GOP Robo Calls: Don’t Let Dems ‘Ram’ Health Care Through

Jonathan Cohn has some good advice for Dem lawmakers being targeted:
“…I hope these House members pay close attention to the ad–because it’s a vivid illustration of why changing votes is such a bad idea.
Just read that script again…That’s the ad conservatives will run against these members even if they change their votes. And it’s still devastating.
On the other hand, if reform passes, then these House members can defend themselves by pointing to the newly passed health care reform law, hyping virtues like the prohibition on pre-existing condition exclusions, and asking why opponents of the law want to repeal it. Plus, of course, the House members won’t look completely feckless for having spent a year debating a bill that never became law.”

Also, I urge Dems and supporters of health care reform to call their representatives, too. Call, don’t email. Don’t be afraid to be the squeaky wheel. Identify your zip code. And assure the rep’s intern that you’ll be pressuring the Senate as well. (Trust me, in some areas, that’s important.)

US postal service, Trade your clunker, now maybe cap and trade…..I can hardly wait to have Obama/Pelosi CARE…….

I understand that people are allowed to have their own opinions. That is one of the reasons why this is such a great country. However, people are not entitled to their own facts. Parts of this robocall are blatant lies. It should not be allowed to run.

Robo calls, television ads, anything they can do to stop this bill instead of working on it. It may not be perfect but it is a bill and we need it. Reps are lying when they say it will break us…what will break us is not having a bill. Insurance companies as we speak are raising fees by 39% in Calif. What is wrong with them? The people do want a bill but they have poisened and confused the public with people like Beck, Hannity and Limbaugh spewing such hatred and lies all day long. Unfortunately, for many that is all they know and make up their minds based on them. Instead, they should check the facts on Fact Check.Org. It will save money and provide some jobs. What is wrong with that? Instead of working together…republicans are doing all they can to stop this president. I hope he gets it and I hope he continues to stand up to them. Why should he trash a bill that so many worked on for a party who has refused to work with him since day one. Just like the stimulus…those who opposed it are standing up telling everyone look what I did for our state never mentioning it is stimulus money that did it. When this bill passes…they will do the same. Take credit for the few items Obama has included and take credit for the entire bill. To those republicans who are afraid to work with this president and there are some, I say be brave…God hates a coward. This is too important a bill to be intimidated like the governor of Florida. When the reps call the president..a communist, I say what is more communist than making people of your party fear you and take oaths to do as we say or your will be sanctioned. That sounds more like Hitler to me.

I absolutely HATE Robo calls and will donate $100 to the opposing party for each one I receive. Yes, that includes EITHER party. When you make one of these trash calls you are infringing on MY phone line that I pay for, not to mention my time.

Health care is not a “right”. Show me where in the Bill of Rights that it says all americans should have health care at the expense of others? And while you don’t pay a “premium” for the police and fire departments you do pay local taxes which are what funds these institutions. That is why nice
“rich” neighborhoods have better police and fire service.
I want health care reform, but not what the Dems are serving up in this bill. I’m all for removing the exemption from monopoly status that insurance companies have, and allowing insurance companies to compete across state lines. But I don’t want to pay for someone else’s health care. I pay enough in taxes as is. I’m not rich, but I have worked hard for what I have. I pay for my own private insurance (even though my employer offers insurance.) I have a “hospital plan” because I’m young and my family dosen’t get sick very often. Do I pay more when my kids get sick, yes. Do I mind, no.
As for not dying from the lack of a big screen tv, then why not have all the “poor” people make some hard choices and stop spending their money on crap they don’t need and get some insurance. I personally know someone who took their unemployment check and bought a tv with it. This is someone that is on all forms of welfare. I don’t own a big screen tv, but they do. Where is the justice in that?
America is fast becoming a country of whiners who want things given to them rather than the county of hard working people that made it what the greates country in the world.

Richard, Daniel frames the issue well earlier in this thread:
“I say pass healthcare reform. Do it; make it my right. Use reconciliation, whatever. It’s what I believe is the right thing to do for the American people.
Healthcare is a matter of protection and not a commodity.
It is a matter of pain and suffering of life and death. Many people die or suffer terrible pain for lack of adequate healthcare. No one dies for lack of a flat screen TV. Protection is a moral mission for the government but not for business.
Is police protection a commodity? Should one have to buy their police protection from competing security services? How about fire protection? Should the fire department only come save your house if you paid your premiums? Imagine how expensive it would be..”
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Also, health care is a right for prisoners in this country. Why shouldn’t it be a right for our hardworking, tax paying citizens? that doesn’t mean it’s “free” but it is a matter of security, safety and public health. It’s not a product, though we have allowed it to be packaged and chatted about as such. Wrongly, imho.

Health care isn’t a “right” for prisoners because the constitution says it is, but because we don’t allow them to seek it outside of their cell. It would be “cruel and unusual punishment” to not allow someone to seek medical treatment because you have them locked up in prison. I think most criminals would gladly trade their “healthcare” for their freedom. I would.
As for this statement:
“I say pass healthcare reform. Do it; make it my right. Use reconciliation, whatever. It’s what I believe is the right thing to do for the American people.”
Just because the people think something is their “right” doesn’t make it so. If it did, we would still have slavery in this country. When the goverment can start taking things from one and giving them to another simply because the recepient thinks it is their right we have moved into a tyranical society goverend not by logic, but by the masses. This is why we live in a republic, not a “democracy.”

Richard…get real..you are paying for those who have no health care now. If we get a bill you will not be paying for those very same people. They will have their own insurance. The costs of insurance premiums will continue to rise if the insurance companies are not handcuffed to a degree. No one want to keep them from making money but they sh ould not be allowed to throw someone off when they get sick after they have paid for insurance all along. Why do they think we bought insurance in the first place. They should not be able to make a 400% profit when everyone else is not making any profit. What is wrong with this picture? There is so many things wrong with this practice and this bill will prevent anyone from being thrown off their insurance plan. You are not paying for illegals..you are paying for all those who once had insurance and do not have it now because of costs. Emergency rooms are full of ordinary people white,black, hispanic waiting for care.The republicans are wrong when they say we have the best health care in the world. We are ranked 37th in the world. How is that having the best health care. The Senator/Congressman, etc,have the best care…we don’t. Obama wants us to have the same care they do and in the end we will all be saving.

Health care isn’t a “right” for prisoners because the constitution says it is, but because we don’t allow them to seek it outside of their cell. It would be “cruel and unusual punishment” to not allow someone to seek medical treatment
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And I believe it is a cruel and unusual community that doesn’t assure affordable health care for its hard working citizens, those with pre-existing conditions and so on.
There is a reason all other advanced and civilized nations have managed to address this issue, making health care more affordable for everyone in the process, and unshackling business from being the provider.

I think it is something to be REALLY scared of.

progressive mama said it all so well;
“Healthcare is a matter of protection and not a commodity.
It is a matter of pain and suffering of life and death. Many people die or suffer terrible pain for lack of adequate healthcare. No one dies for lack of a flat screen TV. Protection is a moral mission for the government but not for business.
Is police protection a commodity? Should one have to buy their police protection from competing security services? How about fire protection? Should the fire department only come save your house if you paid your premiums? Imagine how expensive it would be..”
This is what all of the other industrialized nations have realized. Affordable health care is just as necessary as fire and police protection to the the rights ” of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” that this country was founded on.

Daniel, I went back and read your entire entry. Thank you for taking the time to write it. I’ve copied and pasted it to show my college age sons.
It is the best reasoning as to why we need affordable health care for all, as well as strong regulations on banks and insurance companies, that I’ve ever read.
I love the Thomas Jefferson quote!

I would rather have no reform than this un-American travesty of a bill, which will cost everyone even more for care and won’t improve the system one bit.

We already have this health care reform in MA. It has given us the HIGHEST insurance premiums in the country. I caused costs to go UP, not down. Why would impose this horrible reform on the whole country?