http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/12/18/21370.aspx From CNBC's Karin CaifaFormer Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson thinks the most dominant issue in the 2008 presidential campaign, next to the war on terror, will be health care.  He adds that those issues along with geography coulden-USCommunityServer 2.0 (Build: 60608.1)http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/12/18/21370.aspx#21373Mon, 18 Dec 2006 19:57:02 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:21373Robert Catalano, Salem, ORI agree with Thompson that our country does not enough to lower medical costs by practicing more preventative medicine. However, this would mean less dependence on doctors and more investigation of alternatives. I don't see this happening anytime soon given the power wielded by the pharmaceutical companies, HMO and physician lobbies on our political process. http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/12/18/21370.aspx#21377Mon, 18 Dec 2006 20:04:02 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:21377JJ in NJI would agree with Thompson. However, I suspect that Thompson's "plan" will consist of shoveling more money into the pockets of insurance companies, particularly the pockets of their CEOs and other top executives. Health care simply CANNOT be done on a for-profit model. Single-payer (NOT single-provider) is the way to go, but you'll never see that from ANY Republican.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/12/18/21370.aspx#21384Mon, 18 Dec 2006 20:27:26 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:21384Owen Vander, Evansville, INIf Thompson wants to control Health Care costs, tobacco regulation/taxation is just ONE part of a solution, NOT the whole answer. Healthier lifestyles will help, however, it will not solve the problem. I have a couple of "seed" ideas: Ban those stupid prescription medicine and hospital ads, increase the number of physicians, nurses, aides (supply and demand-gotta love it), strive for a national consensus amongst hospitals to curb unnecessary spending on facilities (Does a hospital really need vaulted, art decorated ceilings and walls, marble floors, ect?), and require open posting of costs for services, medicines, fees, rooms rental, treatment- you get the picture. There are other items, for brevity I will hold the line here. (I truly feel the secretive nature of health care industry pricing is one of the factors which lead to the excessive cost.) Any others have ideas as to what can be done to reduce health costs??? http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/12/18/21370.aspx#21421Mon, 18 Dec 2006 22:22:28 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:21421Lee in CAIf you want to talk about what will affect more Americans, health care is by far the most pressing. We can't do anything about terrorism safety until we finish pissing them off in Iraq and start spending some money here - where it could do some good.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/12/18/21370.aspx#21428Mon, 18 Dec 2006 22:52:50 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:21428Rick Lapin, Albuquerque, NMAh -- Thompson is not identified as a Republican until Paragraph 11; I assume for the same reasons many Pug candidates in '04 tried to present themselves as "independents". Well, that's one way of trying to unload that tar-baby -- by stating a politician's putative views without staining them with a label that has come to mean the sort of treachery that involves saying one thing and doing its polar opposite. But then along comes the inevitable Paragraph 11, and the attempted posturing as a breath of fresh air is revealed as stemming from the same branch as BushCo; sucking up the same ground water from the same poisoned pool. "Aw, give the guy a chance!" you say? Nuts! Been giving Republicans chance after chance for too many years already, and it always ends up the same way -- Lucy jerking the football away and leaving us flat on our backs. Just exactly what we don't need another dose of right now ...http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/12/18/21370.aspx#21440Tue, 19 Dec 2006 01:24:28 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:21440Steve Turner Cedar Falls IowaThompson better dig up a couple of History books. Iowa was once what Iowa is now, plus the land North to the Minnesota River, in Southern Minnesota, and the land to the Missouri River in Northern Missouri. The old joke is we cut the top third of Iowa and the bottom third of Iowa, off, and gave them to Minnesota and Missouri, there by raising the intelligence of all three states. The land was known to the Siouian speakers as bounded by four sacred rivers (also the Sioux and the Mississippi)) and one of the ultimate burial sites, as the Chiefs could sleep next to the sounds of the water. The name, Iowa, translated from the Chiwere "Uh Yu-Wa", means "The Chiefs Are Sleeping". I was always told as a kid, that Wisconsin was full of Cannibals, Minnesota full of boredom, and Missouri was where the term 'toothbrush' was invented. If it had been invented in Iowa, it would have been called a "teethbrush".http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/12/18/21370.aspx#21455Tue, 19 Dec 2006 04:00:59 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:21455Rick Lapin, Albuquerque, NMAw, now, Steve -- I myself hail from the Great and Sovereign Show Me State of Missouri, sir, and I take the gravest possible exception to your characterization of My Homeland as being somehow inferior (both intellectually and dentally) to the admittedly marvelous State of Iowa (once described by Richard Rhodes as " ... more a demonstration farm than a place; more some cosmic public relations project designed to prove that God's in his heaven and all's right with the world ... " and by Douglas Bauer as a place where "Early March is never done well ... " and by myself on numerous occasions as the birthplace of some of the most beautiful young women I have ever seen ... ). In fact, if I hadn't fled Missouri at my earliest opportunity, I might well challenge you to some sort of karma-cleansing affair of honor that would leave you eating your words with (I am sure) much less relish than I lavish on specimens of your Number One Crop. But I did, so I won't -- and shall look forward to rooting eagerly on your behalf the very next time an Iowa ballclub makes it to the World Series!:) http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/12/18/21370.aspx#21514Tue, 19 Dec 2006 15:20:03 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:21514Steve Turner Cedar Falls IowaRick. Thanks for being so diplomatic. A bit of Southern Genteel, I'm sure. A little barb is all I have for Missouri (show us your tooth, smartypants), compared to the full dose of bad humor I got from the Gophers when I lived in Minneapolis. Their reason for living seems to be to tell Iowa jokes, bad jokes, every one. Now that you mention it, how come Missouri gets two NFL teams and two baseball teams? That never seemed fair to me. (I've always rooted for the Buffalo Bills, since Buffalo Bill was from Iowa.)http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/12/18/21370.aspx#21541Tue, 19 Dec 2006 17:37:52 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:21541Enuff Al Ready Yukko, i-o-wayDid the vehicle for this alleged discussion on ??? healthcare suddenly plunge over the guard rail and land on its roof upside down in a sickening river? Yo! Steeeevey boy and Little Rickey...get a motel room to continue your literary love fest, and for God's/Allah's sake, close the da*n door. By the way, you do not need to get into a "show me state" concerning what you both might do with your communal tooth(teeth)brush at your Waterloo. http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/12/18/21370.aspx#21549Tue, 19 Dec 2006 18:06:24 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:21549Rick Lapin, Albuquerque, NMteams are their active compensatory factor ...http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/12/18/21370.aspx#21560Tue, 19 Dec 2006 18:58:05 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:21560stix-illinoisa simple solution to health care, give us what Congress has ..the best and PAID for by our government, which translates to YOUR taxes paying for their healthcare ..c'mon, I want a piece of that!!http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/12/18/21370.aspx#21570Tue, 19 Dec 2006 19:44:06 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:21570Steve Turner Cedar Falls Iowa.........somebody needs some aspirin themselves, and at least some fiber and maybe, a high colonic. Probably throw in a couple of trips to a Certified Psychologist and for sure a night class in Social Behavior. http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/12/18/21370.aspx#21574Tue, 19 Dec 2006 19:44:50 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:21574Steve Turner Cedar Falls Iowa.........somebody needs some aspirin themselves, and at least some fiber and maybe, a high colonic. Probably throw in a couple of trips to a Certified Psychologist and for sure a night class in Social Behavior. http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/12/18/21370.aspx#21580Tue, 19 Dec 2006 19:49:43 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:21580John B, Des Moines, IAHealth care is certainly due for its turn at the top. For all the derision it still draws the "Hillary Health Care" report was dead on. The increase in uninsured, inflation in health care costs, health care becoming a drag on business competitiveness, it's all on target. Now would be the time to do something productive, but the health care industry will probably block any and all real reform until they've cooked, smoked, and devoured the golden goose. At that point God only knows what we'll end up with, but it'll certainly be less ideal than what we'd have if everyone sat down and talked like reasonable people now.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/12/18/21370.aspx#21596Tue, 19 Dec 2006 20:53:04 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:21596The Edge, Macon GAThe now vanquished have done their best to separate the American people income/wealth wise. Included in this effort to eliminate the middle class is allowing health care costs to spiral, college costs explode, elimination of middle class jobs, outsourcing of 'lower professional jobs, and allowing uncontrolled illegal immigration to continue. We have been 'deflected' from focusing on these issues by Iraq, gas prices, and a focus on legislating morality. The sacred cow of health care/insurance has been paid lipservice. The intention is and has been by these neonuts to EXCLUDE people from health care NOT increase coverage to more or God forbid all our citizens. It is time our leadership concern themselves with the majority of our people, not just the top 1%..... http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/12/18/21370.aspx#21743Wed, 20 Dec 2006 18:12:38 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:21743Seattle Sue After listening to the President this morning, I got out of it, that he was not going to listen to the American people, we all are idiots, and he is the smart one. He said he was for raising the minimum wage, but had to be careful and not hurt the small businesses, that employ (most) of the workers. Does this mean that most of new jobs that he talks about are minimum wages jobs? I would like for him to live off of a mimimun wage job. Feed his family and do the health care expense. He understands the sacrifice of our men and women in the military, if he did (why) didn't he go , when he had the chance? Instead he joined the National Guard, and didn't ev en finished that. Now we have the National Guard in Iraq with our military personel. Not only is this President a (great roll model but he is smart too) If you don't believe that , just ask him. http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/12/18/21370.aspx#21769Wed, 20 Dec 2006 20:25:51 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:21769Olivia, Peoria, Ill.Steve & Rick--Still LOL about the Iowa/Missouri rivalry--especially the line about the "toothbrush" being invented in Missouri. I just visited StateMaster.com and coincidentally noticed they've ranked the states as to the percentage of people who've lost their natural teeth. Missouri is 13th on the list, Iowa is 19th. (And, if you're interested, West Virginia is #1.)http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/12/18/21370.aspx#21845Thu, 21 Dec 2006 04:53:33 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:21845Steve Turner Cedar Falls IowaOlivia. Sounds like West Virginia is reinventing the 'Toothbrush', huh? Or maybe they only brush on February 29th? They don't even play Hockey there, which got three of mine before I got out of high school.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/12/18/21370.aspx#21847Thu, 21 Dec 2006 04:58:19 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:21847Steve Turner Cedar Falls IowaRick. These Iowa gals ain't just pretty...they're mean, too.