There isn’t enough medication in this world or the next to cure or resolve how raw and bleeding our throats are from the schemes of the Obama Administration and this present Congress in what is being forced down our UNWILLING throats. Is there any hope of ever waking up from this National nightmare ? ……besides clutching onto the hope of the 2010 elections. I have a horrible fear that we aren’t going to get to that solution before they jam it all to the point of no return.

Support for the health care plan proposed by the President and Congressional Democrats has fallen to a new low of 38%. Sixty percent (60%) of voters believe passage of the bill will lead to higher health care costs. These are the same numbers that caused this atrocity to continue on for debate. But who’s listening to the American people? I can’t think of a time in our past history when we have been so compromised, ignored and considered of no importance to this present regime and Congress. The 60% of American people who know what a catastrophe this present health care proposal is have no problem with wanting to meet the needs of the uninsured. Destroying the entire health care delivery system we now have is malevolent and insane and not the way to go.

Oh please. This from someone who supports the party of "The Hammer" (criminal Tom DeLay) where more backroom deals were made than one could shake a stick at. The R party is in the record books for paying off and/or heavy-handing their caucus to the point of threatening them with primary challenges if they step out of line. The Dem caucus is far more independent. Louisiana was hardest hit by Katrina, and this was to offset the affect of that compensation on their registered income levels as they still receive qualified benefits for that devistation. If I had a dime for every dollar of pork sent a Republican's way I'd be a multitrillionaire, not to mention the no-bid contracts, giveaways to big oil companies, big pharma, big insurance, the military industrial complex, and on and on and on. What is he Republican plan for the criminal healthcare crisis in this country which they could care less about when they are in power? NOTHING except more trillion dollar giveaways to big pharma and big insurance. Bush/Cheney nearly RUINED this nation, and now right wingers have the gall to criticize Obama. Either get a mop and clean up YOUR mess, or close thy whining pie hole.

WOW.......somebody get poor rbilancia a glass of water and a sedative. Talk about being wound ! This ranting tirade is just talking points....talking points....talking points....talking points....talking points....talking points....talking points....talking points....talking points....talking points....talking points...

and MORE talking points. And to add insult to injury.....this diatribe has nothing to do with the content of Kent Ward's column. Maybe blowing off some talking points steam assuaged poor old rbilancia's congested temples....for a little while anyway.

Elections have consequences. 1 year ago, President Obama won his office by an overwelming majority of people. What was his platform...HealthCare Reform....why are people now so surprised? Suddenly, we have all these prophets warning of the doom and gloom facing America if ALL people have access to healthcare. You say that you want all people uninsured but seem to have no desire to plan for how that will happen. If you truly believe the wonderful insurance companies are going to play fair in your plan...think again...they are as corrupt as wall street and the entire banking industry.

National NIghtmare!! How about 2 ongoing wars?? How many young lives have we lost, lives that are permantly disabled, how many billions of dollars has it cost us and we have not even begun to pay for most of it yet....

Ok cheeta...I'll try again. I'm using your quote ("You say that you want all people uninsured but seem to have no desire to plan for how that will happen") I assume you meant to say insured..not uninsured. Yes, I want to see the 32 million uninsured be insured. If there are people in that number who don't want to be insured...they should have that option. They should not be fined or go to jail. Every time I suggest to a Democrat or Liberal my ideas on how to address this problem......a wall of silence happens and I get no response from them at all. I can only assume it makes too much sense to them. Would you agree with me that Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid are broke. It’s the Federal Government that manages those programs. Need I say more? Provide $3000.00 to an uninsured for deductibles (kept in a financial institution for deductibles only) Depending on the uninsured's personal circumstances and family size....provide a voucher for them to shop around at various Insurance companies who collaborate with the Feds to get the insurance pkg they need. Insurance companies already do this for Medicare Advantage. Let them and all of us go across State lines if we get a better bang for our buck. Institute "Tort" reform....such as a 5 million dollar cap on malpractice suits. Who couldn't live on 5 million? This solution would be a drop in the bucket compared to Pelosi/Reid madness. We big bad Conservatives DO WANT TO SEE the uninsured BE insured.

The 2 ongoing wars? I totally agree with you ! Don't forget Wreaths at Arlington..Merrill Worcester's annual trek with his donated wreaths for the Arlington headstones. Will be placed again on the headstones @ Arlington on Dec. 12, 2009. The Patriot Guard always follows him down. Anyone can volunteer to help place the wreaths.

I guess KikiEm needs to read my other post again. It directly addresses Kent's thesis regarding so called "payoffs" to get legislation passed. Or maybe he can't read unless it is written by Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, or some other right wing windbag looneytune. But I will answer some of HIS "talking points" on a healthcare plan. First, fine do tort reform which TX and other states have done to little avail. In TX which has been the most aggressive on tort reform, their rates are STILL going way up. Medicare is running low because of DEMOGRAPHICS changes and increased population levels. Compared to private insurance which WASTES 35 to 40 cents on the dollar in disgusting profit margins and advertising, Medicare spends only 4 cents on overhead. It is MUCH cheaper, far more efficient, and covers the entirey eldery population 65 and over, and REPUBLICAN senior citizens LOVE it. Does it need to be re-structured in certain ways to maintain future solvency, sure. And that can be done. So called anti-government right wingers like KIKI are now out in the streets crazily yelling "Keep your government hands off my MEDICARE !!" Medicare for all much like Canada would be the most cost effective and best program, but bought and paid for right wingers always block it because it would not be good for their greedy rich corporate benefactors. The second best option is a public OPTION and if the UPS can compete with the postal service, the greedy private insurance company racketeers, who ration care and whose bureaucrats interfere with the doctor-patient relationship all the time, can buck up and learn to compete wih a public option. Gee, they might just have to start spending money on care instead of advertising and profit. What a thought. And gee, only when Democrats take control of the government and try to something about this hundred year old mess to Republicans come out with a "plan." They had it all just recently and did NOTHING ! As usual. If it doesn't help their rich friends, they do just that, NOTHING !

KikiEm, There are areas that I would agree with you on. I agree that Medicare is broke. We are spending 50 billions dollars a year to keep seniors alive in their last 2 months of life. Until society grapples with death and dying, our government has no choice but to pay the money...this is not just a liberal issue but conservative as well.

Regarding those that want to opt out of insurance coverage...NO. I have no choice but to have auto insurance, why should you have the choice to opt out of health coverage? If you get in an accident, get cancer, have a heart attack...guess who pays the bill...me and everyone else that has insurance. This is not change just more of the same and the reason that health care has become unaffordable for so many..

Providing a voucher for people to shop around...I have shopped around for my 20 something son...the cheapest plan was $450 a month, no preventative care and a $5000 dollar deductable...what makes you believe the insurance companies are going to play fair in this? They have done nothing but spend their millions of dollars buying congress votes while denying people needed health care.

Cheeta ?? Do you work for an insurance company or have you ever? If not....then you are swallowing the talking points of the Pelosi/Reid Manifesto. In June and July they were looking for a villain....seeing as George Bush was gone. So they cast about and got Insurance Companies in their bullseye. I must say...they are having luck running that up the flagpole. I was without medical coverage for 9 years once...(working as a waitress) It never dawned on me then or now that it was somebody else's fault. It was obvious to me that it was the prior choices I had made that left me bereft of many services...including medical coverage. I finally landed a job...in the past 20 years...working for an "Evil" rich man. I never had it so good. Good pay..medical / dental coverage..pension plan..all the bells and whistles. The insurance company that covered me (Aetna) never...in all those 20 years denied paying my medical bills. So, I might have to admit.....I can't identify with folks like you and rbilancia in your rabid opinions of insurance companies. If your experience with them has been..in your words.. the greedy private insurance company racketeers, who ration care and whose bureaucrats interfere with the doctor-patient relationship all the time,..then you're all primed for government-run healthcare. I have been on Medicare for 6 months and right out of the gate....I had to submit and re-submit my billing for my yearly check-up. I have a supplemental with Aetna which paid their part..but quite a hassle took place with that Medicare coverage that rbilancia claims REPUBLICANS LOVE !! I'm not feeling the "love" yet.

My mother and father were both on Medicare and the provisions they received kept them with us for MORE than 2 months. They had supplemental coverage with their Medicare. My father had 2 lifesaving procedures when he was 76 and 83. He died at 90. We would have lost him at 76 if he hadn't had the surgery. He and my mother and I won't be worth it on Obama's plan. Take the pill and shut your mouth. (A bitter pill)

Your argument about auto insurance? Think that through...not a good argument. What if you don't have a car? Are you still forced to buy car insurance?.....NO ! No fine or prison sentence either.

Now.....to those 2 ongoing wars........you and I would see eye to eye to that horrendous endeavor. Gotta go watch the Colts get beat....hopefully.

No, I do not work for an insurance company...quite the opposite...I work in the health care profession. I have seen it all...those with insurance, those with no insurance...there is a difference.

I am not saying that those on medicare should not have those life saving procedures...however, when you talk about the fact that medicare is broke....that would be the reason. My mother as well is on Medicare and has benefited from cancer care. Do we cut this program because it is government run and you believe it is a failure??

I maintain my example of car insurance...many people do not have the luxury of having public transporation and have no choice but to own a vehicle in order to work...I would daresay that the majority of people in the United States DO own a vehicle. I have had the misforturne of having someone hit me with no insurance...that person got off scott free...no citation...no money out of their pocket as I paid my hefty deductable. There is NO difference from the person that has no health insurance...I pay for myself and them every single time I have to use the health care system. I would agree that prison time is extreme however penatlies should be incurred. I am just sick and tired of paying for everyone else...everyone should pay something!!!

Well...cheetah....good arguments. I too have a daughter in the health care profession and several relatives in the same profession. They are all opposed to government run health care. So it would appear it depends what side of the fence you're on and what our own personal experiences have been in our past. Good for your Mother.....I hope she is doing well ! I am so afraid I won't get the medical treatments that I may require in my retirement. I know that's what is coming...rationed care. I have been retired now for 8 months. I worked for 48 years...non stop. I paid into Medicare for decades and now Pelosi and Cohorts want to help me understand that I've had my day.....most of my life is behind me...and I could use some end of life tutorials to help me understand how selfish it really is to go to the expense of a procedure that could.....maybe even cure me....or give me.....Yes..more than 2 months. I find just the thought of it...reprehensible. I'm concientious and faithful in taking care of myself....I even work out 4 days a week. But you never know ? The procedure my father had gave him 14 more years. 14 more years with us. My Mom lived to be 89....she was quite healthy but developed dementia. I cared for her and watched out for her well-being for the last 4 years of her life.....until there wasn't enough of me left to take care of her. I wasn't real close to my Mom but I became quite protective of her when she became so vulnerable. I am not any of the labels or names rbilancia called me. I don't hate anyone ...don't wish ill-will on anyone and do the best i can with what I have. It is unfortuante about your mishap with somebody hitting your car.....In Maine.....maybe you don't live in Maine? You can't register or license plate a car without proof of insurance. So someone was breaking all kinds of laws who ran into you. In my policy..I am covered for the uninsured....it is not much of an extra cost because it is not used very often and it is worth it. Do you still believe people should be required to buy auto insurance if they don't drive or own an automobile?

Oh BTW....thanks for not calling me any rude or offensive names.......

I'm curious as to where this "bribe" money for votes comes from? Are they using unspent money from the stimulus as a slush fund or something? Shouldn't it be considered unethical to buy votes? It seems distasteful to brag about their victorious "bribes".