Well said, Hollywood Russ; Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah !                             
A peep into the background of motivation behind all the value
distortion that has plagued the Republic of the United Stated
of America, since prior to the end of WWII, is useful.

When allen Dulles and cronies arranged to move the NAZI
headquarters from Berlin to DC, they set-up the USofA for the
junk behavior that has plagued us since 1945.  The greed,
that moved Werner Freiherr von Braun into a hero spot instead
of placing him with his colleagues at the Nurremburg Trials,
has overtaken the leadership of the USA.  All the folk who
have driven such satanism forward fail to comtemplate that
the system they espouse results in destruction, not
improvement.

Who is unable to perceive the current distress of the USofA
and the entire western world?  Which, has been instituted
largely via the efforts of the Georg Scherff family of
Doerlitszch, SE of Leipzig, with marionnettes of NAZI-ism,
and cohorts.  One group of cohorts should step outside the PR
propaganda of their system, and become acquainted with the
work of Schlomo Zand, teacher at Tel Aviv University, who
wrote a book, “When and How Was the Jewish People Invented?” 
Incorporating reality into ones behavior is always helpful.

Considering that all employees of the government of the USofA
are public servants, sworn to uphold and further the concepts
of the Constitution of the United States of America, it is
time for all of them to “take hold.”  This includes all the
covert agents of all organizations of the US.  Folks, take a
moment to comprehend the freedoms you have enjoyed.  All of
them are sponsored by the Christian heritage of the original
founders, which heritage continues to exist.  Is it not time
that all of you began to do that which you promised to do,
instead of pimping for the evil NAZI-types who have taken
over? 

Who among US agents expects anything other than that which
was awarded to Lee Harvey Oswald, after many years of
faithful service to the CIA?  Think of all the Americans whom
your co-workers have “quietened” because they either knew too
much, or said they would become honest like Chip Tatum.  Does
your behavior serve the interests of freedom, or the NAZI
satanism that destroys?  The same goes for all elected
representatives in the congress of the USofA.  It is time for
you to serve the folk you represent, not the stooges who
intimidate you to do their bidding, and who bribe you and do
illegal favors for you. 

Maybe we need to remind ourselves that beliefs are based on
faith and trust.  Not bribery and intimidation.

There is a lot of good in the Senate bill, even better in the House version, excepting the Stupack Amendment. I agree with Mr. Boyarksy. If the House and Senate negotiators can cobble together something that holds the unconscionable health insurance companies to account, then maybe there is hope. If not, then Obama can kiss good-bye to a second term. Like many other voters, I’m fed up with the Bad Guy always winning. I voted for change. I’ll vote for change again, but never for a Republican Party. The GOP is the party of NO! Never any solutions, only no, no, no! And this tort reform they talk about is what ruined patient rights in California. Campaign finance reform, as written by Russ Feingold and good ol’ John, born in Panama, McCain, was unconstitutional because it violated freedom of speech? Maybe we should go back to the drawing board, and find a Supreme Court that doesn’t confuse dollars with speech? I believe expanding MEDICARE to all is the only answer. Where do we get the money? Taxes! Taxes are the price for a civilized society. That’s the voice of Oliver Wendell Holmes. Also, all that money we dumped over the Middle East for the past 7 years needs to dry up. If we are going to borrow money from China, et al., then it should be to make our country healthier. Maybe even squeeze in some new public libraries along the way.

Gmarks,
Whatever.  Me thinks your glasses are highly polarized.  Fact check.  Blue Dog Democrats are Democrat Party Centrists and are Corporatists and pro-War.  The Progressive wing of the Democratic Party that is anti-Bankster anti-Corporatist anti-War but is not into race baiting.  Tea Baggers are largely a product of Fox News which is definitely not Libertarian isolationist and loves the MIC and and the “Support the Troops” endless War on Terror.

Obama is a huckster:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2486746/what_is_the_hucksterinchief_obama_selling.html?cat=9

I’m a Democrat disappointed with Obama as this expresses:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2502825/obama_is_allowing_others_to_errantly_pg5.html?cat=9

Recently, I called my insurance company to get pre-authorization for a mental health visit.  Before we got to that, I first had to answer questions about some of my personal habits. “Do you smoke cigarettes,” I was asked. I don’t know what this had to do with seeing a therapist, but I responded, “yes, I do!” “Do you want to stop?” “Yes, I do,” I lied. “Would you talk to a smoking cessation counselor once we end this phone call. “Sure, I would,” I lied once more. 

She explained that these questions were being asked by my employer. She never did put me in touch with that counselor, but I guess my employer has the right to target me for a $50 month surcharge that they tried to impose about a year ago—the state, on behalf of the insurance company—much to the outrage of Tennesseans. Tennesseans enjoy smoking, drinking,eating and carrying guns, and I guess all those activities will be surcharged on behalf of the insurance company from now on.

Which is to say that insurance companies will find a way to get their money back for any pre-existing condition requirements. With no competition and no regulations preventing them from raising the price of premiums, we’ll be giving them nearly half of our paychecks for this newfangled health care reform.

I don’t understand how Obama thinks he can get reelected on this basis. What happened to duking it out?  His base, the people who did the impossible by getting him elected, would support his failure if at least he appeared at the microphone with a bloody nose or torn clothing.  We love fighters in this country, especially fighters who go all 13 rounds in certain defeat. But who can get excited about a fighter who gives up in the fifth round shouting “no mas, no mas!”

Heck, if I was doomed to be a one-term president, I’d go out swinging, cursing, spitting and be proud of that legacy.

Gmarks,
You are absolutely right about the disconnect in what the people want, how the government acts, and what the media promotes.  This situation exists because America is a Corporatist State and not a Democracy.  Changing this fact requires getting highly entrenched Corporations and Moneyed Interests out of our Government and MSM.  Not an easy task to say the least.

The commonality of the policy dislikes you cite between left and right seems a bit exaggerated (e.g. immigration and war), and if you instead examine the different solutions proposed by each it gets much worse.  Still perhaps this discontent could be harnessed under the right circumstances.  And the situation is so desparate I understand the attraction to the concept.  However, even if it were to catch on I believe it would be still born in the end.

The major obstacle to real change is that Corporatist interests currently preselect both parties candidates and control MSM (particularly highly successful Fox News).  Campaign finance/Lobby and Media reform are the single most important issues of our time.  Neither is being addressed by the government since it is representing the root of the problem with both. So we have a classic Catch-22.  I think that without such reforms, significant change will not be practical or will at least be extremely unlikely.  Even if a new political party arose it would become the target of the corrupting force of these moneyed interests.

Regarding your point on “following the names”, this seems to be a veiled reference to Anti-Semetism which I abhor and will not tolerate.  To those bent on such ideas I would say that even if the Banking/Financial elite have large numbers of Jews in its ranks that does not validate racism.  Direct your anger and solutions at the Banking/Financial paradigm.  These elite represent a very small privileged group and they are in fact victimizing the vast population which includes their own race as much as any other group.

Gmarks,

I hope you are not suggesting a party bringing these
together - oil and water do not mix. You probably are
talking about 2 new parties.

Media misinformation is a function of the CIA disinformation program. If Israel still gets its $15 million/day from the US treasury, is it logical to conclude, that the criticism of the CIA by the occupant of the US presidency, was pre-notification that he will award control of the CIA to the MOSSAD?  It would not be a precedent, since Michael Chertoff, a high-level MOSSAD officer, was appointed secretary of Homeland Security by “Junior” Bush. Which raises the question, was the
man in the expensive suit in Amsterdam, who manipulated the Nigerean youngster onto the Delta/NW airliner without a passport, a CIA or a MOSSAD agent?  Or, simply a pimp of either?  Or, is he another example of “outsourcing”?  Is he paid in freshly-printed, $100 dollar bills, or is he on salary to a US “intelligence” organization? Or, a high-level security officer on Holland´s payroll. Innocent bystander ?  RIGHT - - .

Gmarks,

I have also wondered whether there could be an alliance between progressives and Ron Paul types but it is hard to see.  The TeaBaggers are brain dead and corporate brainwashed (Fox News).  IMO they are a success story for the corporate takeover of the media which has been able to unfocus and diffuse rightful anger through misinformation propaganda.

Gmarks, I am so surprised at Howard’s capitulation to
Party Leadership after having cried foul all this time.
He has not provided any explanation of what happened to
his repeatedly reasoned solution to HCR using
reconciliation procedure.

Agreed.  And save yourself some money by not buying insurance on household items.  That is an insurance/sales-person scam.  Your liability on such items will average out just fine over your lifetime and you will save on their profit margin and contract breaks.  Insurance is only valid for averaging out catastrophic risk amongst a large client pool.

GLIDEr , I suppose that ther is no correct answer to the problems only the hope that of the many solutions presented one will help us ...YOU know the Champion Paper Co. of Texas sold 4.5 million acres of timber futures in the late 1970s to the Japanese and we are still paying for it when we buy homes .or purchase Furnature ( much from VietNam using lumber produced in America) Our Craftsmen and women are diminishing and except for people who Scroll saw items and a few places in South Carolina we seem to have exported almost every thing we held dear ....Even Quality….
our new maytag $875.00 2yrs old Broke!!!!!
not to worry the $200 special warrenty policy is not any good either…....
The ENDURING MYTH OF a Sound AMERICA is going SOUTH

myloUSMC,

Well in the past I had always believed the farmer, then the blue collar worker, and then the technology entrepreneurs were considered to be the backbone of America.  You may be close to being correct only if considering our current situation.  After the Corporatists have exported most of those jobs to the 3rd World and the Banksters have have helped themselves to the public’s money to finance their gambling and market manipulation activities rather than serve to finance our small businesses and economic base.  This is not a cause for celebration.

ONE LAST thing if The WHITE HOUSE and Congress cannot get it right or know how to maybe they should just do like they always do QUIT of spend more through programs which donot work for anyone but pork barrel polititians

AMERICA is the NEW ROME all talk and Fear mongering .. PEopLe who help themselves survive people who donot want to prosper or take responibility for themselves take a walk to another Country… I cannot believe that the Chicago political machine is working in Washington JOE the Plumber may not have an education and have problems but he could think for himself Our problems will now be 50 times more ....difficult because peopel really believe that they are owed A free RIDE…it will be the new Basketweaving Course for College students
“HOWto attain nothing from nothing in 4 years”
with a minor in Cheating ,Lieing and Stealing

I do love good ENGLISH and ofcours the prfound use of language in the comments , YES I can Say anything Because I fought for Our Country and have worked as many as 3 jobs at atime to get ahead and provide for all of my children ( none by the way are on welfare ) and none need to be coddled like a 3 day old baby . America the Words FREE Interprise and the ability to do for yourself not to provide an existance for someone who doesnot want to work and provide for their own needs wven when given the opportunity…...I offered 8 jobs this summer at $10.00 per hour with health to young people of Omaha Nebraska who were in poor areas not one person wannted to work because the jobs were 6 days a week with time and 1/2 for 2 months at 8 hours a Day .......Excuse after excuse . too early , I am busy,  I got a party ,I need Saturdays to unwind , my mom needs me till 10 am , the best one was I need $20.00 per hour because I have to pay taxes on the money and it really is not $10.00 per hour job…......
LAZY is an under statement for our Youth..
I ended up hiring 10 older semi retired men who did the work in less time better with PRIDE…...I blame the PARENTS for the YOUTH and FOR OUR stupid attitude that A company should not make Money/ GEt a life People when you talk to me atleast have a Job and know what you are talking about any one can sit on a toilet and spoutoff.

myloUSMC,
>>Insurance Companies .... have been the ... backbone of the American Economic system<<

Just how hard do you need to work to be this STUPID! UnF*****gB*****able!!

For clarification on this sham bill I recommend:
White House as Helpless Victim on Healthcare.
The Kabuki Theatre or Health Reform.
at http://www.bestcyrano.org/?p=4400

To myloUSMC.

Yes, you can say anything you want about race because you are mixed race.

In fact, you can say anything you want about anything, because this is America.

However, neither of those facts stops me from thinking you are chock full of shit.

Insurance Companies though flawed have been the stable backbone of THE american Economic system for almost 100 years ... They actually giveback to the public a bit…..... their product doesnot wear out in less than the time it is suppose to last it does not go oversease for employees it has an economic base and employees millions of people who are American citizens…...Did I mention most have to be licenced or have to actually get an education   to participate in the compaines. OR did I mention that the Insurance companies have PAid for the college degrees of more people than any other independent group or industry…
They have kept Unions in their industry in line and provide more cash   to more people than every other form of help ........YES ONE MUST pay for it . But then one must also work if one wants to get anything. I woked Undercover in theGETTOS and Watched the oH poor me why should I work attitude!!
and thousands of blood sucking criminals who are overlooked becasue of their Race ,HOLA! I am part mexican, American Indian and 1/16 black so I can say what I want about RACE>>>>>>> I am Also an AMERICAN MILITARY Warrior who doesnot believe in War but in our NATION!!

The dem’s and barak let their single largest political contributors off the hook TRIAL lawyers. But what the heck they cost the system $350 Billion a year in unnecessary malpractice premiums, defensive medicine, and lawsuits. By just addressing TORT reform there would be plenty of money to offer insurance to all but then the trial lawyers would starve… what you rather have for this country healthcare or happy trial lawyers

Now comes the unique chance for Senators Sanders and Feingold to fight for the acceptance of either a ‘Public Option’ or 55 to 65 ‘buy in of Medicare’. No, not when the current bill comes up for conference but after a bill without Public Option or buy in is signed by President Obama.
“Mr. President, you want cap-and-trade passed? Add Public Option of buy-in as an amendment or we will do a ‘Lieberman’ and vote no”.

Our health care system in the USA is currently dysfunctional and, quite frankly, an embarrassment,
given the amount of money spent on health care per
capita!  Per capita expenditures are TWICE as high as
any other “developed” country, yet 1/6 of our
population (counted in the per capita figure) don’t
even have health care!!!  To be more specific, the
USA better resembles a 3rd World country with regard
to health care: Health care is available to those
with certain employee plans, or whomever can afford
it, and those who don’t…well, they’re out of
luck!!!  Having said that, given the way politics
works in this country, there is NO WAY a single-payer
system will be mandated and made available to all
citizens and permanent residents in the near future! 
The votes in the Senate are NOT there and, if we push
to wait for the “ideal Bill” in the future… well,
the chances of getting a single-payer system will be
even further diminished.  Why?  Because the GOP is
very likely to pick up some seats in both the House
and the Senate in 2010.  I feel that securing
coverage for those with “pre-existing conditions” is
a critical step in the right direction which can only
get better as the years go by (i.e. you can’t get
this genie back in the bottle!)

Why should this bill be mended?

It delivers less, costs more, and is a feather in the cap of insurance lobbyists from “stinky” Street.  In no way is “worse” better than what is already on the law-books and in-process.

The bill should be killed, and killed now.  Certainly, now, not after the “Federal Reserve” and “Wall Street” bottom out the dollar in Jan-Feb 2010.

The disingenuous or false statements made by Team
Obama and collaborating members of Congress, to
transform the critique of the Bill into praise and
gratitude by the public, are sickening and
demoralizing. Their credibility can not be raised by
constant repetition by increasing number of
protagonists. Unfortunately many hosts who were
challenging the falsehoods head on are doing so less
and less, perhaps because they are getting tired and
increasingly resigned to inevitability of a flawed
bill. However this technique can not work because it
will be very hard to create a collusion involving
millions of progressives and independents. It is too
bad that many defenders want to be trusted because of
their eons of experience in the Washington scene,
which has not even helped them develop enough
intellectual honesty to recognize this basic concept.
Some of the most egregious half truths going
unchallenged are:

1) Subsidies and exchanges etc start in 8014, thus
all this sobbing about 45k dying is at best crocodile
tears. If true ED we should not be talking any other
topic at all. Do you not want to see how can we stop
these deaths immediately?

2) Insure 31M (not 47M) by 2019, not exactly a crash
program, is it? Why do they not point out that tax
payer money will be squandered on high bone crushing
premiums (and more than proportionately higher
subsidies) which are projected to grow 111% by Ins
Industry’s own estimates.

3) No clear description of what new alternatives,
which provide the same cost lowering and competition
as the Public Option, have been created and which
were not present in Obama Campaign’s Health Care
plans.

4)Ban the insurance denial based on pre-existing
conditions. Bu the differential of older people with
pre-existing conditions can be upto 300% in the
Senate Bill and 200% in the House Bill. The same
number is 20% in Vermont state regulation. At this
number people higher than 400% poverty level will not
find it affordable. For those eligible for subsidies,
tax payer will be hit for obscenely high amounts.

The more I read these comments, the more they resemble kids in a playground all pulling on the same rope, trying to get it away from each other.  Same for the “battle” over health care in Congress.
The rope is money, private money and public money.
The principal of this school for fools is out to lunch. Why can’t the kids agree on basic facts and principles?  Because of money and ideology. Yet everyone arguing has someone in their life who is more important to them than ideology or money. So?

1.  Everybody needs health care sooner or later.
2.  Some need more health care than others.
3.  Those who need health care and don’t get it, need more expensive health care later, or die.
4.  To deny other people health care is a form of torture.
5.  Those who don’t have money need health care just as much as those who have money.
6.  To talk about who “deserves” health care and who does not “deserve” it is to play God.
7.  Ways can be found to arrange for people who are well to pay for people who are sick, for younger people to pay for old people.  When they get sick, other people can pay for them, and as more people come into the picture all the time, the well of funding is replenished.(This may mean that wars have to stop but so what?)
8.  A country that can afford to kill people on the other side of the world can afford to stop killing and pay for saving the lives of its citizens.
9.  Because doctors and nurses are pledged to “do no harm”, they should have a primary say in how health care for all is made possible because they see the harm that sickness and pain do to people who get too little care too late.
10. A nation that does not respect its people enough to see that they all get adequate health care deserves no respect.
11.  People who do not support health care for all should be asked to forego health care for themselves.
12.  No persons should be given the “right” to deny any other persons the health care they need.
13.  All health care providers and professioinals including medical researchers and manufacturere should take pride in giving quality care to everyone at standardized, not-exploitative rates of profit mutually agreed-upon as fair through a process of interest-based bargaining.
  That’s just for starters.  Tribunals should be established for people who disagree with these or similar principles.  They should be hung by their toes over a slow fire,as entertainment just to lighten up the basic message here. If you think I am angry, you guessed right!

Profit for delivering health care is reasonable.  Insurance companies have
been profiting by keeping people and health care apart.  If the current
proposals go forward, they will continue to not add anything to the actual
provision of healthcare, but be guaranteed 15-20% of the total expense,
which they will then have incentive to cause to increase.  And because
they are corporations it is their duty, as affirmed by the courts to suck as
much as they can out of the process.

I don’t believe anything the United States government says.  When some final version of this massive stick-up comes out of that bordello called the U.S. Congress, I hope some honest and fair-minded person explains it to us all.  As for Obama - he’s not even a joke.  Does anyone really expect that yuppie bag of walking chicken liver to do anything for average citizens?

LOL, P+ = FIFTY PERCENT PLUS

correction: Not sure how P+ turned into P+ in my last
post.

pundaint,

Please don’t misread me. I do not believe for even
one second that the argumentation being used by our
politicians to defeat that which the people want, is
guided by some kind of genuine “concern” for the
people and their jobs. Rather the status quo is that
hundreds of thousands of people currently earn their
wages working for insurance industry(ie. the real
“death panels”). Their argumentation is
likely….preserve the status quo… don’t rock the
boat, if you do, we will be accused of creating even
more unemployed.

Now I could be wrong here. I certainly am not privy
to the privately held conversations which never enter
the public sphere. But usually there is mind-
numbingly simple argumentation, based on warped
logic, which auto-regulates the discussion at hand. 

We tend to focus on who is getting how much money
from whom when we try to discern a politicians
behavior(eg. Lieberman). But we must always remember
such money represents actual people working and
making their living. Redistributing 871 billion
dollars to the insurance industries guarantees an
awful lot of jobs(not only the exec who will earn
500x what the clerks earn, but also the clerks,
janitors, secretaries etc.)

This is why I raise the moral question: Sure these
are jobs, sure these people have families, and there
are children in these families who have dreams of
going to college someday, and whose hopes depend on
the job security and wage earnings of their parents
who work for these insurance corporations. But their
parents are denying people care, denying payment,
screwing other people left, right and center. Wendel
Potter speaks volumes here.

If our elected politicians are going to make a
sweeping change that effects an entire industry(like
medicare for all would mean), they must take into
account the hundreds of thousands of families which
are going to be directly economically impacted in a
negative way by such change. There is a calculus
here: making healthcare affordable to millions of
Americans(.ie no more personal bankruptcies due to
healthcare costs), and increasing access to
healthcare for more Americans(ie. moving millions of
people from emergency-room only medical care into
proactive routing medical care), will have a direct
positive economic effect on millions of Americans.

Yet this same move would mean mass unemployment and
the extinction of an existing private industry which
functions as a parasite on the dying hosts of our
society. The uninsured probably as a percentage are
less likely to vote at all in any election, as they
are probably completely disaffected(circa 45 million
people). The people who are currently suffering under
this nightmare healthcare industry are probably so
engrossed with their own suffering that they are
unlikely to be significant factor in a political
election(these numbers could be as high as 80-100
million people).This leaves an electorate of people
who have adequate insurance who are fully
employed(which is probably a minimal majority of
Americans right now, but which is definitely in
danger of becoming a minority). This is the status
quo.

Going against this status quo is a political
calculation: will we lose votes if we make such
changes, and if such changes means substantial job
loss, the base of the electorate who actually
votes(ie. those who want to maintain their status),
might actually shrink.

I am not saying I agree with this logic. Perhaps this
isn’t the logic at work. But I would not be surprised
in the slightest if this was the calculation at
work….

America seems to thrive in this sort of self-
inflicted injury. Our capitalist systems functions by
pitting my well-being against yours. Remember
inefficiency =jobs. Eliminating inefficiency means
unemployment. If the only jobs were those which were
needed/wanted we would be facing P+ unemployment.

Bill Boyarsky opines from what is still a relatively comfortable place in the “global” privateering pyramid scheme.  Fully ninety-eight percent of the subspecies homo domesticus exist in a much more precarious CONdition.

Theamericanpeople lived high-on-the-hog for a long time from what they and their genocidal military apparatus stole from indigenous peoples here on Turtle Island and all over the world.  Here in the terminal phase of the CONtraption’s operations, they too are being shoved unceremoniously and irreversibly into the poverty and oppression so long visited by them so cavalierly upon “others.”

The epidemic of poor health in america is only one symptom of this decline.  The ruling elite has had their papered professional experts “crunch” the numbers, tame Sisters and Brothers, and there simply isn’t enough “money” in the known universe to pay for all the medical attention that is needed by populations of “....huddled masses” languishing in a worldwide cesspool of toxic industrial waste. 

The profiteers are running a zero-sum “game,” and it is completely rigged in their favor.  The rest of you are nothing but suckers to fleece, and that’s what will happen to you so long as you stay in the “casino.”

Meantime, there is a great big wonderful free wild Living World out here in Indian Country.  Anybody can join us surviving Savages here, too.  Conscientious respect and undivided attention are the only “price” of admission.

Of course the smothering shroud of ersatz “individual”-ity in which most of you are trapped is a CONsiderable barrier to your Person-al freedom and the integrity that goes with the Natural Organic Form and Function of Humanity within the Living Arrangement of our Mother Earth.  Chances are at least a few of you, though, will make it alive out of the collapsing bubble of the virtual world-o’-hurt where “healthcare” CONsists mainly of carefully metered access to stop-gap medical attention.

How come you put-up-with all that institutionalized degradation?

HokaHey!

iwbcman -

The concept of concern over job loss as a reason for the state of the
HCR for Corporate Enrichment and Campaign Fundraising Act of 2009
does not pass my giggle test.

Employers have been reducing staff and relocating jobs out of the
country, in part, to avoid the overhead of paying for healthcare
coverage for years.

Besides, in what areas of legislation, has this Congress displayed any
concern for job creation over wealth preservation?

The people wanted universal healthcare. What we got
is a redistribution of wealth to the most heinous
firms in America-the insurance companies. We wanted
reform of the health care industry. We got insurance
mandates and a pathetic attempt at regulation. Sure
there a couple of things in the bill that make our
collective situation better than before-but those
have been effectively counterbalanced by the things
which will be worse than before.

The only reason we did not got a public option, or
better yet medicare for all, is because our
politicians are afraid of more job losses. Had this
legislation actually created an alternative to our
for-profit private insurance industry, hundreds of
thousands of jobs would have been lost, as the
insurance companies either went belly up or laid off
wave upon wave of employees.

As inefficient as government bureaucracy tends to be
it’s inefficiency is nothing compared to private
corporations-universal healthcare or a strong public
option would create but a fraction of the jobs lost
when private insurance companies failed to compete.
Of course there is a moral question here: why is it
that a disgusting percentage of Americans earn their
wages by actively hurting and screwing over their
fellow Americans ?

Those who work in the insurance companies are a
significant part of the problem. Sure some of the
employees may be fighting the good fight-trying to
really help people- but the public good is not
commensurable with the bottom line of these companies.

Our politicians may have the gumption to create new
jobs, but rarely to actually eliminate jobs directly,
perhaps somethings no longer receive the funds to
renew contracts or some such but the government
actually changing something that would destroy
hundreds of thousands of jobs, rarely.

Instead of getting what we wanted we found a new way
to rob Peter to give to Paul. We will now receive an
ever increasing subsidy to offset the ever increasing
premiums we will be forced to buy. The stupidity of
this arrangement will haunt us for a generation at
least.

What we really need is an amendment to the bill of
rights which guarantees universal healthcare to all
people living in the US. Of course such would require
a nation wide campaign, winning on the ballot in the
majority of states.

Another alternative would be to just nationalize the
friggin healthcare industry and be done with it.
That’s how the NHS was born in Britain, what a shame
our politicians don’t have the balls for such.

I remember with such pain when Hillary Clinton
attempted healthcare reform back in the early 90’s.
When I heard she invited all the HMO’s to Washington
to work out a deal I knew then that it would fail.
Deja vu.

Yeah, but again:  Where are the powerful physicians and surgeons organizatioins, the nurses associations, the technicians’ associations (by the tens of thousands of individuals whose profession is “doing no harm”). Yet every day they see, and have to deal with, the harm done by inadequate or non-existent health insurance locking arms with pain and death?  Where are they when they are needed?  Does the president know who his real friends are?

I can’t believe that this vast number of “health care professionals” are simply standing silently by, sucking their teeth—or anaesthetizing each other to keep from reacting.  Where, where are they?

The same scumbags will run health insurance as run it now, only millions will be forced to send them money for bottom line insurance that is crap compared to that of any other industrialized nation.  Boyarsky thinks we should meekly buckle under to this outrage?  The insurance companies will allow us scraps from their table in return for billions more in profit, and more multi million dollar salaries for their scummy executives?  Give me a break.  Wake up Boyarsky, and put the crack pipe down.  The people should run their own health care system and quit giving welfare to transnational investors who don’t give a damn about this country or its people

A question.

One of the objections to the bill is that the insurance companies will be able to
greatly increase rates to cover “pre-existing conditions.”

Is this true? And if it is, then doesn’t that ability allow the insurance companies
to continue restricting access to insurance?

(By the way, if we had single payer such an issue wouldn’t even exist. If you’re
sick you’re sick and you get what care you need. Period.)

Considering the power of conservatives in the Senate this bill may not survive
after conference. Ben Nelson appears to be sunk in his state. His attempt to
bring home the healthcare bacon for Medicaid patients didn’t work since
Nebraska’s voters aren’t impressed. He may just kill this bill as a desperate
measure to gain favorability and approval in Nebraska.

The fine for not having health insurance is much less than the cost of coverage.  People with preexisting conditions cannot be banned.

One can wait until he needs health care to buy insurance.  When he is well, he can cancel it.

Space aliens might save us from global warming.

Jews, Muslims, and Christians might recognize that their differences boil down to
different names for the same God, and the writings attempting to explain the
unknowable to different local societies.

Obama might fight for the People’s interests agains Corporate interests.

I might win Powerball.

Total combined probability: about 1 in 175 million.

“Geez Jan” said it fairly succinctly. Remember Obama’s filibuster promise on FISA while he was a senator? How about his choice for Treasury? Etc ... The man has shown his true colors; he is planning his post White House money making years.

Obama ran an ad in the Charlotte area stating “I want my daughters to have the same opportunities as your sons.” He was implying a pro women’s rights position but the statement is absurd on its face. I could only dream my son would have the opportunities enjoyed by his daughters. My question is, is this what he really thinks? If it is then he is certainly not the genius he continues to be labeled.

Not too late?  I’d say it was too late when we elected yet another spineless corporate Democrat to the White House.  The lying distraction of making health care “affordable” is a frame shared by the entire corporate media.  Time and again, we see the effort to shift costs to the individual, with not a word of objection from the corporate media, which is hardly surprising, as they are the mouthpieces of the corporate government and the combines that own practically anything worth owning.  In their world, as long as THEIR costs are socialized, and profits flow to them alone.  Health care should be absolutely without charge to the taxpayer, its costs paid for by our increasingly unfair tax burden.  If our tax dollars are good enough to support the National Socialism of the US armed forces, good enough to bail out the banks, the auto industry, the insurance industry, provide massive subsidies to just about every other corporation in the US, and pay for space exploration, then there is enough money to take care of our own citizens.  History is replete with examples of empires crumbling and going bankrupt in an effort to control all the people all the time, in wars of expansion and for resources, but I do not think there has ever been one example of a nation going broke taking care of its own people.  It’s time we dealt honestly with the fact that for all the tax dollars average citizens pour into the federal treasury, we get very little in return.

“We are the only advanced nation without a national system of subsidized health care.”
(Elliott Currie, Crime and Punishment in America)

“Americans tend to believe they have the best health care in the world, but in truth it is a second-rate system and destined to get a lot worse and much more expensive.”
(Donald Barlett and James Steele)

“Our upside down welfare state is “socialism for the rich, free enterprise for the poor.” The great welfare scandal of the age concerns the dole we give rich people.”
(William O. Douglas, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice, 1969)

“Politicians have become corporate prostitutes.”
(Helen Caldicott, MD)

“The goal of conservative rulers around the world, led by those who occupy the seats of power in Washington, is the systematic rollback of democratic gains, public services, and common living standards around the world.”
(Michael Parenti)

“In the absence of a coherent alternative, the transnational corporations carry on inexorably. Increasingly flagless and stateless, they weave global webs of production, commerce, culture and finance virtually unopposed. They expand, invest and grow, concentrating ever more wealth in a limited number of hands. They work in coalition to influence local, national and international institutions and laws. And together with the governments of their home countries in Europe, North America and Japan, as well as international institutions such as the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and increasingly, the United Nations, they are molding an international system in which they can trade and invest even more freely—a world where they are less and less accountable to the cultures, communities and nation-states in which they operate. Underpinning this effort is not the historical inevitability of an evolving, enlightened civilization, but rather the unavoidable reality of the overriding corporate purpose: the maximization of profits.”
(The Corporate Planet)

When you think about it this bill is remarkable for its adherence to capitalistic principals, while providing some socialistic amenities.  Those individuals or families deemed with insufficient income will have their health insurance premium partially paid for by the federal government——a virtual windfall for the insurance industry. I assume the income level will be determined by income tax records, but what about those people chronically unemployed will they get their entire insurance premium paid for?

Geez, Bill, what delusion of Obama’s intentions are you operating under?

Obama works for the health insurance industry. He has NO interest in helping regular people. To sit there and say “It’s up to [Obama] to stop big insurance and improve this legislation,” is like saying that it’s up to the foxes to treat the hens better.

Will people get it once and for all? Obama is not being thwarted, out-maneuvered, boxed in, or any other delusional theory you may have about why he is not delivering on the dreams you had for him. Obama is a full member of the corporate oligarchy that runs this country. End of pathetic story.

He scammed you and you bought it. How many promises does he have to break? How many crimes must he commit? How much money does he have to give to corporations? How many bombs does he have to drop? What does he have to do for you to get it?

“President Barack Obama will—or should—have the biggest voice in the final negotiations. It’s up to him to stop big insurance and improve this legislation.”

Oh c’mon, give us a break. We know whose side Obama is on and it ain’t ours. What is it with you people that makes you so blind to the obvious? Along with all the clueless MSM Yuppies clinging to their standard of living, it is all about creating and participating in illusions at the expense of the rest of us who haven’t the luxury of living in denial.

Akin to slavery, pre-emtive war,torture (among many other atrocities in America’s history), “for profit” health care is immoral and unjust. And as long as American business has to bear the burden of health care - an economic recovery is impossible. This country cannot survive.

Bill, I appreciate you re-examined your initial article.  However, I remain underwhelmed.  This bill is from a bribed Corportist Congress paid to dodge the more rational Single Payer solution, then paid to kill even a minimalistic Public Option, and paid to nix a modest Medicare Extension.  Now Corporate elected Obama, the Corportist Congress, and Lobbyists are now going to work to “improve” the bill before it is finalized.  Obviously, any fixing done will be the minimum needed to quell public anger.  Sorry but I find this state of affairs to be unacceptable.  If America was sane, the debacle over the Bankster Bailout, the failure of Financial Reform, and this corrupt Health Insurance Bailout would elicit a major overhaul of our polictical system.  Instead we appear to have governance that is the result of the 2 parties fighting over the campaign financing of America’s biggest corporate powers. 

You would think by this stage of the bills development we could get a bit more out of the proponents other than the doubletalk of “HICs won’t be able to deny you coverage”, and Americans will finally be “entitled to healthcare”.  Well, the devil is in the details and those are being obfuscated.  Your article is better than most but still provides little clarity.  Tell us why if the Public is now “entitled to Healthcare”, that in your words HICs will be able to “rescind coverage for fraud or intentional misrepresentation”.  That seems to make it clear that HICs will be charging the sick more and looking for outs in providing coverage, otherwise what is the point of this exception?  Can you explain how this is consistent with “universal coverage”?

“It’s Not Too Late to Mend the Ailing Health Care Bill”
5 words to the wise
“It ain’t gonna happen”.

The issue forgotten in this second attempt at putting lipstick on this pig is very simple: the insurance industry drove the creation of this bill and has, I am absolutely sure, already figured out how to get around any requirements they don’t like.  Of course, they can simply drive policy prices so high than no one will be able to afford insurance but somehow I would bet there are even more creative ways to “fix” these problems.

The biggest failing on this legislation is a complete failure to impose any meaningful limits on insurance company profits and premiums.  We can be assured they will rise to astronomical heights in the coming years.  That means more and more will be unable to afford insurance and will then be punished by our government as a result.  Throw this bill under the bus and start over or fix it in conference.

One may disagree with the pessimism that greets any govt attempt to reform anything at all. But one might understand that jaundiced attitude towards a Legislature totally in the thrall of campaign monies from corporate fat cats as rather an accurate assessment.

There is no reason to expect this health care reform effort to be anything but a sop to the Insurance Industry and Big Pharma, if only based upon previous performances.

The only reason to try to laud this guarantee of profits is to give undeserved credibility to the Democrats and their President.