P. McGinness - a blogger on my site asked me the following about President Obama and the Democratic Party's Health Care reform claims:

How do you set aside one fifth of the current budget? $630 billion can't just show up even over ten years. What program is being cut? What tax is being levied? You just take it as fact $630 will magically be deposited in a set aside fund. The only way to reduce physician cost is to not pay them for services rendered. What load of road apples that whole statement is full of it.

As I've said previously, up front costs WILL increase.  In the long run however they should decrease.  Why you ask?  Think of it like a small leak on your roof.  If we do nothing, that small leak will become a huge hole over 10 years, that will eventually start dripping down onto your ceiling, which in turn cause a weakness in your ceiling.  If nothing is done to stop it, that ceiling will eventually cave into your living room damaging not only your roof, your ceiling and your carpet, it could conceivably ruin furniture, flooring foundation, etc, etc...

If we do what Republicans prefer to do by giving tax breaks to homeowners and businesses, and if they WISH to do so, they can have that leak fixed with a temporary patch of shingles or tar.  That temporary patch will also end up seeping water through the roof, down onto your ceiling and again eventually end up falling through to your living room and carpet.

President Obama and the Democrats on the other hand want to FIX that roof completely.  One leak means others will come.  Repair the whole roof, which may cost you $5000 today but it will last for another 20 years saving you tons of money over time.  Fixing it today would cost you, averaged out, $200-250 a year for 15-20 years.

If you just ignore the leak or patch it, it could end up costing you 4 times that amount, or more, in 3 years or less.

Health care costs are skyrocketing, if they are allowed to continue the way they today, you and I will be paying half our salary for that same care in less than 10 years.  Statistics prove this.

Just as some believe that Social Security, Medicare and our energy system needs to be revamped, so does our health care system.  Yes, there will be people that pay a little more up front, maybe even work a little longer; but in the long run - most Americans will benefit from that revamping that is done now.

If that roof leak idea doesnt convince you to support health care reform, ask yourself why you are willing to donate money to a baseball or football field, or why you would donate money to help send a kid to soccer or cheer leading camp; but you can't find it in your heart to donate a little more (up front) so that every American can get health care without going bankrupt and losing their home and ending up on welfare -- which we end up paying in the long run.  Some people may even walk away from paying a dime -- leaving the rest of us to foot the bill.  How do you feel about that?

Yes McGinness, I think you CAN find $630 billion over 10 years without raising everybody's taxes.  Just imagine having preventive care for everyone.  A person that never had care, suddenly gets a checkup.  It's found that they have beginning stages of cancer of the prostate.  They are given radiation treatments for a few weeks - cured for another 10-20 years.  Now imagine that same person getting no preventive check up, waits 3 years and ends up with cancer of prostate that is spreading into the pelvic area and stomach.  Now that patients requires Chemo, Radiation, maybe a bone marrow transplant, hospital stays, etc.. -- costing thousands of dollars, only to end up dying in 3 years.

Who pays for that care?  We do.  You are just being ignorant or arrogant -- if you cannot see the savings.

Leading conservative economist Bruce Bartlett writes that the Obama-hating town-hall mobs have it wrong--the person they should be angry with left the White House seven months ago.

Where is the evidence that everything would be better if Republicans were in charge? Does anyone believe the economy would be growing faster or that unemployment would be lower today if John McCain had won the election? I know of no economist who holds that view. The economy is like an ocean liner that turns only very slowly. The gross domestic product and the level of employment would be pretty much the same today under any conceivable set of policies enacted since Barack Obama's inauguration.

Until conservatives once again hold Republicans to the same standard they hold Democrats, they will have no credibility and deserve no respect.

This is really a rare occassion.  A conservative Republican speaking the truth about the George W. Bush administration.

In January, the Congressional Budget Office projected a deficit this year of $1.2 trillion before Obama took office, with no estimate for actions he might take. To a large extent, the CBO's estimate simply represented the $482 billion deficit projected by the Bush administration in last summer's budget review, plus the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, which George W. Bush rammed through Congress in September over strenuous conservative objections. Thus the vast bulk of this year's currently estimated $1.8 trillion deficit was determined by Bush's policies, not Obama's.

I think conservative anger is misplaced. To a large extent, Obama is only cleaning up messes created by Bush.

More truth? Wow, I'm impressed with this man. Even the media lately has siding with Republicans, implying that it is Obama's fault that we have an estimated deficit of $1.8 trillion because of his policies over the past 6 months -- ignoring the previous 8 years the Republicans (for the most part) and Bush were in charge. 

Republicans have been claiming that President Obama can't be blaming Bush anymore, that this is 'HIS' economy now.  WRONG --- and Barlett apparently agrees.

As for the current trash talk at town halls across America -- I'm betting nearly three quarters of those complaining didn't vote Democratic and I'm also betting that most of the other's anger...stems from either a loss of job or fear of losing one.  They all just experienced the worst recession we've had in decades.  The  health care reform issue has just increased the anxiety that we all have.  It's a bit scary not knowing exactly what is being planned, even I have expressed some of my concerns in the past.

In my case however, I fear even more so, is a time where I could find myself not being able to afford health care because it's gotten way too expensive for me to afford.

So hats off to Mr. Bruce Bartlett -- for being an honest man about the Bush administration.

Mr. President, it's time for a major debate between you and the leadership of the House and Senate and members of the committees for Health Care Reform.  It's time to challenge them to say the things they've been saying about what is in the health care bill and what is not -- Face to Face.

It's time these liars come Face to Face with the Nation and you.  Let them tell you to 'your face' that you are planning on killing grandma with this bill, that you are creating "Death Panels", and that you want government to decide what gets done and what doesn't and by what doctors.  Let them say these things to you -- on live television with you all gathered around table debating this issue.  Perhaps you can offer up a debate commentator that will at least time the issue.

I would challenge specific people in Congress, like Senator Chuck Grassley and Representative John Boehner and others that are spewing lies at their town hall meetings

It's time to return to Washington.  Members of Congress are not accomplishing anything but continuing the daily spewing of lies by the extreme right wing of the Republican Party about the health care reform packages.

House Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid need to meet to discuss calling everybody back into session immediately.  In fact, President Obama should demand that they do so before things get even worse then they are.

The extremists aren't allowing the 'truth' to be told or heard -- Democrats are wasting their time trying.

As it is, polls still show Americans support most of what's being discussed as health care reform.  If Congress waits much longer however, they will bulk any sort of reform out of FEAR (which is exactly what the Republicans are hoping for).

If everybody wants to TALK about health care reform --- then go back to Washington and get the job done --- NOW!

 Jake Tapper and Rachel Martin of ABC News reported today that Obama had a "Senior Moment" today by claiming that AARP has endorsed his plans;

"President Obama today suggested that the health care reform legislation for which he's pushing has been endorsed by the American Association of Retired Person.

"We have the AARP on board because they know this is a good deal for our seniors," the president said.

At another point he said: "Well, first of all, another myth that we've been hearing about is this notion that somehow we're going to be cutting your Medicare benefits.  We are not.  AARP would not be endorsing a bill if it was undermining Medicare, okay?"

The problem?

The AARP hasn't endorsed any plan yet.

While I will agree AARP, to my knowledge, hasn't gone on live television or radio to 'officially' endorse any plan, they sure have come close to it.  Tapper and Martin failed once again to point out 'all' the details about AARP.

I'd like to point out an article from the Quad-City Times of Iowa, that shows AARP does indeed support President Obama and the Democratic Party's health care plans -- by merely acting against the opponents of it.  Running nationwide television ads to counter the lies about their plan -- sure seems awfully close to an endorsement if I ever saw one.

 

DES MOINES - AARP officials unveiled a national ad blitz Monday to counter what the organization says are attempts to scare and confuse seniors by opponents of health-care reform.

 

They say they want to counter "false assertions" that health-care changes would include a government takeover, rationed care or euthanasia.

 

The campaign, which includes ads on TV, radio and in print, seeks to dispel what they say are myths about health-care reform.

 

Bruce Koeppl, AARP's Iowa senior state director, said they want to counter claims that reforms would lead to rationing or would put government in charge of whether older Americans with medical problems get to live or die.

 

"They are, frankly, lies. They are not true," Koeppl said."

PRINCETON, N.J., Aug. 10 (UPI) -- More than 60 percent of U.S. residents approve of the job President Barack Obama has done in his first six months in office, a Gallup Poll indicates.

Sixty-three percent of respondents approve of Obama's performance, results released Monday indicate.

In a state-by-state breakdown, Obama's approval rating was above 50 percent in all but two states -- Wyoming and Alaska, the Princeton, N.J., polling agency said.

Looks like for all their efforts, those sometimes hired guns at townhalls across America for the past couple of weeks was a waste of time.  Instead of hurting Obama, they've actually helped him - or so this polls seems to say.

It's really funny to hear the media ask the question, "How did Obama lose the Health Care Momentum?"

Duh!  It wasn't his doing, it was the media that has allowed lies to be spread across America.  The media waited until today to start releasing the FACTS about this so-called Death Panel of Sarah Palin's and many other lies like the 'government will control what doctor you see', by other extremists out there.  Instead of giving a "REALITY CHECK", the media has just "GONE ALONG" with the news.  They reported the comments and didn't bother 'correcting them'.

My very own home paper reported the Palin story about Death Panels last Friday -- that's all.  It was in today's paper, a full 4 days later, they finally print the FACTS.

Maybe now that some in the news are reporting the FACTS -- Americans will realize the sky ISN'T falling and toss aside any future LIES from these same characters that spread the previous ones.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver passed onto a better world today.

A longtime advocate for children's health and disability issues, Shriver was a key founder of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), a part of the National Institutes of Health, in 1962, and has also helped to establish numerous other health-care facilities and support networks throughout the country.

In 1968, Shriver founded the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Center for Community of Caring at The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.

She was awarded the nation's highest civilian award, the (U.S.) Presidential Medal of Freedom, in 1984 by U.S. President Ronald Reagan, because of her work on behalf of those with mental retardation.

Her husband Sargent Shriver founded numerous social programs and organizations, including Head Start, VISTA, Job Corps, Community Action, Upward Bound, Foster Grandparents, Special Olympics, Legal Services, the National Clearinghouse for Legal Services (now the Shriver Center), Indian and Migrant Opportunities and Neighborhood Health Services, and directed the Peace Corps. Shriver also ran the War on Poverty during Johnson's tenure as president. He was such an effective leader, that Job Corps and Adams and Associates dedicated a Center to his name in 1999.

I sincerely hope the Shriver family during this great loss, don't mind my using their life's work as an example of, 'Democrats at work'.  This family's work is a pure example of members of the Democratic Party that stood up over the years for all the children in this nation, including those with Down's syndrome. 

If the Republican Party had their way, special programs like head start and Schip, and events like the Special Olympics would cease to exist.  To them, they are examples of 'pork' being spent by Democrats.

Former Governor Sarah Palin recently accused Democrats of planning on killing off seniors and children like her Down syndrome child:

"My parents or my baby with Down's syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's "death panel" so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their "level of productivity in society," whether they are worthy of health care."

Governor, if anybody was going to make you face bureaucrats that would decide whether your child or parent were, 'cost effective', it would be the Republican Party.  To this Party, you are just another statistic.  If they offered you anything extra in this life, it would be a 'tax deduction' and 'the opportunity to prosper in this great nation' - that is what they consider a 'hand-out'.

So Governor Palin, if you really want support for your Down's syndrome baby boy - talk the Democratic Party, they are the ones that will make sure he lives a 'long' and 'productive' life.

To the Eunice Kennedy Shriver and family -- I thank you for your contribution to our nation.  She will be missed.

Looks like the GOP are using the Democrat's tactics when it comes to scaring seniors. 

Democrats, the more extreme left ones, try to scare seniors into believing that the Republican Party wants to stop or cut senior's monthly pay checks to pay for privatizing Social Security for the younger generation.  The tactic works too, sadly.

Well, I guess the Republicans have decided 'seniors' are "fair game" as well.

First, former governor Sarah Palin tells seniors and parents of handicapped children that they or their kids may face a "Death Panel" if Obama's health care reform gets passed.  That's a flat out LIE.  How this woman got as far as she did is beyond me and I'm ashamed of Senator McCain for giving her the stage by nominating her his VP nominee.

Today a a right-wing group called the 60 Plus Association puts out an ad saying, "The government -- not doctors -- will decide if older patients are worth the cost,"

Several right winged conservatives have supported Gov. Palin's comments, like Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck.

It's too bad helpless Seniors are being used as pawns in a political fight.

Somebody needs to have a frank and open discussion with seniors and yes, even parents.  Perhaps a flyer should be sent out to all social security or Medicare clients, explaining the facts of the bill that is still being put together, that's not even in it's final stage yet.  They should tess no lies, no hype -- just the plain truth. 

They need to have something in their hands to pass around to their friends, so they can say -- that's not true!

Reporting from Washington -- U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. is poised to appoint a criminal prosecutor to investigate alleged CIA abuses committed during the interrogation of terrorism suspects, current and former U.S. government officials said.

A senior Justice Department official said that Holder envisioned an inquiry that would be narrow in scope, focusing on "whether people went beyond the techniques that were authorized" in Bush administration memos that liberally interpreted anti-torture laws.

This isn't what I would call an investigation on torture.  It's basically just taking the BUSH administration' VIEWS on TORTURE -- and saying, "Did people obey THOSE LAWS?"

A true investigation would be to compare the torturing techniques used in the past 8 years -- against the Geneva Convention RULES --- Not George W. Bush's rules.

This seems to be a way for the Attorney General to try and appease, at least partially, those of us that feel former President Bush, VP Cheney and others in their administration should be in jail for their crimes of torturing prisoners.

The only good thing about this is, if this investigation is like the ones in the past -- more FACTS will come out and maybe more indictments.