McCain Defends Palin on Obamacare Claims

McCain is forever linked to anything Palin says. It is part of his legacy now for having chose her as his running mate. She hampered his election and he stil cannot distance himself from her because of his own ego.

wow, surprising…Mr McCain has usually been a rational thinker…looks like he is drinking the kool aid of the unhinged GOPers….very sad. Its official now, the once great party of Reagan, has lost all of its marbles.
very sad.

Wow, the GOP has sunk so low. They only seem to be able to appeal to the lowest common denominator in our society. They come up with two word mantras designed to instill fear, then keep repeating them no matter how many times the facts prove them wrong.

John McCain on INTEGRITY:
1. Never admit you picked a wack-job for V.P.
2. Never call out members of your own party who lie about consulting with your doctor about a living will == death panels.
3. Americans must NEVER, EVER, EVER be allowed to CHOOSE a non-insurance company health insurance option for their families. Because it might just work!

She’s an idiot.

Your insurance company tells you what you can have or not have. Same with Medicare. So what’s new?

Palin was absolutely correct. Any government panel that is chartered to make final medical determinations based on cost-effectiveness measures and without appeal, can and will eventually cause the premature death of our elderly. Interpreting the legislation does require a certain amount of abstract thought and the ability to work outside the box . . . nevertheless it sets the groundwork for a system that has the potential for ending your life. Blathering about rich Republicans and their ability to buy their healthcare is a blatantly ignorant response to a very real threat.

George is part of ABC News which is a Obama Supporter and would not say anything bad about this administration. George should read the bill the House put together and get educated what Pelosi is pushing.

Why are Republicans in this country anti-science?
It is well known in the medical community that we can achieve BETTER OUTCOMES if we have a scientific, double blind, comparison between alternative treatments.
The health reform bill in the House funds just such research.
It also extends parential health insurance to cover their children, up to the age of 25 (to get them through college) when their offspring don’t have health insurance of their own.
It also funds the training of additional family practice physicians, the heros on the front lines of prevention and early diagnosis.
It also requires health insurance plans to remove the copays for routine, preventative care, visits with your family doctor.
It also outlaws the practice of recending, or retroactively CANCELING, YOUR FAMILIE’S HEALTH INSURANCE.
Who hasn’t read the bill???
The screamers, that’s who!

FACT CHECKS!
George is an OBAMA minion on Healthcare, and it is apparent in every comment and question!
The healthcare bill is purposely ambiguous on things such as end of life, abortion and other so called panel decisions, but can be interpreted at will after the bill becomes law (perish the thought).
Also, once bills become law they are most often modified without fanfare via being read into the Congressional Record. FOR EXAMPLE- When is the last time you had input on a change to the IRS CODE, or Medicare?
You have no idea what the actual mechanization might be to put this plan into effect, and neither does cthe congress!
We have no idea who would be sitting on the panels, look at some of the weirdos Obama has already appointed to czar and other positions. Do you expect better of him for healthcare? Don’t hold your breath!
Do you think a toll free number and a panel that doesn’t answer to the people is going to save your life when you are denied treatment? Press one for English and wait, and wait and . . .
The AARP has entered the game now pretending it knows the facts, if you’re a member ask it some of the questions above.

rplat – the possibilities you raise of “government panels” who get to decide what procedures are going to be covered ALREADY exist – in every single insurance company in America. If you don’t think that every procedure besides preventive care is scrutinized, you’re living in a fantasy land. I had an xray taken of my ankle in December and I got a questionnaire from my insurance basically telling me I had to legally confirm that the reason the xray had to be taken was not a result of either a car accident or a work-related injury. Anytime they can try and weasel out of paying for something they will. If they go to that length for an xray, what do you think they’re doing for people on long-term care, such as dialysis or expensive prescriptions? All the drama and hand-wringing over this is nothing more than a cynical tactic by the medical establishment and insurance co’s who don’t want to lose money and the “public servants” who took money from their lobbysists. Saying otherwise is what’s ignorant.

Ed Taylor,
I am sad that you did so poorly in your American Government class in 6th grade.
Congressmen and Senators do revise their remarks on the floor. They are usually allowed 7 days for this privilege.
But remarks on the floor are not legislation.
Neither Congressman nor Senator nor the President can change the law after it is passed, except for by going through the same process over again.
Don’t confuse congressional law making with executive branch rule making. The executive branch does make rules (after a legally mandated comment period). But that authority is controlled by the law, as passed by the Congress and signed by the president.

Walter asks, “WHERE IS THE REPUBLICAN OUTRAGE?”
They are only outraged at the efforts to reform health care. They and their Insurance company sponsors do not want it. Period. They will lie like rugs, and scare the crap out of people, to achieve this end. After Mcaughey was shown by Stewart to be a lying hypocrite (and made to look extremely foolish in the process), she was FIRED from her job the next day.
Republican politicians have repeatedly shown they DO NOT want to work with this administration in any way, shape or form. They have one over-arching concern: regain power. They put party above everything else, including the American people and the economy.
It’s no wonder they are STILL out of power, out of favor, out of ideas, and rapidly becoming a fringe player in national politics…..

Were Senator McCain to sit in on one of these so called “death panels,” he wouldn’t realize what he was doing there.
Will this guy ever voluntarily give up his drivers license?

McCain is representative of an era that is dying a fast death. The era of unapologetic arrogance that saturated this nations government leadership. An era still coveted by many in the GOP. An era that is so intensely anti-American in its character that I would venture to say is perhaps the NUMBER 1 reason this nation has enemies today. This nation of ours is on the cusp of a possible era of peace and prosperity if it were not for this old failed mindset that is still pulled out of that nasty stained hat and sold to many on the right as fortitude and Americanism. In fact, it is the very arrogance that has finally caught up with this nation and brought her to her knees. It is what those on the left have been fighting tooth and nail to over-come and correct this nation we all love.

You know the really ridiculous part of this death panel stuff is that this all stems from language on voluntary end of life counseling with their personal doctor, not with some gov’t body or official. Worse yet is that originally this was a REPUBLICAN idea, name R Georgian Senator Johnny Isakson proposed this very same thing in 2007 and then the Dems inserted into the health bill. So apparently the Dems are sponsoring death panels because they thought a repub had a decent idea.

Through my employers I’ve been insured by United HealthCare and at times the tax-exempt 501 c 3 company called Blue Cross Blue Shield…and, they have all come between me and my doctors. To note: I’m not sick sick, but I do have arthritis. I’m now on cobra and my insurance rate will go from $265. a month to $900. once my cobra rate is over. I’ll become uninsured for the first time in my life. I’m single and do have a pre-existing illness. What will the cost be for me if I want to buy into a public option…because I can’t afford the for-profits or the non-profit insurance companies that now exist. Can anyone, except for the few?
Mr. Will, the pharmaceutical companies should make great profits. But let me give you an example of outlandish greed. In the eary 80′s Imitrex (migraine med.) was developed and launched in Europe. Ten years later it was available in the U.S. I can buy it through my United Healthcare for $150. for 9 tablets. Once my insurance is over (through cobra) that rate goes to $400. for nine tablets. It’s an old drug sir…how long should RD reimbursement continue. Bottom line: GlaxoSmithKline is engaging in out and out robbery. That’s just my opinion.

Walter, If this plan passes by the time you realize I am right it will be too late!

MCCAIN: Look, I don’t think they were called death panels, don’t get me wrong. I don’t think – but on the best treatment procedures part of the bill, it does open it up to decisions being made as far – that should be left – those choices left to the patient and the individual. That’s what I think is pretty clear, which was a different section of the bill.
McCain is deliberately lying and trying to mislead. Decisions under a private plan are not left to the patient and families. BCBS won’t put a new hip in a bed-ridden man who’s had a GBM IV for 12 months just like Medicare will not pay for a new heart for a 90 year old with metastisized melanoma. Yet McCain deliberately states decisions are left to patients and families under our current system.
Arizona will be lucky to throw McCain, a recipient of “socialized” health care his entire life, ever since he was in the cradle, OUT.

Sarah Palin can’t keep her own house in order so why would any person of integrity think she is qualified to lead this nation. Does anyone honestly think SHE has read the entire bill? And if she had, what are the odds she understood it? There is no way that she has the expertise to be issuing these “twit” twitterings. Remember: She is unemployed, is a fear-mongerer who is being paid to put out misinformation by insurance lobbyists who want to keep health insurance reform from moving forward and will do or say anything to stay in the spotlight until she can get that book written or land a TV gig. It’s all about the $$$$$$$. Repubicans today are petty minded and mean spirited and somehow think if they keep this administration from succeeding that the results of the last election will change. Get over yourselves, get positive and put this country first!

John McCain did not put country first when he foisted Sarah Palin on the American people. In one of the worst economic times of this country, with a war raging and our troops facing death everyday, he would have allowed us to possible be left in the hands of this publicity seeking, intellectually lazy, totally unqualified for the job, young woman. She is interesting and charismatic, she reminds me of my very ditzy but fun neighbor but she should not have been considered for one moment as a possible leader for this country. For a man with John McCains stature to even have thought of putting us in that position for one moment should tell us something, he did it and he did it while at the same time telling us the ecomomy was sound. He did it thinking of his own political gain. So why would anyone give him much or any credibility on what he thinks or says now about the Obama administration or anything else.

When we start losing our health insurance, and not able to afford it once we lose our jobs, then the Republicans will be blamed for it. They took a stand and it will back fire.

Find out what’s going on within the Veterans Administration and then tell me that our elderly won’t befall the same fate. The mindless, pandering left is in denial.

President Obama has gone out of his way to be bipartisan on health care. The republicans have remained lock step. This nation cannot continue to pay 10 thousand a day for ICUs and 75 thousand for prosthetic limbs. The only way to bring pricing back into check is with the public option. The democrats need to stop being so nice and get it done. The health care system is looting this Great Nation.

As Joe Klein put it so succinctly, ” the actual state of play on health care: the nutters are a tiny minority; the Republicans are curling themselves into a tight, white, extremist bubble — but there may be enough of them raising dust to render creative public policy impossible. “

I cannot believe the comments here in response to what McCain said regarding the “end of life” section removed from THE bill.
This “extraneous” bit of wording opened up the opportunity for this gov’t selected board to make decisions or advise people on end of life care and decisions.
This DID NOT BELONG IN LEGISLATION of ANY type.
People talk to their doctors and families about these issues, not gov’t panels.
The Directive that is readily available in hospitals and doctor offices are clear cut, simple.
As George “Rahm’s best friend” said, it’s not in bill –true it isn’t anymore. Secondly, he said it was simply to pay for the “end of life” counseling — Again, any counseling is available as part of any routine Dr. appointments or hospital stays.
Including the “AMBIGUOUS” wording was “up to no good” tactics. Been there, done that with directives — only the most “challenged” of human beings wouldn’t “get it.”
And, although, I’m not a McCain fan, I was very impressed with how clearly he articulated issues, solutions. The contrast between him and Obama the teleprompter guy, was no contest with McCain as the voice of reason and not the wee wee challenged Obama who isn’t quite sure what he is doing–scary that Rahm is helping him out — shades of Karl Rove but worse.

Democrats… As recently characterized in a recent CSPAN program, they were called “parasites” and that was the nicest thing said about them that night when a group of people who believe in freedom got together to decide what to do about them in 2010.
They *are* parasites. They are lazy. They are anti-American. They want other people to pay their way. They don’t believe in working when someone else can do it for them. They want Big Daddy to take care of it all for them. They literally believe government is good… And they now want free medical care while dragging down the care of those who work hard for a living.
They abhor hard work, belief in God, personal responsibility and fiscal sense. They despise sensible debate. They speak volumes of hate-speech against anyone who disagrees with them while defending the second amendment and then when confronting their opposition, they seek to eliminate that same second amendment when it works against their interests.
They speak volumes about tolerance, except when confronted with truth. Then they label people as Nazis, un-American and even worse labels. When described as such by their opponents, they seek to make laws to ban such speech while living the double-standard that is the measure of their small and inconsequential lives.
They spend other people’s money without thought or care for what was purchased or how well the money was spent. They believe that the taxpayer is an endless ATM and that the citizen is there for the pleasure of the government and not the other way around.
What use is a Democrat other than to consume, spend and create chaos then?
This IS the Democratic Party… Know what you are looking at and know that your rights, your very American identity will be slain on the alter of their wealth redistribution and health-care nightmare.

Final remark. I do wish that even though George Steph. is best friends with Rahm that he would refrain from jumping to the defense of Rahm and Zeke Emanuel — Clearly, he must be worried about the backlash from his friends if he remains neutral.

It’s interesting that the Rightwing Puppy Kickers are backing a Quitter, someone who obviously can see Russia from her house and calls that Foreign Policy Experience!!!!
The term death panel is the only Fear-N-Scare tactic that the Right can come up with!! Considering that it is the only thing that for the most part seems to get attention!
What that part is about, is for the Doctors to itemize and be paid for when giving couseling to a patient. What the Right fails to tell people is that end of life counseling has been going on for 25 plus years!
I have to wonder why the Rightwing Puppy Kickers are trying so hard to not have health reform/public option….the only thing I can come up with is, they either work for the Insurance Industry or they work for a politician who is in DEEP with the Insurance Industry….either way they are afraid of loosing their job/insurance!
I wouldn’t doubt it if some of those so-call citizens who have been disrupting the Town Hall meetings are people being PAID by the Insurance Industry!

I THINK WE CAN AFFORD to defend the lives of all Americans should they become sick with a life threatening illness.
If you disagree, feel free to voluntarily add your name to list of people who should be left to die with cancer without treatment. I won’t be joining you.

A government that’s big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you have.-Posted by: Ed Taylor
______________________________
I agree. The desire of the right wing wackos to invade Iraq took much away from American people and the concept of America.

Jon,
Do you remember this day: Sept 19, 2008??? Amnesia is a leading cause of Republicanism.
Washington – Seeking to head off the country’s worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of 1929, the US government Friday moved urgently to back money market mutual funds, curb certain stock-trading techniques and make more money available for mortgages.
The moves came as top US finance officials prepared to hunker down over the weekend with members of Congress to finalize masssive emergency legislation that would allow the government to buy the brunt of banks’ mortgage-related assets.
The assets have plummeted in value and are at the centre of the current financial turmoil.
‘The American economy is facing unprecedented challenges. We are responding with unprecedented action,’ US President George W Bush said in his starkest assessment yet of the market turmoil.
Bush said it would take massive and unprecedented government intervention to tackle the root cause of the ongoing financial turmoil and prevent a collapse of the wider US economy.
Bush said a comprehensive rescue plan, which could run into the hundreds of billions of dollars, was the only way to keep the financial sector from a total failure and prevent credit availability to US consumers from drying up completely.

I really don’t like Palin at all or what she has to say because it rarely makes sense.
But this time I sorta go alone with what she had to say this time.
What this plan is going to do is kill all of us to have to pay for this plan and that where everyone is going to die because we won’t be able to go to the doctor because we are going to have to pay for this plan and we wouldn’t have the money to go to the doctor for anything because we are to busy paying for this stupid plan.

A doddering old man and a psyco chick are out there trying to slay windmills. You Ain’t seen nothing yet Don Quixote.

So glad these two fools lost.

Bill, apparently “old people” are happy about their Government run plan.

I wonder where Rev. Rick Warren is in this health care debate. Wonder if he is interested in preaching God’s love for everyone and one of God’s two biggest commandments: love thy neighbor.

McCain is just another shill in the Republican disinformation campaign to scare people into voting for them in the mid-cycle election. There are no “death panels” or anything even remotely close to this concept. McCain’s completely off-the-wall remarks that putting end-of-life discussions and cost cutting together leads to that conclusion are more a demonstration of Republican desperation.

Integrity…McShame has none..he is about as credible as my house shoes.too bad you dont hold him accountable for what he tries to do to destroy the country

To score political points, Republicans have decided that you and your family deserve to die. Then, when the bill goes ahead without them, they’ll complain that the WH acted unilaterally, without asking for their input. The death panel is composed of Republican Congresspeople. Don’t forget that during the next election.

Ed — Not quite sure what you are apologizing for — possibly for being the minority voice in the crush of left-wing loyalists. I’ll have to read your earlier posts.
The voices in my head are saying, “some people really don’t care if we lose our rights — and the ACORN people who came to our local council meeting are the voices of socialism and corruption — and they are given more credibility than those of us who have worked hard and been penny-wise.
We’ve always taken care of those in need. Reform means assuring people that there are resources available — not imposed gov’t mandates or feebies for freeloaders. Those who made their way out of the depression and became successful through honesty and integrity are now penalized? Do you think little miss rich Pelosi will be “one of us in the redistribution? Don’t count on it — She’ll be in Martha’s Vineyard with the other celebs — Obamas.
Scary time now with Obama’s agenda.
Can’t believe so many ignorant people.

OK, this confirms it. Republicans have devolved into the Party of Fear, lead by wealthy charlatans and Lobby Puppets who prey upon the dimwitted, the emotionally disordered, the conspiracy theorists, and the rapture ready. Let’s scare the serfs! Watch out – Health Care Reform is a Monster in your Closet!

Listening to Krugman and Reich, we all get the fact that health care overall costs too much and are all scared should we lose our insurance.
The issue with me and a good portion of the American public is how will the Fed’s keep costs under control? they cannot do it now with Medicare. How will they make my deductible lower, my co-=pays lower, etc?
If Obama and the Dems want support for the public option, they need to tell us what our insurance tab would be, benefits offered, co-pays, etc. Then explain how they will reduce costs to not expand total health care beyond the 16% of GDP or expand the national debt.
they cannot do it or will not do it. They are asking us to buy some ambigous plan and promise that if we spend more money, things will get cheaper.
the Financial Crisis taught us as consumers to know how much that house, that care and that insurance will cost you before signing your life away on the documents. Congress just does not get it.

McCain is also the one who pushed for the “Obama is palling with terrorists” line. It is sad to see this fool undo all that went into creating his reputation. During the last 2 years, he revealed to the entire world that he is just a deceptive cretin with who does not care about the people in this country.

Thank God McCain and Palin are still out there speaking publicly. Now we can affirm without a doubt and breathe with a huge sigh of relief that we dodged one hell of a bullet in the last election.

The funny thing about Palin’s comment about ‘death panels’ is that she was FOR voluntary end-of-life counseling a couple of years ago. Way back at the beginning of her half-term as governor of Alaska. She was (and is) on record as saying it (counseling) was a good thing and she fully supported it. I guess she has a typical politicians selective memory……

“I don’t care what was in the bill or not.. the Federal government should not be involved with my health care.. They have screwed it up for old people now they want to do it for everybody else”
Bill, you are entitled to your opinion of course, even if they are fact free.
Tell you what. Why don’t you start a campaign to KILL MEDICARE and Veteran’s benefits.
WHY DON’T YOU SPEND LOTS OF MONEY EXPLAINING THE REPUBLICAN PROGRAM TO KILL MEDICARE AND VET’S BENEFITS on Radio, TV, Newspapers and the Internet.
I might even send you a dollar to help you spread your message. (Even though I don’t agree with it.)

Health Reform is needed NOW. Mental health needs to be reformed too, as demonstrated by the mental problems of McCain and quitter Palin.

Neo-cons love the term “Obamacare” but they should be using “Obama-Scare”.

I’m so incredibly outraged with McCain. He will only ‘standby’ Palin when it suits him and he certainly didn’t do that grand of a job while she was on his ticket (nor in the aftermath). A true RINO and a disgrace to conservatives (and yes, I know he’s NOT one). At least Sarah has the guts to tell it like it is so that ‘we the people’ understand, unlike your typical politician….makes me wanna gag.

What Mccain is really saying
If You could read his mind
“My constituents, (the Insurance Lobby),
Have Ordered me to Just say No to any Public option–
That way they can keep premiums artificially high”
Therefore, Sarah and I, and The Republican minority will continue to make grandiose
lies, to further dumb down the electorate”
Anyone against a Public option is either paid off or dumbed down
Its Kind of like having Public and Private Colleges
You Choose
Which you would rather go to
Or using the Post office vs UPS or Fedex
Now that’s a scary Proposition
GOP Doom Gloom and the Propagandistic Politics of fear
Once again
Perhaps they really do want to be the Chicken Little Party
Their working hard at it!!!!

When insurance companies deny coverage, aren’t they being “death panels” too? How come Palin isn’t complaining about that?

FActCheck has checked Obama’s lies-you may not be able to keep your insurance if you like it & Obamacare will allow for government funded abortions-check out the factcheck.org site. Become informed on who is being dishonest. Hey George how about a bit of objective reporting on the lies Obama has accused others of, but yet hes the one who is lying. In his phone meeting with religious leaders he accused others of bearing false witness. Obama is bearing false witness against others. George you fail to report these things and your credibility suffers. Your employers credibility suffers along with you.

In short, I believe that the insurance companies should be pushed out of the system and that a public option should be available. Thank you for listening.

Thank God we have people like Sarah not afraid to tell it like it is. Mr. President, the American people have spoken and continue to speak LOUDLY. You can cram this BS down our throats or you can work on refroming health care. YOUR CHOICE !!!!!

John McCain is a Maverick, no doubt and a true Patriot. I have had the greatest respect for him for many years. However, he stopped putting Country First when he chose Sarah Palin for a running mate. He needed someone to stir the base of the Republican Party (who have not thought of him in favorable terms on many occasions). This is not a man willing to speak up and be honest about his opinions of Sarah Palin. He refused to say he would endorse her as a candidate in 2012 which clearly says he doesn’t think she is competent enough to run. He has buckling under to to the Republican base it got easier and easier to do it again.

So, to make my point clear, we need the health insurance companies out of the system or at least competing in a real market against at least one Government player.

“This can be paid for with current money and dollars. What no one can explain to me how will the public option make insurance and medical care cheaper.”
I would love to answer your question. Thanks for posting it here.
First off, you should know I am in favor of a public option and I would like the CHOICE to enroll my family there.
But first, let’s be clear what I am asking for. The so called ‘public option’ should operate like a new, non-profit insurance company. I call it the non-insurance company insurance company.
The non-insurance company would take in premiums and these premiums would be required to cover their medical and other expenditures.
They would be required to take all Americans (illegals are explicely not qualified to participate), under the same law that will apply to every other oinsurer.
So why do I want my family in this program?
1. I don’t trust the insurance companies. They have a history of dropping people when they get sick or, in the case of small employers, raising rates until the seriously sick employee is dropped. These activities will be prohibited under the house bill, but I believe the insurance companies will do their best to get around the law.
2. A public plan would give me portability. In other words, my family’s health insurance is no longer ties to my employer and I am not locked into my present job to maintain insurance.
3. A public plan would provide competition to the existing insurance companies. They need it. It is estimated that 94% of the U.S. are effectively non-competitive markets for health insurance. (Some Republicans have suggested eliminating state regulation for the purpose of establishing national competition but a small number of mega-companies are expected to own the market, also state based consumer protection is not replaced with national consumer protections.
4. Dividing the non-insurance company up into little coops is intended to make sure they are so weak that they would die. Ask Chuck Grassley. This is exactly what happened to coops in Iowa. Also, the insurance companies would most likely ‘sponsor’ or organize the coops so instead of competing with the coop, they would just add them as one division of their corporation.
5. Most importantly, the directors of the non-insurance insurance company would be working under a best care for their clients mandate, rather than a best care for their stockholders mandate.

Posted by: rplat | Aug 23, 2009 9:34:41 AM
…Interpreting the legislation does require a certain amount of abstract thought and the ability to work outside the box . . . nevertheless it sets the groundwork for a system that has the potential for ending your life. Blathering about rich Republicans and their ability to buy their healthcare is a blatantly ignorant response to a very real threat.
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The “abstract thought” you are referring to is called ‘paranoid thinking’.
It is what Republicans and the far-right seem to be ruled and motivated by each and every day of their lives. I have been observing these ‘paranoid’ ideas and conclusions for years now and wondering how this came about. Is there anyone out there that has done (or knows of) a study on this issue?
However, let’s assume that the “groundwork” was laid, and the ‘final solution’ you and the other ‘paranoids’ worry about happened down-line. Do you really think that once was set to happen (even once) and the concerned people started screaming about it (as they are now to the media), that it would not be stopped immediately by any means possible?
Based upon the last statement in your post, I would be willing to bet my bottom dollar that you believe it would continue from that point on.

“Sarah has the guts to tell it like it is so that ‘we the people’ understand, unlike your typical politician…”
When the legislative Troopergate report was released last year, Sarah had to “guts” to tell the media: “Well, I’m very very pleased to be cleared of any legal wrongdoing, any hint of any kind of unethical activity there.”
And here’s what the report ACTUALLY said: “Governor Sarah Palin abused her power by violating Alaska Statute 39.52.110a of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act.”
When are her faithful followers going to open their eyes?

Why stop at the invention of “death panels”? Why not accuse the President of endorsing “organ harvesting panels” or “sterilization panels”? After all, if the objective is to kill healthcare reform and make doctors richer, then any claim – no mater how big of a lie – is justified, right?

I notice your transcript only capitalizes Democrat. Telling, and childish.

Obama said “I don’t know all the facts but the police acted stupidly.” And you’re going to trust this lying clown on health care. Palin ran a state and McCain fought for this country (pointless given its present citizens). Obama is only good for bad mouthing the USA and making people fill out forms for emmigration.

Currently many doctors will find a way to get a patient treatment even if denied by an “evil insurance company.” However if the government says no to a procedure that’s it.
This is because the government has an armed force, federal marshals, the IRS and the judiciary to punitively enforce decisions made by faceless bureaucrats against doctors who do not follow federal regulations and laws. My doctor and I can deal with insurance companies we can’t deal with the finality of a bureaucratic decision backed by the threat of punitive action.
Nevertheless, if my concerns are about nothing, as the Dems claim, and if the Dems are serious regarding their claims I’ve got it wrong they should be willing to insert something like the following in the bill, “Congress shall make no law and the bureaucrats shall make no regulations which places any government agency between the patient and the doctor regarding treatment.”
Now that’s reasonable isn’t it? I doubt the President or the Dems will be so reasonable which leads me to think perhaps Zeke and the boys have their own agenda for cutting costs.

McCain is simply one more unprincipled Republican who will say anything to play a political game. Here he is defending Palin when every independent investigator has stated that death panels are a ball-faced lie. This is unconscionable. I’m so glad he was defeated. Why these people would be listened to when the last eight years should have proved beyond a reasonable doubt that they are completely incompetent is beyond me.

Thank God we have people like Sarah not afraid to tell it like it is. Mr. President, the American people have spoken and continue to speak LOUDLY. You can cram this BS down our throats or you can work on refroming health care. YOUR CHOICE !!!!!-Greg
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I too love Sara Palin. She is destroying the Republican party from within.

Centralized healthcare decisions lead to health rationing. Anyone here the story from Oregon and many other examples from Canada and Britain.? It looks like Centralized healthcare supporters are upset because Palin is exposing this.

Posted by: WWW | Aug 23, 2009 1:01:28 PM
“Sarah has the guts to tell it like it is so that ‘we the people’ understand, unlike your typical politician…And here’s what the report ACTUALLY said: “Governor Sarah Palin abused her power by violating Alaska Statute 39.52.110a of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act.”
When are her faithful followers going to open their eyes?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
You’re trying to carry on a rational conversation with the far-right?….Are you kidding me?!

George Stephanopoulos has never had any credibility. American’s are not stupid. Get off the Centralized Government train already.

Centralized healthcare decisions lead to health rationing. Anyone here the story from Oregon and many other examples from Canada and Britain.? It looks like Centralized healthcare supporters are upset because Palin is exposing this.
Posted by: Mike | Aug 23, 2009 1:24:23 PM
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So then what are do you think the odds are that Medicare will be taken form the oldies?

Walter convinced me. His articulate arguments make a lot of sense. I want choice too. I apologize for being ignorant and thank you for educating me. Now I will try to convince others.

Too all the liars out there saying that there will be rationing and no choice: I now KNOW that is not the case. Instead, now that people have explained it to me, I realize that the insurance companies have been rationing, and I definitely have no choice right now! How could I have been so stupid all this time!

I cannot believe it. I thought Palin was telling the truth. But after informing myself, it is impossible to keep that belief up. I’m so disappointed. She is a damn liar.

Walter | Aug 23, 2009 1:24:43 PM— IF your only objection is that too many people might make that choice, that would be like saying that we should have cancelled the elections last November because it looked like too many people might choose Obama for their president —————— That is exactly what some of them would have liked to do! How many times have you seen and heard the phrase “Take back our country!” From who? The democratically elected President. Think about it, all the whine about now is the deficit, none of them had one issue when Pres. Bush inherited a surplus and spent it into a deficit! Money that was spent on a war of choice and rebuilding Iraq. Not on the American people. Now that we have a President who actually wants to help the people of his own country, they scream bloody murder! Pathetic!

Dave when you use the word socialism what do you mean? Do you consider it a loaded word?

ctay why are you scared about proclaiming explictly where you stand?

I’m with the Republicans on this. Let’s just continue what we’re doing until our country becomes completely bankrupt. Lets get rid of social security, medicare, medicade, welfare, public housing, disability and other social programs until half our nation is homeless. This will become a sensitive political issue before the 2010 election and the voters in this country will see that the Republicans are the one’s who are directly responsible for keeping them from getting any healthcare. Not withstanding they already have sent over 4000 of our finest to their deaths over a ‘war of lies’. We won’t ever forget that! It will be reflected at the polls with another landslide by Democrats.

Riley,
There are 4 bills in the congress, 1 is pending. ZERO of these plans have only one public plan. ZERO.
I for one want a non-insurance company insurance option for my family.
You should, and doubtless will, make a different choice.
The public option that people talk about should be financed entirely by the premiums paid by those covered. I trust that will be the case, as Obama as made it clear that his position is the same as mine in this regard.

Sue,
If only the Republicans in congress had the courage to publicly state what so many Republicans here WANT TO HEAR: Republicans want to kill Social Security, Medicare, the Veterans Administration.
Also, why don’t they kill the Department of Defense?
After all, protecting American lives is ‘socialism’.
Jesus said ‘heal the sick’.

“it’s a matter of fact that it would allow both a “public plan” and newly subsidized private plans to cover all abortions.”
My PRIVATE plan covers abortions, should my wife and I need and desire that option.
The “public plan” is one whose medical and non-medical expenditures are covered by the premiums paid by those who choose to join the plan.
Premiums paid by those covered is NOT THE SAME AS tax dollars.
So, it would appear that you are the liar. Since lying is what liars do.

Posted by: DK | Aug 23, 2009 1:08:34 PM
We already have death panels, just private for profit death panels.
Private insurance is a death panel.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Absolutely correct. The only real life ‘Death Panels’ exist right now in each of the health insurance companies in America!
Isn’t it clever how the insurance industry, through the far-right and Republicans, was actually able to ‘project’ their behavior falsely onto a pending bill?
Or was it clever?…Because, what is going to happen now that this lie has been widely disproven, is that the reform will take place in two or more legislative bills.
1) The 1st one will stop the current insurance company ‘Death Panel’ decisions by outlawing the dropping of people from insurance, refusing coverage due to a pre-existing condition, and other reforms. This will cause a spike in insurance premiums for all because the insurance companies will insist on their exorbitantly high profit margin (the motive for the insurance company ‘Death Panel’ decisions).
2) The second one will then address the lack of health insurance competition by including a public option. This will force the insurance companies to reduce their profit margin to a more reasonable level consistent with a more reasonable marketplace.
The insurance companies are going to get what they deserve!

McCain is correct…..
The Dems are the ones with Dementia problems…they got caught and now they blame the Right rather than their own party…who by the way is blocking the bill!!

James L.: “Anywhere in the bill that directs that a government board, panel, whatever, approve/deny any health care question, we are going to have problems. ”
We already have problems, because currently the insurance company has panels that do exactly the same thing.

USAforUSA, I hear you. You don’t like the idea of taking anyone off of a machine.
But are you willing to respect AND abide by someone else’s decision? Maybe they consider it cruel and unusual to be stuck in a veg state.
Or, do you think we should use the power of the government to TAKE OVER that decision.

s.morgan – McCain is correct about what? What he stated is NOT in the bill! Dems got caught what? Instead of broad sweeping statements, some facts would help your credibility! Oh, the final bill isn’t even written, so there is NO BLOCKING!

USAForUSA, Palin for one already put her signature on a pro-living will proclaimation, so you might be on your own in USING THE GOVERNMENT to force your choice on others.
Except that she pulled the hypocrite two step on that one. What do you expect about someone who flat out lied about ‘death panels’.

Posted by: Riley | Aug 23, 2009 1:43:08 PM
…A private insurance company NEVER forces anyone to do anything. If you don’t like the way your private insurance company operates, go somewhere else.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Really?
They “NEVER force” one off of their insurance by dropping them?
They never “NEVER force” one to ‘Not’ be able to receive adequate care (possibly leading to death) by refusing coverage due to a pre-existing condition?

You people who say there is no difference between the insurance companies and government dening treatments are dead wrong. If your insurance company denies coverage you still have the option to pay out of pocket. With single payer you will lose that option. Once the government denies coverage based on some “death panels” descission you are screwed. You will not be able to obtain the treatment even if you can pay out of your own pocket.
Stop kidding yourselfs with the belief Obamacare is the great solution, it isn’t. I would much rather have the option of gettig treatment and filing bankrupcy then be denied coverage by our government and die.
There have been a lot of proposals to reform the healtcare system without a complete government take over. The media has ignored those proposals.

Note from the above that it does not guarantee that your insurance company will keep offering your policy.-Ed Taylor
————————————–
Can private insurers decide to changes terms and conditions and premiums now? Are they obligated now to continue offering anyone coverage? Arguing that bad things are going to happen when they already do is a poor debate tactic.

I would much rather have the option of gettig treatment and filing bankrupcy then be denied coverage by our government and die.
————————–Your brand of socialized bankrupcy health care leaves some one a big turd.

Jane,
Three bills have been passed out of committee in the house, one in the Senate, one is pending.
NONE of the bills passed out of committee are single payer.
Go attack some other straw man.

Kenneth, I am so sorry that you are ignorant on this topic.
Robin Beaton and millions of Americans have had life saving medical procedures (a hysterectomy in Miss Beaton’s case) DENIED by their private insurance company.
Going to another insurance company to pay for her cancer surgery was not an option that the free market provided.
I hope this never happens to your family (it could, Miss Beaton had health insurance, she paid her premiums, her only flaw was in getting cancer) because I am a Christian.
Too bad their are no Christians in the Republican party.
I am sure that would mean fewer people arguing the virtue of letting uninsured people get sick and even DIE without treatment if there were any morallity in that party.
Vote for the PRO-DEATH Republican party!

There is nothing “ambiguous” about the language of this bill. There is no conspiracy to impose euthenasia on the elderly or handicapped, impose madatory abortions, forced birth control for all children over 7, implant tracking chips into everyone, or any other despotic action.
When pressed by Jon Stewart to read him the exact words in the bill she was interpreting as frightening, Betsy McCaughey, former Lieutenant Gov. of NY
was UNABLE to support her claims. The passage she read did NOT remotely say what she was claiming it did…it was quite clear and unambiguous.
What ARE ambiguous are the arguments being made by those pushing these wingnut theories. They cannot even be clearly articulated because they are complete hogwash! And so many buy them…astounding.

Jane, I heard the ‘great reform ideas’ from the other side. On the Milt Rosenberg show he had on two people from conservative ‘think tanks’ who wanted to explain why the problem is that TOO MANY PEOPLE HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE.
If only if every American family LOST their health insurance, they would pay out of pcoket and that would limit ‘unnecesary’ medical procedures.
I believe John Stossel (ABC) has a simular opinion.
YOU REPUBLICANS should talk more about your health insurance for no one program!
Vote for the PRO-DEATH Republican party!

Everyone knows that to leave health care as it is right now is not acceptable. I don’t understand why the GOP is so against reform. Palin is an idot.

SEN. McCAIN: I didn’t see it in the context, Tim, and I don’t want to criticize Bill Frist. He obviously had very sincere feeling feelings about this issue. All of us were very emotional. We-Terri Schiavo had a loving parents and siblings that wanted to care for her for the rest of her life. I think our hearts went out to her in that situation and her family. Maybe we didn’t use our brains as well as we should have. So I can’t–I know that Bill Frist has denied that he “diagnosed” Terri Schiavo. I think we ought to get this issue behind us and move forward. It’s an American tragedy and I hope that the next time we’re presented with one of these situations we’ll perhaps approach it in a more measured and reasoned fashion.
MR. RUSSERT: Would it be fair to say in hindsight Congress should not have been involved in the Terri Schiavo case?
I agree with McCain/Palin. Turning off anything other than a breathing machine blowing air into a dead corpse is considered murder in my book. And removing a feeding tube is cruel and unusual punishment. It literally starves the patient to death.-USAforUSA
————————————–
So you agree with McCain? Are you aware he never came down on oneside or the other? Are you blind?
SEN. McCAIN: I think it’s easy in hindsight to make a judgment. But I do know at the time that many of us, or the overwhelming majority of us as well as the American people saw a young woman whose life was going to end, whose parents and brothers and sisters wanted to care for her. That’s what I think made it so compelling. So in hindsight, perhaps we shouldn’t have. At the time, I understand the emotion, all of us. Who was not moved by seeing the films of this woman, young woman?
MR. RUSSERT: And yet it turns out that she was blind.
SEN. McCAIN: Yeah.

Kenneth, I am so sorry that you are ignorant on this topic.-Walter
You need to go back and correct your mistake and apologize to me.

Henry,
In the current state, there are many many Americans without health insurance and therefore cannot get treatment when they become ill.
Take the case of Robin Beaton. She had private health insurance, but when she was diagnosed with a particularly agressive form of breast cancer, the insurance company cancelled her insurance DAYS before the procedure was scheduled.
The hospital told her that unless she could come up with $30,000 down they would not release the O.R. for her operation. She did not have $30000 and the operation was cancelled.
By the time she had her operation, the cancer mass had doubled in size.
Even if (I certainly hope so) she is cured, she is now uninsurable.
THAT IS THE REAL WORLD WE LIVE IN. The bill does not deny illegals medical care, which many many Americans would object to, nor does it provide it.
Those with illegal status are excluded from benefiting from anything in the bill.
If we pass this, millions who are out there naked will be covered. The bill does not solve every problem, but is as significant in its moral achievement as the Medicare bill.
The Republicans were 100% against medicare and they continue to try to kill it. All they are lacking is the courage to say what they believe regarding medicare.

Dave I just checked on some things. The mail arrived yesterday. My dad got his Social Security check last week and Medicare paid some of his health care bills from last month.

Letter to John McCain:
On August 23rd, 2009, on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” you had the opportunity to refute Sarah Palin’s false and moronic claims that HR 3200 would establish “death panels.” You were given several opportunities to denounce these statements. Instead, while not using the phrase “death panels,” you nonetheless attempted to give support and credence to Sarah Palin’s statements. Such action on your part is appalling! Perhaps you should look at the actual text of Section 1233 of HR 3200 and then go to http://www.politfact.com to get some additional explanation of what it actually means. You clearly have not been able to figure it out on your own. Frankly, it is this type of fear mongering and twisting of the truth that has led me and many others to lose faith in our government. And as for you, you were once a hero, but I don’t think you can lay claim to that title any more. A real hero would have the courage to speak the truth. A real hero would not try to support the blatant lies of others. Frankly, John, we are not playing some sort of annual “democrats versus republicans” football game here. This is the real world and people’s lives are at stake. Consequently, you and your colleagues have an obligation to both tell and stand by the truth. I’m always hopeful that someday you will do so, but I am far from optimistic. You seem to now lack either the courage or the intellectual acumen to live life in such a manner.

If President Obama wants to better understand why America’s discomfort with end-of-life discussions threatens to derail his health-care reform, he might begin with his own Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). He will quickly discover how government bureaucrats are greasing the slippery slope that can start with cost containment but quickly become a systematic denial of care.
Last year, bureaucrats at the VA’s National Center for Ethics in Health Care advocated a 52-page end-of-life planning document, “Your Life, Your Choices.” It was first published in 1997 and later promoted as the VA’s preferred living will throughout its vast network of hospitals and nursing homes. After the Bush White House took a look at how this document was treating complex health and moral issues, the VA suspended its use. Unfortunately, under President Obama, the VA has now resuscitated “Your Life, Your Choices.”
Who is the primary author of this workbook? Dr. Robert Pearlman, chief of ethics evaluation for the center, a man who in 1996 advocated for physician-assisted suicide in Vacco v. Quill before the U.S. Supreme Court and is known for his support of health-care rationing.
“Your Life, Your Choices” presents end-of-life choices in a way aimed at steering users toward predetermined conclusions, much like a political “push poll.” For example, a worksheet on page 21 lists various scenarios and asks users to then decide whether their own life would be “not worth living.”
The circumstances listed include ones common among the elderly and disabled: living in a nursing home, being in a wheelchair and not being able to “shake the blues.” There is a section which provocatively asks, “Have you ever heard anyone say, ‘If I’m a vegetable, pull the plug’?” There also are guilt-inducing scenarios such as “I can no longer contribute to my family’s well being,” “I am a severe financial burden on my family” and that the vet’s situation “causes severe emotional burden for my family.”
When the government can steer vulnerable individuals to conclude for themselves that life is not worth living, who needs a death panel?

Dear John,
This is why I couldn’t vote for you. You sold yourself out. You could have remained to to your maverick ways, stuck to your principles, been honest with the voters, and you may have won. But instead you sold you. You used the same people who got Bush elected; you know, the ones who trashed you in the previous primary. I watched one debate where you purposely trashed Ron Paul with a series of out and out lies. You pick Sarah Palin as your choice for VP and then suffer the consequences. Now here you are, trying to kill heath care when this countries needs it most.
Thanks for NOTHING, John.
P.S. I forgot to add that you top economic adviser was Phil Gramm, the guy who perhaps caused most of our economic problems. It is a good thing you lost. With Palin as VP and Gramm as Secretary of the Treasury I’m sure we had gone under already.

When the government can steer vulnerable individuals to conclude for themselves that life is not worth living, who needs a death panel?
———————————-
The docors that were to do the cosuling, and get paid for it, are government employees in the health proposal? The myth grows yet again!

It is obvious that McCain is forever linked to that “whack job” Sarah Palin. He clearly knows that this health bill does not say anything about death panels. What else is he to do? He can’t come out and admit that she is absolutely ignorant and crazy. This would reflect on his poor choice of her as a VP candidate. McCain will always have to defend her outrageous statements. It is a pandora’s box, isn’t it? Just think about it, if he had not plucked her from obscurity, we wouldn’t even know that Sarah Palin exists.

I will continue to use this story as I have previously, but I am glad you brought it up as the story illustrates some of the important things the house bill accomplishes.
The ‘missing information’ on her application had nothing to do with this lady’s cancer. The insurance company said that there was a notation on her medical record which they interpreted as being pre-cancerous. Her dermatologist called them on the phone, explaining it was acne and not relevant to her cancer, begging for them to not cancel her surgery. They ignored this information. The insurance company also thought she had left off a (previous) rapid heart beat from her application. Not exactly relevant to her cancer.
The insurance company deliberately write their application to be difficult to fill out completely and use a technique of reviewing your application for any error they can use against you WHEN YOU GET SICK as a cost containment (profit maximizing) strategy.
If fraud prevention (as opposed to committing their own fraud) was the insurance companies’ intent, they would do any review BEFORE you get sick.
The House bill prohibits this behavior on the part of the insurance companies. (There are a lot of good things in there, if you take the time to look at the 4 page summary on the House web site.)
The facts I presented previously are both true (according to her testimony) and telling:
1. Lady has private health insurance.
2. Lady is diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer.
3. Insurance company drops her.
4. Hospital refuses to proceed with life saving surgery unless she can come up with $30,000 (which she did not have).

Sparky,
The U.S. is rated 37th best health care, behind Costa Rica and in front of Slovenia, according to the World Health Organization (Cuba comes in at no. 39).
People do not get the health care the need in this country. The insurance companies just say no.
I guess you don’t get the inenviable private sector rationing!

You liberal minded thinkers (all 35% of you, including today’s overly biased and now closed minded liberal media) once again fail to fully grasp the significance of Sarah Palin’s clairvoyant and chilling articulation of future Obama-created Death Panels. Take a breath…as the issue is not simply one of what is or is not written in the bill…it’s the precedence of the bill itself that is the issue! Fact, socialized healthcare countries ration health care on unprecedented levels due to the cost of the program, and worse Orwellian health boards under various names do exist in these countries to regularly implement austere health care cost control measures that cut short the choices and quality of living of its citizens. Obamacare sets in motion by natural extension an irreversible roadmap for creating one the world’s largest and most costly government beaurocratic enterprises ever, comparable only to the 2.8 million strong Red Army of China, in administering a behemoth socialized US health care program. If you don’t believe this future reality, take a look at Great Britain and their 1.4 million government administrators choking their UK’s healthcare program – they’ve got more government paid administrators than there are doctors in the UK! Obamacare creates an irreversible governmental (not free market) process that ultimately deprives Americans of health care choices (freedoms) forever. If you can’t stand America given today’s reality, then pack up, and leave this great country to those of us (the other 65% of us in America) who will fight to the bitter end to preserve the fundamental core values of freedoms and choices (including healthcare) as defined and granted by our great US Constitution to its citizens.

Posted by: AP_Story | Aug 23, 2009 4:25:41 PM
You liberal minded thinkers (all 35% of you, including today’s overly biased and now closed minded liberal media)…. leave this great country to those of us (the other 65% of us in America)…
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
So, how was it that Barack got 54% of the vote?

Dementia is obviously setting in for mccain. Thank God he and her lost the election. libertyrulz >>>>>> Really? Obama doesnt know what BILL he is supporting since there isnt a Bill and yet he is making promises. Obama thinks AARP supported the BILL really? Maybe he is WEE WEED UP? And OOOPS While Obama was president Scotland decided to release a known terrorist to Libya a INTERNATIONAL disaster to foreign policy. HE LOOKS WEAK. Dementia is something all the OBAMA supporters have.

Posted by: Phoenix lady | Aug 23, 2009 4:32:07 PM
Fiscal conservativism used to be a valid viewpoint. It was worth discussing how and when we could accomplish our goals with our conservative brethren. We were all Americans who were striving along the same path. No more.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I believed it was once too. I was one of the swing voters who voted for Reagan and Bush…once each. But, the money and power corrupted the hearts of the far-right and Republicans. And now they are at a point where they no longer care about human suffering. It all has to do with money and dominance.
I can’t vote for that.

I wish these nuts were right about the Death Panel because without health care reform I will certainally be unable to pay the insurance premiuns when I reach that point final point, and if I am able I guess I will have to pull my own plug. I am retired and on a fixed income, my insurance preminum has incresed over 400% in the last eight years. What is wrong with these people not wanting health care reform??

Posted by: Mirroe | Aug 23, 2009 3:57:11 PM
If you are denied treatment now, you can appeal and eventually take the issue to the government or the courts…
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Boy, that’s quite a benefit of an insurance policy today.
You get the option to find 1) find and attorney, 2) pay him a bunch of money to pursue your claims, 3) wear yourself thoroughly out litigating, 4) possibly get your money back, and 5) get the treatment you were trying to get in the first place…if you are still alive!

Posted by: Faurtz8 | Aug 23, 2009 5:15:52 PM
ChicagoBob posted “And OOOPS While Obama was president Scotland decided to release a known terrorist to Libya a INTERNATIONAL disaster to foreign policy.
OOPS While G.W.Bush was president, 9/11 happened. Sorry Bob, you’re never going to top this one. BTW, since when does the President of the United States start ruling Scotland?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Fell out of my chair laughing!

Posted by: J Robinson | Aug 23, 2009 5:20:20 PM
Obama has failed to take the bull by the horns in this debate. He needs to use the bully pulpit to champion a bill. That’s what the president should do. He is failing in leadership by not filling the gap and letting his opponents get the upper hand. You have to counter what is not by what is… and he has not done that. Therefore his opponents can use the ambiguity to marshall scare tactics… and that’s what is happening. This could be a Waterloo for Obama if he doesn’t get his mojo workin’ now.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Up until a few days ago, I felt the same way. But, remember during the campaign, the same sort of thing happened prior to the home stretch.
The president was wise to be slow to anger. It allowed 1) the far-right to propagate all of the lies, 2) the Republicans to jump on the bandwagon for political gain, 3) the general public to start to believe the Republicans, and 4) the Republicans be shown for what they really stand for.
They will be clear losers on this by the time Insurance Reform is passed. And then general health care reform will follow.

J Robinson posted “Obama has failed to take the bull by the horns in this debate. ”
With all the lies and distortions coming up from both sides of this debate, I think W.C.Fields’ variation on this theme is more appropriate….
“Now is the time to take the bull by the tail and face the situation.”

?With all the lies and distortions coming up from both sides of this debate, I think W.C.Fields’ variation on this theme is more appropriate….
“Now is the time to take the bull by the tail and face the situation.”"
Exactly my point. And why? Because the president’s role is to:
1.) Clarify and communicate the options clearly to the American people.
2.) DECIDE what is best and get it done!
We are wallowing in this pit of confusion because our president has not taken charge of this situation and exercised his leadership.

McCain is a loser and a hater. The whole GOP ARE NUTS!

A new name for death panels:
S.1110: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPac) Reform Act of 2009 – Amends title XVIII (medicare) of the Social Security Act to rename the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPac) the Medicare Payment and Access Commission, make it an independent executive branch (instead of a legislative branch) agency, and revises its membership requirements. The revised commission controls the purse strings on all Medicare payments and therefore it can decide if a particular procedure or certain care is provided. It is also excluded from judicial review. In other words it decides if you can receive certain treatment and care, its decisions are final, and it is functionally omnipotent. Frankly, everyone should stop referring to “death panels” and “death boards” and instead call them by the proper name. . .“MedPac”.
Couple the power of the rebuilt MedPac with certain other provisions of H.R 3200 and it becomes clear that the government is in total control of you life and even whether or not you continue to live.  Concerning hospital readmissions H.R. 3200, pages 284-288, SEC. 1151 amends the Social Security act and effectively reflects the following:
The government has the power to determine what constitutes an “applicable [medical] condition.”
The government has the power to determine who is allowed readmission into a hospital.
This determination will be made by statistics: when enough people have been discharged for the same condition, an individual may be readmitted.
This is government rationing, pure, simple, and straight up.
There can be no judicial review of decisions made here. The Secretary is above the courts.
These are very complex and convoluted bills and if you’re truly interested you must study them carefully. The two examples are not the only undesirable elements within these bills and everyone should read and understand them. When taken together they more than confirm the fears associated with Obama’s healthcare reform.

Amazing…..”she’s an idiot”, “GOP has sunk so low”, “he defends stupidity and malaise”…..To all you dems/liberals out there….remember what Obama said….”We won…get over it”. H.R. 3200 is dead because it’s a BAD bill.

Look, folks, we tried to warn you about Obama, and here we are again doing the same thing. Will you listen this time? People are finally waking up to the evil intent of Obama and his gang of fellow fascists.
You voted for a man who fed you only what he knew you would lap up like honey. He is trying to destroy America. When are YOU going to wake up?
Cancer survival rates, which are much higher here than anywhere else in the world, are going to plummet if the government takes over health care.
I know you meant well by voting for Obama, but you were taken in by a scam artist.
I want health care reform, too, but not a government takeover. It will mean very bad things for you and me if it happens. Innovation will stop entirely in the medical field. The fascists will consolidate their control over every aspect of our lives.
Say “No!” to Obama’s brand of fascism!!! Say “Yes!” to life and to freedom.

These are very complex and convoluted bills and if you’re truly interested you must study them carefully.Posted by: rplat | Aug 23, 2009 5:53:04 PM
Sure thing dude and when you type in your own words the bill becomes immpossible to comprehend.
Why didn’t you fully demarcate your comments from the Bill? I can think of a coupla reasons.
Please re post your comment so every one knows what is your commentary and what is the bill.

That proves that he did not, in fact, read the bill, either, like so many of the dolts in the House. Instead, the language WAS ambiguous and used the word “shall” over and over, which was interpreted to mean it was mandatory.
————————————-
I heard the word THE was used over and over signaling that this is THE bill.
If you’re gunna try to get technical with the wording to prove a point you have an obligation to spell it out not just say they spkrinkled alot of shalls in it.

Mr. McCain (soon to be ex-Senator if Arizona Hispanics remain committed against his blatant disregard of Justice Sotomayor’s credentials in order to vote against her heritage…)—
He speaks of Republican amendment:
“Well, then why did the Democrats turn down our amendments that clarified that none of the decisions that would be made by this board would in any way affect depriving of needed treatments for patients? I don’t know why they did that then.”
First, the board is not “in the room” when the DOCTOR and PATIENT have the consultation, as is so often the case with the Insurance Company … they merely set a universal standard that assures all information is provided.
Second, read that “affect depriving of needed treatments” line. Using the same type of logic McCain, Palin and the others who are passing off the lies and misinformation the right wing/corporate machine is pushing like a drug to the gullible and fearful among us — this means “you can’t say DNR” or “the family member does not have the right to turn off artificial life support even though they know BEST the wishes of the person being kept in suspended animation”.
Meanwhile day after day of costs accrue and since this is not active “health care” — the actual value received is less than the cost = more profit.
**********
I am appalled by the Republican obstruction tactics — offering amendments that serve no valuable purpose other than assuring profits for their corporate teat… then when these are rejected, yelling “hey, you’re not bipartisan, we are being locked out… ”
B.S.
**********
I sure HOPE Obama and the Dems get their act together and get this passed.
Forget the OPINION polls — talk about B.S. — the same percentage of idiots that are so easily led by the right wing lie machine who post on discussion boards are surely included among those who answer the phone/participate and they couldn’t care less what the question says, they just vote NO to Obama and “you dam liberals”.
Well, we went to the only POLLS that count last November and we exercised our freedom there … now folks we elected — get the job done!

This is why McCain isn’t in the WH.

: J Rpbinson | Aug 23, 2009 5:31:01 PM You can say all you want about Palin, but that is just a distraction. The president is on holiday when he should be facing these controversies head on. It doesn’t bode well—- You mean like Bush was during Katrina, and stayed on vacation for 2 more days as thousands died?

jcarob | Aug 23, 2009 7:13:42 PM—- Brazen distortion? How was it distorted? He quoted her verbatim! You know it and those who are kool aid free know it! If I’m wrong, prove it! Don’t expect for you to do that, you can’t!

tanarg | Aug 23, 2009 7:46:41 PM— Then what was she talking about? The only thing in this bill that she could lie about is 10 pages long. What was she talking about?

tanarg posts”
“You still don’t get it. Palin wasn’t talking about the end-of-life counseling.”
****
Then why did her spokeswoman say her comments were referring to [Section 1233 Advanced Care Planning Consultation] page #425 of HR 3200?
You can spin Mrs. Palin’s spin all you want, all you’re gonna get is dizzy….

With Obama’s 10 year budget projection going up by 2 trillion it now appears that the nation debt at the end of the 10 year projection will be approaching 21.5 trillion.
Not one democrat or republican has addressed the ever looming national debt.
And some of you sweet people think we can afford national healthcare? I wonder what your grandkids’ grandkids would think of your greed?
THINK NEW CONGRESS IN 2010!

Mercy…
In the same place it says to “sell all your goods and give them to the poor”… ya done that? Can’t pick and choose.
Also there’s this commandment thing (not an option… like the Public Option is…) — that says not to bear false witness.

What a wimp McCain is. I’m so glad he’s not our president. Instead of having concrete suggestions to add to the conversation to create a health care system that is more efficient than what we have now, he’d rather just cast aspersions and shadows over Obama’s ideas. Not confrontational directly, but shady dealings.
He’d rather have our health care system stay No. 37 in the world, just below Slovenia. Sad old dude….

As usual, John McCain is proving himself to be a spineless hack. He knows full well that he is only propping up the GOP party line of lies and fearmongering. I am just disgusted with the utter lack of ethics shown by Palin, and the press for giving so much time to this whack-job. She has done irreparable damage to their own party’s credibility and preyed upon the less educated people’s fears. Not to mention they have set back the importance of public information about Advanced Directives. And Mr. Stephanopoulous, kudos to you for trying to point out the truth.

Who is John McCain and why is he relevant?

What the h*el*l happened to you, Senator? You seemed decent, once upon a time.

To the guy that posted all these comments. The Democrats don’t need Republicans. Majorities in both houses and a clear road to victory. The problem is not McCain and Palin, it is your own party. So get a grip, look to your own party troubles.
Birther in OK

Once Obama takes over healthcare, the death panels will come. They won’t dare admit it now. After all, how else will he cut Medicare by $200 Billion, plus cover millions more people, and we will still be paying for all the illegal aliens who come over to have babies etc. He cares more about subsidizing a new car for someone who can’t afford it, than the veterans who risked their lives and our parents and grandparents.

HalfTruth…
The proposed legislation does not prohibit a discussion of euthanasia because it does not have to — it is only legal in one state, Oregon.
This was decided in a Supreme Court decision that was very narrow in scope, meaning there are doors open to allow the practice either state by state (as in Oregon) or with what is called “dual effect theory” (basically a legal drug overdose).
It may surprise you to know that not just a few of your fellow Americans have no distaste for euthanasia either for themselves or a loved one (according to their own wishes).
We are all going to die. This inevitability does frighten people, but it should not be treated like it’s some sort of secret that we can’t talk about.

Sarah Palin is 100% right. John McCain is telling the absolute truth! John McCain is one of the most honest, if not the most honest men in politics, which is why he did not get elected! By the way, why are we still in Iraq and Afghanistan? Obama said we would be out in days, how many days I don’t remember – too many lies to keep track of.

Celeste…
The ONLY thing 100% right about Sarah Palin is her side of the political fence.
***********
Right on WWW!
This woman is so clueless she thinks the Senate CAN remove provisions from a House bill…. does she have ANY idea how the government is set up?
Next Sarah screed … “in the Constitution it says that all bills must be passed with a vote of 60 members of Congress with a bi-partisan agreement”.
(Anyone who has ever actually read the Constitution will be laughing their toots off right about now…. :) :-0

Brian | Aug 23, 2009 9:22:38 PM–Birther in OK——– So your one of the sorry souls who believes they know more than the NSA, FBI, CIA, Homeland Security, the DNC, GOP, the McCain and Clinton Campaign, the Republican Governor of Hawaii, the Head of Vital Statistics in Hawaii and every news organization but Faux, with the exception of Bill O’Rielly! Well alrighty!

Posted by: Try the truth | Aug 23, 2009 10:13:58 PM
…This is what I don’t understand from the right, they keep saying something they know is false.
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This is the tactic that the far-right and Republican party has used for years now…Stick to your story, no matter how false it is, and eventually people will start to believe it is true.
Up until recently, it was very effective. But, now people are taking the time to check the facts out and call them on it.

Does any one agree that the AARP is worried that myths may derail health care reform and that the AARP wants reform?

Someone commented above that the “GOP has sunk so low”..this is not the lowest..it’s been going on for over 30 years…it’s just that people are waking up to what’s been so obvious in people’s minds and memories. This is just another insult to everyone’s intelligence. THANK GOD THESE PEOPLE DID NOT WIN..but we really don’t have god to thank. WE DID IT!!! WE WOKE UP AN VOTED. WE WANT TO LIVE IN and CREATE AN EQUAL WORLD..FAIR for ALL!! OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL. Young and old. Short and tall. Educated and Ignorant. Blonde or Brunette. Hung or Gherkin! Black or white. WE DONT CARE. We care about everyone getting same fair chance. NO Special treatment. NO Line outside Studio 54. No VIPs. No heirarchy status! We can all eat cake!

BikernAz12 posted “A doddering old man and a psyco chick are out there trying to slay windmills. You Ain’t seen nothing yet Don Quixote.”
They remind me more of Burns and Allen. Say death panels Sarah.

ms1236 posted “President Obama talks about saving money. The care for the elderly later in life is very expensive – so where is the savings going to come from……………..?”
I’m not sure, but Obama called and asked me to ask you where YOUR grandma lives!
:-)

‘Death Panels’ … how ignorant. Use of these terms could only come from such stupidity that results from extreme in breeding. You all in the US are arguing about something that could significantly help over 30 million of you who don’t have ‘no’ health care at all. Cost too much … why aren’t you complaining about the defense budget … Oh No … that wouldn’t do … silly people.

other than the hard core conservative republicans seriously doubt that any other republican, or anyone else for that matter, cares what mccain or palin thing these days. they are amusing to read about but take them seriously, nah. mccain had a reasonably good chance at being potus but blew it by selecting palin.

Dear Ya’all, hasn’t it occured to anyone yet? In a frenzy to cut costs, insurance companies are coming up with “Death Panels” on their own. The ONLY way to make that STOP, is to take the profit out of it. 99% of everything wrong with this bill, is wrong NOW! Don’t assume that because we turn down this health care that death panels and lower care, long lines, and haffarsed screening will go away, contrary…it will get WORSE.

Found this online, regarding ‘death panels’: (1) Make a preposterous and false claim about a bill. (2) Have the claim disproved. (3) Avoid defending the original claim, but instead observe that the controversy reflects “a legitimate difference of interpretation” about what might happen in the future. Effective opposition in three easy steps! And so we have a conundrum: Ignore the tactic, and let the falsehood persist, or engage with the tactic, and play into the false appearance of legitimate debate. I do not have a good solution. The best I can do is repeat, with endless tedium, that the bill is not ambiguous and the original claim is still false. I can further add that people who hide falsehoods behind the smokescreen of an equally false ambiguity are doing a fabulous job of destroying legitimate public discourse.

GOP = the party of lies, distortions, rumors and NO. No, no, no ideas. No, no, no to others ideas. They want to do the same old, same old, whether or not the same old works. Who in their right mind would support a Republican?

Posted by: able | Aug 24, 2009 6:10:50 AM
Dear Ya’all, hasn’t it occured to anyone yet? In a frenzy to cut costs, insurance companies are coming up with “Death Panels” on their own. The ONLY way to make that STOP, is to take the profit out of it.
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Nice try Able.
But, even a drunk off the street knows that the insurance companies came up with “Death Panel” a long time ago…to increase profit!

Sorry – I mean’t grandson. Granddaughter is graduating and a certified EMT and is planning on the doc thing also — so, we will see….

RepubLIEcans are morally bankrupt. Destructive distortions, pro-life anti-healthcare, anti-social welfare, pro-war, pro-gun, pro-torture, anti-environment, anti-global warming, pro-distortion of facts, pro-mislading the public on everything form war to healthcare and hypocritically anti-big spending while running up record deficits and promoting un-regulated banking which led to a global economic crisis, business failures, loss of jobs and homes and the Democratic party has to clean up the mess while they blame liberals for everything. Lieing must be a pre-requisite for being a RepubLIEcan.

Two festering peas in a pod….

Sure insurance companies make you take certain tests before they allow an MRI or CTscan…however, the fact is they do allow it when it is shown it is needed and there is no 6 month wait. I had a cluster of calcifications in my breast and the radiologist informed my PCP while I was still there and her office got an appointment with a surgeon for the next day. I had a biopsy 2 days later and a mastectomy 3 days later. Lucky for me she was a savvy surgeon who said I should not go for the partial removal where the cluster was and get the mastectomy because the whole breast was full not just the cluster part and I had a 1-millimeter clear margin around the breast which is just about nothing. She said if I had waited it would have been in my lymph nodes and I would not be here today. That was 7+ years ago. I want the same options in health care for myself, my children and grandchildren. I just hope those of you who are so much for the Govt plan do not end up kicking yourself in the future because you can’t have the right meds or it takes too long for tests and surgery and end up dying needlessly. Right now you may pay more of a copay for a nonformulary drug but you can get it through your insurance.

The difference between a big insurance company and the government deciding who gets care and who does not is significant.
The decision on how much is spent on each individual based on the individuals age is at the heart of the rationing system that exists in all health plans. It is worse when the government decides it as the individual has little recourse to get around the decision when the government decides it.
John Mackey’s plan fixes this.

The only thing the Democrats disapproved of was the Republican Amendments that removed a public option.
McCain should close his trap up! He should be considered an enemy of the people as he supports the agenda, long placed upon the American public, to deny health care and to sway people to vote against their own best interests!

The funny thing is, these types of panels exist today, in every health insurance provider. They determine what kind of care, if any, desperately ill people get. And if they say no, the patient would die before they get a reversal. Don’t try to slap the “death panel” charge on the reform bill. A public option would keep people from having worries about being dropped from coverage when you are too ill to fight.

I don’t trust McCain’s judgment on anything since he selected Palin as his running mate. The man obviously has no ability to make good decisions (at least, at this point in his career)!

Uninsured workers stand in front of Death Panels everyday on the possibility that an illness or accident will happen and they will have no way to pay for care needed. Uninsured workers pay taxes that is used for Senior Care today. So it just make good fiscal sense that these worker stay healthy so they can continue to pay taxes. Insuring all workers save all our own lives. It simple, stop been fooled by lies.

Why is it so hard for Libs to understand that Gov Palin used the words “Death Panels” to draw attention to what was in the Bill that she disagreed with. It worked, an now its all over the MSM. Had she not done that, no one would have noticed. When the MSM is in the pocket of the DNC, sometimes all methods are necessary.

Let’s look at the facts about John McCain that you don’t get on ABC News.
During his political career received $ 7 million from the health sector, including health insurance companies and pharmaceuticals. $ 1.2 million of McCain’s campaign money comes from lobbyists who are now descending upon Washington Dc like locusts from a Biblical Plague in an effort to defeat Obama’s health care reforms. From 2005 to present McCain’s top 5 political contributors include Merrill-Lynch, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs, all of which are reaping record profits from health insurance companies and pharmaceuticals.
Isn’t this the BIG reason McCain back Sarah Palin’s lies? Every time, we pay an insurance premium, John McCain gets a political campaign contribution. That’s also the reason that McCain is so passionately opposed to a public option. It’s all about the Benjamins, and McCain is too much of a liar and a crook to tell the truth. Incidentally, I got my information from Center for Responsive Politics. I invite anyone else to do the homework and find out for him or herself.
My big question am I not getting this information from ABC News?

dassis, for the record, i HAVE given away things by the CAR LOADS. have you? your comment about giving to the poor has NOTHING to do with the subject,it was just a red herring, a silly jab from you.

please check out the WASHINGTON TIMES re OBAMA pushing abortions:
“In an Aug. 19 conference call sponsored by the liberal group 40 Days for Health Reform, Mr. Obama accused his opponents of “bearing false witness” and of “divisive and deceptive attacks” on a whole host of claims about the various health bills backed by congressional Democratic leaders. A number of the president’s counterclaims were dubious, but his most demonstrably false statement was: “You’ve heard that this is all going to mean government funding of abortion. Not true.”
That’s not what Associated Press reports. On Aug. 5, an AP story was headlined “Gov’t insurance would allow coverage for abortion.” There’s no wiggle room in that headline – or in the legislation. As AP reported: “Since abortion is a legal medical procedure, experts on both sides say not mentioning it would allow health care plans in the new insurance exchange to provide unrestricted coverage…
~Washington Times editorial, “Your taxes to pay for abortions,” August 24
~Washington Times editorial, “Your taxes to pay for abortions,” August 24″

“obama elsewhere was already talking about aborting his own grandchild.”
That’s your interpretation. Here is the actual quote.
“I’ve got two daughters — 9 years old and 6 years old. I’m going to teach them first of all about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby. I don’t want them punished with an STD at the age of 16. So it doesn’t make sense to not give them information.”

More complete quote from Obama:
“When it comes specifically to HIV/AIDS, the most important prevention is education – which should include abstinence education, and teaching children that sex is not something casual. But it should also include other information about contraception. Because, look, I’ve got two daughters — 9 years old and 6 years old. I’m going to teach them first of all about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby. I don’t want them punished with an STD at the age of 16. So it doesn’t make sense to not give them information.”

Palin is right. George has to hedge his claim by using the weasel word “independent” to get around the fact that hundreds of blogs and websites have pointed to Oregon’s state-run insurance denying cancer drugs and offering suicide pills instead as evidence that “death panels” are already in existence.

Hey America Medicare is runned by the GOVERNMENT and is going BANKRUPT !!!The only thing this NEW HEALTH PROGRAM is going to provide for us is a COMPRIMISED HEALTH PROGRAM — which means get on a WAITING LIST program .What does this mean? It means you will wind up getting and paying for PRIVATE INSURANCE along with paying PUBLIC INSURANCE by this “smart” PRESIDENT through him raising TAXES!!!!PEOPLE are loosing their homes and going hungry and we are talking HEALTH REFORM????

It doesn’t really matter whether a democrat or republican places the evil lines in the bill. What does matter is that we can read and the bill has bad stuff in it.
Several networks have begun so-called Fact Checks on Obamacare. Three of the outstanding ones are ABORTION, ILLEGAL ALIENS and RATIONING. The purpose of the fact checks are an attempt to use a minion media to suggest that “we the people” don’t know the facts and are reacting to rumors.
However, a fact that flies in the face of the administration and the media is that especially for these three facts there is further evidence that proves the opposition is right and that the media has failed the public. That further evidence being that for all three of the above there have attempts to specifically exclude by amendment which have been voted down by a party line vote!

Let’s look at the facts about John McCain that you don’t get on ABC News.
During his political career received $ 7 million from the health sector, including health insurance companies and pharmaceuticals. $ 1.2 million of McCain’s campaign money comes from lobbyists who are now descending upon Washington Dc like locusts from a Biblical Plague in an effort to defeat Obama’s health care reforms. From 2005 to present McCain’s top 5 political contributors include Merrill-Lynch, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs, all of which are reaping record profits from health insurance companies and pharmaceuticals.
Isn’t this the BIG reason McCain back Sarah Palin’s lies? Every time, we pay an insurance premium, John McCain gets a political campaign contribution. Does McCain tell his followers these facts at his town hall meetings?
Incidentally, I got my information from Center for Responsive Politics. I invite anyone else to do the homework and find out for him or herself.
My big question am I not getting this information from ABC News?

To JRL, if you knew anything about the economy and insurance, you’d know that your health insurer was merely asking about the cause of your broken ankle to see if it happened at work – and then it would be paid for by your workers compensation insurance. It would still be paid for by an “evil” insurance company. To all you buffoons, including your fearless leader, who are piling on the insurance companies as convenient scapegoats, know that they make contracts with you or your employers and if they don’t pay according to the contract, you can sue the bastards and probably do quite well for yourself. Check your coverage and if you think you need something more, complain to your employer or go BUY the extra coverage. Take responsibility for yourself rather than wait for Daddy Obama and the nanny state to do it for you.

So…you think the idea of “death panels” began with Obamacare?
Check this out!
The young lady’s insurance company refused to pay for her cancer treatment;it seems those “people” (if you want to call them that) decided that the young lady was TOO YOUNG TO HAVE CANCER!!! Now, THAT’S a death panel;and it already exists at your “friendly, neighborhood insurance company.
And my OWN perscription insurer one day decided that I did not need the amount of medication for migraine headaches that my doctor had been prescribing to me for YEARS!! Did they ask my doctor her opinion? NOOOOOOO! They simply reduced my meds and said if I wanted more than that amount, I had to pay for it myself! I had to switch to another medication…only to find out that they don’t want to pay for that one either! Sound like a panel that has no regard for our pain? Does to me! So what makes anyone think that a public option would,or could, be worse? My husband has medicare. He has it so much better than I do.
Obamacare will be, and can only be, better than the private options that are allowing people to suffer and, yes, die no matter WHAT age they are.