes, they do come to the US for quicker medical services. They complain about their medical services and taxes all the time. Besides income taxes, they pay a huge GST and PST. Get your facts straight.

Don,

Always good to here from people with first hand knowledge. The Canuks come south to get joint replacements and many other services. Why? no intolerable waiting lines for the care. Doctors as a group are several things among then are: highly motivated , smart, and constant learners. Do you posters really believe that they are going to remain in this field if the government becomes too onerous? Think again.

deccles02 - honestly, prove the story on your favorite liberal news source wrong?

Your question or request is a ridiculous one, as "proof" is not possible when you or I or anyone takes a "partisan" position.

On it's face, the idea that government estimates, or industry estimates, are accurate is, well, not believable.

That you would trust "estimates" when it comes to the government shows your, well, naivete, to be kind.

The one thing that I can be truly confident of is that whatever they estimate the "cost" to be, double it. It's a rule in business estimates, especially startup's, and it's a good rule of thumb when it involves the fed's - don't ask me to prove it, there is ample evidence in nearly every government segment from the military to Medicare.

I read recently that Medicare "estimates' when first created turned out to be wrong - by about 10X, not 10%, 10X.

And if you want to get to know the liberal wing of our nation, look the Kennedy luxury tax enacted in 1991. They (the democrats) estimated their "yacht" tax would bring in $97 million in new taxes on the rich.

Well guess what? When people experience confiscatory taxation, they change their behavior. SOOOOOO - Kennedy ended up killing the yacht industry in his home state, killed 25,000 jobs, put several yacht builders out of business for good, transferred those lost sales to nations not AMERICA, with a 77% drop in sales.

So the government "estimates" were complete BS, they raised ZERO net revenue, and they cost thousands of American's their jobs, many of those jobs disappearing for good.

If you trust your government, you are an idiot. If you want them in control of more things, you are a big idiot.

If you believe what they tell you regarding "estimates", well, you deserve the lying liars you now have running our country.

Ginger-- I hate to disappoint you--young lady, about what Political Party endorses War! Let's look in the Congressional Records-- Well, fancy that, House of Representatives, shows one-- H.R. 4655 Declaration--Dec. 1998--(Lions, Tigers & Bears--my mistake, it's not Dorothy Speaking!) But let's skip back about 3 months! A Legal letter was sent to the President, dated Oct 9, 1998 and signed by Dianne Feinstein, Mulkulski, Tom Dasche, John Kerry & Joe Lieberman--saying they wished the President will take action, that "somebody had to do something about Saddam Hussein" to remove him from power, before he makes any more weapons of mass Destruction! (Weirdly enough, we Democrats see a dangerous Iraq ruler, who needs to be removed from power, by way of war, or else!) So the following happens in Dec. 1998--(Quoted Speech) 'Declaration of War against Saddam Hussein' "Saddam Hussein has spent the better part of this decade & much of his nation's wealth, not on providing for the Iraqi people, but on developing nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and the missiles to deliver them. The United Nations weapons inspectors have done a truly remarkable job, finding & destroying more of Iraq's arsenal than was destroyed during the entire Gulf War! Now, Saddam Hussein wants to stop them from completing their mission. I know that I speak for every one in this chamber, Republicans & Democrats, when I say to Saddam Hussein, 'You can not defy the will of the world', and when I say to him, 'You have used weapons of mass destruction before, we are determined to deny you the capacity to use them again! " -----------President Clinton (Further more, young Lady, It was President Roosevelt that declared War on Japan--) In those days--the Democrat Party was known as the "War-Party"!! I hated to wake you from Hateful Night-Mares, but see the real Truth, from the very "Legal" Congressional Records! Yes, I too, don't approve of Killing Babies, who "Did Nothing Wrong"--and are punished for wanting to Live-! I'm retired on a modest Soc/Sec income--But I viciously protested giving "Charity Billions to Large-Profit Banking Corporations" They are NOT on the "IRS Approved List" for Charity-Donations!! Wouldn't you like to show a $5000 cash-gift for the next 5 yrs on your 1040 tax-returns!! Just try It! And watch, as they laugh you out of their office--while they deny your Deduction!! If it isn't Legal then--It's not legal for the Govt-either! In fact, it's not constitutional-!! We're being Swindled by our own Fed. Government & should have a "Class-Action" Law-suit! As for "poor families", I volunteer once a month to distribute "Surplus Food & Commodities" to over 600 people from a small Church, we go to-- I usually help with a ton of potatoes in 80# sacks, over 100 boxes of fruit, corn, fruit & juices--keeps my muscles in shape, & feel good I can contribute my free-time, in helping others, caught in this Depression! Doesn't leave me so much time to blog-- Your time probably might be spent helping others--if you didn't Hate Them--so Much!!

deccles02

Some interesting points I learned on your link - looks like a wonderful plan to me. I feel comfortable that when all the entitlement programs voted in make the deficit sky rocket even higher than they have in the last six months, that the government will allow me to have the health care that I need. The program will empower the clowns in Washington decide between bribing voters with more entitlements or letting me suffer...hmmm I know which way they will decide.

pg 22: Mandates Audits of All employers who self insure
pg 29: Admission your healthcare will be rationed
pg 30: A government committee will decide what treatments and benefits you get (No appeals allowed)
pg 50: All non-US citizens, illegal or not will be provided with free healthcare services
pg 58: Every person shall be issued a national ID card
pg 59: The federal government will have direct real-time access to all individual bank accounts for electronic funds transfer
pg 65: Taxpayers will subsidize all union retiree and community organizer union health plans (read SEIU, UAW and Acorn)

Looks very oppressive and costly,and that's just the beginning of what's embedded in this massive bill.

This will turn very quickly into a two cast system of healthcare. The rich will pay for what they need out of their own pockets and the rest of us will get only what the government can afford to dole out to us. The current path of irresponsibility by the federal government plainly shows they can NOT manage this type of system. Placing this in their control will accelerate the country's financial troubles not solve it. It is a power play plain and simple.

deccless02 - I read the link you provided. I don't take much stock in articles that provide links to other articles by the same site. "Get real" has made some of the very points that you need to look into. Public opinion on this bill is tanking as we speak as they realize just what is at stake by passing a bill like this. Do more research and dare to look at the actual bill!

This bill is also talking about taking money away from the senior citizens health care. THEY will decide if you live or die. They need to go...2010 can't come soon enough!

Thats a lie and it was proved to be just that in another forum last night. Someone too one line without reading the full prargraph and ran with it. Fools pick up the rant without checking an make fools of themselves in public.

tmullins,

It is a fact that insurance companies are in business to make a profit. But, and this is the big but, show us one, just one, thing that the Government has ever run at a profit? Just ONE thing? Nada, zip, zilch, zer, nix, none! And this so called BS healthcare bill is just one more way for Obama and his ilk to pad his political friends. Don't you get it? More public appointees making huge paychecks to spend tax money for care that WILL get diminished!

There are laws on the books right now which our Government passed which create HUGE problems for people wanting to purchase health insurance for employees. Trust me. I owned my own small business and I know. Those laws absolutely DO need to be changed. But do you throw away an entire outfit of clothes just because you have a hole in your socks? Hell no! You fix the socks. So why trash the entire system because a few things need tweaked? Do you work? Do you pay insurance? Do you want 13.5 MILLION ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS to get FREE insurance AT YOUR EXPENSE? This stimulis money is going to tax us right into the ground and you want to add more tax? Are you blind enough to believe the Government can just spend spend spend and the bill NEVER COMES DUE? The bill ALWAYS comes due. THat's what so many people are FINALLY finding out! Go to Canada where they have that system. Try to get care there. Try to even get an appointment. Obama wants socialized medicine and ANY BILL of ANY KIND is just a stepping stone.

The government isn't here to make a profit. It is here to make wise use of the tax dollars we pay into the central kitty to provide the services we demand of that government. We have no way of demanding good services from private industry in exchange for their huge profits, other than to boycott them. We need to boycott every single one of these "too big to fail" companies (and yes, every one of the major health providers are in that category.) Try to demand your insurance provider lower your premiums and give you better coverage and see what happens. Have any of you really sat down to see what your insurance coverage has really cost you? Yes, as someone said in another thread on this subject earlier this evening, insurance is there as a "protector." (Home, auto, health.) The ONLY insurance that is "guaranteed" to give you a payback on your "investment" is "whole life" life insurance. Everything else is a rip-off. You'd be better off establishing a separate trust fund in a credit union designated for your healthcare catastrophic events. Let's see, someone in a recent thread said they paid over $20K per year in premiums for their family. Of course, they said nothing about whether they had ever tried to file any claims on that policy. In five years you would have $100K in that trust fund plus any interest you might have earned. If a problem came along, you would have a guarantee of that money being there. Your insurance company gives you NO guarantee that, once a situation arises, they are going to cover most or any of that medical expense. It's up to THEIR discretion as to whether they are going to pay out....and now they want second opinions before payouts? Who pays for the second opinion? You do.

Al Gore-703890,

No where does it talk about throwing out the existing system. No where is there talk about giving 13.5 million illegals free insurance,nor anyone else, if you could read, you would see that they talk about premiums, and how they would be set. No where does it mention free insurance for legal aliens, that is in your head. If you could read or listen, the President has said a number of times, he is not creating a system like they have in other Countries, he is adding to what we have.

Keep drinking the koolaide, robby...............your type have the eternal "blinders" on!!

Do you really think illegals won't be entitled to our healthcare system if it is passed? Why do you think the Dems have not allowed the passage of E-Verify..........the completion of the border fences........pulled in the reigns of I.C.E.? Should I go on?

The Dems agenda is to allow the "amnesty" for 12 - 16 million "illegals" so they will have lifelong voters! What better way than to buy their vote!

robby - sorry to disappoint you, but your president has no idea what is in the current 1,000+ page bill, he hasn't read it.

What a bunch of idiots.

dacincykid, I challenge you to cut/paste the "context" that proves this wrong. If you've read it you'll know where to find it. Otherwise, quit trying to spread misinformation to get people to vote for a bill that has no place in this or any other country. Even the countries that have health care don't have the provisions that are hurtful to the citizens in them.

has anyone answered DONNA's question on "who WROTE it?"?

53 % approval is a majority of Americans. A heck of a lot higher than 18% GW posted.

At the same point in Bush's presidency he had the same numbers...If you go to the Rasmussen daily tracking poll he is even lower...I love it....

Just to prove me point here is a little excerpt from a USA Today/Gallup poll..

Obama's approval rating is 55 percent six months into his presidency, a USA Today/Gallup poll found. But 56 percent of those polled approved of the job done by George W. Bush after six months, the daily reported.

I don't n kow where he is sinking. Obama has more intelligence on the tip of his little finger than the Republican party as a whole.
I hope that Americans continue to inform themsleves and don't allow special interest to market ideas that will only bring profit to a few.
If yiou have children, think of uninsured children bringing contaious diseases into the classroom and your child bringin it home!
Or, your HMO (not a gov. plan) takes over a month to authorize a surgery on an agressive growing tumor in a 38year old females left breast. When it was authorized, she had been referred to a cardiovascular surgeon! By the way, the premium for that insurance is $9340.00 a year.

I love those that spout about how smart Obama is. How intelligent he is. Well, if I were to read and study books on how to do brain surgery for years, would you let me operate on you without experience? Benjamin Franklin said " Well done is better than well said." Start showing me.

Maritza,

Not to be rude but 9300 and change for family coverage is affordable. WHAT that's a lot of money but comparded to what? Over 20000 in France? and that is over three years ago and it is from an article in one of the major newspapers. The government will not speed up care to the sick because it can't, one extra hoop to jump through and that takes time.

Ginger, Bush wasn't right wing (I think this is like the 8th time I've told you this). The right wing does personal research. We have to since the media is so blatantly liberal and biased.

They are like cult members and Bush and Co spent billions and billions brainwashing em. He even used subliminal techniques on these sheep.

Prove this or admit you're trying to brainwash others with that lie.

And, like all cult members, any facts or reality are just BS to them. They choose to believe what they want.

That's what the liberals are saying and misquoting what this bill actually does. When that gets shot down they just start talking about Bush. Are you not just believing what you want now? I see lots of provable facts being thrown at your comments to discredit what you're saying. I don't see you providing any other than what the right wing has been providing for years with their health care proposals that the democrats promptly shoot down.

Obama makes false statements about the bill, people actually read it and find he's lying and he just tries to push harder to get it through. Who's being brainwashed if they continue believing what he said if it's been disproven by his own bills wording? His temper tantrum "now or never" tactics make me sick. Even saying "never" if he doesn't get his way shows they have no interest in the public well being.

now you funny too

Oplis - you think the GOVERNMENT is going to bring about competition? Hello?! where have you been? Free enterprise brings about competition - not government controlled plans. Take for instance breast enlargements - years ago there weren't many that could afford them - now because it has become popular and there are more doctors performing them and because of the COMPETITION - the price is COMING DOWN so more and more can afford to get the enhancements. The same with eye correction surgery! Years ago it wasn't affordable for many - now - because of COMPETITION - it has become affordable for many.

We already have problems with many doctors not taking on medicare because they get paid so LITTLE from the government. You REALLY think it'll get better? PLUHEESE. Get a life. It will get worse if the government steps in and starts deciding when you get treatment and WHO should get treatment. Look at Canada - those that can afford it come to the UNITED STATES for their medical treatments because they can't get GOOD CARE IN CANADA. Talk to those in Canada about getting in to see specialists...

No...our answer is not to let the government take over, it is about making everyone responsible for their own health care. Is it fair that if you have health insurance and you go to the hospital for a procedure that the hospital "writes" off hundreds if not thousands of dollars because of the "contracted" amount, but if you don't have insurance you're required to pay ALL? No - that needs to be changed.

It should be easier for individuals to claim health care deductions on their taxes - this would be an incentive for more to get health care. States should be required to allow for group plans - do you know in Texas that group plans are illegal? If you belong to the Texas Assocation of Builders and this association wants to form a group plan to get lower health care rates for all their members - THEY CANNOT. This is WRONG. However - lets fix this problem - NOT REINVENT the wheel.

I LOVE my health care. For the services I get, I pay what I consider a fair price compared to a lot of my peers - is it as low as others in other states - NO - but that is because of the screwy things Texas does!

FIX the existing system - create TRUE competition and you'll see prices plummet...think boob jobs, teeth whitening, LASIK surgery...

TotallyTexas,

Every body postes the same crap over and over, so since you say it like you know what you are talking about, show me hard data, facts that can be backed up, on all these Canadians coming for health care.

I would like to know what they come for, where it is being done, the numbers who are coming, and how they are paying for all of this care.

What do you mean Group Plans are illegal in TX, go to the Blue Cross Blue Shield site and they have group plans for employers depending on the size of the company. Perhaps they are trying to be selfinsured, which should be illegal for most companies.

http://www.bcbstx.com/employer/index.htm

As the POTUS pointed out in his Town Hall discussion in NC today, 1/3 of the stimulus money went to payroll tax deductions that began THREE months ago. 1/3 went to states to assist in their budgets for education and public safety. Only 1/3 of the money goes to infrastructure and that money is now being released to approved projects around the country, projects that were first investigated to make sure they were not tax dollar wastes. So that shoots down the arguments that NOTHING has been accomplished by the stimulus package. Those still employed just haven't paid any attention to the reduced withholdings in their paychecks. Those who have gotten extended unemployment benefits fail to accept the fact that they would NOT have gotten those extended benefits without that stimulus. Teachers, police, and firefighters are in that same position as the unemployed with extended benefits. Their jobs may have been saved by the money sent to the states. Of course those states where the governors tried to refuse their share of the stimulus money have a lot of questions to answer with their constituency.

TT, that is exactly what the President has wanted done with health care. FIX the system. Free enterprise does not necessarily mean lower costs nor better care. The reason you have seen the increase in "specialists" and a rapid decrease in GP's is because the insurance companies don't pay the GP any more than Medicare/Medicaid. Everyone is adding to the cost of their medical training by going into specialized medicine so they can make more money in their private practices. Now instead of having a good GP to take care of your general health, you have to pay top dollar to 10 different specialists to get the same care......with multiplied costs of repeated tests by each specialist. And your insurance is being billed by EACH specialist for these repeated tests.

Group plan options for individuals and small businesses are vitally needed and THAT is what Obama has called for since he began his campaign. THAT is what his "government option" is.....a group plan that you can buy into, the same as TX law prohibits right now. It would basically force those states that have such prohibitions to allow their residents to participate in a good, low-cost group plan.

Your arguments are being spoken out of both sides of your mouth. You say you don't want government involved, yet you criticize the current system. The bold part of your comment is what I'm referring to. That is NOT government making that decision. That IS the insurance companies making that decision, and that is the "free enterprise" system at work. THEY are dictating what they will cover and at what cost. The only way that is going to change is with government intervention. It doesn't mean that the government is going to run the program, it simply means that the government is going to set the POLICY for how the insurance companies must operate. That is exactly what each state's Insurance Laws do right now, such as your TX laws. Hopefully the federal policy will get changed this time to make a truly beneficial health care policy for ALL American citizens.

No...our answer is not to let the government take over, it is about making everyone responsible for their own health care. Is it fair that if you have health insurance and you go to the hospital for a procedure that the hospital "writes" off hundreds if not thousands of dollars because of the "contracted" amount, but if you don't have insurance you're required to pay ALL? No - that needs to be changed.

BTW, has anyone actually sat down to think about the effect on YOUR health care every time a foreigner comes to this country for their medical care simply because they can buy their treatment "faster" than they can get in their own country? It means that YOUR ability to get in to see your care provider is put on hold. YOU end up having to wait hours to get in for your scheduled appointment and you have to wait months to even get an appointment. Too many Americans have to wait months to get an appointment, so they end up in ER's for their medical care. That overburdens the ER's which are also much more costly treatments.

We need MORE local GP's serving their LOCAL communities. We need more neighborhoodhealth care CLINICS. We do NOT need HMO's, POP's (Preferred Option Plans, or what ever they call those,) etc. Let's get back to the "country doctor" who made house calls and really knew his patients as a human being rather than a number on a chart like today's specialists. I believe this is also a major part of the Obama Health Care Reform platform.

Oplis......many politicians are the party of lies! Please be sure to include your beloved Dems in the pile of dung in Washington!

GaryL, I have learned one hard core lesson about our Political forces, and as one individual had already posted. Politician's have their agenda and they think they know what is best for the rest of the nation. As far as polls are concerned, take a careful look at the number of individuals whom are polled one thousand out of 303 Million. What they also don't tell the public is where they conduct the poll, the demographics of the poll and the income level per ca pita of those whom were polled. So basically the Politician's base their information on regular prime time television mass media news polls. When Barack Obama was in the process of running for President he sent people to the towm I reside in to ask what the new President can do for the community as well as the nation; the funny thing about that was, the gentleman whom came to my door to ask what Obama can do for us was from Elkhart, Indiana. Gary, now I am wondering if this same gentleman is not asking himself: " Why did I volunteer to help the Obama campaign?",. I hate to say this, but ever since he was inaugurated as President, he has basically flip flopped on basically every promise he has made prior. And you are on the button every four years the same old Temptations verse "Vote for me and I'll set you free" BS. I have included this website in my post from time to time, and I have informed people they have choices, and one of these choices is to simply look at a website. This Website is an alternative to the same old two party spoon fed dung jammed down our throats every time an election rolls around. This website is to the Progressive Party of America, check out their website, but most importantly checkout their agenda and platform and see for yourself if this party is the right choice for America in this very dark page in our nations history. I inform most individual when they look at this site, one question. Is this the right course for our nation? therefore to that question, and to that answer, that is a persons choice to make. I have heard that this party cannot compete against more ingrained and more established parties to date. I say yes, all political parties especially the two imperialistic parties we currently have had to start some where, so why not take a look and see for yourself. So Gary here it is: www.progressivepartyofamerica.org . Judge for yourself because there is garbage hype type of change so far we have seen, then there is a true and honest change which must be approached head on and directly even though it goes against the grain or rubs some the wrong way. The reality is can we as a nation continue to pay for the pork, the waste and the meaningless health care proposal when in reality most Americans are not sure of his proposal and how it is going to save waste all around. I myself I don't see it. Do you? What is the entirety of the plan? How does it save main stream America in the long run? I propose to give this website a look and if their platfor appeals to you tell two friends to look and decide for yourselves.

After reading all of Ginger's post and Mr Anti-trust, I feel so much better.

So the party that controls the white house and congress has a plan that will work, and they don't need a single GOP vote to succeed.

So I say go at it! Get 'er done!

But wait, you say the smartest man in America, our dear president, can't even sell his own party on the plan?

Admit it when you wrong, and you will feel better.

The TRUTH is, your weak-sisters running your party don't want this boondoggle strung around their neck come re-election time, as they all know this is not a plan, but an idea - an idea with no legs, no possible way to succeed, a plan that will only create more government, more bureaucracy, and woefully underfunded if they ever get this boat anchor out of the water.

But it's cool - it's just like the economy - Obama will simply explain "hey, we didn't know how bad it was" - that excuse worked with you idiots regarding the trillion or so he spent a few months ago..

At no time did I say gutless bastards Katlan Jones. If you are going to quote someone please make sure you get it right. Unless you are a new journalism major. If so, you are on your way.

"Oh boy it looks like I am one of the first :o)

Of course he is losing ground, his plan is terrible, cost prohibitive and will burden our kids and 4-6 generations to come paying for everything he needs to be done "NOW"."

Hmmmmm.......Be proud looking at my post again I see I am right. You will do good in school and the MSM will hire you in a heartbeat.

Ginger, "Phascists?" Is that a pharmaceutical group or something?

This is a stall tactic by dems because Obama is slipping so they have to say it will take years to recover so they will blindly reelect him because it will take longer than his first term so we should just not say anything negative about him. The same way they were so nice and did not say anything negative about bush when he was in.

Bush is gone!!!! Did you get the memo?

Yes mhrjhn-- Bush has been gone for 6 months now--if someone signs Obama's Health-Care Bill--He's NOT HERE to Get Blamed on how BAD IT IS!! And believe it or not, He wasn't in the White House in Dec 1998, when President Clinton Declared War against Saddam Hussein--(Those dang War-Loving Democrats have done it again!!) Read my Post # 4.25 ---for complete details!! (Always wondered why Roosevelt thought he ought to declare War on Japan--I think maybe he lost his temper-!!) Sure hope that my Congress Representatives are still listening to us Voters on Health Expenses--I know they are saying "You're paying for Ours!" I'd like to get listed on their "Special-Plan" too--but they want to keep it all to themselves--it's too good to share! So let's see what we can do about a more exclusive-plan, like theirs--where uninvited non-citizens are not welcome to our Wallets--either! But taxation on citizens without representation IS NOT CONSTITUTIONAL-! Do our Congressmen hear us?

LMAO at SuzyQ!!!!!

If it wouldn't effect so many people that have no control over anything, I wish he would withdraw this, and let the chips fall where they may. Then when all you naysayers are without healthcare because it has went so high you cannot pay the premiums, you would be begging anyone for help then. What does he have to gain with this? He has healthcare and as a President, has a personal Physician at all times. Don't you nutcases have a clue. He is trying to help us all.

absolute nonsense.

he's not trying to "help" anyone

Again--what is the rush with something this big. You did not answer any of the questions I had.

If this is going to really help--and not cost a fortune that we can not afford--and we will not let old people die as they are a drain on the economy and we will not be providing free insurance to illegal aliens--then this whole bill should be vetted and NOT RUSHED through. Why is that so hard for you to understand. I would not care if this was a Republican or Democrat supported effort. It is too much to fast. They need to fix other things first. The gain is a giant power grab! Controlling a major issue for Americans is POWER!!

Ron and Steven, If you truly believe what you said then you either did not read the plan (which changed again today) or you are relying on someone else to tell you what it says. What you are stating is BS spread by insurers who do not want the competition of a not for profit plan(another change from a public plan. Believe me, they do not have your interest at heart. This willnot be voted on until September and it will change again before then.

Well Geezer62...all I have to say is just wait for him to make your mortgage and car payments too...

Sorry TT, I make good money, have health insurancee and can comprehend what I read. I don't believe the bS from the Drug Cos, health insurers or Rush L. because they all have an agenda to protect their high profits. Profits are fine. Every body should make a profit, but not on the backs of hard workers, which to you are deadbeats if they can't afford healthcare.

Since it appears none of you have read the bill, talking about it is a waste of time. However as the jobs keep leaving, and the factories keep closing, you may want to see where it is they are going, and what attracts them.

40 years of discussion already and they still haven't gotten it right. The President has repeatedly said he put the timeline in place to FORCE Congress to finally, after over 40 years, to do something. If Congress isn't given deadlines, they do NOTHING.

As someone else hinted at above, the budget has to be approved by September 30 and appropriations made for the new fiscal year that begins Oct. 1st. Has anyone heard anything going on in Congress in terms of settling the new budget? I haven't heard much since the President submitted his proposal on February 27, 2009. I know that the House Appropriations Committee is the beginning of the process, then there is the House Committee on the Budget, etc., etc. What are these committees doing? Where are we in this process? When will it move onto the floor of the House for a vote so that it can go to the Senate for all of their hearings, etc. before their vote? Are we going to end up with stop-gap special appropriations bills to keep the government afloat come Oct. 1?

We've all gotten so caught up in the SCOTUS nomination, the stimulus, and this health care reform issue that we are all forgetting about the all important budget approval issue. I hope Congress takes some time during their "recess," which they really should forego this year, to work on this critical issue as well as the health care reform.

What attracts them to other countries is tax breaks, low wages, NO benefit packages, and high profits, while offering the American consumer inferior products. These profit mongers have created our "throw-away" society. If it lasts more than one year, then we goofed. We can't make any money THAT way. Woe be our landfills that are overflowing from all of this "designed obsolescence." That is part of the problem with today's health care.....it too is a throw-away plan....throw away good GP health care, take away the patient/doctor controls and put it in the hands of a bunch of idiots at the insurance companies who do nothing but follow orders to deny every claim they can, while their bosses collect massive salaries and bonuses.

What ever happened to the local community hospitals who provided great medical care to the community when I was growing up? They were taken over or run out of business by the HMO's and their affiliated insurance companies who also act like HMO's, telling you what doctors you can see, what they will pay for and what they won't, then charge you an arm and a leg for those "benefits."

Lawyers and their "class action" as well as individual malpractice lawsuits and the juries who award those outrageous claims all need to be banned from the system. We MUST have TORT reform with this reform.

The major problem with the current Democratic Party is there are two factions the Conservative wing and the Far liberal wing. So in theory very little positive measures move through in both the House and the Senate. So there is no party loyalty and absolutely no party cohesion within the current ranks of the party. So things stall. I can say one thing about the Republicans, and I am not a big fan of the Republicans as a native born New York City boy, but weather right or wrong as far as policy is concern there is more cohesion within their ranks. Remember this is the Democratic Party of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and yet we are basically facing the same problems as his administration. Yet the current breed of Democrat just will not pickup a history book and learn the lessons of the past. I use to be a Democrat myself, but I have long since given up on the Democrats. What vote Republican? Not a snowballs chance in hell. I am a progressive. I can give you and the rest of the forum this website, and checkout their agenda and platform and judge for yourself, this is to the Progressive Party of America. Their website is: www.progressivepartyofamerica.org . Judge for yourself.

You said--President Obama is trying to "HELP-US"!! (--Help us to do what-!? ) To pay our'Every-Day' Bills from Jobs--nobody has ever seen!? To pay our current Doctor Bills-? How-so!? This is the same President who said He'd get help for Home-Owners to prevent their Homes from foreclosures!! Those people not only lost their homes, but lost most of their furniture & had their 'Credit' ruined for the next 10 years! When he forgot they had even voted for him!! He didn't know anything about family economics--what makes you think he knows anything about Hospitalization & Surgery-Operations!? That wasn't his Major in Law-College-!! If you want to fix a car--that's why you hire an Auto-Mechanic--Not a Lawyer!!

Rush? Rush it? Health care has been raping the system for 50 years. Get a grip and get the facts. Looks like you are scared, which is exactly what the Republicans want you to feel. Not because it is right, but because they want to get reelected, and they need the insurance company money to fund their coffers for reelection. Get a grip will you.

Health care has been raping the system for 50 years. Get a grip and get the facts. Looks like you are scared, which is exactly what the Republicans want you to feel.

The facts? You mean these where Democrats shot down more proposals than Republicans and are using their majority currently to block any Republican proposals for what the people are actually asking for? Like FIX THE CURRENT SYSTEM!?

http://www.google.com/search?q=republican+health+care+proposal+history&hl=en&tbs=tl:1&tbo=u&ei=_LBxSsHaG4vwMr--kaAP&sa=X&oi=timeline_result&ct=title&resnum=11

Feb 7, 1992 - Bush's proposal - built on government subsidies to help the poor and middle class purchase health insurance and cutting health care costs through a series of reforms - immediately came under attack by Democrats

Jan 26, 1994 - President Clinton last night threatened to veto any health care proposal that does not guarantee coverage for all Americans and he laid down a broad, unequivocal challenge to Congress to deliver on his ambitious domestic agenda.

Oct 17, 1995 - Republican proposal Re: Medicaid...

Mar 9, 1996 - The Republican leaders' proposal is designed to bring down the cost of health insurance and help the nation's 40 million uninsured obtain ... Health reform, which has been in limbo since the collapse of the Clinton health care plan more than 18 months ago

Feb 2, 2007 - To place employer provided health care and a Republican president in the same sentence is an oxymoron of the first order. Anyone naïve enough to think Republicans ... So,.....regarding the healthcare proposal: Bush will cut the taxes with a deduction ---then raise taxes to pay for it. ...
(notice how it calls him an idiot for wanting to raise taxes for health care and NOW it's a good idea? You missed your chance right here)

Be careful when asking for facts. You might get them. Somehow I doubt you'll read this or take it to heart though.

Asylum Keeper....isn't that "progressive" party you keep posting and talking about a new, way far left, lib party??

It wasnt funny enough to post twice though.

Geez, Oplis - you read it right off the teleprompter. GOOD BOY !!

Now go to your room.

At least the 2nd time Oplis could have corrected his spelling and grammar...

It's not against the president, it's against this crap bill. I would be against this if Sara Palin was on TV in a bikini telling me how good it was.

Lynn-- I hate to agree with you-- But this pollster probably went to schools in Calif-!! I know I had a younger Cousin once, who came out of California, where they had this "Wonderful" new method of teaching kids called a "Look & Say" method, came out of Columbia University--recommended for all Grade-Schools! They had passed him year after year through the 5th Grade--Guess what? He couldn't Read!! But he had a wonderful personality--& Wow-! Was He ever--a great Salesman!! But Polls are like listening to Politicians--They Lie a LOT-!! So don't always believe what a paid Pollster says--It's Money to him to say--just the right thing, even if it's Wrong!

While President Obama is fixing every single thing Bushie did wrong, and is doing it right, then that puts you in the ranks of a moron, and not a smart one at that. Get a grip or get out.

Fixing what exactly? He hasn't done a single thing he promised other than try to push his open ended promise of a health care bill thru. He's managed to piss off several nations and embolden others who are against us in just 6 months. It turns out they DIDN'T want to just talk like he claimed in campaigns. Um....we knew that already. Well most of us anyway. He even made claims against the Republicans that congress did since 2006. He's very uninformed or just a really bad liar.

Well, wilsonkeywest....I guess you have to leave. Apparently Clara has put herself in charge of this entire discussion. And....since you don't agree with her socialist agenda she is throwing you out. Gee....I guess I'll just have to agree with her so I don't get thrown out as well. Oh......wait.....agreeing with her is agreeing with obozo and his push for socialism in the good 'ol USA. Sorry, Clara....maybe it is you that should hit the door. Think I'll stick around and protect my country from the likes of you.

Randy, no, these are not conservative polls. This is reality. Americans hoped that Obama could help. But the monster was just too big. This recession is over a year old.

The unemployment number is climbing to 15%. It is bad and I think people just think it could get worse. I don't blame Rush on this one. I just get mad when I hear the ditto heads complain. We are on a sinking boat, and it's the loud mouth that gets thrown over first.

Actually the recession supposedly officially began Dec. '07, but in reality began with the housing downturn in 2006. Here's an interesting fact from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

The number of unemployed persons (14.7 million) and the unemployment 
rate (9.5 percent) were little changed in June.  Since the start of the 
recession in December 2007, the number of unemployed persons has increas-
ed by 7.2 million, and the unemployment rate has risen by 4.6 percentage 
points.

Based on this data, apparently we already had 7.5 million UNEMPLOYED people in the US PRIOR to the start of this recession. Very interesting, don't you think? Especially since most of these people have long been off of the unemployment compensation rolls. So, yes a lot of jobs have been lost in the last 19 months, but still fewer than those who were already unemployed. And I still have to wonder how many others aren't even listed in that data who have been out of work for more than two years.

Obama has taken charge of the economy now yes, but the real problems go much deeper based on this data. So you are right in one sense Jean. The monster is just too big for anyone to really get a handle on, especially in only six months. But at least this administration is TRYING to do something about it, which is more than I can say about the last administration or Congress (on both sides of the aisle.) Until we can throw ALL lobbyists out of every level of government, we will never be able to get a handle on the problems. Since the lobbyists, Congress, Wall Street, and most corporations (especially the "too big to fail" are all controlled by the secret society Illuminati (within the Knights Templar secret society), we actually have NO SAY in bringing about any change.....they control the world economy, including ours. If you don't believe this theory, just look at the back of the One Dollar bill. See that symbol on the left? That is one of many of the Illuminati symbols. Both Bush 41 and Clinton 42 are members of the Illuminati according to some search engines. I think the total is either 14 or 17 of our presidents have been Illuminati members. Many current Senators and some Representatives (of both parties) are too.

anti-trust-- I've been to a web-site about 30 days ago, where you get both rates--'The Unemployed' & the "Under-Employed"--And the combined rate then, was 16.7%-! You have to understand that once, your "unemployed Benefits" run out, these poor people have no choice, in trying to make ends meet--they desparately take part-time jobs of any kind, usually at minimum-wage rates! Their Pride is gone, so is their reserve cash--if they still have a home or an motel to sleep-in!! These are your relatives, friends & neighbors--your neighborhood where you live--is going down the Tubes!! I actually was hoping that Obama would have a better plan than "Giving Billions for Bail-Outs to Greedy Boards of Directors at Banks!! That money went down the drain--& didn't help nobody! What he needed to do, was to help the home-owners to save their homes from foreclosures! This was the main problem, to start with! That was a simple problem--which he didn't see! Property-Taxes had doubled in many counties! Half of these Loans were FHA & VA Loans to people, who had retired on Soc/Sec--when costs of medicine, untilities, gas & food keep increasing, they finally ran out of money! But $3600/yr on Property-Tax meant--this could be done without a Bank's approval! Give them a 3-yr. "Property-Tax" Exemption! That gives them $300/month from their own Pocket! There's no Soc.Sec. or medicare deduction, no State Income or Fed Income tax deduction--just an Exemption, where no money or checks are exchanged! John Doe just pays his Home-Insurance, interest and Principal--without the Tax Burden! Home-Owner resumes his house-payment to his Lender--without penalities! With this flood of money payments coming in, the Banks get stronger & don't need Bail-Outs! People save their homes, & not forced onto welfare rolls-wasting more county tax-money! They stay in their houses & prevent 'Vandals' from destroying those houses! Detriot Tax-Payers had tax-money wasted, by having Vandalized houses razed to the ground at $10,000 apiece--not saving home-owner nor the house!! It's Stupid to be a Stupid Politician!! Fixed-rate Loans do not need a Bank approval to get a Property-Tax Exemption from the County, who can be reimbursed from Fed Funds every 6 months by Certified County Records! County Assessors should remember if their younger brother, wife & 2 kids lose their home--for 8 months, he is a blood-relative, who should remember--that crowded bathrooms get to be a pain, when you're trying to leave for work!! With 1600 counties in the U.S.--allot 200 fixed-interest Loans in each county to be exempted from Property-Tax! Each County set $720,000 apiece--that totals up to only $1.75 Billion for $100 Billion worth of mortgages!! We help over a million people save their Homes from foreclosures!! That will help in the long run--to start getting our nation out of this Mess!! We all have to work at it--to help more people at this one time, plus we help the banks, & the community! What more do you want from--one simple plan--that would work!! The imaginary Funds are there--to work with, we can reimburse them later!! Most of this is "Paper" Work!! But we all need to help our Fellow Americans get through this Depression!!

Funny how this started in 2007 and congress, which controls...well...."congressional" stuff that directly affects this, has been democrat controlled since 2006. Yet,

But at least this administration is TRYING to do something about it, which is more than I can say about the last administration or Congress

It's the same people!

Amen, sister! Hang in there!

Hang in there Jean!

I'm on my 8th month of unemployment. I imagine the need for 50+ aged white collar employees is limited at best in this economy. Washington has their own ideas which are based on power, greed, control, intimidation, and agendas. Whatever gets their party implanted with future control seems all they are worried about!

I just hope all affiliated party politics "SEE" what BOTH parties are doing before it's too late! It's time they began to take care of America, it's Constitution, it's freedoms, AND it's people FIRST!! THEN, and ONLY THEN, should they worry about their interests!

I guess human nature is a corrupt thing indeed.........only ONE being understands that clearly....GOD!

And God has NO control over what we humans do to ourselves and each other.

Jean
I totally relate. I have been looking for a job for a year. Any job will do at this point for me. Unfortunatly at 50 I am not seen as the most desirable canidate in my field. However at this point I would accept anything if for nothing else to feel productive again.
For all those out there who are lucky enough to have Health Care right now all I can say is your health care is only as good as the job you have at the moment. There are many like me who not only lost a job but also health care.
But frankly I am more worried about putting food on the table and paying my existing bills than seeing a Doctor right now.
This president (whom I voted for by the way) has bit off more than he can chew right now. Lets get the nation back on track... I am still waiting for the stimulus money to have any effect in my state. Take one or two things at a time.
I feel that he is taking on so many tasks in order to keep the public off balance...trying to confuse us maybe or trying to look like such a savior that we will accecpt ( on his word) anything he proposes.
I am not trying to bash the president but at this point I feel like he or his adminsistration are trying to push as many things through as they can before the American public has a chance to become fully informed on each issue.
just my opinion
Jean hang in there :-)

K & Jean-- I Feel your Pain-!! ( But I'm afraid that neither Party in Congress is listening to us Voters-!! They've gotten too-big for their pants! Like these Banks that are "too Big to Fail"!!) We protested that we didn't want the "Bail-Outs" for Banks!! Nobody bothered to listen to us!! I don't have political influence--But I was trained in "Common-Sense"--which apparently all these Lawyers in Congress never heard of--!! So I've written another post #15.4 --where if any politicians thinks they should rent another brain to solve their problems for them--This one is Running on 8 cylinders & is superior to one--that died from lack of ambition! A brain, out-of-gear goes nowhere-!! Keep smiling, Cheers!

Your points are well taken, Jean. The government thieves are masters at taking our eye off the real problems by shoving something new at us so we have too many things to worry about at one time. Then we forget the big problem. And the BIGGEST problem is a government that has sold us down the tubes. We need to clean Washington OUT. BOTH dems and repubs, trim it back down to mean and lean and get back to our constitution and bill of rights. In other words, we need to throw out all the laws and rules and special interests that have ruined America and give government back to the people.

maybe the people refused to listen to GOD, that's why their in this mess.

Dr. Don Pietro-1246930,

Don't watch TV, and listen to people on here, go download the bill and read it for yourself, for your own good, you owe it to yourself to read it, as should everyone on here. Don't fall for all this crap people post, read the thing, none of them have.

Actually you need to go download all FIVE draft legislations....three from the House committees and two from the Senate. Every one of them have different approaches. Once each committee reports out its draft, then the body will negotiate the disparities of the bills and come to some sort of compromise for a floor vote. After each body has its floor vote, then there will be a conference committee to work out that compromise. What bill finally ends up going to the President is anyone's guess at this point. That is why the President gave Congress deadlines originally. He knew the long drawn-out process we'd have to go through once the committee reports were sent to the floors. He wants a final bill no later than the end of the year. This has to be accomplished at the same time both bodies have to pass the 2009-2010 fiscal budget, which hasn't yet made it out of any of the House committees. THAT has to be finalized by both bodies before the beginning of the fiscal year October 1. Since the health care reform package affects that budget, they need to have some kind of consensus on it in order to finalize the budget.

Now are you all starting to get a clearer picture of the nightmare here? Every major issue the President wanted to tackle (health care reform, energy, education, etc.) are ALL wrapped up in the budget issues at hand too.

Obama's health care is DEATH served up with a smile...

Do you really want the last thing you get to participate in is your own euthanasia? And you didn't want to be euthanized! It's coming!

Robby-- I think you're part of the "Ali-Baba & Forty Thieves" Gang!! You already been completely through their course on "Soviet-Style Brain-Washing--psychopolitics"! We watched Obama use it--all through his Presidential Campaign--We've seen his Lies, which as a Lawyer manages to convince Juries & Judges with the same techniques!! I know he's good at it--But he's not a Economic Genius--and as far as I know, there's not any in Congress, because most of them are Charity-Lawyers too!!

Let me tell you a story. Under current health care system, family member, 28 years old, diagnosed with cancer. Dropped from health care coverage because it was deemed a preexisting condition. Had to fight insurance health insurance companies to maintain coverage he got when he started his job. He got dropped anyway. Went to insurance company after insurance company - answer was no. Meanwhile, cancer is spreading, he needs treatment, drugs, already has massive hospital bill from surgery. Still, insurance companies say no. Guess what? After a lot of research, and appeals at the hospital for help, he got covered under Medicaid (government run). Doctor's provided wonderful care, doctor's able to treat him, no worries by the doctor about getting required preapprovals for medicine and treatments, no bureaucracy, just medical care provided by his team of doctors. Medicaid, folks, is government run. They provided him coverage, he paid his premiums, he got care by his team of doctors. Insurance companies? They told him no, refused him coverage - in essence, didn't care if he lived or died. Spare me the lies and hateful rhetoric and stupidity I see here. Get with the program. Your best hope for continued medical coverage, for better care, for cost containment, and improvement to the deficit, is President Obama. Otherwise, you will find yourself, or a member, confronted with the same true scenario I described above, and you all will only have yourselves to blame. I will blame you if health care reform does not happen and I or a family member is confronted with the same scenario described above. How many more people, babies, have to die, and how much more profit above the already billions these insurance companies are getting before you decide it is enough?

Um, Clara. That's what the Republican side is trying to fix but the Democrats are running the other direction on. You've now identified the problem, awesome. Now push to get THAT fixed. We don't NEED this new one if that's fixed.

They may want you to send some politicians on a vacation -- flushing sounds like an effective inexpensive way to go.

Carl, they need one in Washington currently. The crap on Capitol Hill is over flowing and is just about at the Frederick, Maryland city limits as we speak. And it keeps flowing and flowing and flowing. Where I reside, it is already knee deep and rising. Carl you need to divert the sh-t from Washington and shove back down their own throats. Us a Plumbers helper on them while your at it.

These are sad comments. The insurance companies, drug companies and hospitals are sucking the life out of the American people. Until people wise up and figure out that corporate profits are making health care unaffordable nothing can change. No positive recommendations here, just railing against the common good. Pitiful.

HARVEY896,

What plan are you atlking about that is giving away free healthcare, because it is sure not the one they are talking about in Washington.

Instead of trying to bring the "haves", or as I like to call them "earners", down a notch or 2, we should be trying to bring the "have nots', or as I like to call alot of them "lazy", up a notch or 2. I know that our health care system isn't perfect, but adjustmensts can be made rather than a complete government overhaul.

People like you disgust me. The "haves" and "have nots"???

Quit your fukking complaining, improve your education and ability, and go geta job that gives you health care. My god, all you people do is complain about what you don't have!

Look around you, you have more than most in this world, so please, get back to work and SHUT UP!!!

reno and Marc D, you both need to get realistic. Many of us uninsured are neither lazy NOR uneducated and have jobs. We just don't have benefits offered to us by our employers because they can't afford to offer them and stay in business (thus laying off all of their employees) or many of us are self-employed struggling to keep our own businesses going in this downturned economy. You both must be a couple of the lucky few who have never been forced into unemployment, have your health care provided by your employers, or you are from wealthy families who hand you everything.

I've worked hard for most of my 65 years (including my childhood on a small farm in NW OH) and only recently started to "slow down" to a 40 hour work week helping out a friend (unpaid) to keep his business going while trying to keep my own business going.

And you think this monstrosity of a bill will help your business? You will be forced to buy coverage for your employees. If that's not bad enough, you will be taxed more to pay for it; we all will. I think you are the one who is unrealistic.

reno911
You think "have nots" are lazy? You are a moron.... I have been in the job force for almost 40yrs. Lost my job last year ( along with my health insurance for me and my family). Have been actively looking for a job with no luck.
People like you who think you are somehow "above" or "superior" to others because of what you have at the moment disgust me. You should be falling to your knees every morning and thanking what ever god you believe in that you are for one more day a "have". Cause all that can change in a blink of an eye.
Oh and by the way even though I am currently a "have not" in your eyes... I am not for pushing this health care plan through right now not because I don't think every one deserves to be covered but because I don't think raising taxes and our country going further into debt is benifical for this country riight now.

I guess I'm a little confused about the people who have lost their jobs. Isn't that what medicaid is supposed to be for, to help you out until you can get on your feet again? If not who's it supposed to be for? I was always lead to believe it was to give coverage to people who can't afford insurance. Anyway I pray you will all find a job that's perfect for you and has great benefits.

Those who lack insurance, however, approve of his job, 52-29 percent

Way to spin it to your point of view. Only half of those who are uninsured like it? Holy crap. That's like 20 million of the 40 million uninsured who'd rather just not have it at all. I'd say this is proof that the bill has major issues.

No leader in history nor recent past has ever done this task to bring change in such short time..

You are right there...He has increased our deficit more than ALL previous presidents COMBINED!!!

...and it's time he quit blaming Bush...

and what have you done to bring change??? It's not so great in El Centro...

it is very hot down here... what has been done in the past has been done all we can do now is work together to improve what was done make the corrections that will benefit all

you sure can dance around an answer and say nothing....

penchic, be gentle with Eleazar. I think she is on to something; to be kind and help other in this stressful time.

You are right, the defiicit skyrocketed when Obama came in, but what if he did nothing? According to economists, the bottom would have dropped on our banking system. People could have lost money even with the FDIC in place.

So far, the spending Obama has done has been to keep states afloat. It's true there has not been any stimulus, or job creation from that bill that was signed shortly after he took office. But should you blame Obama? You should blame the local governors or State Senators who took control of this money, and did not invest wisely. The Federal Government was only trying to help keep the states afloat. And I understand that very little of the Stimulus money has not really be distributed yet.

So then we need to talk about the previous administration, Bush. The most notable of his reckless spending and borrowing from China was to fight a global war on terror. And what contractors in Iraq benefited from that money? Yep, the contractors that Cheney was assoicate with. You people do not realize how corrupt the Bush/Cheney administration was.

But what I don't understand, is how every one is Washington was turning a blind eye. No one said anything. And we will never get the truth regarding the evidence in why we even invaded that country. I believe that a Good Senator or House Representative is so hard to find in Washington. Yes, we survived Washington corruption with Nixon, but this is different. This corruption not only affected many Americans life savings, and jobs, but it hurt other nations as well. I think this time the greed just went too far. And I believe that the TARP money that Bush signed off on was actually to pay foreign investors that were ready to destroy us.

After Bush and Cheney, we are the laughingstocks of the world. Except maybe for Israel, who would love to engage us in a war with Iran.

So, Eleazar is right, we should try to be patient with Obama and try to do our part in making this horrible situation better.

penchic, it's not one party over the other that ruined this country, it is us, who failed to keep watch on our Congress. That is where the real power is.

Jean-721732 OK..

The fact that most of the stimulus money has not been spent only proves OBAMA should have done NOTHING!! Now we are stuck with a car company and TRILLIONS in debt!!! The market must be allowed to fail when it is sick. It is the only way..

Also I must inform you that all the money you say BUSH spent in the end was approved by a DEMOCRATIC congress. Remember that money comes from them and is only requested from President. So,, I would say the fiscal responsibility of the country has been the DEMOCRATIC congress with a open checkbook!!!

I will not debate the war with you as I am sure there is not a valid reason in your mind to kill... I would just say be glad that others will do it for you so you need not feel guilty at night...

what has anyone of you done to bring a change around your world. I bet none... Imagine you you did make a change and found solutions what a benefit it would be for everyone around you...

Funny you should ask. I've been providing people with links to the actual bill and pointing them to specific pages of interest (or lack of interest in public needs). I've also contacted representatives and voiced my opinion on these sections and the dissatisfaction of pork being added and my representative not pointing those people out to the public. If Obama wants some change we can actually believe in, he should adopt the strategy plan of calling those people out. If he's just going to let them do it and let it slide because they're Democrats, he's a part of the problem and not a part of the solution.

FBI, yes the money wasting Democrats passed the TARP, but who threatened them with a veto if they rejected it. Bush. This bill was strategically delayed as long as possible for the new incoming President to sign and appear that he was responsible for the crazy spending.

No, it was a Bush closed door deal, and I suppose Obama could have rejected it, but what a way to start a new year and presidency.

So, to be honest and fair, this was not a Democrat or Republican thing.

Now, get on board and help save our country. Quit the partisan bickering that has ruined our country.

Peace!

Not sure people are smart as they elected this oratorical wizard. The big cities show that if you can pull the black vote you can win. Not all voters are smart. Rather they react to promises of riches thus embellishing their dependence on freebies created by the great society.

Yeah, but if his ratings were going up then that would mean that he was doing good, which is clearly not the case. With the liberal media coddling him and sucking up to him making him seem like Oprah, his appeal to the misinformed American people will never dwindle.

The difference would be apparent in the next election if his poll numbers get any lower.

So what's wrong with Socialism? There are very good aspects of Socialism. You would know that if your brain was capable of reading and coming to an objective analysis. Of course years of being instiutionalized by this unbridled capitalist society has managed to place you in the same category as most of the American people. Stuipd, stuipd, Stuipd! Try to open your mind and read some of Marx and Engles work. Maybe you will see that's it's just an alternative economic theory with good intentions. You may also be enlightened to see that they have also predicated many of the pitfalls of Capitalism which have transpired over the past several years.

Bill m . thanks for the update on CHANGE...go back to china and spew it.

Man! Your post is longer than that piece of crap healthcare bill put forth by your socialist party. Europe can keep socialism. Americans don't want it. We should do a "citizen exchange". We'll exchange our citizens who hate this country with citizens from socialist countries who want freedom and individualism. You can be first on the list. We'll have to set a cap, though, because if we don't we'll be exchanging 1 citizen for 1,000,000.

Well said - I'm as sick as I can be of watching the same debate over and over again. The right gives us hate-mongering and boogeywords, and the left continues (by in large) to provide facts and useful information. Even the right-wingers that make statements pretending to be facts or statistics can NEVER back them up with references.

I love Americancretins take on socialism - maybe we should start arguing the socialist side, if for nothing else than to contrast it with the fundamentally flawed puritan capitalist plank. I love pointing out to imbicilic conservatives of all ages how our most respected citizens - law enforcement officers, fire-fighters, military, techers, etc. - are ALL completely socialized service providers... if you're ever at a dinner party debating some mindless water-carriers just throw that one out and watch them run out of boogeywords (they will every time).

OMG! if you are not happy with this country why not move to lets seeee oh, I know Cuba....they have socialise medicine and yeah they are very happy!!!!! That is why millions of Cubans have die at sea to get to this great country of ours. So if you want socialism just get out!!!!

It is not President Obama who is failing you - it was Bush who took this country into the toilet, the Republicans who don't want us to recover so they can get reelected so they continually try to scare you, about the President, and about what they know will work and will get us up and out of the mess we are in. It is the Republicans who have everything to lose here, which is why they are going all out to scare the hell out of you and in trying to make sure they take this President down. Explains everything. They forgot one thing, I don't get scared, most particularly by a bunch of lying politicians who will lie and cheat to get themselves reelected. The Republicans are truly disgusting and will keep this country and its people down in order to stand in the way of progress for an upcoming midterm election. Make no mistake, when this President and the Democrats succeed and our country continues to improve, it will be the death knell for the Republican party for years to come. They know that, they are scared to death of that, and that is why they are working like hell on their lies, racist attacks, and on and on. Desperation shows, does it not, and they are showing their desperation by their desperate actions. Disgusting, and I can assure you, it will not get them reelected. We are the United States of America, we are citizens of this great country, and we are not frightened of a bunch of lying Republicans in Congress who are afraid of losing their jobs in 2010. How disgusting are they, and those that fall for this crap.

To Clara #25.7......."Desperation shows, does it not, and they are showing their desperation by their desperate actions".

Clara, Sweetie, you are so deep into your folly. Please, take a moment to breathe, read, listen...really listen. Your cult like following is more than a little concerning. Mostly for your mental state when reality rears it's head and confronts your lack of logic. Please, get help...or at least sit quietly for a while. You are down the rabbit hole.

Clara-521762- you are the one that called me a racist yesterday because I watch Fox News. I agree with Phocus you definitely need to slow your roll and breathe! I can just imagine how shrill you must sound when you are speaking.

As for your comments, I consider myself part of the Republican Party. I KNOW I'm not scared. In fact I'm quietly laughing. Obama is digging his own grave. We don't have to lift a finger.

Even the right-wingers that make statements pretending to be facts or statistics can NEVER back them up with references.

Are we reading the same pages here? They're referencing actual page numbers and paragraphs in post after post. The polls are even starting to back up the right-wingers statements and the fact that the entire Democratic party isn't behind it speaks volumes.

And Clara, if you didn't listen to only liberal media you'd know that for 6 years the right-wing media has been calling for party reform and stating Bush and the Republicans were becoming too complacent and lost their way. We're basically cleaning house. And again...I think the 9th time...Bush had nothing to do with this bill. He was the one trying to fix the root problem in Medicare and Social Security but the Democrats shot it down.

And...you're resorting to name calling again. Why? Did you run out of data to back up statements that doesn't have direct links to the actual bill proving them wrong? And I'm sorry to say, I have to agree with Phocus and Kelly. You seem to have the blinders on so tight you can't see straight even if someone points you straight at the facts in the Democrats own verbage in the bill.

in six short months, Obama has turned an overwhelming aura surrounding a "hope and change" message, media-created and an expertise in nothing more than "community organizing" into a voters hangover. The independent and conservative democratic voters are quickly regretting introducing the free world to this racist apologist who wants nothing more than to re-create America into a nanny state that re-distributes our wealth. The polls are the same as my informal polls with all but my most radically leftist friends.

His amateur behavior and bringinging Chacago politics to a national level is an embarassment to America. The people of the world may have rejoiced, but the leadership of the world is laughing behind our backs.

This poll is just the beginning.

americancretans???? sig heil...you are the man!!! bend over and take it...will Obama* tell you to be happy too? like they do in N.Korea?Iran, and russia....Be happy..or else!!! think about what you just said..or get someone to tell you what to think...The polls are over-estimated. -53% would be more accurate.

I read all the way to barry then stopped

Congratulations!

Yeah right. Not steeped in facts are you? Can't read can you. Obviously can't face the truth either. So sad for you. But be assured, those of us who know the facts, stay informed, are looking out for the sad cases like you, despite yourselves.