Amen to you brother grpack! Amen!
Most Humbly, CLWest.

So I have been contemplating going back and forth for awhile on whether or not I wanted to send my thoughts on the health care debate, but I believe that the need is too great to sit back and do nothing.



I, myself am fortunate to enough to have health insurance because I work at a large enough firm that can afford to help provide good coverage. Sadly, for many hard working Americans, this is not the case. There are people in my own family whose both parents have worked full time jobs and still struggled to provide health insurance for their family. Healthcare should not be for the privileged or elite. Every person has a fundamental human right to quality healthcare --- healthcare that is affordable, accessible, and compassionate.



Recently, you might have seen the movement on the Internet quoting, "No one should die because they cannot afford health care, and no one should go broke because they get sick." I believe this simple and true statement. Right now, 46 million Americans have no healthcare coverage and 22,000 Americans DIE each year because of the lack of adequate health care coverage. These numbers are staggering and unacceptable for the country we live in today.



Here are some FACTS of how we got to where we are today:



The United States stands alone as the only Western nation to rely on a free-market health care system. America has tried to encourage free-market competition to improve our health care and keep costs in control. Because of our free-market approach, large for-profit corporations run much of our health care system with minimal oversight or regulation.



Japan, Canada and all of Europe have taken a completely different approach to health care for the past 30 years. They all have free-market economies, but every one of them has chosen a planned universal health care system. They have almost no HMOs, and they do not allow for-profit corporations to run any significant portion of their health systems.



Thus for the past 30 years we have been participating in a huge unintended health care experiment comparing America's free-market, competitive, system with the rest of the Western world's health planning and budgets. The result has been clear: Canada, Japan, and Europe provide excellent health care for all of their citizens. While America ranks at the bottom of every major health statistic ranking 37th in quality.



Besides the 46 million Americans who are uninsured, including over 10 million children. Another 40 million Americans have such poor insurance that many doctors will not see them, and if they actually face a severe health crisis it may not be covered.



Literally millions of Americans are forced into bankruptcy from medical bills.



Our health system is also very inefficient costing nearly twice as much per person as every other nation in the world. If we were as efficient as the next most costly nation, we would save over $400 billion each year in health costs.



In polls, Americans rank dead last in satisfaction with health care.



It is apparent that our current system does not work. President Obama's proposed system is not perfect either, but it is definitely a start in the direction. I just ask that everyone do their research and realize the facts about the proposed plan before making their decision. Do not be fooled by blatant lies of death panels, illegal alien coverage, abortion coverage, etc. These lies are created by those that will no longer be able to fill their pockets by bankrupting American citizens just because they need healthcare or by those who would rather just have the president fail based on malice instead of truly considering the importance of the debate at hand.



This is not a debate to choose your side based on your political party preference. This is about doing what is right for ourselves, our fellow brothers and sisters and our children. If you believe this debate is about Christian values, then why is the richest nation on earth allow millions of poor people to exist without health insurance. To do so violates biblical justice. How can pro-family Christian political voices not demand health insurance for poor families? How can pro-life Christian political coalitions not insist on decent health care for poor babies after they are born or the 22,000 poor people that die because of a lack of coverage? How can any Christian read what the Bible says about the poor and what Jesus says about the sick without hearing a divine call to demand that every person in this nation, starting with the poor, have access to health insurance?



Check the facts, then tell you congressman how you feel.



More facts can be found at

http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/health_care/plan/

And all these years I thought we were a representative democracy. The people we send to Washington are paid to represent our wishes, not to ignore them. Health care reform is not what got Democrats elected.

The Republican demise was caused by indifference within the Republican base over their representatives spending like drunken Democrats instead of following the party's core beliefs. An extremely biased mainstream media that refused to show both of the issues didn't hurt either. And the topper was the pathetic candidate that kept many voters at home. I was almost one of them but my wife nagged me into voting.

Even with all this in his favor, Obama still only managed what, 53% of the popular vote? That's not exactly a ringing endorsement of the man. And all the national outrage just goes to show how much America is doubting its choice.

Perhaps you like to deal in snippets, but I prefer to put the truth above all other concerns. Amazing you didn't give CL West the same advice as you gave me. Her postings are just as long and rambling as mine. Maybe you should slow down and read, unless you're afraid of a little reality.

Like CL West, you only saw what you wanted to see when you erroneously concluded that I hate Obama. Do I hate his policies and the ideologies of the loons he's putting in power? Yes, I confess, I'm not a big fan of communism. Do I hate the man? No, hatred of a man because of his belief system is beneath me. I'll leave that kind of thinking to people of lower intelligence.

I prefer to save myself instead of waiting for a messiah. But, funny thing about it, Barack may actually end up saving the Republican Party. No one can tell the future, but I predict that you're not going to like the next election cycle. America doesn't appear to like the way the country is going and I'm pretty sure they are going to vote to change it.

Our government is not a democracy. It is a Republic. The majority of people who voted voted in a Democratic president and a democratic congress. If you don't like it...........vote to change it.

In the mean time the Democrats should act on what got them elected. National health care is one of them.

DLB.........I hope you cut and pasted what you put in your comment because I doubt anyone is going to read it. Rule #1 in discussions. Keep things concise and on point.

All I get from skimming your comment is that you hate Obama. Great. In four years you can elect your messiah. Right now we have ours :)

Bruce

Totally agree with you Bruce. By the way, love your website. Too Cool! Take Care. CLWest

Thank you DLB. Your wisdom is beyond compare. Point proven. Take Care. CLWest

Funny you should mention "my way or no way," because that's exactly what the Democrats are doing. Obama himself has repeatedly mentioned that he won the election when Republican suggestions and amendments are shot down. How many times have Pelosi, Reid, Frank, and the like made the very same statement? "Our side won." How many times had Obama and the rest of the left-wing crew made despicable comments, engaged in childish name calling, in response to legitimate dissent from the people? All of the polls show that the majority of the American people don't want government run health care, don't want the Democrats to run amuck with the system, but the Whitehouse simply does not care. Obama has done nothing to encourage debate; he hears only what he wants to hear.

Yes, I do have some issue with Obama like his complete lack of experience (Come on, he had even less experience the George Jr.), his voting record, and his decades long associations with leftists, domestic terrorists and the leader of the United Church of I Hate Whitey. But my repeated references to The Great One, Jesus Jr, etc were actually satirical commentary on the mindless idiots who worship him like a deity simply because he "gives a good speech." And let's not forget the ones that blindly bleat that four legs are good but his two legs are better. For those that don't know, that's from Animal Farm. Read it, please!

I guess I should apologize for thinking you had the common sense to cite a credible pre-war critic of the Iraqi invasion. Joseph Wilson was nothing but a left-wing hack with a political agenda who had absolutely no business being picked for a CIA beer run, let alone a fact-finding mission. He was a very well-established Bush hater and he was later proven to be a liar. He also talked to the Senate and they concluded him to be a liar. I think the one from the National Review has a link to the Senate report. And, sure hate it for you; there was no official report until months after he returned. What a great pick he was for such an important mission.

http://www.nationalreview.com/may/may200407121105.asp

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39834-2004Jul9.html

http://www.slate.com/id/2122963/

http://www.slate.com/id/2140058/

http://www.slate.com/id/2103795/

I suggest you start with the NY Times story that mentions Saddam intentionally making people believe he had WMD. There are few rags in the world who hate Bush more than that one. In refreshing my memory on the issue, I found it was actually more about keeping Iran on their toes, but the fact remains the same, he tried hard to make the world believe he had them. Quit getting your news from the DNC talking points and you'll learn the truth. No rectums here, just the stench of your ignorance and deceit.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/12/international/middleeast/12saddam.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

http://townhall.com/columnists/column.aspx?UrlTitle=saddam_responsible_for_wmd_confusion&ns=JonahGoldberg&dt=10/29/2003&page=2

http://www.securitymanagement.com/news/intelligence-chiefs-learn-experience

http://neo-neocon.blogspot.com/2006/03/ah-but-bush-lied-lied-i-tell-you.html

The Scooter Libby trial is irrelevant to the discussion of WMD, as is the story about low-level bureaucrats hiring writers. Cindy Sheehan is also irrelevant to a discussion about WMD. But since you mentioned her, she got her meeting with George Bush, just like many family members of slain military. He did not sweep her under the carpet; he simply did not give her special treatment after their meeting. However, the pro-Obama, liberal media sure is in a hurry to make her go away now that she has a problem with Obama:

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/ABCs-Charles-Gibson-to-Cindy-Sheehan-Thanks-for-your-sacrifice-Now-get-lost-53803917.html

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Sheehan-Pro-Obama-media-want-the-anti-war-movement-to-go-away-53933442.html

And Cindy sees very little difference between Obama and Bush:

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/What-happened-to-the-antiwar-movement--Cindy-Sheehan-responds-53628177.html

Let's correct the record, it was the Bush-KENNEDY No Child Left Behind Act. And I'm pretty sure the states can opt out and simply choose not to accept federal education funds. What's your beef with expecting schools to obtain results for the federal dollars they receive? I've got an unfunded mandate that I pay every six months. It's called my car insurance. What's your point?

The stem cell research ban was on federally funded stem cell research. Private industry was allowed to do what it wanted with its own money. The Faith Based Initiative was not a law that established a religion. It was open to religious groups of any faith who wished to provide services to the US government. No churches were taken over; no law was enacted to establish an official church. People were helped. And your golden boy expanded on the program, though he did open it to nonreligious organizations:

http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/election/764

The article also has a good discussion about the myth of a separation of church and state. Here's the first amendment, I suggest you read it:
Amendment I: Freedom of religion, speech, and the press; rights of assembly and petition
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

I will anxiously await your damnation of Obama's call to religious leaders to preach his health care plan from the pulpit. Obama voted for the Patriot Act is continuing some of the practices of the Bush Administration:

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/04/obama-doj-worse-than-bush

Homeland Security was the brain child of the Democrats. It was nothing but a reorganization of already existing agencies, with airport security, another Democratic brainchild, being about the only thing new. Bush initially didn't agree with the reorganization, but eventually gave in to the idea:

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/11/25/homeland.security/

Senate voted 90 to 9 in favor of its creation:
http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/11/20/facts.homeland/index.html

ACORN is an umbrella organization for hundreds of shady organizations set up primarily for the purpose of obtaining federal tax dollars to engage in partisan politics and intimidate banks and municipalities with strong-arm tactics. They love to employ felons to register people to vote, they've had numerous employees across the country plead guilty to voter fraud, and they don't mind registering convicted felons to vote in states where felony convictions cause you to lose your voting rights.

ACORN Felons, Voter Fraud, Convictions:

http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/clyne200410311142.asp

http://wcco.com/local/felon.voter.registry.2.830275.html

http://www.ktnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9179639

http://reversevampyr.blogspot.com/2008/09/breaking-dems-launch-widespread-voter.html

http://www.rottenacorn.com/activityMap.html

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110009189

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124182750646102435.html

ACORN Intimidation tactics and role in the banking crisis:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/09292008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/os_dangerous_pals_131216.htm

"In one of the first book-length scholarly studies of ACORN, Organizing Urban America, Rutgers University political scientist Heidi Swarts describes this group, so dear to Barack Obama, as "oppositional outlaws." Swarts, a strong supporter of ACORN, has no qualms about stating that its members think of themselves as "militants unafraid to confront the powers that be." "This identity as a uniquely militant organization," says Swarts, "is reinforced by contentious action." ACORN protesters will break into private offices, show up at a banker's home to intimidate his family, or pour protesters into bank lobbies to scare away customers, all in an effort to force a lowering of credit standards for poor and minority customers. According to Swarts, long-term ACORN organizers "tend to see the organization as a solitary vanguard of principled leftists...the only truly radical community organization.""

Taken from:

http://www.eppc.org/publications/pubid.3566/pub_detail.asp (this is called quoting something that is actually relevant to the subject at hand.)

More on intimidation and their role in the crisis:

http://omnia21.com/archive/housing-crisis/

http://www.city-journal.org/html/13_2_acorns_nutty_regime.html

http://www.pinnaclenews.com/views/contentview.asp?c=251034

Do me a favor by please explaining exactly what I said that could lead an honest, intelligent person to conclude I like my products made in China? It was such a stupid assertion on your part, but par for you. And where exactly did I say that I was perfect? The ability to pick apart your weak arguments and point out your blatant lies in no way implies that I am perfect.

Now, I must say that before my research I was unfamiliar with www.Zombietime.com. So I went back to the sight to look around more and found your assertions to be completely FALSE. As I looked around I couldn't find anything of the sort your described. I was actually disappointed that I couldn't find a single left-wing story because having a left-wing site point out Holdren's left-wing rants would only help to prove my point. Not only did I not find it as you describe, it was the exact opposite.

Here is a story about a Jewish festival in San Francisco and the nut jobs who protested outside. They saved all of their criticism for the protesters and said nothing bad about the festival goers, save one comment that I'm pretty sure was satirical:
http://www.zombietime.com/israel_in_the_gardens_2008/

More pro Israeli info:

http://www.zombietime.com/fraud/ambulance/

http://www.zombietime.com/fraud/ambulance/hrw/

It was completely conservative, but far from right-wing. The reporting was not your typical fair, but there was nothing controversial about it. Please give me links to the offenses of which you spoke. From what I saw, you either spoke in absolute ignorance or dishonesty, which "only lends to YOUR true character."

You insult the objectivity of Biggovhealth.org, yet you reference the Huffington Post? I'm very familiar with the poor excuse for a news outlet. The information on that site is 100% partisan driven. If you want left-wing, anti-middle American ranting, there's your complete source. There is no objective reporting there and it's one of the favorite blogs sites for leftist loons. The Washington Times, just a "slightly" more reputable news outlet, reports the CBO vastly underestimated the cost.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/23/cbos-curious-health-care-estimates/

I actually discussed the qualifications for Medicaid, not Medicare, dimwit. Medicare, the federal insurance for senior citizens and the disabled, is the program Obama wants to strip down by 400 to 500 billing over the next 10 years. Medicaid is the welfare based insurance plan I discussed in my last post. And I noticed that you didn't mention any of the cracks, ifs or maybe's in the qualifications.

Did you look up anything at all? "Bet not," says the back woods twit who doesn't know the difference between Medicare and Medicaid, yet acts like she knows everything. I don't have to look them up, I just happen to be married to an employee of a Medicaid plan. SURE HATE IF FOR THE PATHALOGICAL LIAR, but having employee provided health care does not disqualify you from Medicaid. Medicaid simply becomes secondary insurance. Is it possible for you to be any more pathetic?

How is calling people hecklers and rioters not attacking people for voicing their opinions? These people were voice their legitimate concerns, but you resort to name calling simply because you don't agree with them. You made yourself quite clear in what you think of the dissent, despite your apologies after getting busted. The point in demonstrating is that the majority of the people do not want a single-payer health care system. Their point is that they do not want socialized medical care. It failed in Canada, Europe, and in Massachusetts. They know what it will do to American health care.

Yes, most of the Marxist nut-jobs, how ironic we call them Czars, that Obama wants to put in charge of health care have very nice resumes. Not once did I even imply that my resume could compare to theirs. What I discussed (this is where the relevant facts come in, in case you're still too stupid to comprehend.) was their ideology and the danger of having them involved in deciding what to approve and what to deny. Peter Singe believes you should be able to "abort" a new born child if it happens to be disabled. Please tell me why anti-abortion groups demonstrated at Princeton after he was hired.

http://www.priestsforlife.org/clippings/99-08-26catholicspirit.htm

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/reports/1999/12/kr991209.5.html

Princeton Professor Singer: And I repeat, I would kill Disabled Infants

http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/sep/06091204.html

"I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever in religion, in philosophy, in politics, or in anything else where I was capable of thinking for myself. Such an addiction is the last degradation of a free and moral agent." Now, I'm not the self-appointed intelligista that you are since I get all my information from rednecks. But I'm pretty sure Tom wanted you to think for yourself. It's quit ironic that you use this quote in an argument to blindly trust the complete takeover of our healthcare system by leftist loons and union goons.

Yes, your little comment about Hill-Billy Joe didn't get past me. Neither did your nonsense about me segregating your gender. And then there's the topper, your "questioning" if I thought "that after a black man is voted in as President of the U.S. and the moment he takes office the U.S. economy, gas prices, education, jobs, banking, and wars, are all his doing?"
Out of all the things you said, nothing was more idiotic and desperate. I say this not simply because nothing is further from the truth, but because it represents the most despicable form of response to disagreement. Lacking the truth, you choose to sully me by branding me an ignorant, red-necked, misogynistic racist. Unable to engaged in meaningful debate with facts that are actually relevant to the subject at hand, you cloud the issues with attacks meant to leave the observer questioning why they would ever listing to the words of such a person. Again, this comes straight from the DNC talking points that repeatedly state that surely racism is the only reason any person could disagree with the Great One.

In addition to the above despicable tactics, you also attempt to cloud the readers mind with irrelevant rhetoric. As you wax poetically, you attempt to convince the reader that yours is the superior intellect and all your detractors are simply ignorant fools who need to be shown the truth of your thinking. Instead of sticking to facts directly related to the subject at hand, you fill the reader with nifty quotes and five dollar words pluck from the pages of the thesaurus you clutched so desperately into the wee hours of the morning. Did you call your mommy and tell her how you showed me just how smart "you is?" Although I'm a big fan of the History Channel, please stick to the facts, not poetic rhetoric, quotes from long dead patriots, and lessons on the UN, which, by the way, is not the official government of our people.

Yours are the tactics of a pathetic person and I have no more time for you.
DLB

Health insurance for the price of a pack of cigarettes a day. Now there's a fantasy.

Bruce
http://brucedroppings.com

Oh DLB! I'm feeling the love, man. Your sense of warmth and willingness to share has goosebumps running up and down my spine. I haven't had that sensation since I was a little tot, running aimlessly through the fields of wild flowers staring endlessly up at the clouds hoping that one day I could catch one; watching the bees go from flower to flower collecting that oh so sweet nectar and meandering along the stony creek skipping stones and trying to catch wee little frogs. What fond memories you have ignited, thank you.

NOT!

I would rather be deep within the bowels of my vivid imagination than to swim the rivers of raw sewage on any given day.

I don't necessarily prescribe fully to all of President Obama's agendas but I respect him, his efforts and willingness to layout open formats so the People can express their opinions and offer suggestions, and/or recommendations. But I can tell DLB that you must be a huge fan of Dick Cheney. That hard line take no crap strong-armed tactics of my way or no way kind of mentality which is often (not always) best suited for the middle-age conservative who believes in self preservation at all costs including sacrificing one's own belief for "the party" taking it on the chin despite any common sense snubbing the very senses that guide your derisory existence unable to think for oneself let alone act with any measurable thought or empathy for those with obvious less intelligence to your own superior acumen. By the way, since my lack of understanding has been relegated to the most mundane thereby segregating not only my gender, opinions, and rights to that which you deem not worthy by the virtue and authority of the supreme one " "you," who not only promotes my naivety but total ignorance might I suggest a mirror.

"I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever in religion, in philosophy, in politics, or in anything else where I was capable of thinking for myself. Such an addiction is the last degradation of a free and moral agent." Thomas Jefferson, letter to Francis Hopkinson, March 13, 1789
Obviously, you have issues with our current president otherwise you would not have referred to him as "Jesus Jr.," that's your baggage not mine. Make no mistake, I did not like Bush but I didn't refer to him as the Antichrist and those points I attack are founded in facts not heads pulled from holes. I am human so therefore I am subject to err just like everyone else but you DLB are a far cry from walking on water any time too soon. Need I remind you that an opinion is merely that, an individual view based off experiences, knowledge, understanding and interpretation, and information gather (hopefully) from very reputable sources within and outside news, government and private agencies. Not Hill-Billy Joe who happen to hear it from a cousin three hollows over, or better yet, a news flash blinking on one's new fangled i-phone, "OBAMA SENDING OUT DEATH SQUADS TO ALL U.S. SENIOR CITIZENS OVER HEALTHCARE REFORM", which by the way the latter being a factual story and the individual believed it. In a nut shell this is pure political rhetoric to incite confusion only to deter from the real issues, that's all!
"Difference of opinion leads to enquiry, and enquiry to truth." Thomas Jefferson

Did President Obama bully the CBO director into changing his opinion? Well, let's see. Politico.com reports, "CBO deals new blow to health plan." Then HuffingtonPost.com reported, "Orszag Victory: Experts Side with White House in Medicare Reform Dispute" The Director of the CBO, as it was explained, overstepped his own expertise when he placed into a report, "That an independent panel to monitor Medicare spending would achieve little savings over a ten-year period." Only afterwards, "In a letter to the president that was made public [], 13 academics and experts, including eight members of the CBO's own Panel of Health Advisers said that significant reductions in health care costs could be achieved by creating an independent council to moderate Medicare costs." Now let's look at that again but with the real facts. Was he made to retract a statement because he screwed up? It appears so. Big deal!

Let's get back to "shoving the whole healthcare thing down people's throat", shall we! President Obama is certainly not the first president to try this and should this not go forth, well, he won't be the last. In 1945 Franklin D. Roosevelt was instrumental in forming the United Nations (UN) to preserve peace and maintain diplomacy. In 1948 the UN adopted The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), proclaiming that "everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of oneself and one's family, including food, clothing, housing, and medical care." The United States of America and all participating countries adopted this declaration of human rights and rely on this philosophy to maintain universal decency and care to all humans on our planet. 169 years after the U.S. Declaration of Independence many of the world's countries codified our Founding Fathers theme, "Freedom." UN representatives further defined those freedoms throughout the UDHR and its two implementing covenants, which anyone can access at http://www.nhchc.org/Advocacy/RighttoHealthinAmerica.pdf. The United States of America not only laid the very foundation but agreed internationally that we were obliged to enforce these human rights to health in three ways: 1) To respect the right; 2) To protect the right; and 3) To fulfill the right. Stemming from the UN Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (CESCR) emerged the guidelines on the rights to health and their fundamental components which a minimum floor that no country can fall below, which in the case of health means ensuring essential primary health care for the entire population. President Roosevelt tried to pass a Second Bill of Rights that addressed these issues but was defeated. The United States of America has taken the lead in proclaiming it's theocracy of freedom domestically and internationally yet we are the last to fulfill its very purpose. (We) The People treat health care as if it is a commodity or charity but in reality it is every person's right.

Admittedly, after reading about the pro's and cons to the Single Payer System it appears that that too has its controversy so what is the answer? And what about the health care system currently in place and the economic impact should it changed? Then there is quality vs. quantity and on, and on, and on; it appears the controversies only grow. But until the United States recognizes its own commitment to The People none of these issues will be resolved. I would like to encourage each American to check out the Healthcare Reform Bill by clicking onto http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/08/14/house.health.care.bill.pdf.

"Life is of no value but as it brings us gratifications. Among the most valuable of these is rational society. It informs the mind, sweetens the temper, cheers our spirits, and promotes health." Thomas Jefferson

Saddam Hussein? I have no clue about him owing up to tricking anyone. Speaking of rectums did you pull that one out of yours? On the other hand, I remember quite well when Joseph C. Wilson IV, Former Ambassador to Africa and Iraq, made a public statement in the New York Times http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/20/AR2005102000874.html the existence of weapons of mass destruction were non-existent. Mr. Wilson testified before The House Committee on the Judiciary http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/July2007/071107wilson.pdf?ID=1030 that he and his family became targets, in particular his wife, Valerie Plame, a CIA undercover operative, was exposed in retaliation for his honesty after he found out that his report which was given to Whitehouse officials on uranium from Niger to Iraq (AKA Weapons of Mass Destruction) was: 1) Altered from its original findings which stated, "No weapons existed." 2) Bush used the altered report in his address to the nation to backup his claims of WMD; 3) Bush used the false report as viable and direct knowledge of WMD which helped led to the war in Iraq. Later, the U.S. DOJ Special Counselor Patrick J. Fitzpatrick investigated, charged, prosecuted and convicted Vice President Cheney's Chief of Staff with one count of obstruction of justice; two counts of perjury; and one count of making false statements to federal investigators in connection to Mr. Wilson and Valerie Plame-Wilson's claim of retaliation. http://www.slaw.neu.edu/library/libby.indictment.pdf. I remember a grieving mother, Cindy Sheehan, who lost her son in the Iraq war. I remember how the Bush Administration tried to sweep her under the rug because she questioned the very purpose of the war and why her son had to die. I remember thinking if so many Americans didn't believe we should go to war why aren't they speaking up more so where were you DLB when the Bush Administration was busted and fined for paying off journalists and public relation firms to combat their problems and promote his unlawful policies? http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/29/politics/29column.html

I don't believe any citizen of the U.S. had an issue with President Bush wanting to retaliate for the 9/11 attacks, the issue(s) lie with the original target and objectives which were diverted to other targets and objectives not related to 9/11 in addition to the enormous costs involved. In terms of other countries, that is too dang long and far too complicated but just to highlight a few pointers: Hear tell about the Monroe Doctrine? The Downing Street Memo? Scott McClellan? UN Report admonishing U.S. claim of WMD?

Yes, you are correct about the rise in energy costs, in that they rose. But are you suggesting that after a black man is voted in as President of the U.S. and the moment he takes office the U.S. economy, gas prices, education, jobs, banking, and wars, are all his doing? Right! I'd like to think I'm a fairly reasonable person, so I don't think Bush can be fully blamed either. Let's just face facts, each president and their administrations and our representatives leading up to Obama had a hand in the U.S.' demise. But, the problem I have is taking this country to war when it was not called for, augmenting unethical religious departments to existing government offices, compounded the strains and rising costs the number of natural domestic disasters, 9/11, deregulation, U.S. jobs being sent overseas all of which perpetuated our weak vulnerable economy.

We are but a handful of developed countries that have the knowledge and technology to go forth with alternative energy incentives, become independent of foreign supplies gathered from foreign countries. Eliminate the political two-stepping involved with maintaining our interests solely based off foreign dependency and pick ourselves up by the boot-straps to regain our own self-worth. And I know that must be something foreign to you DLB, maybe you like your products stamped "Made in China" but I find it very comforting that our country and the people in it want to stand for something else other than fast food, obese fat butts, diabetic, lazy people that a lot of foreigners depict us as. Everyone, and I mean everyone, from the garbage person, field hand, insurance agent, fireman, social worker, congressman and the president himself, ALL are vitally important in a series of networks that make our country strong. We can't have one without the other and that's a fact. But it is how we choose to treat each and every one of these people, equally, that will make each of us and this country strong.

"All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will, to be rightful, must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal laws must protect, and to violate which would be oppression." Thomas Jefferson

ACORN is a non-profit community based organization. They work toward and advocate for safe neighborhoods, health care, voter registration, affordable housing and social issues. Anyone interested in finding out whom or what this organization does click onto http://www.acorn.org. There is no way that ACORN contributed to the decline of the mortgage crisis in this country. From deregulation, faulty lending practices, borrowers borrowing more than they can afford, to the U.S. economy declining, loss of jobs, etc., etc., etc., ALL where aligned just right to create the perfect financial collapse storm which lead to the mortgage crisis. Oil prices? Let's just cut to the chase. This is not science. I believe common people have common sense and know exactly why the price of oil mysteriously rose and fell its called greed. That doesn't require some overbearing over-priced analyst to explain the ending to that story. If anyone wants more financial information and/or experts try looking up Warren Buffet, Mensa or grandpa (since he survived the Depression).

I don't attack people for exercising their First Amendment rights and if I suggested otherwise I am truly sorry. What I wrote was, "I believe it is a citizen's right, as stated in the First Amendment, the right to assemble and/or petition when the People don't agree with the government body." This is in no way degrading anyone for protesting and it is my fault for not clarifying but my point was and continues to be is what is the point of any demonstration that clearly states as their agenda that an optional health care system in addition to a private care system is in any way going to infringe upon the constitutional rights of fellow Americans? There! Is that better DLB? In terms of a person's "hard earned dollar" and their individual rights? It is far more likely to be protected by health care choice than any insurance company looking to make a buck. Too many of my friends or associates are still without insurance due to pre-existing conditions and fall between all the private and government cracks, and their numbers are increasing exponentially.

What makes the difference who or what I used as an example? The sole purpose with any examples is to prove a point, period!
Government power grab? Hmmm.. Let's see!
Former President Bush signed Executive Orders co-mingling church and state affairs AKA Faith-Based Initiatives in every agency and/or branch of the U.S. Government (Ever hear about separation of church and state?)
Bush: Establishment and ban on Bio Ethics (Stem Cell Research);
Bush: CIA detention and interrogation program, interpretation of the Geneva Conventions (Permission to torture prisoners or detainees (foreign and domestic) whenever or however the CIA or military sees fit foregoing our own creeds, beliefs, or signed treatises);
Bush: No Child Left Behind, NCLB (An under funded federal mandate requiring school districts to test all students, disabled and non-disabled alike with little or no benefit academically, punishes school districts by not meeting the unrealistic standards, wastes valuable time and money, diverts precious education and learning time from students and teachers, creates unnecessary wasteful paper pushing regulatory jobs, organizations and lobbyist to do nothing more than to blow smoke, sit on one's butt, get fat, and to degrade sincere hard working teachers and students ).
Bush: Patriot Act, Weapons of Mass Destruction and Global War on Terror (essentially, gives any law enforcement and the president himself to do as they darn well please in the name of GWT)
Bush: Homeland Security - Combining all the different agencies such as US Nat'l Guard, Federal Emergency Mgmt Agency, US Coast Guard, US Customs and Border Protection, US Immigration Service, Transportation Security Admin, and Civil Patrol (Which clearly benefited the victims of Katrina).
Thank you for taking the time to lookup the qualifications of Medicare, very generous of you. Did you happen to read the fine print or speak to anyone that happens to be on Medicare? Bet not! If you had you would have found out there are a lot of IF's and maybe that's why so many people don't have health coverage. Why don't you tell that to the single mother (real person by the way) who was on welfare that actually took the time to go back to school to get her degree and managed to land a descent job only to find out that the company that hired her pays very little towards health insurance. Understandably, Medicare benefits stopped and since the company offers health insurance she is no longer qualified under the new Medicare terms. This young lady makes well under the minimum requirements " this is called a "crack." Even when low-cost health care is offered by states a number of deciding factors take place: People don't think they need coverage, don't know programs exist or don't have the money to afford even comparatively inexpensive, subsidized programs. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/23/AR2009022302545.html This young lady is not alone and that's the reality of the situation DLB, too many people fall within those cracks. Once in awhile my head does come out for a breath of fresh air. Obviously you have one of those cushy jobs, union right, that insurance is of no mind or matter but to those less fortunate they have a mind to matter (Case re-opened).
National Committee for Quality Assurance can be located at http://www.ncqa.org/ . All information is up to date, easy to read, qualitative and quantative, and non-bias. I'm inclined to lean towards, well, nincompoop.

I can clearly see your point on the whole liberal issues. For instance, www.biggovhealth.org is such a reputable source and the caption of "Hands of my Health" speaks volumes; very captivating. The BigO! That is The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest lead by Peter Pitts, once an Assoc Commish for External Relations for the FDA. He is currently the director of global health care for the PR and lobbying firm, Porter Novelli. A firm that represents some of the largest pharmaceutical companies such as: #1 Pfzer Inc., #3 GlaxoSmithKline, and #18 Proctor & Gamble, just to name a few. This is the man who didn't want Vioxx taken off the market. In an interview with Pharmaceutical Executive, he says, "The more I think about Vioxx, the more I'm convinced that it should not have been pulled from the market," he said."Vioxx was a tremendous opportunity to put forth a responsible argument that drugs have risks as well as benefits and that the public needs to be better aware of that." No conflict there, right.

Life expectancy is a conglomerate of factors such as the mortality rate in any given geographical area, a person's condition, race, sex, age, along with other demographic factors. And you DLB make disability sound as if it is a leopard. This is a difference you know between being disabled and being a person with a disability. Many people who have disabilities have learned to live and be productive citizens in our society. There are legitimate people who have debilitating disabilities adversely rendering them incapable of working. And yes, you are correct. There are those who take full advantage of a system designed to help those who can not help themselves. But, and I say this with full vigor, that until our system applies concrete practicable and functional policies in collaboration with actual tools and aides to help people with disabilities transition from school to work and work to home, etc., it will be people like you who continue to segregate and victimize those who will try.

Ah! Yes. Thomas Jefferson. I actually love that quote. Here are a few more:

"Error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it."

"The care of human life and happiness and not their destruction
is the first and only legitimate object of good government."

"The first object of human association [is] the full improvement of
their condition."

"The only orthodox object of the institution of government is to
secure the greatest degree of happiness possible to the general
mass of those associated under it."

None of the Founding documents explicitly state separation of church and state. Nor do they say that you have the right to arm and protect oneself and property with an AK47. And nowhere does it state that women can have an abortion. "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" or "promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity." They are implied!
Cass Sunstein is currently an American legal scholar and law professor at Harvard University. John Holdren was a Professor of Environmental Policy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, director of the Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program at the School's Belfer Ctr for Science & Int'l Affairs. Holden's concerns about overpopulation were ideas and theories he came up with in the late 60's and early 70's that is nothing too spectacular or outrageous. And Peter Singer is a philosopher who happens to be a Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University. He above anyone on this list should appeal to the most conservative base since he is pro-life. All of these men are geniuses in their own right, among their peers, our nation and the world, we should be very happy to have them. The next time DLB, let's place your credentials up on the www and see how you fare in comparison. I certainly wouldn't want to overlook your solid research, zombietime.com, really fascinating! It only lends to your true character; a website that reports far-left, antisemitic or anti-American views with controversies involving Flight 93, Muslims, and anti-war rallies.
Make no mistake any health care program no matter who designs or develops it will cost money. How much do you think it cost to begin Social Security or Medicare? (We) understand? You mean "you" understand. And by the way, do you happen to know that Medicare is a government health program?
Tent cities are pooping up everywhere around our nation how do we not know who is dying or what deaths are contributed to people not having access to healthcare?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/us/26tents.html
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/politics/2009/08/17/tent_community_asks_city_to_delay_zoning_enforcement .
http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:ur-o5cV38ccJ:www.abc6.com/news/52612837.html%3Fcorder%3Dreverse+news+of+u.s.+poor+living+in+tents&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
http://www.newsgazette.com/news/opinions/editorials/2009/07/24/tent_living_is___not_acceptable
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/269211
DLB, you act as if none of these things exist, who's fooling who? I do agree with you on one point, that the new health bill, should there be one, be scrutinized and All earmarks kept OUT!
Until next time, farewell.

Best regards,
CLWest

"The law is not the private property of lawyers, nor is justice the exclusive province of judges and juries. In the final analysis, true justice is not a matter of courts and law books, but of a commitment in each of us to liberty and mutual respect." Jimmy Carter

C.L. West,
I disagree. "If you are working and happen to love your health care benefits then under the new policies proposed you get to keep them. I think that's fair."
No one knows what the health care bill will be. You don't either. You are inventing a story. There's going to be a Senate version, and then there will be a conference to decide on the final bill, if the Senate passes a bill.
In any case the politicians will benefit with earmarks and wasteful spending.
I can tolerate imperfection in health care. I cannot tolerate fools in congress.
I cannot tolerate people driven by ideology and not common sense.
DLB has common sense, and I agree with him for the most part. He gives facts and backs them up with verifiable sources.
C. L. West you are not going to get away with your ideological thinking if I can help it.
" Every U.S. Citizen has a right to good health and general health care set by the very foundation of our Forefathers." Prove it. This statement is nothing more than attempt to sway public opinion. Where does it explicitly say that in the constitution? I suppose a Liberal judge could find a way to say it's in there, but a conservative judge would not.
It's time for the people to take back their country. What are you going to do if three fourths of the people put an amendment in the constitution that makes abortion illegal? http://goluckydonald.newsvine.com/_news/2009/05/15/2820951-majority-pro-life Wake up! You are the type of person together with others that might help make that happen. Over 50% of the people are pro life. Think about it.
Conservatives outnumber liberals in this country! http://goluckydonald.newsvine.com/_news/2009/07/26/3072177-conservatives-outnumber-liberals-us
So, those of you out there that don't want the Democrats pushing you around, just "spread the word," and things will work out just fine.