If the President wonders why there's an "enthusiasm gap" on his side, here's a reality check for him:  nobody is going to fight for a deal when it's clear you've abandoned the public option.  Nobody's going to go out and fight for what will eventually be a giveaway to the insurance companies (mandating coverage for everybody but no REAL price controls).

Now that Obama has lost total control of the process, we're down in murk of opposing tv ads for so called health care reform. Most everyone has taken a position on HCR by now, so these ads are just making money for ad agencies (like the one Axelrod is involved with) and tv stations. These ads are just finger pointing and whining and of really no use to anyone.

FR: The ad refers to Obama's and Pelosi's "risky experiment" on health care, arguing that it will include "massive cuts" to Medicare.


Of all things, that one is true. Obama is proposing massive cuts to Medicare.

Isn't all this just Evil-Mongering?

Step 1) Start with the deportation of all illegal aliens in the US.

Step 2) Enact tort reform, malpractice liability caps and a loser-pays lawsuit system (like all the other industrialized countries have EXCEPT the US)

Step 3) Fix the massive multibillion dollar waste and fraud in the current Medicaid Medicare Social Security System and give stiff prison terms to those convicted of such fraud as a warning to others.

Try that for starters.

How about some jobs too Barack? Keep your promises.

16.3% unemployment and RISING !
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t12.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6ojBgTyA7I&

You can call it whatever you want, but the results will end up being the same. Government isn't going make anything "more fair" or cheaper. Anyone whose ever worked for a company that's contracted work thru another company whose doing work for the government knows you have to double and triple what you normally charge just to break even due to the hoops you have to jump thru. But control obsessed criminal liberal could care less. They see union protected jobs, and with every useless job they create they see at least 2-4 votes for them.  

These republicans have gotten so outrageous. It would be funny if they weren't so pathetic. I'm so glad we have Ed, Chris, Keith, and Rachel to help separate lies, and fiction to the confusion the Party of "No" brings to the masses.

Thanks Rachel for your basketball analogy. Who does Snake in the Grass-ly think he is that he can ask for 80 votes?
Sc*** the republicans because all thy can say is No.

Reconciliation
A strong Public Option is coming.

Let's just not do anything.  In a few more years, we'll run out of money to pay for all those old people to get their hip replacements.  Either I'll become a slave for their medical expenses, or we'll cut them out of the system and make them fend for themselves again

I support these ads.

How can you believe Obama? His track record for dissing every class of people in America speaks for himself. When 80% of those are happy with their health care, you don't change the whole program.

McCain was right when he said to open it up to all insurance companies in the country, instead of just going state to state, and a tweak here and there.

Obama wants to control the lives of the American people and they'll be damned if that's gonna happen.

Where oh where are the REPUBLICAN apologies for trying to scare the sh#t out of people early this year saying if we listen to OBAMMA we are falling off the cliff DOOM bad things will happen ask your RICH REPUBLICAN FRIENDS if they missed the stock market run we have been on ask them why they didnt see a 50% BULL MARKET  Cant they admit they are wrong wrong wrong if we had listened to them we would be in the midst of a DEPRESSION and they would be saying to pull yourself up by your bootstraps instead they now terrify old people with threats that thier GOVERMENT RUN HEALTHCARE will be affected if we help others ,it makes seniors seem so hypocritical in demanding socialised medicine for themselves but not others SAD SAD SAD anyone would listen to a republican I guess the silent MAJORITY is on the left not where NIXON used to look just wait you puckers till election time then we will see if americans like deadlocked partisan politics or a president who tries to work all ideas into a plan so we all work to accomlish our goals REPUCKERS SAY NO NO NO DEMS SAY YES WE CAN dont be a punk stand up to the BULLY REPUBLICANS SHOW HOW WE ELECTED CHANGE AND THEN STUFF IT RIGHT IN THIER CROW. BTW SERRIA has the greatest posts bashing those asses SHE IS GREAT

Nobody's going to go out and fight for what will eventually be a giveaway to the insurance companies (mandating coverage for everybody but no REAL price controls).

Average Joe (Sent Friday, August 21, 2009 10:58 AM)

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I haven't given up hope; neither should you.

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these ads are just making money for ad agencies (like the one Axelrod is involved with) and tv stations. These ads are just finger pointing and whining and of really no use to anyone.

Jason Betts, Texas (Sent Friday, August 21, 2009 10:59 AM)
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Hey Jason
You should be more concerned about your state since it has the worst rate in the nation.  Shouldn't you be more worried about how you will survive once your state secedes from the Union?

A reach out to my fellow lefties here… Msierra, Jawillie, NJ in particular this morning…

I know it’s frustrating as hell (mom! Feisty swore again) watching this play out.

Remember last August our President was all but written off by the chattering clowns! I remember all too vividly and it wasn’t pretty…

If you haven’t already… read ‘Renegade’ by Richard Wolff… great insight into the way our President thinks! Keep in mind President Obama is ALWAYS one step ahead of the pack.  He was during the campaign and he is now… all this bipartisan BS is nothing more than giving the traitors enough rope to hang themselves with… then their constituents can kick the chair out from under them!

We’re going to get HCR with a Public Option this fall – Obama may have lost the message war but he’s going to WIN the BATTLE!

And that’s what COUNTS!

The problem a nut jobs are having is they’ve never seen a more brilliant politician and it makes them look even stupider than they already are! How else can we explain the pure hatred coming from the right wing whack jobs?

An earlier post from LB, Virginia but WORTH repeating… Nice work LB

How many times have these cranky people in the media written Obama off? Many. How many times were they right? Not once. Support your president, and let him do what he does best: political play. He knows what he is doing, stay with him!

Have a great weekend & Keep the Faith!

If the President wonders why there's an "enthusiasm gap" on his side, here's a reality check for him:  nobody is going to fight for a deal when it's clear you've abandoned the public option.  Nobody's going to go out and fight for what will eventually be a giveaway to the insurance companies (mandating coverage for everybody but no REAL price controls).
Average Joe


Here's a guy that gets it. Obama did push the Public Option as being the center piece of his health care reform legislation. Then the Democratic congressmen went back to their districts on August 1st to sell that plan, and that the Public Plan was the way to go. At their town hall meetings, they defended that option, and got an earful of disagreement from the people they represent. And what did Obama do? Did he step in to defend the Democratic congressmen, to defend the Public Option? No he did not! He abandoned the congresmen, let them take the heat. Obama threw them under the bus.

Now Obama expects those congressmen to defend him? To vote for his plan? Not a chance.

The onlky tyhing lost was a chance to get insuranx=ce cos off our necks better luck next time ,hope you survive a faceless insurance co. bueracrat heading your death panel ,what people dont lose insurance say it aint so those co. are people co.s their willing to help you NOT they could care less remember at least this government was FOR THE PEOPLE BY THE PEOPLE stronmg words when united weak when we are turned against each other for the benifit of some offshore tax hiding money stealing gramma killing insurance co, bet they kill more old people than anything on this planet you get what you deserve REMEMBER THE PUCKERS WOULD HAVE LOST YOUR SOCIALISM SECURITY MONEY IN THE STOCK MARKET CRASH THEY CREATED and then blamed the demo s for allowing them to privteizing it.  

Hows macain doing remember how he was HUGGING AND KISSING george bush THE WORST PRESIDENT EVER how about BOMB IRAN how would that be going right now irans rulers are on the ropes imagine if we bombed iran like MACAIN advised they would have the full backing of thier own people how about IMMIGRATION stand with him on that, lucky we didnt listen to the man who picked PALIN over LIBERMAN he would have won w2ith bipartisinship instead he ;lost with an over zealous right wing demigod LOSER LOSER LOSER republicans are to blame for lost wars lost billons lost cofindence lost values

These republicans have gotten so outrageous. It would be funny if they weren't so pathetic. Beverly in Chicago (Sent Friday, August 21, 2009 11:08 AM)
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That is why the Democrats have held a monopoly on power in Chicago for almost a century.

Can you say "RIGGED ELECTIONS" Beverly?

Enjoy all your Daley-Stroger-Quinn taxes and fees.

"Obama wants to control the lives of the American people and they'll be damned if that's gonna happen."


Moon Dawg (Sent Friday, August 21, 2009 11:10 AM)
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And, he's said this....where?  Oh, I get it- this is what YOU think he wants.  Kind of like listening to Limbaugh when he tosses out some stupid statement as though it were fact, when it is really only something he THINKS might be going on or might happen.

Keep up the informative, good work, coon dog.  We all need a shot of humor from time to time.

I support these ads.

How can you believe Obama? His track record for dissing every class of people in America speaks for himself. When 80% of those are happy with their health care, you don't change the whole program.

McCain was right when he said to open it up to all insurance companies in the country, instead of just going state to state, and a tweak here and there.

Obama wants to control the lives of the American people and they'll be damned if that's gonna happen.

Moon Dawg (Sent Friday, August 21, 2009 11:10 AM)


Moon monkey their happy because that's the only choice they have, don't you think if they had a better choice they'd take it. Wake up and come live in the real would, instead of the would of Fox. Your spouting Fox day in and day out is getting old.

Step 1) Start with the deportation of all illegal aliens in the US.

Step 2) Enact tort reform, malpractice liability caps and a loser-pays lawsuit system (like all the other industrialized countries have EXCEPT the US)

Step 3) Fix the massive multibillion dollar waste and fraud in the current Medicaid Medicare Social Security System and give stiff prison terms to those convicted of such fraud as a warning to others.

Try that for starters.


Freeyourmindandyourasswillfollow (Sent Friday, August 21, 2009 11:06 AM)
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#1.  So we don't have money for healthcare, but magically we have the insane amounts of money it would take to deport millions of illegal immigrants (only to have them back in a few years). Talk about waste...how bout we make the process to become a citizen more efficient so we can start collecting taxes on some of these hardworking people?

#2 Tort reform would help about 1% of the cost of healthcare. We would not even notice the savings.  Also if we enacted the loser pays rules, how can an individual compete against high power attorneys that the insurance companies higher.  I would say maybe in the case of class action situations, but not individuals.

#3  That's part of the "massive cuts" that GOP is currently touting the HCR bills would create.  But saying limiting fraud and creating efficiency is not nearly as damaging as telling the retired generation that the government is taking away their socialized medicine.  Which shouldn't be a bad thing right?  Because socialized medicine is the devil...supposedly.

We do need fraud regulation, we need to put both the 4% of the doctors that create 96% of the fraud cases behind bars and bar them from practicing.  We need to keep insurance companies from profiting off of finding loopholes in "language" that helps them deny claims and drop those who were once healthy but now are not.  We need to do something.

I think we both agree we need to do something.
We need to rail against those who don't want to do anything.

Tort reform, and fraud regulation does not get in the way of a public option or employer mandates.  I'm sure the republicans would get both if they compromised and came to the table.

Wouldn't you agree?

Obama hasn't abandoned the public option and neither have the democrats.  He hasn't lost the message.  School is just starting, people have been on vacation but come September it will be time to focus, and push for health care reform.  That's when the majority of people will be paying attention.

The first ad is good because it points out truth, the insurance companies make death and life decisions every day in the name of profit.

Again, we see the GOP FEAR tactics.  It didn't work in 2008, it won't work now.  Fear can be sustained for short periods but not forever.  The second ad is dumb, only right wingers will buy it because it is the same old accusation--votes with Pelosi 90% of the time, medicare cuts, be afraid.  How many democrats can you accuse at one time of being the most liberal person in congress?

There are cuts to medicaid but NOT in the areas of medical care.  The cuts get rid of the Government paying insurance companies to administer the same medicare coverage as the Government provides, ala Medicare Advantage.  Why should tax payers provide billions of dollars to private insurance companies to operate a separate version medicare?  It is no better coverage than single-payer medicare and that friends is a waste of republican and democratic tax dollars.

Oh sweet justics, Glen Beck forced to take vacation for his remarks.  The list of sponsors cancelling on his show keeps growing.  Even a republican station like FOX can feel the pain of lost revenues.

I support these ads.

How can you believe Obama? His track record for dissing every class of people in America speaks for himself. When 80% of those are happy with their health care, you don't change the whole program.

McCain was right when he said to open it up to all insurance companies in the country, instead of just going state to state, and a tweak here and there.

Obama wants to control the lives of the American people and they'll be damned if that's gonna happen. - Moon Dawg
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Wow, you're smoking some serious MaryJane...80% may have health insurance, but 80% sure as hell ain't happy with it.

I've said it before, I'll say it again.  Last Sept 30, on my birthday no less, my previous employer let a large number of consultants and executives go.  I perform consultant work with an ERP HCM application named PeopleSoft.  My total compensation was over 6 figures and the health insurance was moderate to above average.  That reality forced us live off the remainder of everything we had until I was able to secure a contracting job in late January.  For Oct/Nov/Dec my children were able to receive health coverage from the State, but I an my wife were for some reason denied coverage.  After beninning work again, my children lost their State coverage because of the amount of my income.
After the Stimulus was passed we received a letter of qualification in the mail stating that we had qualified for the COBRA extension and that the amount had been reduced to 35% vs. 100%.  For our previous plan, that worked out to $500/month of after-tax money.  In real time, the date is late May.
What was not known, or at least stressed was that COBRA is a continuation of coverage and in order to participate in the 35% and extension period, one was required to pay the difference from when their normal eligibility period would have ended to the current date.  For us that equalled Feb 2009.  So, in order to participate in the coverage going forward, we had to shell out the last of what we had left..$1600 to cover the March, April and May timeframe, even though real-time was May 26th, 2009.
Not only is it an after-tax dollar amount, but it is also due on the 1st of the Month and if you are unable to pay the months coverage within the grace period, you will lose coverage and you will not be eligible again.

We had to go the COBRA route, not only to cover the potential of us being pregnant (because in the Private insurnace world, the seperate and costly Maternity coverage generally requires that have you the insurance for 90 days prior to becoming pregnant in order to be coveraed.  Yes, you have to pay for 3 months worth of maternity coverage before you can even become pregnant!) as well as the reality that my wife's pre-diabetic state (when she's been pregnant) would be used against her in a Private plan scenario to either boost our premium and/or simply deny her coverage.

I'm not 80% of the population, but my scenario is not unique.  This country may have some the brightest minds and best technology as it relates to heathcare, but we have the sh!tiest system to gain access to that advantage.  Doing nothing is a your 'death panel'.  

It is w/o a doubt, a completely unstustainable equation!

From an earlier blog on this page:

I said "I support these ads" but was interrupted and lost my place. Sorry for the error.

Obviously I support the conservative ad.
Pelosi is dog meat. Alpo.

Greg P. NW Indiana (Sent Friday, August 21, 2009 11:36 AM)

Great post and great responses! I notice they want to be like all other industrialized countries with tort reform, but not with health care reform! All other industrialized nations have universal care. So lets get universal care AND tort reform. Sounds like a fair trade off to me - but I agree we can't make it loser pays in cases where an individual is going against a big company.

Certainly, everyone that frequents these posts understand the meaning of "wag the dog" and how this strategy has been used over and over again by the right.  Just yesterday we got another example of the practice thanks to Tom Ridge.

Death panels do not exist.
Illegals are not eligible for health care plans.
Where tort reform has been enacted there has been no reduction in the cost of insurance.
Abortion is not covered with tax payer's dollars.
Government will not force any person to change plans.
And lastly, Any plan will be constructed in the legislative branch of government, not the executive branch.  And the people in the legislative branch are representatives of the people in their states and districts that have sent them to Washington to carry out their wishes and reform a broken health care system.  

Allow me to suggest to my friends on the left....

Stop trying to argue your points to the guys on here that will never accept that Obama is doing a good job and get out to your churches and other social gathering places to respectfully explain to those who have been tainted by the mis-information that they have nothing to fear. Talk to your parents and your parent's friends....spread the truth and kill the fear.

Step 3) Fix the massive multibillion dollar waste and fraud in the current Medicaid Medicare Social Security System and give stiff prison terms to those convicted of such fraud as a warning to others.

Try that for starters.

How about some jobs too Barack? Keep your promises.

16.3% unemployment and RISING !
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t12.htm

Freeyourmindandyourasswillfollow (Sent Friday, August 21, 2009 11:06 AM)
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

This is the 2nd time today you show the 16.3%. If you apply the same calculations to 1982 you would find that Reagan had an unemployment rate that was over 20% when the published number was 10.8%.

Also you mention fraud in Medicare so here are the facts about medical insurance fraud:

Health Care cost Medicare & Medicaid  $682 bil.  34%
Private Ins. Companies                        $1, 318 bil.  66%

Fraud Cost (prevention = losses)
Health Care cost Medicare & Medicaid  $23.7 bil.  35%
Private Ins. Companies                            $44.3 bil.  65%

Fraud cost per dollar of total cost:
Health Care cost Medicare & Medicaid   3.48%
Private Ins. Companies                             3.36%

Greg P. NW Indiana (Sent Friday, August 21, 2009 11:36 AM)

Greg, you addressed the points I made but I respectfully disagree with some of your statements.

First, deportation of illegal aliens would not cost nearly as much as what the Dems propose to spend on helthcare and the gov't should have been more vigilant on illegal immigration for years. Many, not all, many of these illegals are a huge drain on the economy, schools, hospitals and prisons.
http://www.examiner.com/x-20909-Columbia-Independent-Examiner~y2009m8d21-Illegal-immigrations-affect-on-the-US-health-care-system

Second, the 1 to 2% of medical costs from malpractice suits is a flat out lie from the Trial Lawyers lobby. Ask your doctor and dentist what percent of their gross income is for malpractice insurance and look at what pharma and medical device makers pay out in class action suits. Malpractice and product liability protection represent an enormous amount of the healthcare cost in this country. http://overlawyered.com/

Third, it is not unreasonable to ask the GAO, the FBI and the Insp. Gen office to look into waste and fraud in the medical and social security programs now in place.
Don't try to spin it as "GOP" cuts to these programs, if you don't think there are TENS of billions in waste and fraud in the social welfare programs in place today, then God help you. You are very misinformed.

One fact is for certain:  The *me* generation has proven time and again that LSD IS a mind altering drug.  Over 40 years later, the boomers are still hallucinating.  Boomers were me first as young adults and continue to be me first as senior citizens.

To all my friends on this site, the following is a must read.


http://consortiumnews.com/2009/081809.html

Moondog,

Is that 80% of Americans with health insurance are happy with their coverage OR 80% of ALL Americans are happy with their coverage.  BIG difference in numbers.  Also I have employer sponsored health insurance now and I don't see how HCR will change what I have today could you explain what is going to happen to me?  What my employer is going to drop my coverage - what prevents them from doing that now???  I'll have LESS choice???  How??  Wouldn't health care providers be scrambling to join additional networks of private health insurers (for the higher remibursements), wouldn't private health insurers be working harder to differentiate themselves from other providers and particuarlly from the public option plan in an effort to attract members by providing, more physicians to choose from (see above), better services and/or lower prices??  That's good news for me.  


How does the President seek to control my life by ensuring that individuals aren't going to be denied care due to pre-existing conditions or can't be dropped from coverage after getting sick?  No harm no foul.  BTW I are already paying taxes for a public option (medicare) that I can't take advantage of for another 25-30 years.  It would be great to know I could get something for my taxes if I lost my job...  

The Democrats need to really push back hard and fast with facts to confront the GOP hypocrits and RW media whores directly.  President obama's sit down with the radio host yesterday was a good start.  How about going on the Factor or other Fox News Show to actually debunk this BS.  Put the hosts in the hot seat of defending all of this misinformation in the face of facts. How about a few press conferences by demcrats calling out GOP members who are perpetuating the lies and misinformation - such as the GOPs who voted for end of life counseling provisions in the Prescription drug bill a few years ago.  Make the GOP explain I was for killing granny before I was against it.......

BTW - anyone watch Jon Stewart's interview last night with Ms. McCoughey regarding HCR.  Sorry I had alot of trouble following WTF she was rambling about. It is really unfortunate that it takes a comedian running a 'fake' news show to actually press back with facts and common sense questions to non-sensical accusations and willful misinformation.  

To all my friends on this site, the following is a must read.

http://consortiumnews.com/2009/081809.html
Tim Stocken, Highland Lakes, NJ

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Thanks Tim  ....  Great Read !!

but I agree we can't make it loser pays in cases where an individual is going against a big company. Chris - IL (Sent Friday, August 21, 2009 11:54 AM)
---------------------------------------------------------------- The standard line form the trial lawyers. I am here to get YOU the money you deserve (less 90% for the lawyer of course)
and you say corporations are greedy? Law firms ARE corporations in business to make a profit.

Ambulance chasers are the second largest PAC contributor to the Dems.

We spen over 1 trilions in a War OF LIES We spend  700 biliion in all those asshole of banks in NASA,  Defence so many wrong place for the Cause just becuse the gov tell us. Yet we can't spend our own money on us for uor own health, what is wrong with you people.
   U.S. life expectancy has risen to a new high, standing at nearly 78 years, the government reported Wednesday.
The increase is due mainly to falling rates in almost all leading causes of death. The average life expectancy for babies born in 2007 is nearly three months longer than for those born in 2006.
The preliminary data are based on about 90 percent of the death certificates collected in 2007. The information comes from the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The United States continues to lag behind about 30 countries in estimated life span. Japan has the longest life expectancy: 83 for people born in 2007, according to the World Health Organization.

Freeyourmind's post is dead on.  Tort reform is arguably the best way to begin reshaping healthcare, but our Pres already stated he won't touch that.  Too bad for us the people!!  Where's the outrage on the taxpayer dollars used to advertise?  We seem to get hot and bothered when a private company uses its own profits for advertising....

WE NEED TO PUT A 'BALANCE OF POWER' BACK INTO THE CONGRESS ----

41% OF INDEPENEDNT VOTERS DO NOT TRUST OBAMA'S JUDGMENT --- DOWN FROM 61% WHEN HE TOOK OFFICE.

PELOSI & REID HAVE RUN AMOK OVER OBAMA ----

WE NEED TO HAVE A REAL BALANCE OF POWER IN THE CONGRESS SO THAT THE RADICALS ARE KEPT UNDER CONTROL ... AND THE MAJORITY OPINIONS CAN REALLY COUNT.

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