Painting Protestors as “Partisan Mobs with Lies About Health Reform,” Democrats Rally Their Own Activists to Visit Members of Congress at Town Halls, District Offices

OFA (Barack Obama’s muscle)harassed protesters in Denver. They tried to pry protesters’ signs from their hands and rip them up. The SEIU beat up a black conservative in St’ Louis.
Democrats hate democracy for the opposition.
Dissent used to be patriotic when Bush was President but no dissent is tolerated under Obama. Josef Stalin would be proud.

“We can’t let extremists hijack this debate, or confuse Congress about where the people stand.”
Boy is that true.
A survey conducted jointly by the Kaiser Family Foundation, ABC News and USA Today, released in October 2006, found that 89 percent of Americans were satisfied with their own personal medical care.
That’s where the people stand. It is Obama who is deceiving the country.

Go to the website.
See who has the home made signs and who has the professionally made signs.
The Obamatons all have the pro signs.
That’s grass roots?

drjohn –
“Dissent used to be patriotic when Bush was President”
You mean the Bush who held invitation-only town halls and had protesters hustled out? That one?
I don’t think anyone wants to quiet reasonable dissent, which would include listening as well as talking. But both sides need to turn down the volume and the violence. I attended a mostly-civil town hall last week and the only belligerent people in the crowd were ant-reformers. Once they saw that they were in the minority — most of the turnout were people with sincere questions or who wanted to express their support — the protesters looked for reporters with cameras. (With success, I might add — CNN had a clip of our town hall and 2 of the 3 people they interviewed were white, middle-aged protesters, despite the crowd being mostly African-American, mostly female and mostly pro-reform. So much for the “liberal media” myth!)

So when these Obama supporters show up yelling and hollering I wonder if they will be classified as a mob?

I’m confused. I thought all the people showing up to denounce health care reform were insurance industry shills. Who cares what they think? Why does the White House bother to rouse people from their slumber to counter some stupid Astroturf campaign? Congressional Democrats may safely proceed, secure in the knowledge that the protesters are merely mobsters telling lies.

Alright Republicans, fess up. Am I the only one that went to my townhall of my own will? Am I the only Conservative that didn’t get the directive from Aetna, Cigna, or Newt Gingrich to attend my townhall? What did I ever do to get blacklisted?
Thank goodness the Democrats can claim to be real grassroots by calling upon 13,000,000 in their database.
If this were Fark, this article would get the *Ironic* tag.
Posted by: sybilll | Aug 9, 2009 4:18:25 PM
=======================================
LOL…okay that was funny! It is sad though and the theme of this admininstraion, which is not hope-and-change but rather double standards-and-hypcorisy!
When they do it it is a grass movement but when others do it it is a violent mob. Obama had to call out his Union and ACORN thugs to counter and bully? Outstanding!
Hmmmm…interesting!

sybill –
“Alright Republicans, fess up. Am I the only one that went to my townhall of my own will?”
I think that trying to claim that everyone on either side is some kind of zombie/robot is pretty insulting to all of us individuals
I did get a reminder from OFA about the town hall. I wanted to be reminded so I could attend one. Does that make me some kind of tool? That seems to be a legitimate method of actual grassroots organizing — we used to use phone trees, now we use the Internet. I spoke to some attendees at my town hall who were also constituents, neighbors — and conservative who were opposed to the public option, though they saw the need for other changes. We had a very good discussion!
The loudmouths who were there booing and asking questions that sounded like Rush’s talking points did no good at all — least of all to their own cause.
Please, I hope no in this thread believes that all the crazies are in the same club! There’s plenty of evidence to the contrary!

What Obama and the Democratic Congress tries to ignore is that many Democrat voters and others who voted for Obama are very much against this health care debacle in the making.
Using Union goons to enforce the Obama message is not going convince anyone that Obama is right.
Obama is slowly realizing that his base is starting to re-think him and not in a positive view.
Lose the base, lose the race.

“By definition, these people are terrorists who are spitting in the face of our troops by disrupting Democracy.”
Yikes! Protesting is one of the most critical elements of a democracy. Try reading up on American history.

Concerned on OH
“That seems to be a legitimate method of actual grassroots organizing ”
If your appearances are being coordinated by a political campaign, then by definition it’s not grassroots.”
So someone who signs up to get a reminder to attend a public event on any political site is not acting as an individual? My point, in support of sybill, is that just because someone finds out about a public event from a political source — or a professional association or a union or some other organization or Acorn or Focus on Family — it doesn’t mean that they are totally in the thrall of that organization.
I repeat — I don’t see any value in trying to demonize the opposition, and I wish fervently that it would stop, beginning in this forum.

Keep sight of the BIG PICTURE: Democrats control the White House and the Legislature. Therefore, they can pass any bill they want with or without Republican votes.

It is time we had a President who won’t slice and dice America, pit American against American, for political gain. It is time for Palin ’12, PUMA!
Posted by: Obamacrat for Palin | Aug 9, 2009 4:20:44 PM
Seriously??
Now, there’s the post (or portion of a post) that should be labeled “ironic” but, hey, I hope it catches on.
Palin/Bachmann 2012!!

Mark from atlanta | Aug 9, 2009 4:49:19 PM++++Sorry to disappoint you but those angry people are both democrats and republicans. ABC news on Friday had a bit report with democratic rep Tom Perriello and it was mentioned both sides were showing up angry and confused and they interviewed people both black and white who said they were from both sides.

“Want healthcare? Get a JOB and PAY for it yourself!!” – I’m glad you have health care and a job like I do. But, try to keep in mind that a lot of folks cant get either because of the job market, pre-existing conditions, etc. Thats why we need reform.

Deb,
Axelrod did not coin the term “astroturf”. I am sure the smear on his reputation was unintentional.
“US Senator Lloyd Bentsen, believed to have coined the term, was quoted by the Washington Post in 1985 using it to describe a “mountain of cards and letters” sent to his Senate office to promote insurance industry interests.”
I would include the link but this forum seems to reject them. Just google “astroturf word origin”

“Sorry to disappoint you but those angry people are both democrats and republicans. ” – I am not disappointed. I think think its great that they are getting involved. What I dont care for is folks using tactics to “take over” the town halls to try to stifle legitimate debate over a very serious issue. Do you agree?

I work for a small professional firm and since I was one of the last hired I was laid off in May due to lack of work. I was told that when the work load picked up I would be brought back in. I still have my key to my office and the owner is paying full insurance coverage for my wife and I until I get called back in. I feel fortunate to work for these two individuals.

“have more pressing priorities” – To
the parents who cant get insurance because they have a child with a catastrophic illness and cant get insurance due to the pre-existing condition health reform would be the priority. To the insurance company killing reform would be the priority. Whose side are we going to take?

“If those techniques sound familiar, it’s because they are the exact same techniques employed by the Geheime Staatspolizei (Gestapo), the “Secret State Police” of Nazi Germany.
Obama promised CHANGE. And he’s DELIVERING. Big time.”
–> “Grassroots” on the side of the Obama organization, “attack mobs” on the other side? Got it.

Mark from atlanta | Aug 9, 2009 5:02:37 PM What I dont care for is folks using tactics to “take over” the town halls to try to stifle legitimate debate over a very serious issue. Do you agree?+++++++I sure do, but I don’t agree that they are just from the right. Their is plenty of proof now that they are not a “right wing mob”. That statement will bite the democratic party in the butt.

I don’t think anyone wants to quiet reasonable dissent, which would include listening as well as talking. But both sides need to turn down the volume and the violence. I attended a mostly-civil town hall last week and the only belligerent people in the crowd were ant-reformers. Once they saw that they were in the minority — most of the turnout were people with sincere questions or who wanted to express their support — the protesters looked for reporters with cameras. (With success, I might add — CNN had a clip of our town hall and 2 of the 3 people they interviewed were white, middle-aged protesters, despite the crowd being mostly African-American, mostly female and mostly pro-reform. So much for the “liberal media” myth!)
Posted by: Joyomama | Aug 9, 2009 4:17:25 PM
***
That’s really interesting about the clip on CNN, and I’m glad the town hall was mostly civil. I’m hearing that more and more as more town halls take place. I hope the media will cover it as it is without sensationalizing the entire situation any further.
I know, dream on. But we can always hope.

“Well, mainstream America is now doing it. And these are the real grassroots, the people who pay the bills” – You lost me there. I have no problem calling anti-reformers “real” and folks who “pay the bills,” but when you say that those for reform are not, well you are demonizing us. Right?

Mark from atlanta I don’t think you would be seeing this amount of dissent if BO had not tried to force this down our throats this hard and fast. Especially after the Stimulus bill was passed so fast with not much forethought. I appreciate what he is trying to do but his methods just suck.

In the past 10 months, Americans have watched their 401ks tank, the value of their houses plummet, unemployment shoot up to 9+% and the deficit quadrupled with threats of new taxes. Of course this has created fear and uncertainty. So now the administration and Congress come along and decide now is the time to push through a massive, complex change in the healthcare system – a huge part of the economy and an obviously intimate part of people’s lives. Judging from the fraud and waste in the Medicare, Medicaid and VA health systems the government already run, trust in the ability to provide quality care with out yet again skyrocketing the deficit, people are fearful and uncertain. Demonizing these feeling is not just unwise, it’s totally devoid of the compassion Democrats claim to have for ordinary Americans and has devolved into outright bullying.

Yes, let’s keep the current healthcare system in place and keep the most expensive system in the world #37 in effectiveness. If you ask someone from the UK or Canada if they would like our system, after they quit laughing they will not only say no but HELL NO!!! They want no part of our system. My wife’s sister in England is horrified about what she hears about our healthcare system. People in this country die because of our lousy system.
Like it or not, France has the best healthcare system in the world.

DE | Aug 9, 2009 5:32:58 PM Like it or not, France has the best healthcare system in the world+++++++++++++++++++++Really , I thought it was the Swiss. Why are Canadians coming to the US for surgeries?

Boxcar – I looked up the insurance company that you said gave affordable coverage if you have a serious pre-condition. You were right – the rates looked pretty good, but at the bottom of the page, in really tiny writing, was: “These rates are subject to change based upon your application and medical history” Its the same with all the insurers. Thats why folks with serious pre-existing conditions cant get quality affordable insurance outside of an employee-based plan and even those are going down hill fast. Thats why we need reform now.

Obviously, the Little People don’t know what’s good for them. They need to shut the hell up and take their medicine. Besides, our President’s prestige and credibility are on the line, and that’s the important thing. If tens of millions of Americans must lose their coverage and be forced into Statist Farm so President Smug can save face, so be it.

According to the CDC most European countries have higher life spans and higher infant survival rates than the U.S. All the countries that rank higher have natiobnal health plans. While some people argue ideology other Americans are dying.

“They have to draw the line at some point and if you think a government plan isnt going to do that I think you are kidding yourself.” – I have worked in the medical field for ten years and I have never seen Medicare deny coverage to anyone 65 or over. In addition, compared to private companies they covered more procedures withour red tape and hasseles. I am glad things worked out for you, but for a lot of folks the private health system is causing a lot of pain and suffering.

Hey ABC, why not do your jobs and investigate why Feinstein had 8 seniors arrested because they waited in her waiting room for 6 hours to see her. Their ages were 55 to 87.

Stacey, Boxcar – I gotta go. Enjoyed the discourse.

People can’t affordable insurance because of the government and its regulators……For instance, they don’t allow insurance to cross state lines and each insurance company has to be licensed and regulated in each state thus forcing people to pay more for a “local” insurance instead of being to purchase an insurance across state lines that can and often is cheaper. Secondly, they do things like require all insurance coverage for “special groups” interests…things like men are forced to buy insurance for pregnancies and cover mental problems and psychology for those that will never need the psychology coverage. Changing these two items would lower insurance premiums…….

When they start killing off Democrat parents in the hospitals because they are “too old to benefit society”, it’ll be a new tune that many middle of the road Democrats will be singing.
2010 is coming. The Republicans are rallying and we’ll be back to bring sanity to government.

Boy Obama doesn’t want the america people’s voice heard does he but we already knew this…What is wrong with these people, We have got to get these nuts out of office and fast ,They are reaping this counrty apart and bring her to her knees,They haven’t got a clue in what the american people want and they don’t give a danm what we want…And as for his supporters being nice it’s not going to happen they never were nice ,All they do is call people names and are very very rude…

About “cover your behind” insurance from Assurant:
Karen Tumulty of Time magazine did a terrific report on the health insurance crisis a few months ago that included her brother’s experience with Assurant. (Google Karen Tumulty and Assurant and comes up fairly high in the results.) Short story — when you buy cheap insurance you may end up with even less than you pay for.
The pre-existing condition issue is one that personally effects me. I have good insurance through a secure job. But my son, a senior in college, was diagnosed with a serious auto-immune disorder when he was 14 and needs regular specialist visits and tests to monitor it. Even then, he gets sick — so far every 18-24 months or so. I’ve checked into a COBRA for him when he graduates,if he is unable to find a job with insurance, and the cost is about $800/month. When I inquired about it 2 years ago, I was quoted a price of $500-600 a month. If he does get a job with insurance, it is likely he will be denied coverage or charged more because he has a “pre-existing” condition.
My brother lives in Canada and has raised a family there, and was horrified to hear about my son’s predicament. He admits he is having to wait for his hip replacement because it isn’t urgent, but neither he nor anyone in his family nor anyone he has every worked with had to deal with the insecurity of our system or bankruptcy due to high medical bills.
I am open to ideas about solutions, but not to being shouted down when I try to ask my questions.

Supporters of health reform just want the facts to get out because they know the country can’t afford to let this opportunity get away from fixing an outrageously expensive, outrageously broken health care system. The mobs paid by some shadowy far-right moneymen to thwart reform are shouting down discourse, threatening congresspeople and comparing Obama and the Dems to Hitler. Palin is even talking about “Death Panels” for cryin’ out loud!?! There’s a BIG difference.

That’s exactly right! Did you know that health insurance companies charge a 13% surcharge to the government just to provide medicaid/medicare coverage? Why are screaming about the costs of these patient’s care and then paying a 13% surcharge for every patient they cover? Its time to get rid of the middleman!

Can we also agree that Obama ran for president — and people supported and voted for him — for the same assortment of reasons that candidate have run and voters have voted before? No one puts himself and his family in the crosshairs for frivolous reasons.
I did not vote for George Bush, but I don’t doubt that he thought he was making good policy. The fact that I disagreed with him didn’t reduce his humanity.

miConservative,
Oddly enough that’s exactly the opposite of what I see! I see GOP leaders turning a blind eye to disruptive tactics (or making jokes about lynching), and Democratic leaders attempting to restore order so that a real conversation can happen. Could it be we are both somewhat biased? I would love to see leaders on both sides address this in a calmer, more constructive manner, wouldn’t you?

Is it true Pelosi and Hoyer have an op-ed coming out in USA Today tomorrow calling the health care town hall protestors “un-american”? That’s reported on Drudge Report. Is that a reliable source?

jennifert7
Drudge tends to be inflammatory — loves to grab headlines! I’ll go to the USA today site tomorrow and read it for myself before I’d take Drudge at face value. Sometimes he pulls out a word or phrase and doesn’t post anything else.

If I had a dollar for every lie being told by the health insurance industry or their lapdogs the Republicans or the “righteous-reich” nuts like Limbaugh I would be one wealthy person!!!
Americans should be embracing the right to health care, instead the lies being told are being taken as truth, and the average Ameican who is being sold a bill of goods will not realize they have been shafted again by the insurance industry and the GOP until it’s too late.
However, trying to reason with the unreasonable, the irrational who buy into these lies is impossible.
Sigh.

Democrats and the media seem to think this health bill is a first year test to see how popular Obama is.
As in “Renew your November vote for Obama by blindly supporting any legislation he proposes.”
They forget that many Democrats, plus Independents and Republicans, that voted for Obama do not like this health care program being forced upon us.

I have to head out for my bi-weekly small group ministry meeting. Sorry if I have been posting too much, but I really like Jake’s work and his blog and it bothered me to see the nasty venomous stuff that gets posted here too often!
Thanks to everyone who tried to keep it sane, civil and respectful! You guys rock!

watch out for the word “reform”. It means you will end up payin twice as much for half the coverage. consumer protection items have enough loopholes that you can drive a truck thru them.For example they can say the insurance companies have to offer insurance for preexisting conditions, but do they limit how much you would pay for it?? If they the insurance companies can ask for $5000 a month, would it not have the same affect as denying you coverage if you cant pay it. Just remember how Obama protected us against the credit company loansharks. He passed a law which takes a year to go into effect while we get raped in the mean time. God bless our politicians!

The title of this article was all I needed to read. Congratulations to Mr. Obama and his friends for bringing Chicago-style politics to Washington.

Sybill: No one wants to hurt Palins’ son and most of us are happy she kept him. She is the only one who brings him up..no one else. What she fails to recognize is that President Obama passed a health care bill just for children to help those like her son not to exclude him. She is wrong,wrong,wrong. If she wants people to stop talking about her children, she needs to stop interjecting them into her speeches. You can’t have it both way.

I think what President Obama sent out is great. I got one myself. He is asking us to aprticipate, yes, so we can l;et our voices be heard. What I like most – he is requesting we all must be respecful, calm, etc. I have watched enough videos of these town meetings to see meetings are outrageously well organized by someone to just shout and yell. Why do they have to do that??? They can speak calmly and respectully, and still be heard. These people have a right to be heard, but they do not have a right to disrupt these meetings which affects others who are attending who are acting respectfully. I truly believe the politicans need to inform these crowds they will be escorted out if they are not respectful. These people have an absolute right to be heard. But they should lose that right if they start yelling and screaming. Fact is they are then abusive to the other people who are attending that want questions answered.
Rules of personal conduct must be imposed it appears. Ths is so sad to witness and see these disruptive individuals.

I was at the Russ Carnahan town hall meeting in Mehlville, Missouri Thursday nite. You couldn’t even get into the parking lot. The neighborhoods around the school were crammed with cars parked on both sides of the streets. Older people with homemade Nobama signs were walking out of their houses, and walking blocks to the school. I kept driving around til I found a place to park.
I didn’t get into the town hall, but I did see the young black conservative beaten by men in navy blue SEIU tee shirts. One black guy called him the n-word. They knocked him down, hit him in the face, in the sides, everywhere. When he tried to shield his face, they hit him in the head. It was frightening to watch.
I was shocked – not by Obama’s thugs. That’s no big surprise. I was shocked to see people in their 60s walking half a mile with signs in their hands because they knew there wasn’t enough parking.
Older people don’t get out to support something. They get out and picket when they DON’T like something. It takes a lot to get these older people out of the house, past seven in the evening. They were fired up!
This proves to me that democracy can really work. The people are letting the Administration know what they want. It’s either listen to them, or get voted out.
That’s what separates us from most of the rest of the world.

I am an LPN nurse, and I oppose the Democratic health care bill proposed by Congress and Obama. I am also a minority who came to this country without having health care for years, yet I don’t see the wisdom in this bill. I see a lust for power by the government. I see a desire for government to control the health care decisions of everyday people. I see the tenets of Marx’s Communist Manifesto. I see redistribution of wealth through health care. I see the desire to implement depopulation through forced abortion! I see health care rationing. I see euthanasia! I see super-size increases in taxes! I see redistribution of wealth from the private to the public sectors, which is again redistributed to the most loyal government subjects. I see the end of America, the end of freedom, and the end of choice! I see TYRANNY in its early stages!!

Ferrari5858, thanks for telling us about the Georgia Democrat who screamed at his constitutent in the town hall. Of course, only Fox and talk radio will feature the story. The drive-by Obama media will ignore it.
(It seems to me this politician is having a melt down. Maybe he’s thinking about the fact that his career is going to be over if he supports Obamacare.)

So… the DNC’s response to this is to send out their own Astroturfers?
Seriously, I’ve participated and seen… I have to search to find out where these events are going on, there is ZERO coordination except from a few folks sending email out. When I show up, it’s the ACORN/HCAN/SEIU crowd with PRE-PRINTED SIGNS, or with one person showing up with a bunch of similarly-themed signs that they are handing out to the idiots who hopped off the bus.
America isn’t buying it, Democrats. Hope and Change lasted about 6 months, now it’s Fear and Loathing.

Right, someone calls in a group of people? Astroturfing… unless its the President running it. Then its all better.
Violence at the protests? reprehensible; unless its the unions the President called in. Then “keep doing what you’re doing”.
Blocking citizens from entering a meeting? Locking down the debate? Fascism.. unless its the unions called by the President blocking the door; then its great. As Sebelius said to the unions “Keep doing what you’re doing”.
And the Health Care bill not being passed yet? All the Republican’s fault; although the Dems have a filibuster proof majority in both houses. We need a bad guy; we don’t care if its plausible. Make one up.
Oh, and that isn’t Obama peeing on your leg… its raining. Seriously, he promises. You can trust him to completely redefine everything.
Black is white and up is down when Obama says so; right?

There is no civility in this debate.
I am very concerned that the democrats are calling people that express speech are tarred and feathered too. They will pay for that and they look desperate.
Too be honest, both sides are organizing and the hypocrisy is reeking. The ones that scare me are the union guys, twice they have assaulted folks and should be arrested. That has to stop….

The only violence that has taken place in the town halls has been perpetrated by union thugs egged on by Obama himself.
Not a single anti-Obama protester has been arrested. Six pro-Obama goons have been arrested.
They talk about outside agitators being “bussed in” by insurance companies, but there has not been a single picture of such a bus. The only buses I’ve seen have been full of beefy SEIU goons from Chicago brought in at Obama’s request to whale on minorities and women who don’t toe the Obama line.
It takes a brass neck for the Left to be whining about violence and Astroturfing when they are the only ones actually doing either. This is the most organic, grass roots protest I’ve seen in my adult life. And it’s growing, and growing, and growing.
The Democrats are playing a dangerous game if they think that violent union thugs won’t be resisted by any means necessary. They want war in the streets and soon they’re going to get it.

I’m so glad Obama is finally taking on the Health Care problem we face in this country. One’s health care shouldn’t be dictated by whether you have a job or not, or whether you can afford insurance. This is a basic right for any civilized society. What people need to realize is that their health care is already being regulated by the insurance agencies. It is more fair to have it be regulated by tax status.

all the idiots shouting people down at townhalls didn’t vote for obama anyway so who cares. either that or they don’t have basic reading fundamentals.

I am a mom.
I am a wife.
I am a citizen of this great country.
And I am one of THE MOB.

One of the dilemmas of our current system of employer-based health insurance: The breadwinner of the family pays half the costs of his employer-provided health insurance and it covers the whole family. If any member of the family gets ill, as long as the breadwinner is still working, life goes on. If the breadwinner loses his job – the whole family loses their insurance. Or they can pay COBRA at TWICE the price they were paying through their employer ( remember – no money coming in now either). Or if the breadwinner is the family member who gets sick and can’t work, how long does the employer continue to pay the insurance cost? THey lose their insurance and their house eventually, and with a pre-existing condition he can’t even get coverage again on his own. I saw a documentary about health care and one case involved a working man who was in danger of losing his foot. The doctor said he could save the foot if the man stayed off his feet for three months. The dilemma: if he stays off work for three months he loses his insurance. The man actually chose to have his foot amputated instead, so that he could return to work sooner with a prosthetic foot and keep his job and insurance. Employer-based care has lots of drawbacks – some noted above. Also, it is a disincentive to job creation because every position created is very expensive ( hence, so many part-time jobs with no benefits these days – and I would do the same thing as an employer). We need sensible reform, not NO reform. Right nhow all I hear from the right is “no reform”….can’t we have rational discussion and make big improvements in the US or are we going to throw all reform away because we’re afraid an illegal, or a lazy-butt is going to get something for nothing? Can we please hear better proposals instead of just damning the present one? Offering a better proposal is the right way – shouting down opponents is shameful and counter-productive.

“I’m so glad Obama is finally taking on the Health Care problem we face in this country. One’s health care shouldn’t be dictated by whether you have a job or not, or whether you can afford insurance. This is a basic right for any civilized society. What people need to realize is that their health care is already being regulated by the insurance agencies. It is more fair to have it be regulated by tax status.”
POSTED BY PATSY
Hey Patsy:
I also have the right to bear arms (an express right, not implied). Does this mean that if I cannot afford a gun, the govt must provide it for me? NO!
When you purchase from an insurance company, YOU are able to choose what type of coverage YOU want. When the govt takes over healthcare, THEY will determine what type of coverage is best for everyone. Can’t you see the difference? And doesn’t that difference matter to you? It should. It’s that silly little thing called LIBERTY that our founders fought and died for.

Hey ABC you guys are unreal.
You have an outcry from american’s and you still continue with your BS propoganda for the “great one”, take you heads out of the sand. We wont stand by any more while you lie to us about how happy people are with Obama healthcare when your obviously wrong.
Enjoy your bankruptcy.

THANKS OBAMA FOR WAKING UP A SLEEPING GIANT!!!

Americans seems to be stupid or something.All first world countries have goverment run healthcare so why fight against a good thing. If you like the health care you have stick with it but don’t fight against heath care. The poor people are in need of this if you don’t.
People are leaving your country going to India for medical treatment, so your health system is not as good as you are making out to be.
The poor people of the country needs this.

I live in Ohio where there are a lot of Amish. They must be getting a good laugh over this health care debate. As a people, they are self sufficient. A while back they even lobbied congress (successfully) to be exempt from Social Security. THEY MUST THINK US FOOLS. LAST OF THE REALLY TRUE AMERICANS. THEY SURELY UNDERSTAND…. “THE BIGGER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GETS – THE SMALLER THE INDIVIDUAL BECOMES.” Spot on and historically correct.

Meanwhile, Americans spend far more by any measure for health care that is barely “second world.” People are already dying here because of our absurd, wasteful system. Nobody else in the world is talking about changing TO our system. How stupid are we?

My wife and I went to our representatives town hall meeting. No bus, no group, just disgusted with the expanding role of government. The reason Democrats are being hammered at townhalls is because citizens do not believe their representatives are listening or even care. Hey, I don’t trust politicians who try to rush legislation through before the general public can read the details. Credibility is a tough thing to recover. And our President and select Democrats in Congress have lost theirs.

dbc – SPOT ON!! THE REASON WHY OBAMA WANT’S HIS LEGISLATION RUSHED THROUGH QUICKLY IS….. THAT NO ONE WILL HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO PICK IT APART. DUH!!!

INTERESTING THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE LEFT HAVE BECOME SO PROFICIENT IN CALLING THOSE WHO DISAGREE…. LIERS. EVEN MORE INTERESTING THAT THEY ARE COMPLETELY IGNORANT OF ACTUALLY USING DEDUCTIVE OR INDUCTIVE ANALYSIS TO PROVE THEIR POINTS. CONSIDERING THAT MANY OF THESE LIBS ARE COLLEGE GRADUATES – DOESN’T SAY MUCH FOR THEIR EDUCATION.

To Veronica: If you want government-run health care, I appreciate that. I really don’t, but that’s honest disagreement. But please give up the talking point “if you like your private insurance plan, you can still keep it”, because we all know the government will force out all competition, because they can subsidize losses by raising taxes, printing more money, etc. It will be an uneven playing field, and we will have a single-payer system within a few years, which is what Obama wants.

having health care insurance and having access to health care are not the same thing and by law no one who enters a hospital can be refused treatment. Paying for it is another thing and that is the issue, affordability.
If you want to lower the price you have to lower the cost. So how do we lower the cost? When you address those issues you will start to make some real changes. Right know about 50% of healthcare is paid for by private insurance providers and public (Government/Taxpayer) providers. Private providers cover 3 people per $ 1 and government cover 1. Also, these are the same people that run the V.A., cannot run a profitable restaurant in the capital mall, and have so much faith in the Social Security Trust Fund that they run that they have their own separate Benefit Program. Which they guarantee with our money. Lastly, what government program ever cost 3 times less than originally estimated?

Great Reporting Jake.

Protesters at these health care reforms are hippies from the 60s. Remember “protest the war”, love fests, hate the military. Well these are the same people from the 60s at these town hall meetings who are screaming, hitting, pushing, threatening. We had to put up with their drug use in the 60s and now we have to put up with them now with their hatred tactics. God help us!

Manitu
You people are belittling America to the world. You are saying one of the best country in the world do not know how to run a health care system without corruption.
Then how the hell can you tell other how to run their country. When a health sytem you cannot run. You better ask Denmark.
Stop belittling your country to the world.
Looking on the TV I can’t believe I am looking on Americans.
You know what you look like. HOOLIGANS!!!

Alyson
The source was a Townhall meeting on July 26, 2009, East Room with ABC NEWS. You can find the full video with simple research.
Yes, I know about the transplant lists and how they work. I don’t want to keep the list in the hands of medical professionals in lieu of washington crooks.

—Congress says their goal is to cover the uninsured.
—So why do they have to mess with those of us who ARE insured? Calculate the cost of insuring the truly needy, tell us how much it is, then we can debate it.
—Congress says I won’t lose my private insurance.
—So why do they have to mess with it? Leave it alone.
—Congress says this will be deficit neutral.
—I don’t believe them…nor does CBO. And why would anyone believe the version they pass is the final program? They tinker and tamper with it until it grows like Topsy and bankrupts the country.
—Congress is cutting $400 billion out of Medicare.
—Does anyone TRULY believe they won’t restore those cuts b/4 next years’ election?
I don’t believe any of those things.

“Euthanasia — helpful in terminally ill patients who need dignified deaths to cross over peacefull, not from thrashing caused by cancer pain and labored breathing from lung and heart disease in their last hours of life. Completely merciless deaths. If you haven’t watched anyone die in these two examples, then you wouldn’t understand the reasons for euthanasia in these types of patients.”
Elle, pardon me, but that’s crap. Morphine is administered for cancer pain in terminally ill patients. There is absolutely no reason for cancer patients to suffer pain today. Unless, of course, Obamacare proposes to ration that as well.

Wrong MississippiMom == That was Governor Dean who stated that small businesses would benefit from this reform — so don’t give credit where credit isn’t due. Call up David on Meet The Press and George on his show and they will correct your statement. Again, Governor Dean is the one who stated this morning that small businesses would benefit, not Gingrich. Gingrich could care less about small businesses.

toby hill — That is only for health care. If you add dental, eye, and hearing, it goes up, then family is less.

“In 1934, Roosevelt faced massive reluctance to imposing Social Security”
And they were right – it is the biggest ponzi scheme in the world.

Elle said “Protesters at these health care reforms are hippies from the 60s”
What a stereotypical thing to say – and so untrue. If a town hall meeting was held near me when I could go, I would be there protesting – and I was but a mere slip of a girl in the 60′s. (And your statement doesn’t really make any sense since hippies tended to be Democrats).

Elle,
So now taxpayers are supposed to pay for the deadbeat’s Dental and Vision?

Veronica said “All first world countries have goverment run healthcare” And if all first world countries told their citizens to jump off a bridge, should we do that too?

The democrats would be smart to please those who put them back in office and in control. It’s highly unlikely that many of those protesting health care reform voted democrat. Vote public health care straight up or down. Then the voters have a choice to make.

To those who say health care is a “right,” please remember that it is one thing to say, “health care access must be open to all,” and quite another to say “health care must be free for all!”
Certainly there should never be discrimination based on creed, color, gender, race or ethnicity: but a right to equal access to healthcare does not mean “without paying anything for it.”
To those how say free health care is a right, ask yourself how that could even be possible?
Should doctors work for free, or nurses or radiologists, or ambulance drivers or orderlies, or any of the other dozens of professions in health care? Of course not, you say. They would be paid.
But… by who? And… how? Somehow, you say. By taxing the work of yet others.
But…
If you believe that you have a right to their labor and mind (health care)… don’t you then necessarily believe that even if there was no money to pay them, you should still have a “right” to the health care workers’ labor and mind?
That is, assume that we had an enormous deficit of some kind, that the government was spending more of its treasury than was coming in from taxpayers and job creators (hard to imagine, but try).
Now, the idea of free health care as a right, necessitates that out of that debt, out of that zero, out of that red ink, we still MUST pay all of the aforementioned people in order to provide everyone who asks free healthcare– unless you intend to press those workers into service without compensation (or, reduced compensation)?
How long could that last? What happens when the ability to borrow and pay for entitlements is lost?
After all, if free health care is a right, what right would anyone have to withhold it? Would he have a right to demand compensation, if you have the right to demand service without making restitution? “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need,” you seem to be saying. “He knows how to operate on her tumor, she needs his knowledge: let’s take it. He must give it.”
Since you have no right to demand the healthcare industry’s free labor and mind, any more than you can force bulders to provide free housing, or farmers to provide free groceries…
Health care is not a right, cannot be a right, will never be a right.
Anyone who says “Healthcare is a right” is saying that the labor and mind of another does not belong to that person, but to anyone who lays claim on it.

Nice comment jeanneb!!! I agree completely. Universal Health care is never a good idea. I hope we can keep this loony plan from becoming a reality. The plan Obama suggests will be costly in every sense of the word. It will cost money, lives, and a lot of time. I hope congress can keep Obama from ruining the best healthcare system in the world.

Politicians should be paying attention to the trends. republicans are being thrown out of office. The tea party attendance has been less than 1% of the population available within a ten mile radius of the event. Most of those at the town hall meetings probably voted republican. democrats should realize the real tea party began more than 4 years ago.

ellsbells930 — I don’t know where you are from but the hippies in the area I was from were “Republican” misfits from wealthy families. You know, like GWB.

toby hill — No I just made the claim that if you have individual health care as you stated, then the cost is usually low since no other care has been added. When you start adding dental and vision, then the premium costs start going up, and up and up. Therefore, in the proposal, there will be cafeteria style choices to include or not include dental, eye, and ear.

The drug industry has authorized its lobbyists to spend as much as $150 million on television commercials supporting President Obama’s health care overhaul, beginning over the August Congressional recess, people briefed on the plans said Saturday.

Obama’s health care program will strip Medicare and Medicaid. Elderly Americans paid into the Medicare program. Obama is going to take it away. Now he says we can’t even complain about it. There will be an election in 2010 and another in 2012. Democrats should remember that before blindly supporting the party line instead of listening to the voters. Funny thing about old folks, we vote.

Oonogil
Congress has lost their way. Instead they have chosen to employ the billiant strategy of insulting their constituants. There is a reason the poeple are dressed well at the meetings. They have gone too far, they have spent too much money and they are infriging upon our basic rights to be left alone. No one likes insurance companies, but compared to congress it is like dealing with saints.

The Democrats are liars plain and simple. There is no republican organization, only americans who don’t want the government involved in our lives period. The economy is bad??? Then why are they spending $500 Million on jets when they scold the private industry for flying in jets??? When congress has and uses the same health care as the average american then I’ll listen, but these self rightious rulers need to be sent home for good on election day.

Elle said “Republican physicians don’t like Medicare or Medicaid payouts.” It isn’t just Republican physicians that don’t like Medicare & Medicaid. It’s because Medicare & Medicaid reimbursement does not cover the cost to treat the patients.

LOL!!!
Kat, my kids’ pediatrician doesn’t accept Medicaid and he’s the biggest Democrat I know!!!

Congressmen – the ONLY group that could make the insurance industry look good in comparison!!

conversefive — Depends where you live, and yes, he is a physician who understands he can’t make a living having to pay for overhead to do the additional paperwork, regardless if Republican or Democrat.

Rob Do you want your next meal from a soup line? Read about the after effects of October 1929. It was two to ten years later before anyone started seeing any relief from the Great Depression. It was terrible. Have you ever talked to the great generation who were affected by this horrible financial disease, yes disease. Times were extremely hard, and if President Obama hadn’t taken the measures he has taken, you would be eating out of your hands since there wouldn’t be any soup ladels to eat from. So, please, go talk to a great generation citizen who really experienced extreme hardship. It was hard and back breaking for those citizens. And only 10% of the stimulus has been issued into the economy. If he had given all of the stimulus, the money would have already been spent, and most Republicans are very upset since they aren’t getting their ROI as they would have from McCain/Palin who would have only compensated the rich and richer. No sympathy here.

It sure is interesting that these political hacks who want government-controlled healthcare, have no plans on being part of the system….they have their own…..just like they don’t participate in the social security system that John Q. Public is a part of….politicians on both sides of the aisle are disgusting crooks…..

Flash Override
Basic economics! 1.3 Trillion defict now. Best case 1 Trillion for healthcare. In the last three months the interest the Treasury has to pay for bonds has doubled. Tax revenues are down and 1/2 of our country pay no income taxes, they are merely tax takers. If the Chinese stop buying our debt it will go up even more, value of the dollar will fall. We will return to the days of high inflation and high interest rates to boot. This country has great wealth, but it also has great liabilities and obligations. Our children and grandchildren are going to have to pay for Cash for Clunkers and all of the other stupid programs.
81% of americans feel that they have good or excellent healthcare. 15% of americans are uninsured. Address that 15%, but this plan throws the baby out with the bath water.

ubu1991 — I do let him know what I am thinking, and I write to whitehouse.gov when I need to express my points of view. I don’t mind my email being in the “vault”.

“Why won’t our Congressmen and women listen to all the people anymore?”….. I just spent a few years with them doing all sorts of things I didn’t agree with. They are listening. Many people do want this.

“It’s because Medicare & Medicaid reimbursement does not cover the cost to treat the patients.” – Medicare and Medicaid have different reimbursement rates. Medicare reimburses at a much higher rate than Medicaid. Medicaid is a federal/state partnership while Medicare is primarily a federal program. Medicare is much more popular among providers. Kind of gives you an inkling of why we need national reform doesnt it?

“What we need is jobs” – If we add 46 million Americans to the ranks of the insured it will create demand for PAs, RNs, LPNs, CNAs, Techs and other support personnel. Another words: jobs. A good reason to have reform.

Reform yes…complete take over of healthcare by the govt…no. Those of you just loving this plan can sleep with it…personally, I don’t think it is the right plan for this nation. Case in point…policitians won’t use it as their personal health coverage. Something stinks I say.

“Reform yes…complete take over of healthcare by the govt…no” – Sounds like you agree to the Democratic plan. The Republican plan is: “Real reform no…complete cave in to the private insurers…yes.”

If we add 46 million Americans to the ranks of the insured it will create demand for PAs, RNs, LPNs, CNAs, Techs and other support personnel. Another words: jobs. A good reason to have reform.
—————————————-
IMiss the little detail, there is a great demand for those and not enough of them. 46 million will add to longer waiting periods and increased charges.Let’s build from the bottom before we engage on for a fail for sure enterprise.

“Miss the little detail, there is a great demand for those and not enough of them. 46 million will add to longer waiting periods and increased charges.” – Good point, but remember that the reform is not expected to be fully implemented until 2013. Plenty of time to train PAs, RNs, LPNs, CNAs, Techs and other medical personnel. The schools that teach outdated job market skills can adapt. The vocational and tech schools keep track of changing job market trends. So, yes, 46 million Americans can get healthcare and it will plenty of good paying, stable jobs in the process.

“Most of you are too young and easy to persude” – I was in the job market in the 1970s and although I have never been a union member I know that those autoworkers you mentioned were done in by Reagan and other “free traders” who sold America out to the Japanese and the Chinese. Now the same right wingers want to prevent America from having meaningful health reform when the health industry soaks up 17% of the GDP. When will they ever be satisfied – when America is no more?

Whoa! Looks like I am monopolizing the comment section. My apologies. Guess I should take a break. Take care.

“A recent Harvard study indicated that 68% of all personnel bankruptcies are health-cost related.”
Recent? That study is four years old! And it’s biased.
At least one of the writers had an agenda. Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, a Cambridge Hospital internist and associate professor of medicine at Harvard, makes it clear that she does indeed have an agenda — health-care coverage that is universal and comprehensive. “Covering the uninsured isn’t enough. We must also upgrade and guarantee continuous coverage for those who have insurance,” she said in a statement. She went on to condemn employers and politicians who advocate what she called “stripped-down plans, so riddled with co-payments, deductibles and exclusions that serious illness leads straight to bankruptcy.”
Other studies since the 2005 have shown that medical bankruptcies make up somewhere between 12% and 17% of all bankruptcies. Most bankruptcies during this current recession are due to excessive credit card debt, mortgages too large for income, and job losses.

Some interesting points of view. However, we must learn to seperate the healthcare industry into its true respective parts; health care insurance and haelth care delivery. Insurance is the general topic in Congress which erroneously allows it to overflow into the delivery side in the most uninformed manner.
There is a method by which all the current “problems” can be resolved:
1. Each of us must take the basic responsibility for our health. You must not turn responsibility over to Doctors or insurers. 2. The delivery system must change its focus from acute care to chronic care. Our new Genome knowledge will help in this changeover. Also, annual multiphasic exams must be made mandatory; these exams will be conducted in a special diagnostics center which will also support local trauma emergencies. 3. Put an end to the “gatekeeper” concept for traffic control of patients entering the delivery system. The current sytem, with primary care performing gatekeeping, has a disappointing low accuracy for initial disgnosis- just 20%. Use the fast diagnostics center as the gatekeeper and realize a nearly 95% accuracy in diagnostics, AND a more accurate referral to specialists. 4. Medical billing must reflect actual incurred costs in the medical office and other delivery facilities.
This is sytems engineering poking its noce, once again,into the health care industry. But, you must realize that this is the ONLY way we can ever bring about cost effective changes WITHOUT compromising the quality of applied medical science- and art.
Eric

The Democrats ARE liars, plain and simple. Bill said it first at 11:14:02 p.m. He’s right.
And Obama has exhibited and is continuing to exhibit despotic intentions.
He’s basically intent on destroying our freedoms and completely running our lives.
He hasn’t done a single thing right since he took office.
He is the biggest disaster this country has ever seen. He is a threat to the living, the unborn, and to the world.
But he’s really not all that bright, and he will step in it regularly. One day he will do or say something that puts people in a new place of clarity about who he really is and what he wants for America.
That will be a great day, indeed.
People are already really waking up in droves now. It’s amazing. More of us are against him now than for him.
People believed his nonsense and are now kicking themselves for their gullibility.
Some of saw right through him after hearing him speak for less than 5 minutes. Charlatans are really rather easy to spot if you’ve lived a little.

“The Democrats ARE liars, plain and simple.” – I am not a Democrat and I do not subscribe to all their policies, but I do believe that the world is not as simple as you make it sound. There is good and bad in everyone.

I respectfully disagree with your perception of the emails.
What are Democrat supposed to do? Nothing? The protestors are part of a lobbyist group to disrupt the meetings. That’s a verifiable fact.
If we are to take back the first amendment, then we have to counter this mob of shouting and disruption by doing our part. Most don’t have any idea when or where these meetings are taking place, as media has long ago abdicated its role to inform the public of events vital to the Democratic process.
I appreciate that emails are being sent to Democrats. My only hope is that they take responsiblity and actively participate. Just show up. We can speak loudly by having the numbers. Nothing more is needed.

The reason that conservatives use the National Socialism lingo to describe Barry Schickelgurber’s Amatuer hour is because it is accurate! The “report your neighbor as an enemy of the state” program has it’s roots in the Hitler Jugend. His SEIU Black Shirted thugs, beating up American Citizens who disagree with them, act a lot like Hitler’s Brown Shirts. I look forward to Barry adding a sign over the gate to the WH. “Arbeit Macht Frei.” Work (for the State) will set you free.
Wake up, America. “He who can not remember the past, is doomed to repeat it!”

Not according to the most recent Gallup poll. As of 8/9/2009, Obama’s job approval rating was at 55% and disapproval was at 38%.
—————————————-
Wrong ! Last week pol droped to 50%. Heck ! Bush numbers were higher on the same time period ! but wait Pelosi the puppeteer is at a 24% approval.Ohh wait ! Same Congress that butchered the auto executives for having company jets now want to buy 8 so they can travel around the country “in class” . Hyprocasy at it’s best/ Liars, liars..

Jake, and anyone else who wants to know the full story on how ObamaCare manages to “rally” so-called supporters, try going to Craig’s List and entering these words in the search blocks for a big city in America (I saw the results for Sacramento, CA, and was amazed):
Obama healthcare reform
Gee, bet all those PAID “supporters” and union folks can sure give a heck of a “rally” for the bucks!
Pretty nice of all us Americans who do pay taxes (are you listening, Timmy?) to actually go to work and pay taxes that swell their war chests with millions and millions of stimulus dollars shoveled by demwit politicians out to “community organizer” outfits so they can HIRE supporters to rally for those same politicians’ BS reforms.
Full disclosure: The organization I belong to — a coin club — hasn’t paid me a single dime (no pun intended) for me to attend Tea Parties, calling my representatives, sending emails and letters, and various other “nefarious” activities — like reading the bill and telling friends all about it — all to defeat that monstrosity masquerading as health care reform or health insurance reform or whatever their calling it now.
In fact, my coin club doesn’t even have any idea that I’m apparently one of those “un-American” types condemned by Nancy “I’m Not Lying” Pelosi and the rest of her thugs and goons in the ObamaCare Gangster Ring.
But I’d sure welcome any contribution that Obama’s “rally” organization would provide to help defray my expenses for traveling clear across the country to attend the Tea Party March and Rally in D.C. on 9-12-2009. Hope to see ya’ll there with great “un-American” American flags and expensive handmade posters!
Euthanize ObamaCare.
Enact REAL health reform — for people.
And God Bless America and Americans!!!

Eric Olsen said “Also, annual multiphasic exams must be made mandatory;”
Right there is the problem. It is my body, my health… NO ONE has the right to force me to see a physician. What are they going to do if you refuse to go? Assault you? Because examining your body without your permission is assault.

skylights said “If they believed in reasoned debate, they wouldn’t be sending their supporters to scream ”
Well, perhaps if our representatives would actually respond to concerns people wouldn’t feel the need to scream. I have contacted my representatives repeatedly saying how I don’t approve of what they are doing & giving suggestions to make it better – and all I get back is a form letter thanking me for my support on their view.

tanarg wrote: “More of us are against him now than for him.”
I replied: “Not according to the most recent Gallup poll. As of 8/9/2009, Obama’s job approval rating was at 55% and disapproval was at 38%”
Now Frank writes: “Wrong ! Last week pol droped to 50%.”
I am NOT wrong. Go to the Gallup web site. The numbers are right there at the top of the page. 55% approval, 38% disapproval as of yesterday, August 9th, 2009.
And you’re wrong about last week’s Gallup poll too! As of 8/3/09 his approval rating was at 56%. Again, go to the Gallup web site and open your eyes!

ObamaCare is going to be financed with the lives of Americans by “bending the curve” of their health care expenses with rationing.
Obama’s trillions in spending already in the first half of his first year as president are going to come due in real dollars. Greatly devalued, too, once inflation hits to make all that “stuff” you and our government buys (medical expenses ring a bell) a whole lot more expensive. And we’re not talking about monopoly money unless you consider the play dough the Fed issues in trillions.
Of course, Obama has no problem with spending on a huge scale at the expense of Americans — as he demonstrated in his US Senator career (2 years) when he introduced a more than 3/4 trillion dollar bill (legislation, not currency, although inflation will probably have all us carrying trillion dollar bills around in our pocket before its over).
What was it that Obama wanted Americans to go into debt for more than 3/4 trillion dollars? Why, just zip that cash off to the United Nations to add to the amounts we already give that outfit to alleviate poverty in the rest of the world. Here’s one reaction and Obama’s response at the time:
“This is disgusting, sickening and angers me to the depths of my soul,” the forum author wrote. “Obama wants us to support the world. I wonder how they intend to eliminate poverty. Most of the money always winds up in some dictator hands and in the U.N. coffers.”
“WND calls to Obama’s office, as well as the offices of others who supported the plan, were not successful in obtaining a comment.”
Read the whole sorry story at the link which follows below this excerpt:
“One forum contributor said since the legislation doesn’t specifically demand ‘taxes,’ but instead leaves the mandatory ‘implementation’ up to the president, ‘maybe the tooth fairy will leave [this new money] under the president’s pillow.’
“Kincaid reported several more budget-minded senators have put a hold on the legislation ‘in order to prevent it from being rushed to the floor for a full Senate vote.’
” ‘The legislation requires the president to do whatever is required to fulfill a strategy that would result in ‘the elimination of extreme global poverty and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people worldwide … who live on less than $1 per day.’
“It further requires the president not only to accomplish that goal but, ‘not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this act,’ to submit a report on ‘the contributions provided by the United States’ toward poverty reduction.”
http://tiny.cc/08Jw3
Obama is still all about rushing and spending, rushing and spending, rushing and spending — every last bit of this country’s future — never minding the effect on American lives or how all his spending is going to be financed when the piper comes calling.
Stimulus ring a bell? Or Cap & Tax?
What’s a trillion here and a trillion there when you’re trying to save the world? Of course, all that spending is going to have require his ObamaCare to really bend medical care big time since we won’t be able to afford all that care and treatment. Ration health care fto Americans, especially old folks and other Americans who are not worth keeping around, so that Obama can spend more and more and more.
After all, something just has to give, and you better know what it will be before Obama locks you into it forever.
Education reform next? And how’s that stimulus going, anyway?
Say, buddy, got a quarter to spare?

Speaking of partisan mobs, there are TONS of ads for pro-Obamacare ASTROTURFERS on Craigslist. And they’re offering to pay them $90 a day. Look for yourself.
Hey Jake, why isn’t ABC News reporting that? Isn’t that news?

Sayed the first thing you should know is healthcare is not a RIGHT and if you get sick there are community doctors and hospitals. You and your family should NEVER sit back and expect someone else to do for you what you cannot do for yourself. That is NOT the American way it was NOT how America was built. This insanity of DESTROYING the healthcare of 83 percent of Americans who are happy with their care for 17 percent (read minority) who either won’t pay for it, are in between jobs or are ILLEGAL is beyond the pale!

People…calm down. You are being scared by insurance companies and lobbyists who do not want to lose control. They are a business. Health care will not be run by the government only funded by the government. No one wants to terminate a family member, and Sarah Palin..you are attacking the only president who passed a health care plan expressly for children like your and others who have major health problems. Interesting is the fact that you are the only one who brings up your family in your speeches and parading them for the world to see. Most politicians like to keep their families out of the limelight. You can’t expose them to the press and public and expect no one to comment. We are all happy Trig is here and doing well and no one wants to terminate him.

As for the tea parties. If you really want to learn something, you will sit, ask questions and listen. Nothing can be accomplished by shouting and screaming. Many of these people are only interested in breaking up the meetings and condemning our president. They are listening to the likes of Limbaugh & Hannity (college drop outs) and Beck (no college).If you want to understand what is in the bill, you need to listen, ask questions and make up your own minds. There is no termination panel and Stephanopolous tried to tell Gingrich this and he won’t admit there is none but says people are afraid. Yes, fear from the lies is what is causing these problems. I don’t care if you like Obama or not….you need to listen and find out what is actually being proposed. Do not listen to lobbyists and insurance companies..they are a business.

Is anything real anymore? Fake grassroots bs to counter supposed fake grassroots bs?

For the love of God- get off the bus to La La land and look at reality. These politicians, who want to run healthcare, have not just passed budgets and bailout legislation that have meteorically increased the national debt in perpetuity, but (ignoring their own sage counsel to bailout execs) ordered EIGHT jets at taxpayer expense for their personal use!!! Priceless! Does hypocrisy have any better representatives than Pelosi and Hoyer? Do you really want these hypocrites and “truth-challenged” cretins having anything to do with YOUR HEALTH??? Right now, I would choose to have any health insurance exec overseeing my medical care instead of the circus of buffoons that populate the halls of Congress.

Remember – public discourse and political dissent are the MOST American of activities and protected by the First Amendment. So is the right to peaceably assemble and to petition the government for redress of grievances. Large crowds are not a “mob”. It means this is an issue of great concern to many Americans. Congress and the President have a duty and responsibility to listen to views they don’t agree with AND to do what their constituents want. They’re our REPRESENTATIVES, not our lords & masters!

This is a statement from the spokesman for the Oregon Dept. of Health Insurance plan and I can see a spokesman for the US National Health Insurance plan making a similar statement a few years down the road.
“We can’t cover everything for everyone,” Dr. Walter Shaffer, a spokesman for the state Division of Medical Assistance Programs, told the paper. “Taxpayer dollars are limited for publicly funded programs. We try to come up with policies that provide the most good for the most people.”

This is my first time to blog anywhere. I believe that I, among others, am one of the old silent majority. A topic, Heath Care Reform, has been proposed that is bringing the silent majority out of their houses and into the open public. Many of us have never voiced our opinions in public forums. While I agree that raised voices are not the normal method of debating an issue, I feel that my elected officials do not want a debate over the issue of Health Care Reform. Health Care Reform is obviously not an isolated issue that can stand on its own but must be coupled with the issue of costs. Both Democrats as well as Republicans have tried to introduce Health Care Reform in the past and found it to be a difficult task to undertake. Personally, I do not believe it is proper to send any legislation to be signed by the President of the United States when it does not support the majority of the voting population. Many of these town hall meetings are truly used a political issuance of the representative’s point. Nothing appears to be taken from the meetings back to capital hill.
Here are the points that I need answered. Show me how this new system of Nationalized Health Care will keep 100% of our population healthier than any of those currently being administered in other countries? Since this new system of Nationalized Health Care is the best in the world, why is it not applicable to ALL of our elected officials? If my elected officials do not want this great new shiny Nationalized Health Care program for themselves and their families then why should I? Where is the money going to come from to support this enormous endeavor?

There is really only one thing to say when confronted by such blatant hypocrisy…….HILARIOUS!!!

“2009 was the first time I ever attended a protest and how dare you 1960′s druggies tell me I don’t have the right as a 74 year old native born white woman.”
Let me guess, a Medicare recipient that wants the government to keep their hands off.

“2009 was the first time I ever attended a protest and how dare you 1960′s druggies tell me I don’t have the right as a 74 year old native born white woman.”
Let me guess, a Medicare recipient that wants the government to keep their hands off.
Posted by: Ryan C
LOL…NOW who is jumping to conclusions & profiling….
Typical Liberal:
Do As I SAY, Not as I do!

Obama is at a summit of U.S., Canadian, and Mexican leaders, and states that the “immigration problem” has to wait until after the healthcare problem is tackled. Why is that? Does he not want to public to find out that the supposed “47 million uninsured” figure is fraudulent. If you remove the estimated 20-25 million illegal aliens, (rather than stealing from Granny’s coverage to pay for them), then the problem is cut in half. Factor in those who are in transition between jobs, and only temporarily without coverage (5-10 million), and those young healthy people who do not choose to have coverage because they view the cost as outweighing the benefits, (another 10 million), and all of a sudden this problem is far easier to solve.
Focus any “solution” on providing temporary assistance with PRIVATE healthcare insurance to those who truly need it. Cut the illegal aliens from the system. Give incentives (and penalties) to the young and healthy so they will at least buy catostrophic coverage in case of serious injury, etc. Get rid of the “PUBLIC OPTION” that is nothing but a taxpayer funded Trojan Horse designed to undermine quality coverage that MOST Americans already have. The biggest problem with the cost of healthcare today is the government, with their unfunded mandates that coverage must be provided, but whose own reimbursements are so cheap (and riddled with fraud) that they drive costs up for everyone else.
My son was born in Gainesville, GA in 1999. He spent 6 weeks in neo-natal ICU, and his bill was over $180,000. At any given time during his stay there, there were at least half dozen children of illegal aliens that received the same care as he did, but without any hope that the hospital would get paid. (My wife and I had Blue Cross – which covered all his expenses).

KJo Like Pres. Obama said, if you voted for the other party in 2000 and 2004 we don’t wan’t to hear from you

Thanks, Jake, for taking seriously news items most of the MSM brush under the rug. (Although I see Howard Kurtz actually held Linda Douglass’ feet to the fire yesterday.)

No Healthcare Reform that includes a
Public Option!
Posted by: reaganfan
yeah baby, bring em’ all to the new FEMA detention camps for processing and re-education…. heard that one from Bachmann & Rush… must be true
Posted by: {0|0} | Aug 10, 2009 4:40:55 PM
=======================================
Seriously, the whole Rush comments are old and played out. Maybe we should ddo like Chris Matthews says or Keith Olberman…….wait, everytime I hear Obama speak i better get a tingly up my leg or seek treatment because I do not think he is awesome……LOL
The lefts have their nut bags too….IE PELOSI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The money will come partly from not having to pay for people who come to the emergency room for treatment with no coverage. It will come from updating patients records so doctors can see at a moment’s notice what had been treated before and it will make the insurance companies be more competitive. They made 12 million dollars last year. Also, I am seeing in my mailbox offers from many health care carriers offering me lots of things to sign up with them. Actually, if you look at this, Obama’s plan is starting to work. Insurance companies are getting competitive and offering wonderful things to sign with them. Imagine how much more competitive they will be with health care reform which will not be run by the government just subsidized.

I think this new feature on ABC News Truth Check, I think its called, is a great idea! However, since we can’t trust the media anymore than we can trust our government, what’s the point?

“So, if I stop by my local Congressional office to express my opposition to the health care “reform” proposals wending their way through Congress, will I have the option of a “quick conversation with the local staff, tell(ing) [my] personal story?” Or is that a courtesy extended only to supporters? ”
Posted by KJo
I dunno, KJo. I can’t even get mine to respond to an email inquiry as to whether or not my Representative plans to hold any town hall meetings. Maybe he’s having them in an undisclosed location.

“The only “mob” involved in this debate
is the Chicago Mob of President Obama!
The president and his operatives
Rahm Emanuel, David Axelrod,
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid better
get this straight!
You will not silence us with your
dictatorial tactics and there will be
No Healthcare Reform that includes a
Public Option!”
————————
America’s healthcare is ranked 37th (behind Morocco)in the world according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Only someone completely frightened by change of any kind would allow himself to be clouded on the need for real healthcare reform. Dictatorial tactics? This president was overwhelmingly elected by the American people who were mortified by the ignorance and corruption of years of GOP rule. Just because McCain/Palin lost and your loud ilk didn’t get their petulant way in November…this doesn’t mean there is something nefarious going on here, genius. Just think how often you’ve been wrong over the past nine years (the wars, two terms of Bush, climate change) and realize this: as usual, you’re wrong again. Maybe you just weren’t made for these times, Mr. GOP dinosaur. Lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way, whiners.

Liberals listen up…
Remember, the power in this country constantly flips from one side to the other. Do you really want to give the current government a ton of power, knowing that the conservatives will just inherit that huge power the next time they take office?!?… Think about it!!!
Limiting government power and allowing the citizens to make their own choices is the only way to keep your freedom!

No heath care with a public option? what is medicad? Are you denied that “public option”? Look at all the plans you can choose from, they are falling all over themselves to get your business. Sr.s probably have the highest occuring health costs, yet our family of 4 are charged $2500 a month that covers no meds or pre-existing conditions. A high price for some well controlled asthma. Pills are another $1000 a month and when the deductible sets in they spend more money trying to disallow everthing. If you take your car to a body shop are you charged 200 times more than the insurance company? Why not? They are not allowed to get away with it, if they were they would have billions to spread lies about how it will hurt us to be treated the same as you with the public option get now!

WE’ve got Medicare. let’s clean that up and stay with it. I’m happy with that. We’ve got people that are suppose to be taking care of that – let them earn their money – Medicare needs to limit Drs. Drs will chg what Medicare will pay. I recently went to a Dr. He didn’t know what to say about my problem. Referred me to another Dr. He would only address one thing at a time – after 3 min. he said, watch it and wouldn’t answer my question about another thing. Said, make an appointment. They both charged 175.00 for the office visit. I went away not knowing anything except to watch the spot on my chest and make another appt for the other thing. What’s with that? And pills – I won’t take pills – I’m not sure we need all those pills.

Linda – you speak of the fatcats in Washington. We need to limit how many times these guys can go to Washington. Like the president – 2 terms? and how about Social Security – they say we are running out of money there – I bet their security isn’t running out. Why do they have a different one than ours – they need to be on our Social Security too…while we’re at it if they push through the healthcare – they need to be on that one too. We’ll see what happens to Kennedy and Dodd. Do we forget that they work for us?

Is the Obama administration consulting with those people who designed and run the most successful health systems? France and Germany come to mind. I was there for a year, paid $9 for health insurance, and in that time saw three doctors the same day or week I called them. And in Holland, I was laid up in bed with a pre-existing problem and my friend was able to get antibiotics for me from a doctor who kept a pharmacy in his office. The pills cost me $3.50.
Where are the people who run those health systems? They should be at the head of the Obama decision table.

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Sara