Sen. Jay Rockefeller Dumps on Baucus’ Bill and No Snowe Yet

The bill is gutless without a public option and not worth the paper it will be written on.

Haha, The joker-in-chief can’t even get his own party to agree.

Public option is jargon for government takeover–government sets the rules and subsidizes the public option, then employers make the decision to stop paying for healthcare, forcing people to use the public option. All the garbage about keeping the plan you want misses this central point: your employer can drop coverage.
Plus, can you name a single govt. program that is solvent and run well and that you would choose over the private equivalent?

Right Wing Hate Machine. Wow! Nothing like being told what to say, huh? Give it up for individualism!
Come on, guys. You have all three branches, can’t you get rid of those stupid conservatives who listen to their constituents and fill the void with folks that knows what’s best for all of us?

Hey, “No Public Option, No peace”… If opposition to your socialist cardboard president is racist, then I’m all for it.
This ain’t gonna happen, boyo

The government option will bankrupt this country. Its very telling that Obama points to Medicare as a stunning example of how WELL the government can run a program, and then later says that Medicare will be bankrupt in a few years. Anyone with a brain knows that government is the most inefficient manager. You can’t add millions of people onto the health care rolls without increasing costs and/or decreasing service (. . . you only need half a brain to get that one).

No public option, no peace, just like the KGB and SS, lets denigrate anyone who disagrees. Because you see, as Karl Marx put it and Fidel Castro has proven with the help of everyones favorite murderer (i mean revolutionary) Che, there can be no communist state as long as there is dissent. That must be why the liberal mantra of the last 8 years “dissent is patriotic” doesnt appear anywhere any more. you disagree? Read about it.

Dumb people..Baucus is a Democrat….hellooooo the Dem’s own the HOUSE & SENATE….they don’t need the Republicans! YOU DEMS ARE AFRAID TO OWN YOUR OWN CRAP HEAP! The right wing aren’t the haters……look at the Congressional Black Caucus for haters!

George,
Where is the coverage on the ACORN scandal?

SAY NO TO SOCIALISM!

Sounds like No Public Option, No Peace would rather take Medicare money away from our elderly and route it to his progressive friends so they don’t have to work & function in a capitalist economy. Well junior, you can suck the money teat of Michael Moore, oh I forgot. He uses capitalism to make money just to further his and the progressive agenda so you’re out of luck.
Too bad.

Hey ABC, When are you going to cover the latest ACORN controversy, or are you.

Yes, Jay – Jay is a racist. He is not with Obama. Byrd too.

I think we are really talking about Fascism here. The Democrats want to control EVERYTHING in your private life, and they want YOU to agree to it.
Great Take from “Forgotten Man” YOU DEMS ARE AFRAID TO OWN YOUR OWN CRAP HEAP!

“Don’t let the racist Right wing hate machine win!”
Uh… you guys control all three branches of government. What’s the problem?

The $10,000,000,000 designated fund for the union pension plan does not seem to bother and not having any details does not seem to bother the supporters. Let me give you one tiny detail… the plan does not kick in until 2013! Check it out! The next legislation that is being quietly considered is a new immigration bill that the President mentioned in an address in Mexico on August 17, 2009. That legislation will allow all illegal immigrants, currently in this nation, to become legal citizens with full rights to all government programs… and to vote!

I have three government options.
First, fix the agreed problems in the current system.
Second, if you can cut $500b in waste & fraud in Medic/Medicare, then cut it & put it in the bank.
Third, if you can prove you have taken care of the first two options, then we can talk about the new cadilac.

ACORN – where is your coverage?

I always wanted to grow up to be serf, so I say, Go public option!

What specifically does the public option entail? Who is eligible? How is it paid for? Who runs it? I have looked for answers to these questions without success. If the debate is all about the public option, shouldn’t the public option be described in gory detail?

Rockefeller is going against his constituency here (I’m one of them). Bye-bye, Jay.

“Don’t let the racist Right wing hate
machine win!”
When you can’t debate the facts, pull out the race card. Hey genius, no one’s listening any more.
I love watching this go down in flames AGAIN. Deja vu 1993. Obama’s healthcare plan is failing, Cap and Trade will fail, card check will fail – what a lefty loser. He’s becoming a laughing stock.

Mr. S:
How can you be a “devout” Democrat and report for ABC without bias? You filter the news through a Democratic slant and are an avid “spokesman” for President O and the rest of the Democrats up on Corruption Hill. Please consider stepping down and just be their “primary” spokesman and leave the truth of the news to others who have no bias. Except, where are we to go in today’s news to find that?

“Majority Leader Harry Reid has scheduled a special caucus on Thursday for Democrats to discuss the Baucus bill.” In other words, Reid calls Baucus caucus? Where’s my slap stick?

George,
Where is the coverage on ACORN and the “John Adams Project”?

Rationing is inherent in the bill. There is a panel that will determine what care you can recieve based upon national norms – not your or your doctor(s) – and there is no appeal to the courts as you have now. This means, that unless your case responds to the national norm treatment, you’re sunk.

Amazing! Some brilliant Liberal plays the race and hate cards and as the very first comment!
Is there some kind of Liberal award you folks give each other for playing as many overplayed cards as possible and as early as possible? Do you Liberals penalize each other for using real (i.e., non-manufactured) facts?

This country needs 38 state governors with guts enough to call for a constitutional convention and then come up with an amendment that will emasculate the federal government. It can be done, but who will lead? Both Democrat and Republicans governors must be willing. Are there any governors out there who put the people before the party? I can hope, but I doubt it.

Baucus morphed the “D” behind his name into an “R”. He’s on what side of the table here?? Sure is not the one his state elected him to. They sent him for a public option — not a republic option.

It’s Patriotic to dissent from Liberal Tyranny. Keep the faith folks, even the good Democrats are seeing how crazy the far Left is and where they want to take us.

I love some of these comments .. Go Jay!
Don’t let the racist Right wing hate machine win!”
Then there’s…
“The bill is gutless without a public option and not worth the paper it will be written on.”
A public option will be the death knell of American medicine. We’ll have a system with fewer and fewer doctors taking care of more and more patients which will end up in a system that is top heavy with para-professionals like nurse practitioners and physicians assistants.
But all of that is good, comrades. Just bring a book or two to read, take a number and settle in for a long wait for the next nurse practitioner to see you. And don’t complain about the higher taxes and long waits, what’s good for the state is good for somebody. Just not you

The Baucus bill is nothing but a tax bill. They tax people who cannot afford or wish to join a failed healthcare insurrance system. The tax the people that do by taxing the insurrance companies and the healthcare maufacturers and service providers who then pass along the costs to the consumer.
Only a politician could think this is healthcare reform.

Does anyone think a healthcare bill passed by Congress will be overturned by the Supreme Court as either a violation of State rights or individual rights? I don’t see anything in the Constitution regarding Congress’power to create healthcare plans.
The 10th Amendement does say:
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
Just wait. It will get overturned.

You can’t put Jay Rockamoney’s comments on the Internet. He hates when that happens! We underlings will learn tooooo much tooooo fast when the Elite can’t hide. The Internet makes things toooo transparent! We all know that Jay is for Socialized medicine he’s just pretending not to be on board.

I sure hope that when I’m having a health emergency the doctors who will ALL be members of the SEIU will not be on strike

Hey…. Stop for a minute… There should be NO government healthcare period!
It’s not in the constitution, it’s not a right. In fact, it’s contrary to the very premise of the constitution. It’s very simply over stepping the authority of the Federal Government. This is something that, if wanted, needs to be addressed at the State level.
Lastly, it does interfere with my right to “pursue” happiness. For those who do not want gov healthcare, or healthcare at all, this directly by force of unwanted services and unwanted taxation directly interferes with my pursuit of happiness and my freedom to choose.
Let me get this right… Lefties want to give every woman her right to “choose” regarding her body and abortion however every single American cannot “choose” something like whether or not to have healthcare?

ACORN health care for every man woman and child in the world!

Obama, when are you going get the guts to prove to us American voters that you yourself are even an American Citizen in the first place?!

Ha ha ha ha… no a bill that doesn’t get to the root of the problem will be meaningless… Public Option or not… Medicare is a Public Option yet IT’S costs are rising too… We lack primary care doctors, we are forced to cater to insurance and to Big Pharm (the last one thanks to the FDA and the allowance of drug companies to collect massive profits AND government subsidies). Among many other things… We don’t NEED a public option to get health care costs down… We NEED to get to root of WHY health care is so expensive and cut it off from there..

Any health care bill passed by the government is going to be one big government option. Don’t you people get it? Obama will let anything pass to get his foot in the door of healthcare and once he’s there…it’s a scary thought. I truly don’t understand the ignorance of libs.
The promise is to cover more people at no increased cost (not a dime in taxes!).
Problem is the elementary match does not work out: cover more people, same standard of care as in current system (i.e. NO rationing), no change in cost.
WRONG. Rationing WILL happen. Wake up and smell the manure…

The libs are getting brighter, some of them can now spell racist correctly! :)

Rockefeller MUST be a racist since he doesn’t agree!!!

The solution to passing the public health care bill is to make it manditory for ALL public workers. Federal and State…including members of Congress. This would eliminate the mistrust that now exists among the majority of citizens.
If the plan is not good enough for these folks it simply is not good enough for those at the lower level.

If there is so much money to be saved by controlling medicare waste and fraud, than why the heck is ‘hope and change’ guy not taking on the crooks right now, so he can save all those billions for his new single payer plan?

Maybe the dems can get some advice from there local ACORN office on haw to pass their heath reform bill, oops insurance reform bill.

Little teeny men need the government to control their pathetic little lives. weak, little, tiny, pathetic wimps who can’t make it on their own and need their girlfriends and wives to support them. I pity them!!
Obama, Pelosi, Reid, ACORN, Social Security, please take care of me. I sooooo need you.

Call it whatever you want…the whole bill is a public option. Just scrap the whole thing and get back to the business of fiscal responsibility!

I am just interested, when did it change from “Socialized Medicine” to “Public Option”?

Theres one easy way to defeat socialized anything. Conservatives need to just stop working and paying taxes for a few months and it’s game over for the left.

Sheesh! Forget the lefty-righty-racist-hate-socialist-fascist drivel. Such a bill could never meet constitutional muster (absent a constitutional amendment). Congress is limited to the powers ceded to it in Art 1, Sec 8 – nothing there grants them authority to select your care providers, establish prices or select which treatments shall be authorized. Stick to the basics and vote lifer elites out of congress.

NPR reports that 73% of doctors support some form of a public option, either alone or in combination with private insurance options (in a random study of doctors).

You gotta love those libs. Even when they have a filibuster proof majority they can’t get anything done. I never again want to hear about republicans preventing health care legislation from getting through. We just need to put with this debacle until November 2010 when lots of lefty libs will be joining 11% of the population in the unemployment line.

What are you talking about ,
“no publicoption”
The publi option doesnt fly,
Obama speech to Americans has fallen flat, His Acorn activisit are busy hoing around ,, get real

My new hero: Jay Rockefeller. The great thing about these rich guys — Rockefellers, Kennedys, Bloomberg, e.g., — is that they can’t be bought by special interests. The bottom line of this entire health care debacle is CORRUPTION OF THE SENATE, and media like ABC need to HAMMER THIS STORY if they wish to retain a shred of credibility and integrity.

“I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on the objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.”
James Madison
–Architect US Constitution
….and apparently also a member of the ‘racist Right wing hate machine’

Criticize George Bush you are a patriot, criticize OBAMA you are a racist.

Our country has a lower infant survival rate and lower life spans than any other technologically advanced nation. Both relate to access to affordable, quality health care. Every country that is doing better than us has a national health plan. Dont let personalities and ideology get in the way of solutions to this critical problem. We need a public option now. The privatized health system has been a miserable failure at providing affordable, basic services.

R U CRAZY!? He’s a wealthy politician…His grandfather is known as literally THE “wealthiest person in the history of the world”…the original godfather of raw capitalism. He’s just tryin to buy a stairway to heaven…getaclue!

What is Canada’s policies on offering universal health care to illegal aliens?

If the case for a public option to cover everyone is a moral one, then it is immoral to require that it be paid for by only a small proportion of Americans (“the rich”) and those who own stock in insurance companies, including retirees and pension funds.
If this is a moral imperative, then we should all share the burden.

The Repubs leave the field in the first quarter and the Dems ran out of time in the fourth to score. Final score 0-0.
What’s wrong with this picture?

I see that rocky’s liberal America haters are out in full force to issue more LIBERAL VITRIOL AND HATE toward the Real Americans

Why doesn’t Congress want to be on the same health plan as they want us the Tax payers on? If the Gov’t run health plan is good enough for the tax paying citizen then it must be good enough for our Congress….right…I guess not, that is why members of Congress has refused to join the Gov’t run health plan…we have a bunch of back stabbing, selfish, hypocrites in Congress that our taxes pay for….vote them out in 2010….

The American people asked our PRESIDENT OBAMA, to fix things. He is trying to fix them. NOW, the American people need to allow him the ability to fix it. No disrespect to Sen. Rockafeller. But what does he know about being a single mother, unemployed or employed with a no OPTION HMO struggling to support her children with inadequate healthcare coverage.

Where’s the ACORN coverage ABC?

“Hey ABC, When are you going to cover the latest ACORN controversy, or are you.”
Are you kidding? LOL!
They’ll NEVER cover it. Ever.
A conservative group gets a car towed for unpaid tickets and it would be headlines!

The nerve that this is even being discussed. The Government was NEVER INTENDED TO DO ALL THIS CRAP. The US taxpayers are forced to fund all the Democrats’ charity. They think they’re so righteously helping – when the real result is huge middle class tax burdens. Where do you think that will lead to????? It certainly won’t be to health and prosperity!

Make insurance companies cover people who have pre-existing conditions.

How dare you do this – ACORN, SEIU.

As a senior, I disagree with AARP’s assertion that the health care reform will be government run is false. According to the bill HR3200 passed by the House, the government will have a big role in ‘regulating’ the health care business, in a manner much more than the current Medicare.

No way is capitalism ever going to fail; because socialism will ALWAYS BE THERE TO BAIL IT OUT.

Public Transportation…public housing…public schools…….”public option”….what is the differance between these choices: none…all costly, inefficient, government controlled and poorly run…

It is such a shame to see all your broken minds in action. If you cant see the danger of the government running 1/6 of our economy then I’m pretty sure you would be unable to listen to the facts, constitutional problems or moral reasons why government run health care is not only a bad idea but is extremely dangerous to our civil rights and to the sovereignty of these United States.
God Bless the United States

To all libs… do you not realize that the ‘public option’ is just ANOTHER way to make you dependent on Government, so you KEEP VOTING for these fools???

Where was concern about deficits for the last decade? Personally, I have no problem with the government investing in its own people, for a change, instead of giving tax cuts to the rich and starting trillion dollar wars with third rate dictators who pose zero threat to us.
BTW, this is all posturing. They are going to ram a public option through by Christmas.

Our founding fathers, right now, would be labeled right-wing extremists for their views on freedom, limited government and taxation.

Quotes for the day…
“A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.”
“From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship. “

Voice of reason,
The employer can “choose” to drop coverage. All of the right wing employers I am sure will keep the existing health coverage they already have. Only the greedy left wing Democrates will drop the low priced excellant coverage they have now and allow there employees choose which plan they want from the exchange. So you want to support capitolist with keeping the status quoe on health care reform, but don’t support a capitolist decesion to go with a less expensive option. Sounds like you really want that rich capitolist between you and your doctor.

always can count on the dems for some humor. They simply can’t get their act together.
Surprised to see this from the (A)ll (B)arrack (C)hannel

A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned – this is the sum of good government.
Thomas Jefferson
A government that is big enough to give you all you want is big enough to take it all away.
Barry Goldwater
Medicare and Medicaid are bankrupt. The best way to cover this fact up is create a whole new governemnt run health care system and move everyone out of the failed system into the new one. You people are such suckers.
The fact is that health care in general is not in trouble, but only governemnt funded health care is in trouble. So if you can lump in everyone else, you now have 1/6 of the GDP to bail out the ones you have already failed at. The result will be a mediocre health care system that will eventually fail too. Oh, and the fact that if you want a really good doctor, you will have to go to Mexico. However, you will be able to afford it. Because the governement will be out of the mix artificially inflating prices through crazy legislation, the doctor will be able to charge you a fair price you can afford.

Logan said, “Jay Rockefeller should be in charge of what we all need because he knows the real working man and woman. He’s read a lot of books describing them in great detail.” Ha! Jay Rockefeller is just a carpetbagger from New York! He’s never had to work for anything in his life. How can he know real working men and women if he’s never been one? I wouldn’t vote for him if her were running for Dog Catcher! What a disgrace!

I’ll not allow communism to take over. Bank on it.

I love being called racist for opposing the financial destruction of the US.

Let those that want a public option pay for it. What am I thinking, the parasite, looter class does not want to pay their fair share, thats why we have the problem now.

I can’t wait for the Dem leadership to push this thing through with 51 votes. If so, bye bye Reid, and bye bye Dem control of Congress.

Thanks Senator Rockefeller for standing up for true health-care reform that’s desperately needed. The majority in this country wants real reform, and Senators should not be cowed by a rapid and incoherent minority.

The private sector has been in charge of health care the entire history of its existance. Rather than ask for evidence why the feds should be allowed to administrate, I ask why the private sector, who drove the costs THRU THE ROOF due to total MISMANAGEMENT FOR 30 YEARS, are being considered to run this? The gov does fine when a spoiled rich kid is NOT RUNNING THINGS. grover norqist BRAGGED for years they would kill government.

Thank you Mr Rockefeller for protecting corporate and globalist interests by rejecting the less radical healthcare bill. Better to silence all opposition with your cybersecurity act. Gotta keep the big money in the family and government control of healthcare can make that happen.

Politicians very much accomplished what they wanted. They have divided us. Health care reform is just a distraction – what we need urgent is EDUCATION REFORM!!!

The dems have total control and they still can’t get anything done. This is starting to look like 1994 all over again.

Reading the comments here made me think I had inadvertently turned on the Fox channel. Keep it up. You will make one another happy reading comments that you agree with. What I find interesting is that Obama ran on a fix to the health insurance problems. He won. So I guess that a majority of who voted in principle want to see some change. Since government doesn’t do anything right, let’s contract out Federal, State and local governments. We can see if capitalism can save enough money to pay for their profits. Given the cost overruns of the private contractors in Iraq, I doubt it.

Who cares what Rockefeller thinks? Why doesn’t he offer some of HIS FAMILY money instead of ours to pay for this Statist Nanny Government plan?

Healthcare Reform w/o Public option—
1. Stop allowing Illegals access to HC without paying in advance. Then deport them.
2. Tort Reform. Losers in court pay for the expense of both sides.
3. Allow folks the right to do business across state lines. More competition.
This is a start, Bob.

So Olympia Snowe is basically the one making all the decisions on this health care bill? She may be the lone Republican who supports the bill so she is getting her demands met. In essence, she is dicating what is written in the bill and eventually all the democrats will fall in line.

Hey I heard somebody (actually more than one person) ask, “When is ABC going to cover the latest ACORN controversy?”
I guess that they are like the rest of the lamestream media….No surprise that Fox is doing so well. I hope the MSM continues this trend, I really sense that the paradigm is changing regarding ‘mainstream’ media. I hope to see the ‘big three’ networks completely discredited in my lifetime (like MSMBC is now)
I’m looking forward to it, and it couldn’t happen to a more useless industry (with the exception of Fox and maybe History channel)

This is not “socialism.” Socialism is public ownership. Co-opts are Syndicalism, which is the precursor to Fascism.

You people that keep crying ‘socialism’ should divulge their primary health care provider(s) as well.
Let’s make it interesting and tell us your immediate families source of income as well. Medicare, Medicaid, Vets Benefits, Social Security anyone?? Real anti-Obama, anti gov. anti social programs (anti everyone but themselves) Need to fess up and give back all their government checks and benefits. That goes for all your family members as well.
Live by the sword, die by the sword. If you are a true “American” with true values. Give up the gov. goods instead of just screaming about them. Come clean!!

Don’t let the liberal, left-wing Socialists win…DEFEAT the public option!!!

give me socialism over bankruptcy and crappy health coverage i can’t really afford. we’ve had enough flag waving mission accomplished pomposity to last the rest of the century.
no need to sit through a bunch of hypocritical crybabies who lost a legitimate election in a huge way and have to make up facts in order to justify their discomfort with a black president.
you whining bullies were hardly screaming when bush ran the deficit through the roof, passed a poorly thought out and unpaid for drug plan and let new orleans drown.
as for the claim socialized medicine doesn’t work, you must be the most inbred dumb jerkoff if you believe it doesn’t work. it aint like the rest of the world is having national elections on this subject.
the us is unique because we pay more for shorter lives. no place is perfect but if you can’t even have a civil discussion without inventing fake reasons to be against something then you need to crawl back into your cave and enjoy medicare and social security when its your turn.

Right now we have rationed health care via profit-motivated insurance companies. Really, that’s better? Go read articles on how the plan as a whole will work .. stop reading the articles about this bit or that bit and why it will or won’t work. Read articles about other countries health care systems … written by people in that country. Then make an informed statement and decision.

Public Option? What the H do you think this bill is? The bill itself is already a public option.
The Dems just want mandatory participation and ability to tax anyone who is breathing to pay for it.
Who do they think they are to mandate that I pay for someone else’s healthcare?

The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money…
Posted by: Margaret | Sep 15, 2009 4:33:37 PM
It’s already too late for that. Our gov has been running in the red for decades. This won’t help matters that’s for sure.

So whatever plan Obama is advocating is supposed to be paid for by the hundreds of billions of dollars of waste in Medicare that the government has enabled, but an expansion of government-run health care is now supposed to save money? This is the most perfectly internally inconsistent argument I’ve ever heard.

You know conservatives are winning when liberals start calling them “racists.” The Liberal Mind is, it seems, unable to do anything but emote. If you disagree with a liberal, his or her first (and often only) response is to attack you personally. The notion of arguing with facts and logic is alien to them. That’s why Obama is such a perfect president for them. He, too, is just an emoter, peddling a mood to camouflage his attempt to control more and more of our lives. When he cites “facts” they are quickly uncovered as false or misleading, or completely harebrained like his promise not to add a dime to the debt in his healthcare power grab.

ANYONE who believes socialism is a better option than freedom and liberty we now have – probably isn’t very educated.

Health care, shmealth care, what is a Democratic Committee chair doing cozying up to Republicers who will NEVER vote for the bill? He has wasted time talking with people who have vowed not to listen, and now he’s alienated his fellow Democrats on the Committee.
Baucus is Worst Committee Chairman EVER.

In response to:
“Plus, can you name a single govt. program that is solvent and run well and that you would choose over the private equivalent?”
Independence Blue Cross currently has LOSSES of $78B and its liabilities exceed its cash on hand (see 2008 annual report).
By your logic, we should shut it down..

I am sick and tired of the whiney libs in this country wanting something for nothing.
You good for nothings need to quit drinking the Obama kool-aid and learn about the American dream, not the ACORN dream.

It seems that the Democrats can’t get anything right even with the help of the liberal media getting off on him. Hey they are not even reporting that ACORN, Association of Criminal Organizations Now is for illegal children being hookers. Does not say much for our Criminal Organizer in Chief.

Govt by its nature is insolvent. Name one govt in the world that is solvent?
Since the 30% wants it, why not just privatize everything, including the army, the police, the waterways, the highways, and the state and federal govt itself. Let each of them be profitable, if not shut them down.
For eg, since GA is technically insolvent and bankrupt, it should shut down permanently and be divested from USA, that way, all is equitable.

To those looking for a kinder, gentler country… fly North and don’t stop until there is lots and lots of ice and snow.
Now those that are left with their hand out, clench it into a tight fist and take aim at your big mouth.
I earn a living and I pay my own way. As for you leach-americans… get a job and stop whinning!

Yessir, nothing like letting the corrupt and inept government decide who gets what medical treatment. Yeah, that sure sounds “equitable.” Man are liberals beyond stupid. Hey, dumb libs, I got a piece of the planet Mars for sale. Any takers?
By the way, ABC, where’s the ACORN coverage? Hmmmm? Ulterior motives at odds with the concept of doing some actual reporting? Propagandist “obligations” got you silenced regarding ACORN?

Yessir, nothing like letting the corrupt and inept government decide who gets what medical treatment. Yeah, that sure sounds “equitable.” Man are liberals beyond stupid. Hey, dumb libs, I got a piece of the planet Mars for sale. Any takers?
By the way, ABC, where’s the ACORN coverage? Hmmmm? Ulterior motives at odds with the concept of doing some actual reporting? Propagandist “obligations” got you silenced regarding ACORN?

this isn’t about whiny Liberals wanting something for nothing, this isn’t welfare you idiots. I pay a premium for healthcare, more and more every year and get less and less in return. This what Republicans are defending–corporate profiteering. This reform is set up to benefit the middle class–you and I–from going bankrupt from being sick.
If you’re a Democrat, this is about healthcare, if you’re a cynical Republican, this is about power and politics.

This is insanity! Why can’t we just enact a few protections that will really have a positive impact for patients right now? No discrimination for pre-existing conditions, easier transfer of insurance between jobs, more antitrust enforcement in the insurance market, and allowing for more interstate competition. We can have meaningful reform now. The so-called “public “option”" is extremely controversial and ISN’t the only way to go for meaningful reform. It must be scrutinized over a longer period of time along with the Medicaid expansion. I think it’s more sensible that this thing gets done over time. What’s the rush??

Obamacare is nothing more than redistribution of healthcare resources either from the “healthcare rich” (generally the affluent, middle class, elderly and children or the healthcare corporations and providers, to the “healthcare poor,” generally the poor or working poor. Everybody gets that fact. The problem is, there isn’t enough money to pay for Cadillac care for everyone and maintain the status quo. Although Obama likes to be the head of the “Party for Free Stuff,” this has to hit someone. The only options seem to be to redistribute wealth, ration care, or cut the profit of the health care companies and providers themselves. Bottom line, the majority of Americans are rationally afraid of implementing a basic care for all plan and ditching the system which has been the vehicle of so much profound innovation, driven, in part, by the profit motive. Any option has huge risks, and someone’s a loser no matter how you rack and stack it. When Obama tells us we can have it all for no cost, it is in actuality a lie.
The irony is that the most palatable solution, i.e., mandating that every individual take personal responsibility and obtain health insurance so that you are expanding the pool of persons in the insurance pool, is going to most disproportionately hit the wallets of the 20-30 somethings, a core element of Obama’s constituency. Let’s see how willing they’re going to be to get out the vote for Obama when they’re hit with a 2.5-3K a year annual insurance bill.

It cracks me up that Conservatives are so arrogant and clueless as to actually believe people who support Social Security, Medicare, our fire and police departments, the Department of Transportation and the many other government bureaus that provide us with safe drinking water, food, etc. are all “on the dole”. All the liberals I know work, and most have pretty high-paying jobs. Talk about parroting the Limbaugh/Dobbs/Beck propaganda. You DO know, of course, that all the programs mentioned above are “socialist”, right?

Libs go ahead OWN it! And it is evident that the lefties whining about “we want the public option or nothing” what does that tell you people the left is in love with Socialism.

Without a public fall back option- any bill is meaningless to the average Joe. What i need in health care reform is simple- if I lose my job or develop a health condition that makes un-insurable in the private sector at an affordable price, then there must be a public option that I can fall back on. The public option does not have to be free- it can have affordable premiums and co-pays, but it must be guaranteed.
If President Obama cannot get this simple need in a bill- let us forget it. Obama refuses to even purr when he must be roaring !

First and foremost our health costs are significantly higher than any other industrial nation, with the general consensus being that 30% of our health care costs are being bungled in administrative procedures.
If you we look at our Medicare, Medicaid, and VA, government fun health care programs, we find these programs, though currently running in the red, are much more cost efficient and we also find those who provide the services in these systems are much more in tune with the needs of the patient while maintaining their focus to provide the best care at the best costs.
When we look at our current private health care system, we find it is driven by profits, and practicing best costs policies is converse to their profit margins.
Therefore, a expanded government system would be the best way to drive down costs while focusing on care and improving the system far all Americans.
Health care should be considered a public service not a private commodity.

Hey, you GOP dopes are all being punked by the man. Obama is going to win this one too. Mean IQ of Democrats much higher than Repubs ! hehehehe ! Go back to school punks.

All of you who are against health care reform because you think it’s “socialist” or whatever — I expect you not to sign up for Medicare when you reach 65 years old.
If you are so afraid of single-payer, government run medical insurance, then you simply must not go near Medicare — EVER!

is anybody really wondering what our country will be like in 4 years. there are no jobs, bankruptcies and forclosure will hit records, there is talk of more bank and FHA bailouts, and here is a plan for the goverment, already broke, to fund healthcare,,,hahahaha, is this a joke??
dkb

Blah blah blah racist blah blah racist blah blah racism blah blah racist blah blah racism blah blah racist blah racist racism racist blah blah racism
Did I miss any of the liberal talking points?

Gosh I get tired of the rancor, the lies and the name-calling when we have serious business before us. We are all called to be dignified and responsible for our government in this democracy. Can we just try to get at the facts – as a start? The current situation is not sustainable. The health insurance industry that pays millions in bonuses to its Executives does not want change and is paying big to oppose it. The industry will not regulate and change itself – so that all Americans can get affordable insurance, and get service (not endless exclusions for this or that procedure). How do we get them to change? Same way we always do – change ourselves. We, The PEOPLE, will create a basic, benchmark health plan and make it affordable and accessible. It will not be free to people unless they are poor. In good ‘ol American fashion, this public option will break up the monopolies with competition that will keep them honest. The objective Congressional Budget office (CBO) analysis says this will not destroy private insurance. The CBO says the public option is viable. The President has vowed to make it budget neutral. So cut out all the stuff about socialism – you are NOT making sense, you are just repeating what others are scaring you with. Requiring people to have insurance and then not making a public option available would be the transfer of more of our private and public assets into the coffers of the health insurance monopoly. Most doctors want the public option – do you trust your doctor?

Either bill coming out of the Senate or the House is a shell game. They are counting the “savings” in Medicaid and Medicare before they actually happen and any person with any common sense at all knows it won’t happen. If they were savings there, why have must they wait to inact a law to claim those savings. Why not get the savings now? It’s like me saying that I’m going to buy a 10 million dollar mansion and put 5 Rolls Royce’s in the garages because I know I going to win the Big Pick 6 Lotto within the next 10 years.
Come on people…..these politicians have played this game before. Wake up!

“Hey, you GOP dopes are all being punked by the man. Obama is going to win this one too. Mean IQ of Democrats much higher than Repubs ! hehehehe ! Go back to school punks.”
Half of the demon crats are gang bangers and you think they have high IQ’s?

ABC television mean ALL ‘BOUT COMMUNISM television. NO coverage of the Van Johnson affair, the ACCORN affair or anything that reflect negatively on BARRY OBAMA. THEY are for a SOCIALIST COUNTRY. THE best thing to do is boycott advertisers who use ABC, if they want to be communist also, let them sell their wares to COMMIES in the SOVIET UNION or MEXICO.

Racism is not about not supporting President BARRY, racism is the beating of a WHITE student by BLACK students on a bus. THAT IS RACISM, where is Rev. Al or Rev. Jesse, this is blatant racism BOYs.

There’s a reason why 63 percent of doctors support the public option – 73 percent if you add in the 10 percent for single-payer. They know it’s the only way their patients won’t get screwed. Go Jay!!
(Poll is in the current New England Journal of Medicine; Google “doctors support public option”).

the public option is not subsidized by tax payer dollars its not medicaid or medicare the public option in the house bills is providing insurance at a premium. Also the public option is not negotiating drug prices therefore its closer to private plans than anything that can be called a “government run plan” read the bills not some talking points…

Clearly, the Ignoratti is well represented here on the broadcast version of Fox News.
Well done, y’all. Keep advocating against your own well being.

To no public option no peace.
Maybe you should live in a Non-democracy. Give your boy Hugo a call, I am sure he would love to have you.

1 page bill: Tort reform, Portability, tax rebates. no cost no chinese debt.
commerce and availability, lower costs.
BINGO
It’s crazy out there….I’m putting my tinfoil cap back on

A prime example of a well run government program is the Department of Energy (DEA). The DEA was established under President Carter with one major goal which in the past thirty plus years they have achieved tremendous success in achieving their goal. The DEA was created for the purpose of decreasing the countries dependence on foreign oil. Well done DEA you have made great strides forward.
With the governments record of such efficiency in achieving the goals of the DEA I am confident that they will do a similar outstanding job when it comes to healthcare. I can’t wait for thirty years after the passage of Obamacare and be able to look at results similar to those achieved by the DEA. The government also has done an outstanding job of running Medicare, Social Security, Amtrak, Postal Service, and the list goes on.

The rats have a survival instinct. Of course they’re gonna vote no, but deep inside, they want it so bad. A thing called “representative democracy” keeps getting in the way.

If this bill has the bailouts for union workers and their ridiculous medical plans, and exempts them from surtax on their excessive benefits packages, but levies it on the 85% who are non-union, then this bill will be exposed as the most corrupt, special interest piece of legislation in US history.
My Blue Dog won’t hunt. (he won’t vote for it)

Hmm. Perhaps finally everybody is getting that the Public Option is a HUGE jobs bill, hiring MILLIONS of unqualified and unemployable and uneducated former Acorn members to work as clerks for the new Health Justice Ministry! I think perhaps that America is waking up and saying ‘nope’.

My care’s from the VA. It’s no worse than the health insurance I had from my employer before they dropped it. The truth is, though, if this were Bush’s idea, he’d have his party in line and it would have been done by August. That’s the problem-Dems: you won the election! Either run the show or get ready to lose next time. Quit being such….

The answers are simply, open the boarders to where you can get out of state health care and watch the market adjust due to the competitive nature of capitalizim. Then you get rid of the broke government programs that we are paying into but will never see…..SS and Medicare, with the amount of money the average citizen will save on there paychecks from not having to pay into them we could finally start to see a light at the end of the tunnel and start getting the fed out of our pocketbooks one BS program at a time.

ACORN!!

Everyone who wants socialized medicine should move to Cuba or the UK and enjoy government controlled health care immediately.
Say no to Socialism. Impeach Obama now.

To everyone out there that is screaming socialism and government-funded health care, let me ask you one question. When an uninsured person is sick or injured, he/she goes to the closest Emergency Room, and by law that ER must treat them. Exactly who do you think is paying for them? I’ll tell you who: Taxpayers via the government. Only we’re paying double because the ER costs double what it would cost for a private doctor. But they go to the ER because they have no other option. Get your heads out of the sand! We need a way for everyone to have health insurance…it’s the best way to ultimately keep costs down. Right now, the only people we’re making sure stay healthy are the insurance companies. That’s simply not right,and we all know it.

Common Obama, the Unions need more polical paybacks so pass the obamacare bill which will force those all Nurses and Doctors into union slavery and make the leaders of Acorn and his brother at the Service Care Industy Union much richer from tax dollars found in the house bill so that they can give you more cash donation / kickbacks.
You know, because you let them write the obamacare bill. Wake-up America.

YES TO SOCIALISM! WHY? THAT PUBLIC SCHOOL YOU WENT TO. OUR LIBRARIES. THAT ROAD YOU DRIVE ON. IF YOU’RE A VETERAN GETTING VA BENEFITS, POLICE OFFICER, FIRE-FIGHTER OR OVER THE AGE OF 65 GETTING MEDICARE! EVERYTHING SHOULD NOT BE PRIVATIZED, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE’S HEALTH (UNLESS THEY WANT TO BUY PRIVATE INSURANCE, IN WHICH CASE THEY CAN GO FOR IT!)

Are these anti-American anti-healthcare reform TERRORISTS for real? They are jihad’n against public health care for reasons that don’t have anything to do with health care (read Obama is black). Do they only want to save babies? Why don’t they protest by refusing their socialist Medicare. Let’s send these bible thumping, go toting terrorists to GITMO where they belong.
I wonder if they think city water and sewer are socialist ideas… or wait… how about ambulance service.

Without a public option it is not health insurance reform. Leave it to Democrats to shoot themselves in the head. Bacus wants to make the Democratic Party a worse disaster than the Republican Party. How did he get the name Democrat?

Do you fools who think the public option is so great have any idea what framework it builds for the future? And how it’s their first step in something that has tenticles that will wrap around our throats in 10 years? are you really that stupid or do you carry water for big government and your messiah… do you really think this marxist legislation is the only option? you’re all pawns. Soviet’s used to call you guys “Useful Idiots”

No Public Option, No Peace! | Sep 15, 2009 4:27:10 PM……Can you anything besides call people names?

Upyours: “Was obama hussein born in Kenya? Where is his birth certificate? If we allow anybody to be President why could Putin not run? Bad as he is he’s better than hussein.”
Sounds like the space shuttle Discovery forgot something up there on its recent return from orbit …

Any requirement for insurance companies to accept pre-existing conditions will result in 1) every healthy american will cancel their insurance to save the premium money; 2) when they get sick they will apply for insurance, pay a puny little premium and get their $1000s of medical bills paid, 3) cancel their insurance as soon as they are healthy to save the premium and 4) the insurers will go broke in three days flat. Any penalty for having no insurance will be cheaper than paying premiums, and so the process will happen anyhow. I love being this smart.

70% of doctors support the public option! That’s right, you read it right! 70%!!! Finally, some common sense!

I hope Big Government completely controls the whole healthcare system so people will learn.

This is no longer america if we have government crap-care forced into all parts of the nation. canada can keep their crap-care but we are stuck with pig flu and it is in washington. It is called congress and their joker mascot Obama.

Unlike the just say’ NO’ Republicans, Democrats have a mind of their own, and have broad opinions.

George can’t talk about the ACORN scandal because the White House hasn’t told him what to say yet.
George is a life-sized ventrilliquist dummy. And the DNC is the key moving the mouth.

Our disease care system today is grossly inefficient and unsustainable, so we need reform. Whether it’s corporate or government bureaucrats who pay the bills will not matter to most people, except that the government bureaucrats may charge them less for the service. If they prefer to pay higher prices, then the corporate bureaucrats will be happy to sell them replacement or supplemental policies. A public option, like Medicare for senior citizens, will be good for the vast majority of Americans, regardless of party affiliation.

No one’s buying your fake outrage. I wonder, how stupid do you have to be to side with health insurance companies that bankrupt families hour after hour, year after year?

Anybody who tosses the word “Socialism” around in this healthcare debate clearly has no idea what that term even means. Maybe the fact that it sounds similar to the word “social” as in “Social Security” or “social services” is the source of the confusion.
Socialism is an economic system that could never be introduced in this country (and nobody is suggesting it should). So, either you’re completely ignorant of the concept, or you actually think that Obama is trying to shut down the stock market, end capitalism and seize ownership of the ENTIRE means of production (ie., every single corporation in America).
And if that’s the case, then you’re just crazy and stupid.

The stepping stones for Obama women are advocating a Health Care Plan as a human right whose time has come. Do we really need to paint and distribute stones like we did to support Obama to convince the populace? Children eighteen years and younger already have Children Care. Adults 65 and over have Medicare. All that’s needed is Middle Care for those 19 to 64 years of age and coverage is complete.
Research shows that the last 6 weeks of life require the greatest expense which is why Medicare has funding issues. When the healthiest members participate by paying into the system, costs are more equitably distributed. Right now, we’re covering those that need the most care at both ends of the spectrum, excluding the middle, robust, healthy citizens.
The idea that illegal immigrants (why aliens? It sounds like they are from Mars) are not covered is ridiculous. Right now anyone with or without health care can walk into an emergency room and receive treatment, free for them and astronomically expensive for the taxpayer.
As Barbara Boxer, the Senator from California stated those in Congress against federal health care should give up their health care because it is a federal program.
To our Senators and Representatives – Pass the bill now. Stop being hijacked by half the members of Congress who represent a mere fraction of the population. The vast majority of Americans consider health care a right and support access to health care for all a necessity. DO YOUR JOB!!!!! Or consider seeking other employment.

Where is the outrage over acorn and its criminal practices?. This story is huge and it effects every tax paying citizen in America.

LOL! Harry Reid is leading the pack and he’s losing in his own State of Nevada! Anyone but Harry! Recent polls shows him losing badly, even with Obama campaigning for him! LOL! Loser!

All of these people who are calling for a ‘public option’ are useful idiots.
Read ‘National Suicide: How Washington is Destroying the American Dream from A to Z’.
The incompetence, mismanagement, and waste of money by government is breathtaking.

I stand against the public option! The left can call me a racist all they want. It has been thrown around so much it has lost it’s meaning. The new meaning of “racist” for me is “a fiscal conservative, who does not belive in big government”.

ACORN is the real news. Where is ABC and Charlie Gibson?
Why is Charlie Rangel still a member of the House? George there are two stories more important and easier to report than health care.
Democrats know O’KennedyCare is a steaming pile of dung…that’s why they are afraid to pass it by themselves.

Wow! What a lot of fear and absence of facts in these comments.
I can’t exactly blame them for distrusting government except that I didn’t hear a peep from them about all the incompetence and abuses for the last eight years.
Medicare would be solvent if its wasn’t pilfered, mostly by Republican presidents to fund other “projects.”(remember the jokes about Gore’s “lock box?”)
The overhead for Medicare is 3-4%
The overhead at for-profit medical insurance is 30% or more.
Seniors love their Medicare.
What’s wrong with offering Medicare to anyone who wants it for cost + 5-10% to help those who can’t afford it? Simple – easy to explain and deficit neutral.
There are lots of ways to make money – denying people the care they’ve paid for should not be one of them. Why would anyone support an insurance industry which does exactly that?
People who have insurance go broke. That’s insane, especially for the price we Americans pay.
I couldn’t care less if the insurance companies have to find another way to make a living. They should never have made it the way they have.
I’d even go for a hybrid system like France. They’re #1. We’re #37.

from each according to his ability, to each according to his need

It’s amazing to hear the brainless refrain that socialized medicine has never worked when all of the ones in existence produce better results with less cost that the greed based system that we have. C’mon People!!

Quoth the uniformed No Public Option, No Peace!: “Go Jay, Don’t let the racist Right wing hate machine win!” Say what?!
I have never understood deliberately irrational “leftists” who can’t seem comprehend that Jay Rockefeller’s family wealth was created by implementation of the very same corrupt anti-labor “system” which modern “leftists” somehow think is going to give them some free “redistributed” (aka “stolen”) loot now.
You don’t exactly see the Rockefellers and Kennedys giving all their wealth to the poor and then following Jesus, do you? Then why look to them for genuine altruism (as contrasted with the purely rhetorical variety)?
I don’t get it.

I hope I die before experiencing any type of socialist crap-care.

Last time I checked, no government-run entity pushed the country to the brink of financial ruin. It was the private sector running amok with no oversight that caused that. And the same has happened with the private sector running health care. For those of you who think that government-run health care would be inefficient and corrupt, take a reality pill and see what we have now.

Seems as though a number of folks believe that the Public Option is Socialism. Not even close! It gives plain old folks leverage in dealing with the insurance and pharmaceutical industries. Notice — when corporations do this sort of thing, it’s called leverage. When individual citizens band together to do this, some folks want to call it Socialism. It’s not Socialism, it’s just plain Leverage, and it’s about time! The alternative would be to let the large corporations with their gold plated CEO’s continue to profit from and take advantage of people. That’s neither Democracy or Capitalism. It’s just plain wrong.

Public option will quickly be the biggest provider. Because it is subsidized by the government, employers will drop private plans left and right. Very few people will be “able to keep the plan they like” because no employer will offer it to rank and file employees. So how will $900 billion over 10 years provide healthcare for 100 million Americans? Impossible! This is becoming a joke, a farce and a no-win situation for the President and the Democrats. If they push this through it will crumble under its own weight and Democrats will lose. If they fail, they are politically weak and lose. The President has sabotaged his party with these so-called “rules”, and very likely will cause upheaval in the country when the plan fails to live up to its goals.

rAlph
You don’t excuse bad behavior by siting other bad behavior. Bush spent us blind, and Obama is worse! The problem is THE SYSTEM SUCKS. As for people drowning is NEw Orleans, thats a great example of what happens when you expect uncle to take care of you.
And Randy is wrong socialized medicine gets crap results. Life expectency is a social problem our murder rate and accident death rate makes ours lower.
I lived in the UK and it blows, and not in a good way.

Obama’s healthcare message will be buried under a pile of acorns.

The real racist is the Democrates and the President who started this entire racist issue during the election.
The evidence is the the Democrates believe racist = “liar” statements. They are so stupid not to know that
racist remarks are AGAINST a persons race – like calling someone names regarding their race; NOT intelligence statements or lack of intelligence.
The Democrates cannot see that a Public option is jargon for government takeover.

“Always the whiny wimpy wee wee’d up liberals that use the ‘if you don’t agree with me, you’re a ‘hater’ or your a ‘racist’. Makes me laugh. A hidden $10 Billion dollar union crony pay off by Obama in the health scare bill doesn’t make me laugh. Neither does the liar of a president who in his speech conveniently left out the fact that 60% of illegals have forged social security cards. Obama lies also about covering 47 million new people with the same amount of doctors. That is called rationing folks and they can’t explain around it. Notice Obama the master of deception failed to mention anything about that in his speech as well. ”
Maybe because the speech was about health care and not immigration! The lie charge has been proven to be the real LIE; undocumented not subsidized or can use exchange in black and white which is actually giving in to the real deception of the conservatives since this only protects their CORPORATE SPONSORS and makes it worse for us. He talked about having new doctors trained and SAVINGS by not subsidizing your corporate masters BIG PHARMA! Guess you didn’t get all that since there are so many pages to read.

ACORN must be investigated under the federal RICO Act for embezzlement, racketeering, fraud and pay to play. Write your House rep and demand it. The RICO act also has a provision in it for state or federal action by an individual. Look for a class action lawsuit on Acorn in the near future.

“ACORN must be investigated under the federal RICO Act for embezzlement, racketeering, fraud and pay to play. Write your House rep and demand it. The RICO act also has a provision in it for state or federal action by an individual. Look for a class action lawsuit on Acorn in the near future.”
Yes! And next let’s go after K Street, C Street and every other church used for right wing lobbyists. Then let’s get Bush and Cheney and try them for war crimes and make Halliburton and all their “private security” pay back the money they made on the backs of OUR soldiers! Let’s go for it! We could get our TRILLION $ back and pay for health care and education and roads! I’m with you all the way!

The Democrat Party has dealt all 52 race cards from the bottom of the deck. The only card left is The Joker….

Health care is already rationed by the insurance industry. Higher deductibles and worse coverage already leave too many people struggling to pay their doctor bills. Insurance adjustors denying coverage leaves many more without necessary care. All this moaning about “socialized medicine” is a smokescreen to prevent us demanding better health care. Don’t let the insurance companies and their shills win.
The lies and scare tactics are desperate attempts – backed by millions of dollars – to game us into thinking the insurance industry is looking out for us. It’s time to stand firm against the right wing fringe and pass meaningful reform – including a public option – to keep the corporations honest and ensure that every American has access to quality, affordable care.

The current health care system is already bankrupt–unless your a stockholder rather than a patient, that is. HMOs and health insurance companies already ration care.

former President Jimmy Carter just said he has been extremely bothered by the heightened climate of racial and other hate speech since the election of President Barack Obama.
CARTER had better level that SAME CHARGE against Obama – who IN FACT STARTED this entire racist issue during his election and who should be surprised today that black children are now beating up white children in Obama’s SAFE public school system.

For the Republicans to have Olympia Snowe doing the negotiating, shows what a farce this all is.
Last time she negotiated something it was called a Stimulus package.
Where’s the leadership, Boehner?

You Can’t have Healthcare Reform without these Two Words…Tort Reform not Government UBER ALLES…..Facts..There are already Insurance Plans for Small business who Pool together to save money..If a small business chooses not to provide insurance that is his choice just as it is for the Workers to work there with no insurance…The Same Priciple can be applied to Individuals who do NOT have insurance……They can thru the Private Sector put themselves in a Pool and Get Insurance at the lowest cost possible….Just Like High Risk Car Insurance if OBAMA wants to keep making that stupid Analogy….Fact is this can be done thru the private sector…NO NEED for a Government Option except to fufill a Political Agenda which is all this is about anyway….GET THIS RUSH TO MORE SOCIALISM BEFORE 2010. While we have the numbers….

the plan is a D-devised plan. No public option in the plan leaves out
government control.
This man did an honest job of closing the loopholes that all Americans should favor.

The Socialist Party will not stop until they own the country. ALL OBAMA ALL THE TIME. The Democratic Party is dead. Any one claiming to be a Democrat is a liar. They are Socialists and will destroy everything our fathers fought and died for.

Good for him. This is a sham. If this bill passes without a public option and just hands the private insurers 30 million new customers, some a taxpayer expense, then this is not a victory for the Democrats. It will mean that the critics are correct when they say that congress has been bought by the lobbyists. I may change my mind about term limits if they go this route.

Even liberal blogs are now moaning about the possibility of a Obama “failure” at President since he is at risk of having all his high priority legislation either fail or severly limited. I read one liberal saying the “Obama’s Presidency may not be a historic Presidency”. No kidding…

Can anyone explain to me why, when the Dems cannot respond to criticism with a meaningful dialog, they hollar “Racist right-wing hate machine” ???
If Obama did not lie, why did the Senate rush to fix the illegal immigrant loophole? Of course, he may not have even read the bill under consideration and was taking about something on which he was clueless.

I would like to challenge each and every one of those who are against
the health care reform to drop all of their health care for 18 months. and be responsable out of their own pocket! I bet you there would not be one taker!!! You see things like cancer is only one breath one hour one day one diagnosis away it never stops it doesnt discriminate like they do!

There are some real stupid Americans commenting on this. This works everywhere around the world(Public Health Care) but the stupid American sheep are fighting for crap health care and the Corp. that are ripping them off blind. How can that many people be that stupid??!! HEALTH CARE SHOULD NEVER BE FOR PROFIT PERIOD!!! It should be SINGLE PAYER only idiots!!! Wake up before you lose your insurance when your kid gets LEUKEMIA or CANCER!! Stupid peasants these Corp. don’t care about you wake up to this fact! This system is unsustainable PERIOD wake up to this fact. All you working class heros start reading or learning how because your #### us all up!!

The Right wing is having a fit because we want to spend our money on Americans. They are crying we’re broke after they blew trillions on unnecessary wars. They are selfish morons. We will not give up this time. We will see progress with or without the Republicans.
Obama Rules / Right wing drools.

Obama will get this passed, and it will have a public option. Some of you would rather continue lining the pockets and HMO’s & their lobbyists than ensure health care for every citizen should be ashamed. But hey, you probably figure you’ve got yours and you’re only thinking of yourself. Disgusting.

…never was such a hope for change squandered so incompetently and completely. We’re going to throw your butts out of office in 2010.
Mayber ABC news will be merged with the government subsidized NPR, and you all can work for what’s his name.

It’s a joke to listen to RWNJs complain about a lack of individualism on the left side. They invented talking points.
I am perfectly happy giving the government a shot at health care. Anyone who thinks the government will do a worse job than the private sector hasn’t been paying attention. It’s the private sector that has screwed the pooch for the past 60 years. As long as you have a political party that stands for the proposition that one man’s profit is worth more than another man’s life, you will have the 37th best health care system continue to malfunction into eternity.

A vehicle at 15 mpg and 12,000 miles per year uses 800 gallons a year of gasoline.
A vehicle at 25 mpg and 12,000 miles per year uses 480 gallons a year.
So, the average clunker transaction will reduce US gasoline consumption by 320 gallons per year.
They claim 700,000 vehicles – so that’s 224 million gallons / year.
That equates to a bit over 5 million barrels of oil.
5 million barrels of oil is about ¼ of one day’s US consumption.
5 million barrels of oil costs about $350 million dollars @$75/bbl.
So, we all contributed to spending $3 billion to save $350 million …How good of a deal was that ????
They’ll probably do a great job with health care!

God forbid that you people see that the a government option is for the people. You would rather be a bunch of idiots and keep letting the corporations take advantage of you. Unbelievable how stupid some people are in this country. Wait until you get seriouslly ill and you get dropped or your insurance company refuses to pay the bills. Government used to be about providing protection against big coporations taking advantage of the public now you guys call that communism. The world thinks were idiots! If the democrats had any guts they would pass the public option and when the idiots figure out how much it benefits them they will shut up. If the right wing told you to jump off a cliff you would do it. It’s pathetic, spends billions to kill people but not for saving people. You have some screwed up values not to mention no brain.

Drop the name calling, it achieves nothing. The Prez & Congress need to step back and realize this is one complicated issue. They need to start over with a clean slate that includes addressing concerns on both sides of the isle. This first thing they need to understand is that the majority of Americans do not want to end up with a public option that robs Peter to pay Paul. We need reform that improves the great system we have by doing tort reform, eliminating pre-exiting conditions for entry, and opening competition across state lines. Also the majority of Americans want reform for the illegal alien health care issue. If this takes two years so be it. No rush overnight with members of Congress not reading or understanding 1,000 pages bills written in foreign languages that common people can’t understand. The people have spoken at Town Halls and the recent march on D.C..
We need to hold both Republican and Democratic feet to the fire. They work for us not themselves or favored minority groups.

85% that have health insurance are happy with it and ONLY 15% are without… So why not fix the issue with the 15% without instead of changing the coverage of 85%?
Government should stop thinking OUR MONEY IS THEIR MONEY.

Baucus receives huge amoutns of contributions from the insurance industry. He has clearly sold out his fellow citizens for this blood money. There is really no need for any private insurance company, as they do not provide health care; just the paperwork involved with it. And for that they make huge profits. We can take the profit element out by using a single payer system run by the government and save billions of dollars every year.

Go Jay, the people are with you, thanks for fighting for us!

I am so sick and tired of those of you who think that providing health care for millions of Americans is “socialism”. For those of you who can’t think for yourselves, a reminder: Our police, firefigters, roads, bridges, our army, airforce, marines,navy, our libraries, schools,the VA medicare and social security administration are all “socialist” programs run by our federal and municipal goverments through our taxes. Now unless you want to stop using any of those programs, I guess you better start calling all of us “socialist”

I pay for my own health insurance and am happy with it. Government (the dems) should stop thinking about my money. But they can’t; their whole thing is to punish hard work and success and to pimp envy and failure.

Only a fool believes that Obamacare pays for itself by getting rid of fraud $ waste. At least George doesn’t believe this nonsense.
Also any dimwit knows that insuring 45 million more people, without increasing doctors and nurses, will result in rationing. Not sure were George is on this one.

ACORN now has a killer that works for them .God where do these people find these people .The lady said on the new tape she killed her husband .

We are told that WE MUST HAVE 60 VOTES IN THE SENATE to pass the bill, because a reconciliation bill that would need only 50 votes (and Biden’s tiebreaker vote)would not work because the SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN would rule that only 70% of the bill is suitable for a reconciliation vote! Got that? ~~ Look. Those of us who are in the 99.999999999% of the population who are NOT parliamentary experts – and I am one of them – do notice we are supposed to be a democracy. Given that the CONSTITUTION does not guarantee anyone the right to filibuster a bill, and given that the Democrats control the parliamentarian, why not Just get the parliamentarian to rule THAT THE ENTIRE BILL IS SUITABLE FOR A RECONCILIATION VOTE? Problem solved. Then you don’t need any Republican votes, and you don’t need 9 Democrats, either. ~~~ To those who say, “this is wrong,” I say, “BUSH FLAT LIED TO THE NATION TO HAVE US LAUNCH A WAR AGAINST A NATION THAT DID NOTHING TO US, AND HE KILLED 400,000 INNOCENT PEOPLE IN THE PROCESS. YET YOU CONSIDERED THAT LEGAL. BUT YOU INSIST ON THIS TINY POINT OF PARLIAMENTARY RULES, THAT IS NOT IN THE CONSTITUTION AT ALL. IT’S JUST A TRADITION.” Majority rules.

Let’s hear about ACORN.

These fascists are going to ram this piece of drek down our throats with neither bipartisan support, nor the support of the American taxpayer.
The do so at their own political risk. I think most Americans are sick of ALL of them and would like nothing better than to throw all of them out of office.
A computer would run things better than these socialist bozos. At least a computer uses logic, is not motivated by power & money, and doesn’t lie…unlike our infamous “representatives” who no longer represent anyone other than themselves and their big donors.

Bravo, Senator…Bravo!
This is a true statesman, nut just another hack politician.
“Managers do things right…Leaders do the right thing.”
We need leaders at this crucial time in our nation’s history.
Republicans claim they want to restart and “do this right”…don’t buy that bunch of hooey. They want to stall as long as possible, and keep the insurance corporate structure rolling in dough
The true statesmen and stateswomen will support the people, not big insurance and big pharma. C’mon Olympia you are so close – join us!
You go, Senator Rockefeller!

Single payer works very well in Canada. Medicare is a single payer system that works pretty well in the U.S. even though it covers the most expensive group (the elderly.) As Pres. Obama described it, the public option would NOT be subsidized, but would have to rely on premiums. So why are people so afraid of allowing us the choice?

Hey George Stephanopoulos, COVER THE ACORN CORRUPTION SCANDAL…and we want to know what Congress knew about these thugs and when they knew it.
WE knew about it…why didn’t YOU? The Fourth Estate has become a Fifth Column.

As someone who votes on a regular basis for both Democrats and Republicans, I’m sickened by the way that the two parties and the fanatics of both parties are treating this debate. Let’s take a look at the hospitals and providers who are doing things the right way and emulate them. Let’s take a look at the insurance companies (and there are some) that are doing things the right way and emulate them. Hospitals have already committed millions in savings. So have insurers, drug companies, etc. Let’s not forget that our goal is to help get more Americans covered. Not for all Americans to have a public option, single-payor system (or if you’re a republican, a government-controlled system where we’ll all be euthanized at 65.) Let’s find a way to COMPROMISE and actually do something (the right way)for once and stop treating this like a rivalry football game. The best thing that could EVER happen in this country would be to abolish both parties. This divide is evil and is tearing America apart!

The issue isn’t about individual control of your healthcare. Unless you’re wealthy, you already have none. Your healthcare’s dictated by who you work for, how old you are, and the healthcare institutions that you live near. It’s a matter of luck, good or bad. It shouldn’t be. Give us a public option. Healthcare shouldn’t be a crapshoot.

Our President has no clothes. He’s acting like a Stepford president, running to “campaign” speeches, the media, David Letterman, who are all now the useful idiots. He is like an addict – must fulfill his need for adulation. He may have the union creeps on his side and some other idiots, but most sane people now see through him. It is now getting scary – this narcissist needs adulation above all else. Very disconcerting when he is the commander in chief. Hang on to your hats, America.

Why the heck are you guys commenting on an ABC story? ABC is absolutely irrelevant. They are a joke, and an offense to true, objective journalism. ABC: All Barack Channel. What a joke.
Can you spell ACORN?

Picking out a representative comment from above, Paul says: “A public option will lead to rationed, government run health care. It’s never succeeded otherwise anywhere in the world.”
Having lived in other places in the world, I can assure Paul that public health care HAS SUCCEEDED ALMOST EVERYWHERE IT HAS BEEN USED. It is cheaper and more efficient. And, yes, I would choose almost any government program over my current insurance plan. Insurance bureaucracies are far more complex, intractable, and inhumane than any government agency I have worked with. Let me add, I have excellent insurance, by American standards; but my waiting time in America to see a doctor has always been longer than when I have lived in an industrialized foreign country with national health care. And even when I have had to pay out of pocket expenses at the uninsured rate while in a foreign country, the fees for an emergency room visit or for prescription drugs *at full price* in Europe has been less than the *co-pays* required here in America under almost any insurance plan. If more Americans had even the remotest idea of how lousy their health care system is, they would be marching with pitchforks to their local Blue Cross office.
ACORN is not bankrupting America. Our collapsing health care system is.

We are sick to death of hearing about this crap healthcare bill. Sick of listening to the Used-Car-Salesman-in Chief 10 times a day trying to sell this turkey to people who aren’t buying it.
WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO COVER THE ACORN SCANDAL??????????????????

Rich posts: ‘”There should be NO government health care period!” It’s not in the Constitution.’
At the time the constitution was written, health care was administered by doctors who, in order to demonstrate their qualifications, would display their blood-soaked surgical robes for public inspection. They had more in common with medical practices from the year 1000 BC than they had with modern medicine. As brilliant as the Founding Fathers were, they didn’t foresee everything.
By the way, Rich, there’s no Air Force in the constitution either. Maybe we should get rid of that, too?

The Rockefeller family are on record for wanting a government that has total control and information on everyone. This bill gives them a BIG piece of their wet dream. These people are traitors and assisting them in getting shared information, especially health and finance, between all government agencies including DARPA is beyond stupid.

Unbeleivable. People who are being totally screwed by the insurance company thieves rooting for them. Barnum’s quote about suckers underestimated the American public.

Max Baucus is beholden to the insurance companies period. End of story!

Hell NO! to public run health care! the government cant even run Cash for Clanckers right. There are dealers out there still waiting for their money.

No sane Senator, whether Democratic or Republican, would vote for the Baucus bill! It’s not even remotely a health care bill! It’s a damn give-a-way to the insurance corporations and pharmaceutical corporations is all it is. Nothing else is in there.

So, the public option “will lead to rationed, government healthcare…will bankrupt this country…is jargon for government takeover.” What a load.
The USA is 37th in the world for healthcare outcomes but yet has the most expensive healthcare system in the world. This system will bankrupt us if we leave it as it is. Greedy insurance companies are a big part of the problem, and if you want examples of rationed care, look no further than them. 45 million people can’t get or afford insurance.
A public option will make it possible for these people to have health insurance, and it will force the insurance companies (because of the competition) to lower their premiums for the rest of us.
Most advanced countries have a public option or single payer. They have better healthcare than we do and at a lower cost.

I agree with those in opposition to health care reform.
Americans want to get their health care from large corporations. Americans don’t trust the government, where they have elected representatives, but DO trust major corporations run for profit.
I say get rid of Medicare, Social Security, the Highway Department, the military, the postal service, and public transportation.
Americans demand the right to return to the Middle Ages!

Paski – The major reason that Medicare is going broke is that when Medicare was created in 1965, benefits were relatively limited and retirees paid a substantial percentage of the costs of their own care. In 1965, Congressional actuaries expected Medicare to cost $3.1 billion by 1970. In 1969, that estimate was revised to $5 billion, and it actually came in at $6.8 billion. Things have gotten worse since, and Medicare today costs $455 billion and rising. Medicaid was intended as a last resort for the poor but now covers one-third of all long-term care expenses in the U.S. — that is, it has become a middle-class subsidy for aging parents of the Baby Boomers. Its annual bill is $227 billion, and so far this fiscal year is rising by 17%. Schip was pitched a decade ago as a safety net for poor kids, Schip is now open to families that earn up to 300% of the poverty level, or $63,081 for a family of four. Any new federal health plan will inevitably follow the same trajectory, no matter how much members of Congress might claim they’ve guaranteed otherwise.
The real problem is that Congress has a history of underestimating the actual cost of programs and then wasting money after the fact to try and make them self sustaining. With this kind of track record any involvment of the federal government in our healthcare is a scary issue as they are talking 900 Billion to 1.5 Trillion dollars the “estimated” cost of Obamacare.

Baucus is obsessed with allaying Republican “fears”, yet he shows a total lack of regard about addressing the major concern of many Democrats, i.e., the need for a viable public option. And when the dust settles, the Republicans will still do everything in their power to kill ANY reform proposal.
Bend over Baucus — the GOP has something for you…

Medicare operates far more efficiently than the private for profit insurers and actually is concerned with patient care vs. profits. Medicare’s administrative expenses are less than 5%. For profit private insurers runs 18-30%. 70% of physicians want a public option. Are all you private is better advocates out there so much smarter than people actually in the system?

1 page bill – interstate insurance… its called the free market – competition will drive prices down. That would be reform and it would be done now. A complete over-hall will be too much, and quite honestly – the majority doesn’t want it nor would benefit (sorry).
Making a strong man weak does not make a weak man strong *Abe Lincoln

Why is ABC not covering the study reported in the New England Journal of medicine that an overwhelming majority of doctors (73%) support having a public option?
Simply put: The majority of doctors want the public option; the majority of the public want the public option. So the ones “getting between doctors and their patients” are, in fact, those who oppose the public option.

I think a public option will officially bankrupt the coffers sooner but not having one will mean nothing changes. People talk about competition for health care. why wont democratics alow compatishon for are phailed scools?

For those of you who oppose the Public Option, why aren’t you protesting outside of the insurance companies that are to blame for this mess. Infact why are we fighting among each other? I would love to raise hell outside of the insurance companies headquarters. Let’s start with United healthcare! The government shouldn’t have to do what the American people should have done long before this, and that’s demand justice straight from the source!. But of course it’s just easier to get side tracked fighting among each other. Personally I support a Public Option, but the government does have a history of screwing things up. Not the brightest folks in Washington the ones that could manage this undertaking all all work for the insurance companies! What a mess!

President Obama:
How dare you try to tell me and my family how to take care of our health! How dare you insult the American Medical Profession, without a doubt the finest in the world! You are an ACORN idiot who Knows Nothing about health care. I am a doctor and I think you are crazy: You are driven by three complimentary delusions: America is a racist country. This Lie has been promoted for decades to justify all manner of scams and it is time that the American people denounce this Lie and stop being courteous, polite, and deferential to it. They need to state emphatically when the claim is made, “I’m not listening to this insane BS anymore!” (2)The Medical profession in America is a bunch of money grubbing heartless elitists who have been so guilty of refusing care to poor Americans that they hardly have time to work in all the necessary fraud, waste and abuse. This is a Blatant lie but it is repeated enough with the usual liberal BS language (“overhaul,” “reform,” broken,” “unsustainable,”) to prevent its being condemned on its face; thus you have gained some traction with it. This is despicable. (3) Your mind has absorbed these two lies to justify your Megalomania, your appalling eagerness to steal the Freedom and Liberty Americans know they have for your own self-aggrandizement. It is only through the media’s desperate need to recruit the Insane as raw material for their star-making machinery that you have progressed as you have. I am going to do everything in my power to see to it that you fail in every way.

How many realize that when medicare was first put into place the projected cost by 1990 was only $10 Billion but the actual amount was $80 Billion????? If you think this guy is going to bend the cost curve, you’re clueless. The total cost of this plan will be $9 TRILLION over the next ten years and there is no money to pay for it.

If we normal, working, taxpaying Americans can hold off the rats from turning America into a Euro-style socialist welfare state, a cesspool of mediocrity, for just another year, hopefully we can reestablish a Senate firewall until we can dump Ubama in 2012.

Today, September 15, 2009, 3 minutes ago | Hope01
For those of you who oppose the Public Option, why aren’t you protesting outside of the insurance companies that are to blame for this mess. Infact why are we fighting among each other? I would love to raise hell outside of the insurance companies headquarters. Let’s start with United healthcare!
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It is very likely that many of the people posting here, who are opposed to health care, are working for United Healthcare, other health Insurance Companies…right now! They are being paid to put their posts up, whereas the rest of us for Health Care Reform are doing it on our own time. How enthusiastic would you be tonight if you were getting a good salary for every word you typed?
But, this is an advantage a private or public company has in an unregulated capitalistic economy. They can take a small amount of the ‘Profit’ (your money that is paid through premiums) and spend it to try and convince you to vote against your own interests! What a country!

I agree with “voice of reason” and “High5″ comments above but I want to add that there is one thing we Americans should agree on: we do want to seek and establish the best for each one of us! (We all want to be taken care for on the matter of health!). However, it needs to be done is costless incremental steps for now. Healthcare/Research is a very labor based system with workers that have a high levels of (continous) training with expectations of high income in return. Government thinking they can manage & legislate a system that even health corporations have a tough time managing (cost-profit & quality ratios) and trial lawyers, con-artists, human errors, and non-americans (for good or bad) also contributes to the costs of health care.

Rockefeller is a Globalist and NWO proponent. Any bill that earns his stamp of approval is one that will undoubtedly be used to extract money and freedom from the general population. Support him, and you support the end of freedom.

Posted by: Freddie | Sep 15, 2009 10:50:18 PM
Obama – stealing money away from the elderly to give to the criminals at ACORN. Hey when is ABC/Disney going to do a story on ACORN?
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We’ve all heard the phrase ‘’One Track Mind’ (with respect to rational but repetitive circular thinking). Well, in light of the above and other ACORN posts here and the recent history, the fringe-right-wing takes that to a whole new level…the ‘Irrational Paranoid One Track Mind’
Question?…Answer!
What is the answer to the health care mess?…Well, I think you need to look at ACORN!
But, what does that have to do with Health Care?…Well, it’s them that are causing all these problems!
How?…Well, because they steal money away from the elderly to give to the criminals at ACORN!
Ok, forget health care, what do you think about the problems with Wall Street?…Well, again, I think you need to look at ACORN!
But, what does that have to do with Wall Street or Health Care?…Well, it’s them that are causing all these problems!
What?…Yes, they’re liars, cheaters, committing unlawful acts, such as child prostitution, tax cheating!
.
.
.

How about REAL power to the people?
Require our employers to give US the money WE EARNED that they are spending on our “health benefits”, then let US choose the provider and plan WE want.
(And give us those deductions you’re giving big business and big labor to encourage them to spend OUR money giving us INFERIOR insurance that only benefits the bosses… labor or business.)
You can’t seriously believe that putting the government AND our employers between us and our insurance provider will make things more efficient, do you? …are you surprised the insurnace companies provide poor services for the beneficiaries when it is our EMPLOYERS who pay the bills, not us?
And I guess I need not mention that it is idiotic to tell us we can keep the plan we have, when it is the DECISION OF OUR EMPLOYER which benefits we get from which provider.
…another great promise from our President who knows nothing about anything but continues making nice sounding promises that cannot possibly be delivered upon.

I’m glad you want your health care in the hands of the private insurance companies. When you get laid off and you have no coverage or when they deny your claim– how about when the disallow your coverage because of a pre-existing condition–better yet when you go bankrupt because you don’t have enough coverage and you do have cancer, who will you turn to? Please can any of you explain why you’re so angry about people being treated with dignity and respect?
There are 40million Americans that are uninsured– how do you propose to solve the problem?

Millions of taxpayer dollars goes to ACORN to pay for fraudulent housing loans for pimps and prostitutes – and who knows what other illegal activities they are involved in.
No wonder Americans don’t trust Obama – he came from ACORN where he was a lawyer and community organizer!

Wow!
As for Baucus, he is a good example of why committee chairs should be voted on in secret ballot by the Dem. caucus.
He is such a tool!

So Senator B. writes a bill to please the republicans but can’t get any Rs to vote with him and needs all the Ds to vote for his Republican bill to get it passed the Committee. I’ve heard of Mickey Mouse politics, but never Alice in Wonderland politics. This bill has one goal, to give Sen. B cover in Montana. He’s what Teddy used to call ‘a pale refelction of the opposition’– a Pink DemoPublican. Since the R’s are intent on mimicing Groucho’s “Whatever it is, I’m against it” routine, time to move forward w/o them beofre it’s too late.

“can you name a single govt. program that is solvent and run well and that you would choose over the private equivalent?”
Highway Department?
Police Department?
Fire Department?
The first rule in regaining the democracy is to raise well educated youngsters who are good at critical thought, and don’t follow Rush and Beck like sheep, who shall, I am relieved to say, eventually replace this ignorant mob.

If you believe in the public option, it’s time for you to also support a 90% tax on all leftists with an income including welfare. Then we’ll talk.

Wow. You mean Democrats aren’t lockstep rubber-stampers who consistently vote against the best interests of their own constituents? Why can’t they be more like Republicans?

I sure wish I could get a current comparison of $’s contributed by Medical Related Contributors to Senators and thier position on the Public Option??? I think I already know what it will show

48% of American’s voted for Palin to be a heartbeat away from the presidency. That should explain some of the comments here.

Obama himself admits that Medicare and Social Security are going bankrupt and they are GOVERNMENT RUN!! Hello….Put 2 and 2 together. I guess the government will magically start running a program that will actually do what it is meant to do and not go bankrupt. Not likely. A second grader would understand that.

To Voice of Reason: Heres a gov’t program that works and one that’s all to apparent ..the Military!!!

Oregon is proud of Ron Wyden for showing some guts.
Go, Jay. Go, Ron.

Democrats, I have one word for you: RECONCILIATION.

Today, September 15, 2009, 1 minute ago | wmorrison
we must have the public option, period.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What happens when the 3 main aspects of Health Insurance Reform easily pass without the public Option?
1) The Health Insurance Industry pool will have many more unhealthy people,
2) payouts will go through the roof, and
3) the insurance companies will increase the rates for all people in order to maintain their ‘Profit Margin’. Then, a public option will look much more desirable…down line.
But, that is OK with Republicans as a ‘Plan B’. Why? Because after rates skyrocket,
1) they will attack the President and the Democratic Party claiming that they caused this increase in rates,
2) they gain seats in the upcoming elections, and
3) they repeal Health Insurance Reform with a majority…down line! We will then be back to ‘square one’…Nirvana for the Health Insurance Industry and the Republican Party.
A competitive option (preferably public) is an absolute must for the Democrats to avoid disaster in the next two election!! It is the only way to reign in the ‘Profit’ and ‘Corporate Greed’.

I would be willing to be the vast majority of people that are against the “public option” already have health care. Don’t be too smug, you could be rationed or maxed out any day by your private insurer. The public option is not intended for the insured, and larger employers will be penalized if they drop coverage. Let me ask you all a very simple question…. When an uninsured person goes to the emergency room and then does not pay the bill, who do you think covers those costs?

Just some questions for the “public option” supporters: 1) How will the government “cut costs” by insuring 40 million more people, not rationing procedures and not denying applicants (as Oama states)? 2) If all of the money to fund this could come from cleaning up the fraud and waste in Medicare why has the governement cleaned up the faud and waste yet?

Jeff Y – Please answer with some numbers as it will help some of us against Obamacare better understand what your expectations are.

Just because people disagree with the President’s plan, doesn’t mean they are racist!

Why don’t you just throw some money around, Jay? That’s what your family is good for, isn’t it?

Did someone just point to France’s healthcare as being best in the world?!?!? In 2003 France let 14,802 people die in one summer due to the heat and the fact that France does not have the ambulatory system to get to the old and infirmed that were the victims of this disaster. Basically the health care is great, if you can get it!!!! That is the problem with any state run and rationed system…Oh yeah the poster forot to metion that everyone is tax at 20% of their gross pay in France just to fund this healthcare system. So just tack another 20% off your gross pay if you want a system like Frances’ to not be able to get to you when needed. How naive are some that post here?

Today, September 15, 2009, 9:29:26 PM | Regular Guy
Just some questions for the “public option” supporters: 1) How will the government “cut costs” by insuring 40 million more people, not rationing procedures and not denying applicants (as Oama states)? 2) If all of the money to fund this could come from cleaning up the fraud and waste in Medicare why has the governement cleaned up the faud and waste yet?
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The answer is to (1) follows:
1) It is not 40 million ‘more’ people, but rather about 17 million ‘more’. It will start with 5-10 million many whom (those without insurance) use the emergency rooms now. You and I that are insured pay for their free care now through higher medical bills (the doctors and hospitals simply increase their rates for everything in order to cover that ‘goodwill’ cost). Many will choose to stay with their insurance company until they are certain (via news and friends) they will get a better deal (either in service or cost) from the public option.
2) The insurance companies will be forced to reduce premiums to compete with the ‘non-profit’ government plan. Boy, they really hate this aspect!
3) At some point a balance is struck between services and cost. Some people (especially those with the financial means) will prefer their private and public insurance due to better service. Others (mostly poorer people) will prefer to save the money and opt for the public option.
The answer to (2) is: because the federal government is swamped trying to clean up the fraud, corruption, and waste in the stock market and public and private companies!

I’m not left or right. Usually I sit and watch politics. But this idiot obama even has me fired up!

turn the TV off!

Baucus’s plan is like no plan at all.I still don’t see a reason for insurance providers,all they are to me is middlemen or bookies if you will.A tax designed for healthcare would be less expensive for everyone and every citizen would have healthcare.There would be no more filling the pockets of someone who cares less if you live or die.

the problem with capitalism is that the very few want all the money and don’t want to share any of it. they think they earned it all…all by themselves.

I love Capitalism and I hate Socialism, so I guess I’m a right wing hater. Proud of it. I hate it when liberal Democrats try and destroy America with their Health Care Bill which is about more control and more power for the government over the people. It is not really about Health Care for the people. It’s about power. They know a National Health Care system wont work. They aren’t stupid. They see it’s failure in Canada and England. They dont care. They want the power derived from a National Health Care system. Obama is a Socialist. And his Democrat zombies would follow him to their slaughter.

I agree. The Baucus bill is Dead on Arrival. Time to move to reconciliation strategy with the other bills. Let the Republicans cry into their soup.

I’m a neoconservative, but I must stand up for Obama on this issue. The public option doesn’t stand a chance, because the blue dog democrats will vote against it. I’m starting to think Obama is not the leftist he campaigned as.
On a side note, I’m very pleased with Obama on his strong stance on the war on terror. I thought he would capitulate and withdraw the troops from Afghanistan and Iraq, but he beefed up and expanded both wars. He understands that we must defeat terrorism worldwide.

Socialism doesn’t offer good health care. Those countries who provide the best public health care in the world are mostly wealthy democratic countries. US ranked 37th, a little bit better than Cuba, which is a real socialist country.

I think it is so funny how Harry Reid came out today and said he was going to use the “nuclear option”. He can not even muster up enough votes in his own party to get to the 60 needed to pass this mess of a bill. Now he is using a procedure that is not commonly used for this sort of thing to try to ram this “Government Health Care Plan” down our throats!

Is is no secret that Rockefeller does not have good intentions for this country. Support for national socialized medicine is NOT American. We must ensure that our elected officials not only believe in, but firmly uphold, defend and protect our precious Constitution. Sadly, it is my belief that these representatives are fewer in number today than ever before.
Please download and print the ’5 Pledges to Congress’. Distribute to every one of your representatives. If their unwillingness to sign a pledge to uphold the Constitution or their voting record is such that defies the Constitution …they’re OUT!
Download & Print here: http://www.INorOUT2010.com
THANK YOU AMERICA

Without a public option, the health reform bill will REQUIRE the purchase of insurance from the for-profit vultures, and there will be no competition or incentive for them to lower their rates.
As it is now, Baucus’ bill is worse than nothing and will be a giveaway to private companies with our lives in their hands.
The dems have wasted their chance to do something to benefit this and future generations…because some are more worried about the next election than the health and welfare of the American people. Shame.

Up or down vote is the only solution.

Today, September 15, 2009, 10:07:12 PM | Regular Guy
….
1)The overwhelming cost is not those showing up in emergency rooms, as a matter of fact most states already have funds that finance those costs. The overwhelming costs to the current system are the chronically ill and new therapies. Did you know that the US is responsible for 90% of the worlds newest medical techniques and therapies?
2) A “non-profit” government plan is just another term used for taxpayer financed, which would not be a problem (for me) if rationing was not inevitable. Why the aversion to creating a state “pooled” privately funded system so as to provide healthcare in a way that won’t burden taxpayers? Why not repealing federal laws that stop health insurance companies from insuring out of state residents to create more competition?
3) Saying governement is too busy cleaning up private corruption is just silly as these public companies were “regulated” by the governement (SEC) who was asleep at the switch. With the way the federal government has mishandled Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, The SEC and Social Security on what basis do you have confidance the governement could managed healthcare effectively?
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1a) The states will reap a benefit when they no longer have to pay for as many people -> state taxes go down. 1b) The Health Insurance Companies will now have to pay for their fair portion of the costs associated with “chronically ill”. New therapies will be equivalent in either plan. 1c) “Profit’ can be used to do wonderful things…but at the cost of human suffering.
2a) If it morphs into a complete government system, competition will be stifled and ‘rationing’ will ultimately result. If there is no government competition, the current form of ‘rationing’ would continue to get worse. 2b) I’m not averse to a “pooled private system if it is regulated and non-profit. 2c) laws should be repealed to allow cross-state competition IF protection exists to prevent monopolies from developing.
3a) Everyone knows well that the reason the SEC was ‘asleep at the switch’ was because of the pervasive ‘hands-off companies’ policy that reigned for so many year in this country. The SEC was purposefully made ‘impotent’ by the Republican free market philosophies and administration policies. The SEC is now learning to regulate again. It will take many years before they get up to where they used to be. It is the same as if you started to exercise after years of doing nothing. 3b) I have worked in private, public and government organizations during my life. It is my opinion that it is far easier to detect and prosecute fraud within a government organization because of all of the additional statutory regulations that they have to comply with. Also, temptation to commit fraud is substantially reduced because there is no ‘Profit Motive’. Additionally, companies have far more protection for ‘Privacy of Information’ than the government. The Freedom of Information Act does not apply to companies, but rather to the government. Because of all the check and balances, there really is no way to commit massive fraud (10s of trillions of dollars worth) as has been the case with the hundreds of the companies we know of.

Laughable. The arrogance of Baucus the Obtuse is amazing. The proposed 13% payroll tax spells D-O-A on the public option, may it rest in peace.

You poor fools. You already have rationed health care. Any time you have to see a particular doctor, or check if a doctor is in your network, that is rationed health care. Anytime you see that a particular treatment isn’t covered by you insurance, or a particular brand of medicine isn’t covered by your insurance, that is rationed health care.
Here’s the cherry on top: we have health-care rationing of the worst kind in this country. The wealthiest 1% get almost everything covered by their insurance: their botox, their boob jobs, their nose jobs. And they stare down those perfect noses at the rest of us (small business owners) who have to pay $5,000 out of pocket before our insurance even kicks in. And we’re even fortunate for having that much! 20% of people don’t even have health insurance!
Now THAT is health care rationing. The time to act is now, don’t let these rich folks dupe the rest of us.

Racist on both sides and of all colors.
More racists are Democrat than Republican. Do the math – add rich white Democrats and pretty much all the back and brown skin people.
Compare that to poor pink folks and white folks that live in non rich areas.

Charlie Gibson, news anchor, knows nothing about any story involving ACORN!!! – or maybe he was doing his impression of Col. Klink.

To those who are against a public option, I address you directly:
I have insurance and the insurance industry IS between me and my doctor.
The Robert Wood Johnson surveyed physicians last week: Over 60% want a public option. Another 10% single-payer. Who supports the status quo? The insurance industry and those who have been scared into thinking access for all will mean less.
Look around the world, how is it that we are THE ONLY first-world country without healthcare for all? Many nations across Europe and Asia use a mix of private and public and IT WORKS.
CBO says approx 5% of Americans would enroll in a public option. 5%! Think for yourselves, and put your country first – healthcare for all.

mirek_nyc how do you define fascism? I earned a minor in PoliSci and am always curious. Wiki is a living document edited by users, so I would no use it as a fully credit reference as I have found revisionist invasions rampant.
ALL fascist’s (Peron, Pinochet, Suharo, Mussolini, Hussein, etc.) were socialist. Why? They (fascists) completely reject individualism, capitalism, and communism (while some evolve or have that ideology as a backdrop); basic requisites of the fascist state. Show me a fascist state that EVER existed using a capitalist economic system. It doesn’t exist!

Public option… the government decides what healthcare will be available and sets premiums up to 20% less than what the private insurance companies charge. People flock to the lower cost government option (even though less services will be available, with longer lines to get them). We the people are stuck with a program that does not pay for itself and fails to deliver adequate healthcare, and the private insurance companies go out of business. Can you spell d-i-s-a-s-t-e-r?

Let’s put Acorn in charge of the public option!

“Yeah, don’t let the racist right wing hate machine win.”
Well now that you have pidgeon holed white people maybe you would like to learn the real meaning of racism. Because someone doesnt embrace the Obama plan doesnt make them a racist.Maybe you would be more comfortable in Venezuela where the government stiffles decent…better yet, wait 3 years and it will be like that here in America.

Posted by High5: You can’t add millions of people onto the health care rolls without increasing costs and/or decreasing service (. . . you only need half a brain to get that one).
Very well said… plus how can you afford to buy health insurance and bypass that nice 3800 fee for not having insurance if you don’t have a JOB.

When’s ABC going to cover and report on ACORN’s latest criminal activity???
Several videos showing ACORN conspiring to help set up brothels of child prostitution with illegal aliens in several major cities, the Senate votes to cut all funding for Obama’s former employer and favorite community organization group and the U.S. Census cuts ties with ACORN helping with it’s 2010 count… ALL within the last week and ABC News is SILENT???
Report on ACORN!!! Quit burying the real news and hiding it from your viewers! THIS is why people no longer trust what you report!

We need health care for citizen in this country. This is one area no one needs to profit from. Our health care workers are entitled to a fair wage for their vital services, but no corporation deserves profit from our health care. We should outlaw the private health insurance industry completely. They perform no services required to provide care to Americans. If we all contribute our fair share to a public health plan we will save greatly compared to the current system. The profit taken by the health insurance industry is money we are currently giving up, money that could instead be used to provide the health services we actually need. I am proud to be an American, and I want only to improve the already great quality of life we enjoy. We must strive to improve our country, perfection is not possible, but we can be excellent in this world. Thank you all for thoughts and time.

No surprise that Senator Baucus comes out with a watered down health care reform bill without a public option that heavily favors the right wing and the health insurance industry. Afterall, he has received over $3.5 million dollars from the health insurance industry for his campaign and he had anti-reform lobbyist draft his proposed bill. Way to go, Senator Baucus, always looking after those who got you elected.

There you guys go trying to rewrite history.
“Wow, you don’t know that dodd and frank forced fnm to provide sub-prime loans?”
Forced Bush? Don’t think so. Ever hear of Foreclosure Phil? Besides sub prime loans are a straw-man argument – If neo-Cons hadn’t sold us out to China/India and sold us the crusade to Iraq we would have had a “real” strong economy (not Wall St) and these loans would have been affordable if they hadn’t pulled the plug on loans while saying the economy was “just fine”. The problem was IRAQ and DERVATIVES, Wall St’s casino – open your eyes.
“You don’t know that Bush bowed to the prerogatives of the lame-brain mayor of NO and the gov of LA?”
3 days before Katrina hit while he was strumming w/ McCain? Bush must have been the true bipartisan president. Just like he didn’t listen to warnings about Al Qaeda before 9/11? What about the rest of the Gulf Coast? At least Republican Lott got to rebuild his mansion.
“You don’t know that those people were stuck in the dome because they were stuck on the lib plantation? Only a useful idiot drew the wrong lessons from katrina. sad that we now have to argue over my hard earned money according to your lame-brain “reason”.”
You act like the victim and blame the victim. UNBELIEVABLE! Get over it – Obama WON! Independents and reasonable Republicans voted by using REASON.

“President Obama:
How dare you try to tell me and my family how to take care of our health!…”
Because he’s the President and we’re still a DEMOCRACY and majority voted for him?

Sept 15 2009
Here’s the nitty gritty — Congressional Reps and Senators either party who vote for the Health Care Bill will get voters working for their defeat in the next election no matter the year, no matter their party.
The people in DC on 9/12 plus those of a same mind who were at home do not want government run health care.
Only the Admin and legislators want government run health care.
The people, who are voters, do not want government run healthcare.
The handwriting is on the wall.

you voted for change: Didn’t you hear, USA is socialist now. You think healthcare is expensive now, just wait until it is FREE! Work hard so you don’t have to.

I agree!
Health care reform without at least a public “option” will be meaningless.
The Medicare plan using the options of
HMO’s (Blue Cross and Humanna Gold) works great.. why not use that paln?
Private insurance companies will continue to bleed us dry financially and leave us to die by refusing to cover us.

Hmmm… Rockefeller (Dem) is busting on Baucus (Dem)? Yep! Those darned racist, right wingnut conservatives are the only thing stopping the President’s reform.

Hey Rockefella.. how many homes do YOU have btw? how can an arrogant elitist born into money lo$er like you claim to represent the average American. Go away

Democrats “are being asked to support a bipartisan bill that doesn’t have bipartisan support.”
This is an interesting and true comment. The only thing I have heard from the right has been misinformation and calls to kill the bill, yet Democrats are being forced to work towards the center, while Republicans remain to the right of center, and won’t budge.
In order to succeed, either Democrats need to solidify and agree to overcome any vote requirements, or republicans need to move more towards center and appease the majority (which was elected by the people for the people)…
These notions that Fox News propagates, stating they represent the majority is ridiculous. They represent a portion of the American population, but taking into consideration the political makeup of the nation, especially results from the previous election, Republicans do not represent a majority.

“J” Wants it, let “J” pay for it. Isn’t it interesting that the left is more than ready to spend anyone’s money except their own.
I’m old. Whatever they do will not really effect me. All they are doing is screwing everyone under seventy. Why not pay for basic medical out of pocket? Why not a basic deductable of $1000 or $5000? Why not more medical students? Why not more nurses? Why not tort reform? Nope, we need more lawyers.

ObamaCare = Socialized medicine

ObamaCare = Increased deficits

ObamaCare = Welfare for the lazy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Most of the “tea party” protesters make very clear that they are neither Republican nor Democrat.
It is BOTH parties that is the problem.
BOTH parties keep making bigger government, more spending, and higher taxes.
~~~~
So let’s get down to basics…
The “Tea Party” supports first and foremost:
Smaller Government.
Fiscal Responsibility.
Free Market.
Yes, that includes the Bush bailouts and the war spending.
All these people are TRYING to do is get outside of the two party box.
~~~~
Obama?
I had hopes for change but all I see is more of the same crap.
Spend Spend Spend!!!
Make government BIGGER.
2 Wars?
We are still there!
(And not leaving soon you can bet)
Gitmo?
Ditto.
Meet the new boss.
Same as the old boss.
Don’t give me that Buuuuut Bush crap.
THEY BOTH SUCK.
We need more than a change in the figurehead.
We need to topple and reset the playing board.
~~~~~~~~~~~
You have an issue with people who want Smaller Government,
Fiscal Responsibility, and a Free Market based economic system?
Then you are part of the problem.
You are a supporter of the two party establishment.
You are in the way; step off.
~~~~
The really funny thing is that the liberals and conservatives both agree that government and its spending is too big.
So can we not try and move beyond this hate and name calling to join together against a common foe?
Both parties need to be reformed.
The list of politicians that are frauds, cheats, liars, and immoral slobs is HUGE for either party!
Both parties need to be scrapped.
~~~
So delete the name calling and TRY and agree that the path this country is on needs to change.
China is about to clean our clock and we need a better plan.
Time is running out.

Did I mention? ACORN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sign me up for the “public” option, right after the Senators, Congress and the rest of the Federal Employees sign up. Until they discuss “ALL” Americans are on the same plan, don’t ask me for another dime. Put that in your cap and trade it.

What don’t you people get?!?
The socialized medicine experiment DID NOT work in Massachusetts! and shall we take an honest look at Cali? Let’s see, how’s their debt situation these days? What ever happened to wanting “quality” of care over “quantity”? Robbing medicaid and medicare to “fund” a “public option” plan? Do the math people!

Apparently there are still a few Americans that aren’t ready to turn this country into the USSA. AT least not yet.

If everyone would relax and just sit back and take a look at all the other goverment programs first. There is medicare which is full of fraud and overcharges. Oh, lets not forget social security which is almost broke and for goodness sakes the goverment can not even deliver the mail right. Everyone wants healthcare reform, no question about it, but having goverment involvement would be disastrous. Just look at the history of goverment run programs. Think about it.
Concerned Citizen

Hmmm….been to the post office,the DMV,traveled on Amtrack..oh yeah the government running health care…great idea!!……….Inept…always over budget…and never productive!

It is getting really silly to call everyone who disagrees with Obama a rasict. I found humor in it at first and expected it from the usual idiots, but now it is old. I do not like Obama’s politics. I do not like Carter calling me a racist.

Give us your slant on ACORN. Come on, you can do it.

Does this make Jay Rockefeller a racist?
Why I think it does according to recent events. Disagreement = Racism. Right?

Huh? Rockefeller and Wyden are racists too? ROFL!

The public option should never ever be considered.. The government has no business in the insurance business. This work if ever passed will have so much unintended consequences. Seriously republicans and democrats need to get their noses out of this entirely.

How about dropping this contentious legislation for a while and moving on to “ITS THE ECONOMY STUPID!” I, for one, am fed up with the entire argument.
As in previous comments I too wonder ABC. Where is your ACORN coverage?

Keep going, demos. November 2010 is coming. jimmy carter running his mouth again, keep going demos. Gawd I love free speech. Let them talk. Any criticism of obamanation is racism. ANY. If you THINK anything negative, you must be a racist. Disagree with a black man or woman? Yup, you must be a racist. It explains everything. Keep going, demos. November 2010 brothers and sisters!

Thanks Jay for your stand. We must have a public option if this stupid Health Reform is ever passed.

Let me get this straight… I can be perfectly healthy and, say, for the purpose of example, that I will NEVER have any really serious health problems, (=high cost), as is TRUE for the MAJORITY of citizens BUT, under Obamacare, if I refuse to get health ~insurance~ I will be FINED via the IRS in clear violation of the Constitution Article 1, section 8 that does NOT list ‘health care’ or ‘health insurance’ within the enumerated items of ‘general welfare’.
So if I then do not PAY the IRS that fine then jack booted thugs eventually show up at my house to try to take it away. If I then attempt to exercise my 2nd Amendment right to remain FREE on the basis of my 4th Amendment that guarantees my RIGHT to be secure in my own house – they will either set it on fire like Janet did to the Branch Davidians or just shoot me DEAD – in the name of ‘Obamacare’. Some health plan huh?
Socialism is UN-AMERICAN! Obamacare is UN-AMERICAN! “Too Big to Fail” is UN-AMERICAN! Having government DICTATE whose science is to be accepted and whose is not – is not only UN-AMERICAN but exactly what the Roman Catholic Church did in the 14th century. Recall that the RCC eventually resorted to the Grand Inquisition to force people to OBEY them. How long before they start arresting people for demanding some actual PROOF that human CO2 causes global warming?
Got FREEDOM?
Smooth talking Obama is a STINKING RADICAL SOCIALIST – IMPEACH HIM!

Jay Rockefeller u will loose in the end.

The debate is furiously missing the main point: one side says insurance companies bleed us dry, the other side says a government insurance will bankrupt us and have death panels. Hmm… well, maybe everyone can wake up and realize the problem is INSURANCE itself. Why do you need insurance for a half hour checkup? Insurance should be exactly that: for catastrophic or extensive hospital stays. NOT for general practicioners. GET GOVERNMENT AND INSURANCE OUT!

I have supported and been pround to be a democrat… No more. My uncle was mayor in Pa. For a total of 12 years (democrat). Back then I was proud of thY party!!! What is going on???? A major news outfit NOT reporting acorn criminal behavior!!!! Shame on them!! How do they sleep at nite????? I really am scared of what or who is Scaring you!!! I was a big fan of abc!! This is a sad day for our great country!!

Page 5 of this bill states that those with pre-existing conditions will, after one year, be able to buy in to a high risk pool which is going to be enormously expensive. Pages 25-27 talk about how abortion will not be covered in a the plan with the most minimal coverage (known as the Bronze Pal, the lowest coverage package on the tier) but it will be a benefit on a higher tiered plan such as the Silver, Gold or Platinum plans. Nice. Pages 27-30 talk about the mandate for ALL people to buy the minimal coverage required which could be up to $6000.00 per year. Now how is anyone making $30-$50k a year going to afford that? The government says they will decide what you can and cannot afford and they will penalize you up to $3800 for not getting insurance deemed acceptable by the government. I don’t see how this is fair or constitutionally acceptable and this is just the first 30 pages in a 233 page bill.

America, you are being played for a fool.
Healthcare can be fixed easily. Let health insurers sell in all 50 states. The cost WILL come down. Yes, as much as our Congress does not want to mention this (because most are lawyers) tort reform is a must. If you do not have a job a low cost rate be applied and make it mandatory all those with a pre-existing condition be insured at regular rates. The only reason our existing healthcare is a mess is because of government.
The reason Dems want healthcare taken over by Government is because of more control of our lives and jobs. Healthcare is a huge portion of our GDP.

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the Government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.
Thomas Jefferson

How about explaining why Senator Rockefeller opposes Baucus’s health care bill. In case you wanted to know its because it creates a huge tax on the middle class.

That Jay would insist on the public option should be no great surprise to anybody especially given his last name. The Rockefeller family and other elitists have been architects of the rebirth of feudalism under the guise of socialism and liberalism for some time now. Certainly they stand to benefit most by a resurgence of a feudalist system. Further eroding individual self-reliance with these “public” services is just one technique being employed to create a nation filled with serfs, and what does Jay care so long as the Rockefellers are the lords?

Dems had better get off this racial thing. It will blow up in their face. They are so wrong. They are desperate to find something.

The problem with the Democrats is a lack of guts. They have full control of the Senate, the House and the White House.
They want to give the “professional voters” a freebie, but don’t want to face the political fallout that will accompany passage of this bill.
The problem isn’t with Republicans. It is all about Democrats.

I really question the rationale behind a lot of the comments being made here. Those opposed to “socialism.” — Just say what you mean: you don’t want YOUR money going to those “other people.” Well guess what? Unless you’re in the top 1% of earners in this country, then for all intents and purposes you ARE one of those “other people.” Wake up. You can’t stomach the thought of throwing money at a health plan that would better the majority of the lives of men, women, and children in this country – yet throwing around even more money to indiscriminately drop bombs on innocent men, women, and children in Iraq you’re cool with. That really makes sense. And ACORN? Really? THAT’S what you’re all up in arms about? Personally, I’m a little more angered at my money being used to bail out to Wall St, AIG, Goldman Sachs, etc. That’s serious money (unlike ACORN money) that affects all of us. And it ain’t coming back. Better health care. You’re against it. How dumb. I’ll never understand the mindset of a group of people so easily able to vote/act against their own interests. I’d simply pity you if it wasn’t for the fact that your idiotic ignorance affects me and my family.

Does Mr. Stephanopoulos still participate in almost daily Democratic Party strategy conference calls with people like Rahm Emmanuel?
Does anyone else see the inherent conflict of interest the chief political correspondant still actively working for one of the major parties might present?

George,
Where is the coverage on the ACORN scandal?
Now that Stoessel, the last possible Republican, has been sent to “Faux Noise”, I am fairly certain that the actions of the criminal wing of the Democratic Party won’t see much air time.
If Jake Tapper doesn’t watch himself, he’ll be exiled from ABC as well, I suspect.

Emg: Excellent post with meaningful illustrations. I guess you will be the next “racist”.

Wow, moderators are quick eliminating any reference to ABC News conflicts of interest re: Mr. Stephanopoulos still being an active strategist for the Democratic Party.
Free speech for me, but not for thee, the rallying cry of the liberal…

When government fears the people there is Liberty,When people fears the government there is Tyranny.Thomas Jefferson 1743-1926

The takeover of health care is a Trojan horse to unionize the health care industry. This has nothing to do with caring for the uninsured, and everything to do with “uniting” the workers of the world under the strong arm of union thugs. Wake up. Remember what Karl Marx said “workers of the world unite”. Its a way of micromanaging and giving money and power to unions. Wake up, we are tumbling into communism…wake up!! Do some research and learn from history.

The corrupt democrats are pushing an issue that will defeat them in the next election.
They are like a boater that keeps drilling more holes in the bottom of the boat to let the water out and they can’t figure out why it ain’t working!

The independent conservative loves individual freedom and responsiblility. Therefore, he hates the policies of the destroyer of these things; this marxist, this Obamination that is our “Dear Leader”, who is failing this country, and miserably.

People who know Joe Wilson say he is not a racist. It is the ones who do not know him are calling him a racist…very grade school like.

Take out the public option and this means nothing to the insurance industry. It will be business as usual, more raping of America. Why do you think they oppose it so strongly…maybe because it will cut into their obscene profits?

A government sponsored entity will ultimately do to the healthcare industry what Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac did to the mortgage industry. The politicians will not be able to keep their hands off it!

The volume of meaningless posts here should decrease dramatically in the coming weeks as ACORN closes its offices.

Relax liberals, the “co-op” is going to end up being the same thing as the public option anyway because noone knows what a health care “co-op” is since it doesn’t currently exist. It’s just sales packaging to try to get some senators to buy into a repackaged version of a public option.

I like how over half of this is supposed to be funded by cuts in government programs. Really?
When was the last time a government program was cut?

Where in the Constitution does it give the federal government the authority to require me to go out and buy heath insurance (or anything else for that matter) if I don’t want it?

The solution is simple….make the Health Care Plan MANDATORY for all politicians and their famlies …including the Prez and his gang of Czars( dufus’s)…and read the bill..aggressively address Tort Reform…and penalize all the slippery lawyers…95% of which donated to the Dems…I mean DUH…and hey, while you’re at it…..tell ABC to act like a real News Organization and shed light on ACORN…after all…that was OBAMA’s former CLIENT! largest one at that!

The number of U.S. medical school students going into primary care has dropped 51.8% since 1997, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Considering it takes 10 to 11 years to educate a doctor, the drying up of the pipeline is a big concern to health-care experts. The AAFP is predicting a shortage of 40,000 family physicians in 2020, when the demand is expected to spike.
“65%, of doctors say they oppose the proposed government expansion plan”
“360,000 out of the 800,000 currently practicing doctors (or 45%) would consider quitting if reform was passed.”
“More than seven in 10 doctors, or 71% — the most lopsided response in the poll — answered ‘no’ when asked if they believed “the government can cover 47 million more people and that it will cost less money and the quality of care will be better.”

I laugh at all the people calling each side names, because one side or the other has a position. Shows real awareness of how our system works…not
The system was designed to create debate and to ensure a very slow process so the passion of the day did not rule the future. Say NO to the National Socialist agenda.

I agree with Dave’s comment, that ABC needs to deal with the issue concerning ACORN. While some people who favor ACORN
want us to go away and leave it alone, saying that the exposes of ACORN personnel are not actual ACORN practices. BALONEY! The interviews were from New York to San fransico, and indicate a national problem, not just a few “bad apples”! And to think of the fact that Obama was their attorney, and still expresses support for the corrupt organization!!!! It seems to me that all of America are being taken for a ride that leads to horrific results! I keep asking myself, “What can be done? And what can I do?” And I am at a complete loss. Yet I will do my best as one man to alert people to this “national scam” tha hs already reachjed into the “TRILLIONS of dollars!

It must be a tight fit for Rockefeller being in the back pocket of the unions. May be Charlie Rangel can help him out if he’s short on re-election funds.

Don’t you lemmings get it? Barry KNOWS the public option health care will bankrupt this country. It is NOT about health care… it’s about bankrupting the country, bringing us to our knees and then rebuilding a communist government. That’s why the left lemmings are being told to call us racists…because there is NO ARGUMENT left!

Guess the Democratic Majority is shrinking fast…

What happens when the Docs all say the pay is to low and opt out and take cash only to see pts.

Even the liberal Democrats are bailing on this politicaly suicidal turkey. It must be because of the great right wing conspiracy. If only Obama had been a leader, not a (congressional) follower things might have turned out better. His facts and numbers simply don’t add up. Bleeting rasicm doesn’t change that.

On another site, a ‘Zikalasa’ wrote, and I think that the vast majority of this country agree:
“If this administration would stop and think instead of trying to cram some legislation down the throats of the American people just to say ‘it’s done’-
1. send the people in this country that are here ILLEGALLY back from whence they came – immediate relief to the system.
2. Relax restrictions on insurance companies so they can cross state lines – immediate increase in competition, thus better pricing.
3. work on tort reform legislation that is sorely needed – cap losses and loser pays for frivolous lawsuits.
4. work on making Medicare and Medicaid adjustments to be able to provide proper services for those already dependent on government for healthcare services. Show the American people you REALLY want to work on making our country a better place instead of constant rhetoric.”

What I am really hearing is “I want to win re-election”. When it comes down to it these leaches could care less about us, it is all about them!.

>>
Now who is the “PARTY of NO” ?!?!
<<

“No Public Option, No Peace”
Why doesn’t Obama just declare a new war on conservitavism… If you don’t agree, we kill you.
Here’s an idea, why not provide incentive and tax credit to private companies to provide affordable healthcare for everyone.
We could have done this with cash for clunkers too. Why give $4500 dollars away from the people when you can give a tax credit of $4500 for each person instead.

All the current “public options” are broke. Why would we want another?
Most people only give someone enough rope to hang themselves once. Apparently liberals don’t mind giving government enough rope to hang the whole country a few times over.

The sheep are running around lost !

I was for a health care bill but when Max put out is a handout to the insurance companies. If this is what is going to come out of a “health care bill” then it’s time to scratch it and move on to closing the borders. Max should be fired immediately…3 million in donations from the health care industry to Max, his bill shows it well too

Good God Almighty !!
Does anybody cares !!
Why don’t the Demo admit failure and start over. This time make it mandatory for all American citizens (including Soro) turn over their paycheck(s) to the Fantasycare. Wake-up Demo, Acorn, SEIU, etc., etc., Nanny States don’t work. This is not the United States of the Socialist Republic– you know USSR!
We are…American !!

Good God Almighty !!
Hey!! Rudy and Dave don’t worry over ABCDisneywonderland. Turn on Foxnews, I see they’re doing an excellent reporting on those Acorn mafioso!! Remember a nuclear explosion FALL-OUT last for decades upon decades upon decades. We are…American !!

The Max Baucus bill is terrible. It will hurt medicare. All you people worrying about socialism, stop sending your children to public schools, send back your social security checks, don’t accept medicare and as a matter of fact stay off the highways. The rest of us who realize that some social programs have been around since the “founding fathers” and work very well in a capitalist system, however the plan propossed by Max Baucus is not one of them!

In my opinion, it is very sad that politicians continue to argue between parties.
I am a senior citizen who is covered by Medicare and a supplemental policy. What politicians seem to focus on is party affiliation rather than what is best for “the people.”
They agitate the public with a particular party affiliation and all of a sudden a concise is arrived at.
One thing I know for a fact, whatever my beliefs may be, my insurance premiums form the year have appreciated, my social security is not giving a “cost of living” increase and all I know is that my monthly costs will increase and my funds to cover these costs will not appreciate.
I do know that politics is a necessary evil, meaning that the only thing wrong with politics is the politicians. Could parties ever be impartial and really be mired in thoughts of their constituents rather than personal gain.
My thoughts is that the process has become ugly!!

I know “socialism” is a nice buzzword that people like to attack with, but maybe people need to take a closer look at the definition:
SOCIALISM
An economic system in which the production and distribution of goods are controlled substantially by the government rather than by private enterprise, and in which cooperation rather than competition guides economic activity. There are many varieties of socialism. Some socialists tolerate capitalism, as long as the government maintains the dominant influence over the economy; others insist on an abolition of private enterprise. All communists are socialists, but not all socialists are communists.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Notice the “rather than by private enterprise” and the “cooperation rather than competition” parts. A public option doesn’t fit that – a proposed public option would be a government-run choice which WOULD be in competition with private options, for most people.
It’s too bad people can’t step back from so much anger and simply realize the ultimate goal (which isn’t being acheived by *either* side) is to simply allow everyone to be healthy, period. I don’t think anyone would be against that. If you think about the goal of healthcare (not health INSURANCE,) it’s ultimately to keep people alive, healthy and safe. That’s not really too much different, when you strip it down, from what the police do. I don’t think many people would recommend we take away public-funded police protection.
I hope good things come out of this, and it’s just a beginning.
(And if we could stop all the knee-jerk name-calling of “socialism” and “racism,” that’d be a great start!)

Who financed Baucus’ last campaign

In a nationalized health care system, the government will have COMPLETE access to ALL of my medical records. Yet, OBAMA, has only submitted a one page, undated letter from his personal doctor since 1987…a Dr. Screiner… all of his other records have been sealed. Of course HE doesn’t have to follow ANY rules like us plebes…despite the fact that we support him. The Gov’t WILL NOT have access to my records. They don’t know, and they never will. You release yours Obama and let us read them. Then I may.

Apparently Switzerland has the best of the nations that have universal healthcare.
The downside is that it has a 33% copay, I suspect that is why it works!

An amendment introduced by Senator Bunning (R-KY) that required the health care reform bill and estimates of its costs to be available to the public 72 hours before the final vote in the Finance Committee was rejected by a vote of 11-12. This amendment would have given Senators and the American people the opportunity to analyze and understand what is being voted on by the Committee.
Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) introduced a modified version of the amendment, which passed on a party-line vote, that requires that only “conceptual” language (essentially a summary) and cost analysis be available at some point before the Finance Committee votes.
They are afraid for us to read it, we might find those things that supposedly “don’t mean what they say(?)”!

Health Care Reform is extremely unimportant. Our government should focus their efforts on the real problems we face today.
1. Unemployment
2. Lack of a meaningful oversight of ALL publicly traded companies
Remember President Kennedy? He said it best when he said “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what can you do for your country”.
Today the message being pushed is “the government should take care of you”. I hope that the majority of American people would rather the government get out of their life instead of trying to suck the life out of its citizens.

For all you people who talk about Marksism, Communism, KGB etc. you really don’t know what it is to live under those conditions. If you think we have it here…think again. If we were a Communist country, or Obama was a dictator..none of your rhetoric would be able to be printed and you would be in jail with no one knowing who or where you are. Be thankful you live in this country and stop talking about things you know nothing about. Do you think Hannity,Limbaugh and Beck would be allowed to spew the crap they do? No sir…so be thankful you are allowed to do this in our country…even if you are wrong.