" obviously Ms. Dodson has no clue what this bill is. First of all, Ms. Dodson, people with no insurance can get treatment at hospitals and doctors offices. These people can go to the local ER and receive services. Then if they cannot afford the treatment, the hospitals will write off most of their bill and they will probably end up with better care than folks who work hard and HAVE insurance. I do agree that some reform does need to happen with Insurance companies, but this bill will only tax them and raise their fees as a way to pay for the 800 Billion dollar price tag. Do you know what businesses do when their operating costs rise??? Thats right, they pass that extra cost onto the customer. This bill will cut Medicare services and raise fees on insurance companies. The government (nor anyone else) can GIVE what they DO NOT HAVE. And after they pass this bill, they will not have anything to give either. They will have to take something from somewhere or someone to do this. Ms. Dodson, I understand that you have great compassion, as I believe I do too, but looking at the governments record of taking over businesses, I don't see how you think Obama or his administration will be successful at the Health industry.

Well, I could go on, but as I have found out by working with a bunch of Liberal people - they have no logical reasoning. We can just give and give and give without fear of consequences. So - Let the fighting begin. "

" Betty Spaghetty, go take another sip of your kool-aid, & rejoin your flock. Your cliff awaits you. "

" Where is Susan screaming, "HE HAS NO PLAN!" "

" president Obama wins the nobel peace prize and rightwing heads are exploding!

how good can it get??? "

" jrhendren wrote on Oct 8, 2009 11:55 PM:

" Where is Susan screaming, "HE HAS NO PLAN!" "

Well, I won't scream it, but I will ask it. What is the Obama plan? There is nothing on paper yet. The only thing in print is HR3200 which everyone describes as a mess, and having read it, I agree. There is the Baucus Bill which recently came out but again, does more to tax the benefits then help people.

I am waiting for a bill that will actually come close to what the president says he wants. Except, he wants to cut Medicare by 500 billion, supposedly the waste. Now, we all know Medicare has waste, every government program does. But the cuts can only come from places the money is being spent, they haven't identified where the waste is.

Tis a puzzlement! "

" Tis TRUE Obama still has no plan. Simple facts. Mr. Hendren others not just those on the far right like you can make a misstatement. Obamas strategy is pretty darn good in my opinion. He is far smarter than you. He knew anything he proposed would be trashed. As I pointed out earlier, how does a president get people to pass what he wants passed without them thinking that they are doing what he wants? "

" All The Way wrote on Oct 9, 2009 1:10 PM:
But the cuts can only come from places the money is being spent, they haven't identified where the waste is.

Tis a puzzlement! """"""



Tis NO puzzlement!.....

just as an example, how many of those $3500.00 electric scooters and chairs do you see flying around town? do you suppose there's 143,000 of them out there across the nation? how many power lift recliners? and what about CPAP machines? 9 out of 10 people DON'T need them, these are all things that WE PAY FOR. and that's just a few of many wasteful luxuries.

now if that's a puzzlement, you need medication. "

" Tis TRUE Obama still has no plan. Simple facts. Mr. Hendren others not just those on the far right like you can make a misstatement. Obamas strategy is pretty darn good in my opinion. He is far smarter than you. He knew anything he proposed would be trashed. As I pointed out earlier, how does a president get people to pass what he wants passed without them thinking that they are doing what he wants? "

I think you might be onto something Susan. I think the president is playing a pretty smart game, and the Republicans are walking right into the trap he has set. Releasing the info on Medicare waste was timely. The right has jumped all over that, and they will look sort of stupid is they try object to cleaning up the Medicare cost fiasco's, won't they? It's good to have a president in the White house that actually has a brain and is not spoon fed by his VP. "

" No father Bob it just shows what a farce the Nobel Peace Prize has become. "

" I liked your letter Betty. Thank you for expressing yourself rationally and in a civilized manner "

" All The Way wrote on Oct 9, 2009 1:10 PM:
" jrhendren wrote on Oct 8, 2009 11:55 PM:

" Where is Susan screaming, "HE HAS NO PLAN!" "

Well, I won't scream it, but I will ask it. What is the Obama plan? There is nothing on paper yet. The only thing in print is HR3200 which everyone describes as a mess, and having read it, I agree. There is the Baucus Bill which recently came out but again, does more to tax the benefits then help people.

I am waiting for a bill that will actually come close to what the president says he wants. Except, he wants to cut Medicare by 500 billion, supposedly the waste. Now, we all know Medicare has waste, every government program does. But the cuts can only come from places the money is being spent, they haven't identified where the waste is.

Tis a puzzlement! "

shumphreys wrote on Oct 9, 2009 2:28 PM:
" Tis TRUE Obama still has no plan. Simple facts. Mr. Hendren others not just those on the far right like you can make a misstatement. Obamas strategy is pretty darn good in my opinion. He is far smarter than you. He knew anything he proposed would be trashed. As I pointed out earlier, how does a president get people to pass what he wants passed without them thinking that they are doing what he wants? "


SO you are both calling him a liar. That when he said, "My plan" several times during his speech to both parts of Congress, and the nation he lied. When he layed out his plan in those speeches, he lied? Check out his web site, and the transcripts of his speech. He has a plan you two just don't want to believe it or something. "

" Harry Potter wrote on Oct 9, 2009 4:57 PM:
" Tis TRUE Obama still has no plan. Simple facts. Mr. Hendren others not just those on the far right like you can make a misstatement. Obamas strategy is pretty darn good in my opinion. He is far smarter than you. He knew anything he proposed would be trashed. As I pointed out earlier, how does a president get people to pass what he wants passed without them thinking that they are doing what he wants? "

I think you might be onto something Susan. I think the president is playing a pretty smart game, and the Republicans are walking right into the trap he has set. Releasing the info on Medicare waste was timely. The right has jumped all over that, and they will look sort of stupid is they try object to cleaning up the Medicare cost fiasco's, won't they? It's good to have a president in the White house that actually has a brain and is not spoon fed by his VP. "


COme on Harry don't tell me you say he has no plan either? The President has said over and over he has a plan, and even has layed out some details. I'm not saying anything about his plan being good or bad, just that he has said he has a plan. To say he does not is to call him a liar. On his website in big letters it states "THE OBAMA PLAN", then goes into details -
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/
His joint speech to Congress and the nation he speaks of his plan:

"The plan I'm announcing tonight would meet three basic goals:" - President Obama to joint session of Congress

"That's why under my plan, individuals will be required to carry basic health insurance..." - President Obama to joint session of Congress

"My healthcare proposal has also been attacked by some who oppose reform as a "government takeover"..." - President Obama to joint session of Congress

"Add it all up, and the plan I'm proposing will cost around $900 billion over ten years,..." - President Obama to joint session of Congress

Here is a link to the entire speech:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/10/barack-obama-healthcare-reform-speech-full-text



For someone without a plan he sure sounds like he has one, and even says he does. "

" As we have pointed out over and over Mr. Hendren you can't attack Obamas plan because he hasn't put one into writing that can be taken to Congress and voted on. He has ideas of what should be in a plan, how a plan can be paid for, BUT he still has no plan that you can attack. As to whether he is a liar, he might have a written plan somewhere in his office but he hasn't presented it to the public and until that is done you are sh-- up a creek. I known subtleties are beyond your comprehension. That is why Obama so far is such a GREAT leader. He knows how to work the system to get what he wants past Congress. "

" Everyone deserves equal rights. That's why they're called "equal" and "rights." Saturday night, President Obama will speak before a gay rights group, and on Sunday there will be a massive gay rally in Washington. Which makes this weekend the perfect time for Obama to announce he's repealing "don't ask, don't tell" and committing to a full-throated endorsement of gay marriage. One, because it's the right thing to do and two, because it will throw the conservative base into such a frenzied, pants-shi**ing panic that they'll drop all that BS about death panels and socialism and let us all get some actual work done
Bill Maher-

I hope it happens. I can just hear our Obama bashing bloggers now. After their near melt down over the Peace Prize, the good folks over at Fox will come even more unglued. lol! "

" They're doing what they always do descending on Congress and using every bit of influence they have to maintain a status quo that has maximized their profits at the expense of American consumers," Obama said in televised remarks made at the White House. "That's why we need a Consumer Financial Protection Agency that will stand up not for big banks and financial firms, but for hardworking Americans."
President Obama-

Of course we know where the GOP always stands when it comes to a choice for what's right for giant business interests and those of the hardworking Americans. Historically, they have proven that they will stand with corporations and will always vote against the best interest of the individual. "

" Ok, which plan should they pass into law.

There are what, 5 different plans from the various committees and while there are many similarities there are some pretty big differences too. "

" Health insurance should be treated as a public utility, like the water department, with costs pooled universally by government to keep the price low to individuals.
The idea that corporations make billions in profits by DIVERTING money that should be spent on health care services is as obscene as the idea of letting a corporation seize control of your water supply and then charging whatever the traffic will bear, $10 a gallon, $50 a gallon. How thirsty are you today, pal? "

" Your point is a good one. The "final" plan that gets presented will probably be an amalgamation of all of them. We will have to wait and see if they include the best parts or cave in to self-vested interests (chicken out). "

" A must see: YouTube clip on Bill Moyers on health care.

Moyers does a good job following the despicable actions of one particular lobbyist who went from a giant insurance company to being the top advisor for Max Baucus on health care reform. Her mission is to destroy any public option which would in effect eliminate any competition for the insurance companies and would allow health care coverage to continue to sky rocket.

Apparantly her work has paid off, as Baucus now says there will be no public option.

The more Baucus speaks, the more convinced I am that he's in bed with the insurance companies. "

" BETTY (or any other supporter of this ""plan""):

Can someone, anyone please post a link to this plan that actually shows the details of what it is?

I was taught early in my career that a plan is only a plan if it is written down.

So far, the dummy-crats and the current President havent posted anything in writing that actually describes the details of what this so called plan is, so it would seem that you are supporting promises and speeches not a plan.

In fact the dummy-crats have rejected several attempts for amendments that would requiring posting this plan what ever it is, for at least a 72 hour review so that the citizens can actually read it and find out what it is.

So far all that keeps coming up is we have to have it and we need it now!

Trust us they say.

To you supporters I ask- why would the majority who opposed the last failed attempt to sneak through a terrible bill under the same disingenuous rhetoric should trust the same type of promises by the same people with nothing in writing or a chance to review it?

Heres an idea, make them publish what ever the plan is for all the people to review for a reasonable amount of time before it is voted on.

Then maybe there can be real discussions about what ever it is.

Gee, maybe the it supporters are the same ones who buy ocean front property in Arizona or the mountain view property in central Illinois. "

" Sorry- couldn't pass this little gem up:
---------------
until that is done you are sh-- up a creek. I known subtleties are beyond your comprehension. That is why Obama so far is such a GREAT leader. He knows how to work the system to get what he wants past Congress. "
----------

Uh, get it past congress?

So now his own congress is against him.

You mean the bozos that are totally beholding to him and havent bucked him or his policies once yet.

His own political party who is in total control of both houses and can pass anything they want on their own votes.

Yep, O-Kool-Aid drinker at work. . . . . . . . . . .

Dont you really mean his plan is dont put anything in writing for the public until the very last possible moment so he can sneak it past the people who arent died in the wool, 100% sold out Obama supporters? "

" White House Communications Director Anita Dunn said, "The reality of it is that Fox News often operates almost as either the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party."
Finally. It's about time the Obama administration slammed the fascist propagandists with some truth. They have never gotten anything but unfair attacks out of Fox News and its mentally unbalanced worshippers, and they never will. Time to throw the spotlight on that fact. "

" Honestly BPS, grow up. The Democratic party isn't a united left wing group, there are many Conservatives in the group and yes Obama is intelligent enough to realize that anything he does he will have to get "past" congress. WHICH means he will have to find a middle ground and pull the extremeists in his party towards the right and some of the Repubs towards the left. "

" His plan BPS is to let the Repubs keep shooting themselves in the feet until they don't have a leg to stand on, which seems to be working quite well. AND that does mean don't put anything in writing, let Congress see if they can put something together. Which it seems that they just might do. Healthcare/insurance reform of some sort will get past Congress in the near future. "

" shumphreys wrote on Oct 11, 2009 4:06 PM:
" Honestly BPS, grow up. The Democratic party isn't a united left wing group, there are many Conservatives in the group and yes Obama is intelligent enough to realize that anything he does he will have to get "past" congress. WHICH means he will have to find a middle ground and pull the extremeists in his party towards the right and some of the Repubs towards the left. "

shumphreys wrote on Oct 11, 2009 4:10 PM:
" His plan BPS is to let the Repubs keep shooting themselves in the feet until they don't have a leg to stand on, which seems to be working quite well. AND that does mean don't put anything in writing, let Congress see if they can put something together. Which it seems that they just might do. Healthcare/insurance reform of some sort will get past Congress in the near future. "
-----------

Actual S I am already quit grown up thank you and believe it or not I am also actual quit well educated by both formal education and the business world. I have been offered snake oil by politicians several times and have found it to be unpalatable.

I fully understand the need for meaningful heath care reforms and really do have a heart.

I grew up in a poor family without insurance with a mother with major health problems. I have also been in the same position as an adult a few times and I have paid overpriced premiums and Cobra. I truly know the pain. I also know the pain of poorly run gooberment programs.

I dont believe the motives of anyone from either party (get that from either party).

I am surprised that you would condone the behavior of withholding the facts from those he was supposed to be elected to serve.

To blindly believe a politician just doesnt seem like the nature you project here in your postings.

Your theory might be a good one if the crooks in charge hadnt already tried to slip through an abomination that quite probably would have already been law if the people hadnt caught them at it.

Frankly, if the President would have actually lead and proposed his own plan in the beginning instead of trying to slip and slide through this mess with no responsibility this would have been a done deal.

Not putting things in writing means you dont think you can support what you are trying to sell.

It means that you dont think the majority of citizen will support it.

If in fact what they were trying to do was worth its salt, they should be able to go out to the people and sell it.

As I said in one of my proceeding post, his party controls both houses.

The Rebub-a-clowns can do nothing to stop him.

If he can not control or sell his supposed visionary plan to his own party leaders he must not be much of a leader or it must be a real poor vision.

But, then again other than talk the talk, in his entire political career he has never proven he can actually walk the walk, now has he S. . . . "

" Healthcare/insurance reform of some sort will get past Congress in the near future. "

They know that, and that's what's driving them up a wall, Susan. Once again, they know they will be the big loser. "

" Amen, Betty, Amen. Unfortunately - the feeble right-wing attempts to decry justice for ALL are being surreptitiously led by the insurance companies, who have made a 350% profits off of their dying relatives.

Of course, the usual right wing pro-faux news blatherers will take an entire page up spouting utter nonsense; but you manage to say it simply and with moral conviction. "

" So far only one of the five health plan proposals have been made public. Of the other 4 only small "sound bites" have been released. I have made no secret of my disdain for the 1000+ page monster that has been released and I have concerns over the others based on what little info that has been released from those committees that are or have put them together.

My biggest problem with all of them is that they do not seem to truly address and deal with 95% of the problems in US health care and it is in this 95% where most of the waste and inefficiency can be found which is a big reason why health care costs continue to rise while in many ways quality of care either declines or remains stagnant.

Does our health care system need fixing, yes it does, and it should have been fixed 100 years ago, but at the same time we need to do it in such a way as not to substitute one set of problems for another or end up making things worse.

The only way this is going to happen is if our elected leaders stop fighting among themselves and stop bowing and scraping to those individuals and groups they feel put them in office and start remembering that they owe allegiance to the Constitution and to the People of the USA. "

" Jeez, I've been out of town for 6 weeks and the same folks are still flying on their one right wing.
Betty's letter says it exactly right, and TQuestion's comments are one of the few that makes sense.
There may be no plan, but the traitors
who run the insurance companies lied when they said they would support Obama last summer, now decide they want the exclusive right to screw all of us without any bill or regulations. WHO was dumb enough to believe them last summer? Not I!!!!!!!!

I sprained my back chopping wood over the weekend in Colorado to keep my axx
warm -- suppose I can get health care for that?? In case you were facing east, I can tell you we had SNOW in N
Colorado, so much I wasn't certain I would be able to get down the narrow mountain road from my house for my return. "

" Cognitus wrote on Oct 13, 2009 8:55 PM:
"I can tell you we had SNOW in N
Colorado, so much I wasn't certain I would be able to get down the narrow mountain road from my house for my return. """""


glad to see you back and posting again! "