Is this really happening or is it just my imagination?

When you look at who between the democrats are using a slippery/code language about the Public Option – meaning they are down deep against it… you see something very obvious.

Whoever have been on the wrong side of issues in exchange with money from lobbiest (the buyable crowd) are within this category. You can extend this to the exteme support for Iraq Occupation, giving speeches at AIPAC, being anti Iran and blindly supporting Israel.

The names are: Rahm Emanuel, John Kerry, Chuck Schumer … and don’t forget Republican Kyle.

There seems to be strange corrolation here.

Iran’s years-old, newly outed uranium enrichment facility near Qom (Obama’s speech this AM, 8:45) will overshadow health today. But Lilya, I am in disbelief on the health debate in both houses. It’s as if health insurers, with their lucrative tax-supplying profits, were an endangered species, unable to adapt.
Maybe amid the mumbojumbo there is a broad-based viable nonprofit starter of an option lurking and ready to burst out in conference committee, but never thus far named for fear of being shot down by lobbyists. I am thinking of something like one of the nonprofit plans already in place but offered to only certain groups. I have always thought, I get my income from the state, why can’t they extend the umbrella of their plans to include their contractors? It would be cheaper than paying me enough to cover the bloated plan otherwise on offer. When I broached that to state people, I was looked at as if I had said something wrong. No response.
We need to look for minimal bureaucracy, and for choices (private or public) so people can maneuver if they have preferences. Who is obfuscating and why?

I can’t decide who gave the most anti-American speech at the United Nations this week, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Moammar Gadhafi, or Barack Obama.

The health insurance lobby had a heavy hand in the how of the Baucus bill was written. Seems to me to be a complete waste of time and will most likely do more damage than anything else.

Someone looking to see the value of the posts in this forum will be asking (a) did Louise really listen to Ahmadinejad’s entire speech? Did he listen to Gadhafi’s entire speech? If so, it’d be nice to know what specifically was anti-American about them, at least a hint. The networks didn’t highlight it. And as to Obama’s speech, what about it was anti-American? Come again? Or is this just a mud-slinging forum.

mantory without the public option is just a give away to insurance companies. And since These companies found out that they can make a killing like in Mass. without lowing cost or doing anything there want to do the same for the rest of the country.

Republicans and blue dogs screwed the country for some extra campaign money. If i’m going to get screwed over by someone i rather it be the government than i CEO, least i can vote to show my disapproval. Working with republicans has just mess up the bill further and will use it against the dems since there not going to vote for it.except maybe (snow) the same with government giving those red states massive money to cover medi-care for there poor.

Mass mandated health-care has proven to be a utter failure. It focus on coverage but not use, or cost esp to the middle class. It didn’t focus on regulating the insurance companies, denile of health care, cost. It sickens me to hear people go on radio and tv claiming its a great success.

as for Pittsburgh police, can you talk about the harassment by police of protester and the court cases filed against them by green peace, and others? I’m pretty sure the tea-baggers would have dropped kidney stones if there where treated the same way.

Can you also talk about barney frank excluded auto dealerships(who intentionally lie, cheat) and retails for the consumer proctect agency oversight?

or the new effects by wall street to bundle life insurance, and create insurance back securities ?

Today’s headline: “Mass. GOP seeks to block Kennedy interim successor.”

It is becoming a sign of our times: “GOP seeks to block [...].” And what’s most interesting about this is that Democrats are completely unable to capitalize on this. What a spineless bunch of … what’s the word am I looking for?

“I can’t decide who gave the most anti-American speech at the United Nations this week, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Moammar Gadhafi, or Barack Obama.”

really? Obama wanting a reduction in nucular arms is anti American? oh no the fascist, evil obama wants to work on climate change/global warming as well, now hes a commie. Obama wants to work with the U.N. and become more apart of it, wait now he’s a socialism. Did you see his shoes there weren’t made in america, wait now hes muslim. haha people

amazing, since the prior president and esp the VP had authoritarian attitude of the presidency and these folks had no problem with it, now we have a pres who wish to clean up the mess and work with other countries and oh no can’t do that.

always funny to read the right wingers use words they don’t understand.

also,
I thought Benjamin Netanyahu speech was as bad as Ahamadinejad, and Gadhafi, was pretty bad, along with india sending a child to speak as well, and the man who spoke about his island being in trouble from global warming got little press is a shame.

Is onpoint going to quote rush L. today or Glen B. or maybe throw in alittle sound bits from Sean Hanitity on the U.N. speeches, and this week in the news since it’s become a weekly event ?

HOLD ON, all you NPR lefties! Regarding Iran’s nukes, remember about two years ago some National Intelligence Estimate report “asserted with confidence” that Iran had given up on its nukes program in 2003, but Bush said screw the NIE? All the liberals went beserk (see: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/philip-giraldi/neocons-strike-back-on-ir_b_76093.html). Well, well, well… two years later, Bush was right after all.

“Well, well, well… two years later, Bush was right after all.”

So, Iran made great strides towards being a nuclear power on Bush’s watch? Nice. And so did N. Korea. And Russia invaded our ally, Georgia, with impunity on his watch. Very good. Bin Laden is still at large. Fabulous.

Ahmedinejad….

Even if what he said was translated with 80% accuracy, and if you look at the “core” of what he is saying….the guy is just darn right. He just have the guts to say things that the western leaders are too scared to say publicly.

How can you make a (different) group of people suffer “right now” for the sake of the suffering that was done seventy years ago by some other people.

If anybody can challange this, then “2+2 4″

How can such a question be not valid after the inception of United Nation.

Wouldn’t this be the right time to pull the covers back off of Israel and demand that their nuclear program be made transparent and public? I come at this as a secular Jew who feels that this is the so-called 800 pound gorilla in the room of mideast nuclear clarity.

If we’re going to have to hear from the lunatic left every week, Jack, then let’s hear from the crazies on the right as well.

Two words; Patriot Act. Obama wants it renewed, and this is the PR he needs to justify it. I’m not saying that is the case, but it is well within the realm of possibility.

“Two words; Patriot Act. Obama wants it renewed, and this is the PR he needs to justify it. I’m not saying that is the case, but it is well within the realm of possibility.”
Posted by John Ferry

You nailed it bro’! The FBI/CIA set up these phony terrorist cells in order to perpetuate the public fear level and continue the erosion of civil liberties. The whole “domestic terrorist” concept is a sham to manipulate the public.

IF the military/law enforcement option is a false choice, then the choice has been far too skewed to military action.

Tom Goodwin

You posted the Comment of the Day. Congrats!!!

But who is going to do that? Obama will be scared … remember Jack Rubinstein? Democratic Party is being taken over from the inside. Rahm Emanuel is in charge of US Foreign Policy.

For many years to come, when Tel Aviv says Jump, Washington DC and the Media will say “how high?”

A few comments on today’s topics:
Iranian facility has not been ’secret’ for 5 years.BTW -what does Isreal have? Given American interventionist policies that haven’t changed much with new administration, wouldn’t you like to be able to defend yourself?
Only Al-qaeda operatives read or heard about with certainty are FBI/CIA agents masquerading as terrorists. Those two agencies haven’t received much good press lately and Afghanistan support is waning quickly. Feels like a weak case being touted as big win.

We have enough issues at home, health care coverage and costs, un-employment among the top. Why do we continue to go deeper into debt using our resources on these missions. Who is really deriving benefit from these policies?

“A few comments on today’s topics:…”
Posted by Pete

Well said Pete! I concur.

“oh no the fascist, evil obama wants to work on climate change/global warming as well,..”

***

Michael, you mixed that up – it’s actually socialist/commie Obama that’s used by right-wing nuts for Democrats. The “fascist” is used by left-wing nuts for Republicans.

Though not sure what labels are used for Fidel Castro – he is both fascist as well as communist.

“Republicans and blue dogs screwed the country for some extra campaign money.”

***

The apologist strikes again:
1. Mention errors of the other party.
2. Ignore or not acknowledge the same errors of one’s own party.
3. Use “tu quoque” or “lesser of two evils” when inconvenient facts of one’s party are pointed out.
4. Soft-pedal criticism of one’s party (not all Democrats, just “blue dogs”).

Never mind the immense war chest that Obama had with the “extra campaign money” with contributions from health insurers, which is likely why he’d hamstrung on the universal healthcare issue.

And ignore the facts that many Democrats – and not just the blue dogs – screw the country for some extra campaign money. Gotta keep the “us vs. them” divide alive.

Result: maintaining the status quo, and turning on the cynicism to side-line parties like Green or candidates like Nader, Kucinich, Paul etc. because “they can’t win”, and rooting for someone who voted for the Iraq war because she could be the first woman President.

As Pogo said, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

Man calls Obama FASCIST at GOP Teabagging Rally (video) — Glen

http://beltwayblips.dailyradar.com/video/man_calls_obama_fascist_at_gop_teabagging_rally/

i would hardly call these people lefties

“The billions of dollars spent bailing out the auto industry and AIG,” said Montana Conservative, “was a smokescreen that allowed Obama the puppet and his radical handlers to begin pushing the government into a fascist state.”

“It is possible as of this writing,” said The Promise of Reality, “that Barack Obama will become the first true fascist leader in America.”

“Fascism Officially Arrives in America… Freedom is now dead in America,” said Free Oklahoma. (Shouldn’t they change their name, then?)

And The Anchoress herself now agrees that this President’s the real fascist, notwithstanding the lack of “dissenting viewpoints or insults resulting in arrest.”

Obama, we should mention at this point, has been President about two and a half months. He’s really giving Hitler a run for his money.

Regarding the worrisome Cybersecurity Act — being drafted by Senators Rockefeller and Snowe, and nowhere near the President’s desk — Numpty Island says, “Obama has his transparently fascist intents and fear-mongering all over this one too.” “Obama Seeks Net Control… Encroaching Fascism,” concurs Atlas Shrugs.
Course in Political Miracles (“The Continuing American Revolution”) asks, “Is Obama Fascism Legitimate Government?” following with a quote from the Alabama Constitution that suggests a Civil War do-over.

The soberly-named Economic Trends Journal said, “Comrade President Obama has again shown his Marxist-Fascist colors, this time he has come out of the closet as a true totalitarian dictator, like the Castro brothers, Hugo Chavez, and Comrade Putin. It appears Americans are asleep at the wheel, or will they finally all awaken in slavery?”

“He is being controlled in order to bring us to a new fascist dictatorship of the world,” said Ninjamurai. “Will we restore the Constitution of the US or accept the fascist state we have become?” asked News2Me. The Underground Conservative called Obama “a corporate fascist” (also a “street thug” and “the Chocolate Jesus”).

Yid With Lid saw “the movement of the United States from a capitalist to a fascist economic system.” “Obama is a Mussolini style fascist, and his policies show it,” said Spurious Missives. “Each day the liberal Barack Hussein Obama is in office,” said SpeakNowConservatives, “the closer America comes to fascism.”

We may give Ron Pisaturo some credit for not blaming Obama for America’s fascist slide — but only because he thinks it predates his presidency; when Obama said at the G20 that Americans want him to “help them find a job, pay for their home, send their kids to college, live what we call the American Dream,” Pisaturo said, “Observe how far down the road to socialism/fascism/Nazism America has come: Many Americans would find no fault with Obama’s paragraph above.”

Declared fascist also was Obama’s environmentalism: “We are victims of the progressive fascist movement which cloaks itself under the banners of green, sustainable and global justice,” said Ceo4aday. (He also found “progressive fascist” the “anarchists” who demonstrated against the G20 meeting Obama attended — someone apparently failed to pass them the memo.)

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2009/04/how_rightblogge.php

But i take your point

Louise, what’s wrong? You’re going soft on us! You say you CAN’T DECIDE which G20 speech was more “anti-American”? You seem to be slipping; I would have thought you could make that decision even before the speeches began! I know, I know, the President didn’t say the US is going to bomb Iran, etc., and you must’ve been profoundly disappointed not to hear any chest-beating about protecting our freedoms…I do understand, though; it can be very confusing trying to understand a president who uses nuanced language and measured responses. Have heart! We’re going into the weekend; and, come Monday, you can start with a clean slate for a whole new week of Obama bashing…

Not talking about protecting our freedoms seems to jive pretty well with the actions Obama is taking here at home to take them away.

Nuance is just a pretty word for lies and selective disclosure. Obama’s great at nuance!

Well, Jeff, you’ve proven where your intelligence level is if you think that the definition of the word “nuance” is ‘lies’ and ’selective disclosure.’ What freedoms have you had taken away? What freedoms do you think will be taken away in the future?

BTW, Jeff, the word you wanted was ‘jibe’ not ‘jive’

I believe that’s how Obama defines it.
Have you seen the healthcare plan; mandated coverage, Medicare cuts, deficit neutral …?

Thanks for the spell check.

We should send some invoices to Israel, for all the killing/criminal services we have been doing for them.

Speaking of Phone Terrorist Cells:
Just coincidence, they are showing up between Mcchristal’s leak and Obama’s signature.

Hydrogen Peroxide – CVS/Walgreens version 3%, low vapor temp.

The guy was boiling it in a Hotel, vs. his own house.
Weird #1.

This was “suspected” by an “unnamed” FBI Official
Weird #2.

The found the Hydrogen Peroxide residue on the kitchen fan on top of the stove. Meaning, Hyrogen Peroxide is the first one to vaporize, when you boil the contents of hydrogen peroxide in order to get higher concentrate
Weird #3. (high-school science class will not buy this crap)

They had access to all the properties of suspects, and the flash news as to what they find as terrorist material is: backpacks and cell phones
Weird #4. (covers 86% of households)

What we should out of this… think of Madrid and London…and Afghani guy.
More troops in Afghanistan. More supporting contract for the thiefs. More state of war. More profits and safety for Israel. Money for everybody!

We are broke; but, are we that stupid?

Jeff, mandated coverage? You may not drive a car, but if you do, you are required to get car insurance (for many reasons besides paying for your car repairs should you get into an accident). Do you think that is infringing upon your freedoms? If you currently wish to decide not to carry health insurance, don’t you realize that uninsured people seeking health care (even if they have the ability to pay) make the costs of health care go up? For everybody! If you have insurance on your own (without the assistance of your employer), are you happy with what insurance companies charge for health insurance? Or whom they exclude, or whose rates get hiked, because of age or pre-existing condition; does that help keep you “free”? If you do have insurance through your employer, do you enjoy having your employer “mandate” which companies they’ll “help” you to get insurance with only to change their minds on coverage benefits and insurance companies? Is that protecting your freedoms?

Medicare cuts? Don’t you mean trimming waste? No, you probably are alluding to the “rationing” stuff or the “death panel” propaganda, or “pulling the plug on grandma” scare tactics. Jeff, if you look at what’s known as “rationing” in health care, that has always been a part of health care insurance, and no one “rations” health care more than private insurance companies.

Deficit-neutral? Okay, I’ll give you that one, sort of. It remains to be explained to my satisfaction how health care reform will be managed financially. That said, without a public option/a lot of increased regulation of the insurance industry (oops, sorry, I know, I’m starting to use language that sounds like “freedom reduction” to you), we will all be paying more or go into more debt.

The health care crisis is one of the major components at the foundation of what’s wrong with our economy. The plans currently being debated seem to be getting whittled down to something that may not truly address the magnitude of the problem, but what are the conservative ideas? Vouchers? That won’t work. Tax cuts? Yeah, that’s all we need right now. Deferred health-care savings accounts? That won’t positively address the impact on economic systems. Tort reform? Perhaps that needs reforming, but frivolous lawsuits only represent about 1% of costs. So-called “defensive” medicine has much more to do with insurance companies gouging doctors in offering malpractice insurance than it does frivolous lawsuits.

Oh, yeah, we were all much more free before Obama!

I like to point out to our hollier than thou independents, the senate bill is a mixture from republican and blue dog democrats and even most independents would find it to be a crap bill.

Guess it’s better for such independents to rail about both parites as if the green parties is virgin mary. Such as nadar, if his policies, beliefs, and thinking were so strong than he would be a major force, the same goes for the green party but there NOT, Hench it’s failure.

I like to point out even Ron P. has a a bigger following than nadar and the green party and often such partie’s idea is on the fridge and ones there would push would be dead in the water if elected.

talk about “apologist” for the green party or other failures to be to elected or have a voice haha gotta love them.

At least our money was more free!

I believe I heard on the broadcast that under the healthcare legislation being proposed individuals would be compelled to purchase health insurance from a private company that could cost 12% of their yearly income? How about this: please don’t do ANYTHING to our current system. I’ll save 12% of my yearly income so I can relocate to a civilized and enlightened country that has single payer healthcare (like Canada, Germany, or Costa Rica). What a disaster! Can anything dislodge the monied interests in this damned country?

YOUR U.S. governement… Making the world safe for PROFIT!

There’s a great article in the Journal today about the FDA caving into “extreme” pressure from Democratic Congressmen to approve an implanted device for knee surgeries. Officials deviated from standard procedure and overruled objections from FDA scientists.

What’s a single payer system going to look like when Congress holds all the purse strings?

Ellen, I invite you to view Louise’s posts as I do:
comic relief. Laugh, then move on!

gina, I composed this one just for you. B.O. “Smell the Change”. I’ll be the one laughing in three and a half years when your incompetent commander in chief gets fired by the American people. That’s the “Hope and Change” I’m praying for.

To Cory and his like….
I wish you all Godspeed and safe journey.

Hahaha! (thanks, Louise – you’re a hoot!)

Brett’s position is that the health care crisis is actually a health care COST crisis…yet no one has come forth with a plan to deal with health care cost other than a collectivist money grab from “the rich”.

I’m all ears.

Well said, Tiger! In terms of providing solutions to that crisis, the proposed plans so far seem to be little more than devised ways to ensure that the rich get richer. The health care crisis also has other entwined elements, though, which involve how moral and ethical we want our society to be in terms of how we care for our citizens who are sick and how we support our citizens to keep them healthy.

“yet no one has come forth with a plan to deal with health care cost other than a collectivist money grab from “the rich”

All I hear about so far is a big money grab in favor of “the rich.” Rich insurance business that is.

A couple of months ago, I posted the comment that I had attended a private Homeland defense class for fire Dept. and first responders. We were told of pending plans of attacks on USA. Not a matter of if but when. The topic that day was on terrorist and Patriot Act’s provision for so-called illegal wire taps. The majority of the call-ins and web submitters were outraged about the use of wire taps by the big bad Bush. I was scoffed by some submitters as having been told “what they(Bush crowd) wanted us to hear.” In other words, I had been told a trumped up story by the Bush crowd in order to justify wire taps, scare tactics. Well! considering today’s revelation of planned terrorist attacks on the USA by Islamic radicals, I feel darn happy to know that the so-called illegal wire taps helped to stop the deaths of no telling how many Americans. In fact, the one in Houston, parked the SUV and pushed the button on a load of dummy explosives. There are some Americans who are still living in denial about our safety. I hope they are happy and safe tonight.

I was reading through to see if anyone picked up on Jack Beatty’s, um, rant to the effect that the Republicans will have a field day in the upcoming elections when they figure out that the Democratic-led health reform bill effectively forces people to buy insurance from “for-profit insurance companies.”
I thought that would be bouncing around among the talking heads by this evening. Not.
Cory said he heard that the Senate Finance bill set a limit, you don’t have to pay more than 12% of your income on health insurance.
This is a red-purple-orange-fluorescent herring. The idea is you don’t have to PAY A PENALTY if your health insurance bill would amount to more than that.
So my health insurance is about a third of my income. This means that if I decided to drop the insurance (which is not Cadillac at all, and leaves me paying a lot besides) — then I don’t have insurance.
Get it? I can go naked into the world without paying the IRS the thousand dollar fee or whatever they decide. But I WANT TO BE INSURED. It is no bonus to be told if I decide not to be insured, they won’t penalize me. (I paid pretty close attention to that. I think Baucus started switching that pretty quick.)
No one has brought up Beatty’s point about how the US sends all this money to Pakistan (“the tiger”), though Pakistan is backing the wrong side (from our point of view) in Afghanistan, because Pakistan thinks the pro-USA Afghan Taliban are also pro-India. So the Pakistani Taliban who are anti-Afghan-Taliban are doing this country no favors with our huge infusions of money. (WARNING: I could have misunderstood — all those tribes; Taliban are not all one flavor, I know; it means scholar or something. Help me out.)
We are fighting the cat (Afghanistan) because we can’t fight the tiger (Pakistan), said Beatty, again not resonating with anyone anywhere yet, it seems.
Gina, I will try to calm down. Thanks.

Seems like a great idea to put Congress in charge of deciding what drugs get approved. These guys can run auto companies, sure they can do anything! Pelosi looks like she knows how to remove an infected liver.

“Seems like a great idea to put Congress in charge of deciding what drugs get approved. These guys can run auto companies, sure they can do anything! Pelosi looks like she knows how to remove an infected liver.”

Of course, when it comes to spying on us we all should be in favor of Government assuming that responsibility. I guess, Hastert, DeLay and Frist did such a wonderful job – we all should be impressed. By the way, Frist came out in favor of this particular healthcare plan. I heard him speak on the XM radio. Anybody, can you guess why?

David Brooks today on NPR said, we need a Strategy Change in dealing with Afghanistan.

Strategy Change, My Pale Moon Cheeks That Sit on.

Afghanistan said in English, in Pashmergi, in Urdu and in Afghan Language…we don’t want to be occupied in foreign military forces. Do we need to hear it in Esperanto?

The only way to get out of Afhanistan is to look at the event(s) that led us to go there.

Let’s look at the Events of Sept 11

Let’s be proud of WBUR/Onpoint for doing the brave act of inviting Architect Richard Gage.

Ellen Dribble, Did you listen to Obama’s speech? That man prides himself on blaming this country for most of the worlds ills. That is not surprising since he is a liberal. I call them like I see them Miss Ellen Dribble.

Louise, many folks mistake the voices inside their head for all sorts of things they hear on TV, not just in Obama’s speech; and, those words in the newspaper? Their letters don’t line up diagonally to form a secret code about biblical prophecy, either! Don’t worry, they have some very good medication for that. I’m sure some nice republican doctor could take care of this very easily; after all, going to a liberal doctor would start the whole thing all over again…

That man prides himself on blaming this country for most of the worlds ills.

Well we do use most of the worlds resources and cause most of the greenhouse gasses. Start wars in countries and try to influence the outcomes of elections in countless others. Look up Henry Kissinger and Argentina circa 1970’s after the military coup.

While I listened to the same speech as Louise I did not hear any of Obama’s comments as anti American.

However that does not take away from how the Obama brand has fooled most of us. He is a tool for corporate ideology and not for the working stiff, as bad as Clinton if you aks me, maybe worse.

You see Brett, that’s what happens to you when you eat too much of that free goverment cheese. You get the “runs”. Only in this case it appears that the “runs” have gone to your head.

Ugh, Jack Beatty just has zero credibility anymore.

I recall a few weeks ago, on the show featuring encomium after encomium to Edward Kennedy, Mr. Beatty lauded the senator for his “compassion.” At the end of the program, Mr. Beatty lambasted Michael Vick for his cruelty to animals and said that he was saddened that a man like that could be “celebrated.”

And this all in a program in which the references to Mary Jo Kopechne totaled zero.

I am left with the conclusion that Mr. Beatty is either such a hypocrite that he cannot be taken seriously or a virulent racist (hence the double standard for good ole’ WHITE Ted Kennedy and proud BLACK MAN Michael Vick).

In either case, I see no place for Mr. Beatty on any program where thinking people congregate.

You sit at a table and a person pushes a contract towards you. He tells you to sign the contract. The provisions of the contract will effect you and your entire family for the rest of your lifes. You ask him if you can read the contract first. He says no, we do not have time to read it, just sign it. Question??? What are you going to do? What are you thinking at this very second? I think I know what your answer will be. Yet! the Dems. are railroading a Health reform bill and telling us to just sign on to it. There has been several ammendments introduced to insure that promises will be kept, in order to protect the public from some surprizes. 1. 72 hrs. to read bill. 2. time for budget office to determine final cost. 3. Assurance that no one will be forced out of existing plans they like. These are just a few. They were all voted down by The Dem. majority. Question: What are we going to do? What are we thinking about this? Your answer will probably be different than the one above. Yet, the situation is the same. Wake up America!

“You sit at a table and a person pushes a contract towards you. He tells you to sign the contract.”

Been there. 1994 contract with America. This current situation should not be a contract. It should be the law adopted by the majority in accordance with the Constitution for the greater good of this country. Same as Social Security, Medicare, Civil Rights, etc. The minority would have to swallow it and shut up. Well, actually, no need to shut up. Alas, I am dreaming. Democrats are not up to the job. Certainly Obama is not.

David,
1. Members of Congress know what is in each proposed bill they have written and when one particular section of a bill changes, i.e., an amendment is introduced; they know what each change means, despite the grandstanding and demagoguery some members display for political purposes. 2. Max Baucus (the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee) has introduced a bill I don’t particularly like, but the CBO has analyzed the cost of this bill (as well as the four other proposals in Congress), from the impact on the deficit to the cost to the consumer. When you hear different numbers in the news, you are hearing either differences depending on which amendment (change) is being introduced or a member of Congress opining based on his or her own assessment. 3. There isn’t anything in any of the bills that “forces” anyone out of any plans they may currently hold. The various bills won’t guarantee that employers WON’T change plans THEY offer, which is no different than what currently exists in the workplace. Are you saying you want language in the bill to mandate that employers be forced into having no choice in changing plans? Currently, if you have your own insurance not supported by your employer, your insurance company can drop you if you get sick, or go way up on your rates, which is a problem that will be ameliorated in reform.

Many Americans are concerned about how health care reform will ultimately translate into cost and coverage for us as individuals/families; but, no reform, or non-ideas that republicans such as Boehner, for example, have proposed, will do nothing to reduce the cost of health insurance (or even keep the cost from rising). Additionally, aside from the idea of a public option–which is in every one of the proposed bills except Baucus’–I have not seen any of them address the need for more regulation of the insurance industry, which is crucial to health care reform.

Alex,
Yes, in terms of what happened in 1994, it was a republican contract ON America! Not sure what you mean about Social Security, Medicare or Civil Rights. Should blacks or “all other persons” (other than whites) go back to being 3/5 of a white person or considered the property of whites? Should Social Security and Medicare be dissolved? Democrats may not be up to the job, true, but I get the impression you are hedging on the point you really want to make. Please don’t tell me you think folks like Nader or Paul, or libertarianism or anarchy, would or should’ve been the answer?!?!

Louise,
You seem to know a lot about free government cheese!

Brett – Social Security, Medicare and Civil Rights laws all faced strong opposition, but in the end were adopted for the greater good of this country. So should be the single-payer National Healthcare. Perhaps I wasn’t clear. Further, there is no need to get 100% of the people to approve of it. It is not a contract. The Contract was made back in 1780s. Now it is time to have guts to make laws for the benefit of the entire Nation. And Democrat have none.

Whew! Alex, thanks for clarifying! I thought you were mentioning the Constitution with respect to Social Security, Medicare, and Civil Rights because some strict (what I would call fundamentalist) constitutionalists believe all three are unconstitutional. I agree that all three are for the greater good, and I agree about a single payer system (but would settle for a public option with private companies being regulated/given competition, as currently with the US Postal service, Fed Ex, DHL, and UPS). And, yes, Democrats are showing no backbone!

Louise,
Is the presence of the U.S.P.S. a sign that the government is trying to encroach on our mail-sending freedoms? And, because most municipalities provide public restrooms, is the government trying to control ALL bathrooms? [Laughs]

We are Broke!!!

U.S. job seekers exceed openings by record ratio
Employment prospects worse despite signs economy has started growing
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33041366/ns/business-the_new_york_times/

Enough talk about Israel’s Security; Bombing Iran; Occupying Iraq Forever (145,000 soldiers + 185,000 Contractors + 20,000 domestic support personnel); Bribing corrupt Pashtunes so that they will not Hate Foreign Occupiers; and Rahm Emanuel’s Foreign Policy to keep his Homeland safer.

Enough is Enough!!!

According to Lilya Rahm Emanuel is responsible for all the worlds ills and the downfall of America.

So: WHY do Democrats have no backbone? I believe Brett is talking about Democrats in Congress. And the reason would be upcoming elections, and the extent to which they rely on huge infusions of money.
When it comes to the electorate, it’s not backbone that is most evidently missing. It’s a case of follow the money. (What happened with that Supreme Court case that addressed one-man/one-vote — I mean, one man/one voice. One person, I mean, versus one corporation.)
I think that’s where the issue is. Right now, we vote one way, and then we find out that the guy we elected is “somehow” answerable mostly to monied, um, conglomerates. Or seems to be.
I can extrapolate to the local level, but we don’t have the same level of professional journalists covering the situation in each congressional district.

Ellen my take on this is that both parties are so tied up to the interest of the corporate sector that it corrupts the entire process of government. Obama is a brand that was sold to us. I bought it, I fell for the advertising as did millions. He’s better than what the Republican’s put up, but if you look at his record so far it’s not good.

He has not reinstated Habeas corpus and has kept way to many of the Bush policies on secrecy and spying on citizens. Not to mention Afghanistan and a host of other things.

Health care is a joke, what is going on now is so very sad.

So I just think what we have here are two parties that are more interested in keeping the status quo than any real change. The issues this nation is facing are huge.
We seem to be falling into a downward spiral in which the seems to be pointing to a third world living conditions. People who are rich enough will live in walled communities and the rest will be left to fend for the scraps.

Here is the list. People who tried to sell the war to American people.
List 1: Possible or Remote Connection to “Oil”
List 2: People who have no public trace of “Oil” motivated

REPLACE THE WORD OCCUPYING “IRAQ” WITH BOMBING “IRAN”.
Tel Aviv was right all along. The Road to Tehran goes thru Baghdad.
War Drums on CNN is ON, again for Iran.
Democrats and Republicans in perfect harmony and unity, started singing War Songs again.
WE ARE HOMELESS, BROKE AND UNEMPLOYED; BUT LOYAL SERVANTS OF ISRAEL.

Are there any objections to the separation of List1 and List2. Then we will look for histric evidence of Oil/$ as the motive.

People who believe that we Invaded Iraq for Oil or Oil Related matters… get ready! Your chance to post who said what connecting the Iraq Invasion to America’s worries about oil supply and/or Oil Contracts.

The “Oil” names:
George Bush
Frank Carlucci
Dick Cheney
Lewis Libby
John Ashcroft
Newt Gingrich
Francis Fukuyama
Richard Armitage
John Negroponte
Colin Powell
Condoleezza Rice
Tom Ridge
Karl Rove
Donald Rumsfeld
James Schelisger
John Yoo
William Bennett
Stephen Hadley
Zalmay Khalilzad
Jeane Kirkpatrick

The Non-Oil Names:
Elliot Abrams
Madeleine Albright
Jeffrey Bergner
John Bolton
Paula Dobriansky
Charles Fairbanks, Jr.
Douglas Feith
David Frum
Aaron Friedberg
Richard Haass
Robert J. Loewenberg
R. James Woolsey
Frederick Kagan
Robert Kagan
Donald Kagan
Charles Krauthammer
William Kristol
Michael Ladeen
Joe Lieberman
Richard Perle
Daniel Pipes
Norman Podhoretz
Dennis Ross
Peter Rodman
William Schneider, Jr.
Stephen Solarz
Vin Weber
Paul Wolfowitz
David Wurmser
Meyrav Wurmser
Dov Zakheim
Robert Zoellick

OMG, Richard Halbrook….you brought a new dimension

Now he is saying….if we don’t stay/surge in Afghanistan, there is a good chance that Taliban will get Nuclear Technology and destroy America, Planet Earth and the Solar System.

Let’s unite behind Richard Halbrook and his loyalty to Israel. Send them all of your money so that they can transfer them to defense contractors and security consultants and more weapons systems to keep Israel as safe as possible.

Holbrook was supposed to be arranging collaborations among all the nation players in the region, in other words super-diplomacy. Lilya, where did you hear this fear-mongering? Between the mobile terror syndicate linked up by internet and the nukes being invoked —
Oh, my head.

One of the headlines today: “Obama Keeps Bush Rules On Indefinite Detention.” I think I am done with this guy.

Ellen don’t you realize that Lilya is making up or twisting the facts to support her anti Israel rants.

Don’t believe one thing she posts without doing some research.

By the way I’m not fan of Halbrook.

Alex where have you been Obama has not reinstated Habeas corpus and has kept way to many of the Bush policies on secrecy and spying on citizens. He has not made very many changes at all to the Bush policies and the power of the presidency, which is the scary thing.

Obama gave away billions to Wall street, the banks and now is creating a health care bill to screw the middle class.

It’s just like George Carlin said, the rich and powerful are in charge and screw everyone. The poor are their to scare the sh!t out of the middle class.

Regarding Afghanistan and corruption this article points to some if the issues we face and why it is most likely an imposable situation.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/taliban/funding-the-taliban?page=0,1

In the magazine “The Source” (THESOURCE.COM, hiphop rapper rag), I found part one of an article by Immortal Technique, a Colombian/Harlem Hip-Hopper, where he tells another side of those building bridges or whatnot in Afghanistan. Doing a show, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit group called Omeid (“hope” in Dari) approached him to start an orphanage, and they are mostly women revolutionaries, he says, whose maltreatment is known, but the orphans’ treatment is not. You can imagine.. He raised $40,000 and got over to Kabul in the spring ‘09. By his shoes he was known, even with beard and local garb. “Arabs are often stereotyped as being a part of Al-Qaeda here, as are Chechens who are said to be a remnant of the old Mujahideen. I asked our hosts, ‘If I look Arab, then what does my cameraman look like?’” The answer was, Chechen.
My impression from that source is that as to Americans, Afghans don’t know what to make of us, and Americans there are seen as less of a permanent threat than other factions, to most. As Putney’s cite says, the Taliban agree to let the contractor build the million-dollar bridge, for the $200,000 bribe, so long as it is understood they get to blow it up after.
The complexity of security and development there is vast.

Brett, even if the U.S. goverment is trying to take control of bathrooms (as you seem to believe), you don’t have a thing to worry about Brett, there will always be plenty of firehydrants and trees for you to make your contribution to society.

Ellen,

Immortal Technique is the man, i don’t believe everything he says or agree but he speaks his mind and i respect that in a world that very few people do.

Also turned down a crap load of money to clean his rhythms up,and sell out to corporate America he did not, he openly telling people to boot-leg his songs, along with taking out the middle man when he sells his stuff.

here’s a few songs i like, though not sure it’s your cup of tea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jjp8yuEBjxs&feature=PlayList&p=0EA8831CBC2EAF36

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJd2w31nrVE

Michael, your first link is to a rap with a series of photos, maybe a thousand, which I found riveting. Each was so rich that it faded before I was done, and unlike some (Democracy Now! which I’ll listen to but often won’t watch), the photos avoided plain shock value. The variety! Who did the research? Who got the permissions?
Any old biddies like me who don’t venture into video media or rap media might want to try your link!
The second is not visual; it’s all rap, and I liked it because I could understand the words. I also liked the way “there ain’t no strings on me” underlay most of it, with familiar beat, melody, and words. At the end, the F- word got its 30 seconds of fame, reeling some people in, spinning some people out.
The man has conviction, and it’s good.

Yea ellen if you have time,

immortal would be what you call underground, it be rare to hear him on fx radio but he has a large following based on his convictions, and the ability to be real without fear or perceived fear.

another more real bases artist known as one be lo, gray days

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ji6S7RKVzsw&feature=PlayList&p=0EA8831CBC2EAF36

And these guys known as blue scholar, bring them back home. dealing with talking about bringing our soldiers back home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En8DwCeKa6M&feature=related

This is exactly what is going on in America today propaganda, misinformation, so many sources people don’t know what to believe. expressed in lyrical form
by “one be lo”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYSNbdpI8P4&feature=PlayList&p=1335A3850E87A05C&index=4

Michael, (far from being on-point where it began but anyway): they say we re-wire our brains with how we use them, and I don’t think my wiring is cued just right for rap. I can’t take in the words that come so fast like raindrops. Is it the accent? Maybe not. Repetition? (How many times does a fan listen to such.) And I certainly can’t watch video at the same time. (Or I’m exhausted right now.)
Are these pieces by One be lo and Blue scholar available on cell phone? I ask because there’s an Apple Ap called FrogDog for 2-year-olds, like a Kindle for tots, the idea being for $1.99 you buy a wee poem, read by child or adult, with pictures. Hmm.
“Bring them back home” reminds me: Back in summer 1965, a friend who spent the summer helping the civil rights movement, going around the South by bus, helping people register to vote, told me: “I’m willing to give my life, but not my death.” It’s another version of “talent is a terrible thing to waste” (as in Gray Days, I think).
Never mind talent. A grown person, with all that goes into that, is a terrible thing to waste.

ellen,

since people can curve off to other subjects these lyrics of rappers to far into this weeks news, and whats going on in America,

hench the note of this not being your cup of tea.

ill provide the lyrics for ya one be lo(propaganda)

http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/onebelo_lyrics_4379/sonogram_lyrics_13963/propaganda_lyrics_161902.html

Blue scholar

And somewhere a soldier kissed his family goodbye
And he was walking like a warrior the water in his eyes
He left in late September said he’ll be back in July
Now the child is asking mommy “Why did daddy have to die?”
She says he fought for freedom, but she knows it’s just a lie
‘Cause her father was a veteran with benefits denied
Now the fire in her eyes burn brighter with the passin’ of the minutes into hours and the hours into days and
Days turned to night, nights turned to face the other way
One sister strong holding down the whole family
It’s just one in over three thousand casualties and back home we battle with the apathy
We chantin’ now

http://lyrics.wikia.com/Blue_Scholars:Back_Home

far from what you hears on the radio so i understand it’s hard to focus on the words.

as Blue Scholars other song on 50 thousand deep, where its about the previous protest of the G8, IMF and unfair practices that where occurring then and is occurring today.

November 30th, 1999
No sunshine

The body rock stopped, probably got caught by the cops
Nearby, somebody got shot
But parties don’t stop and the parties don’t care
It’s a stick-up, it’s why we got our hands in the air

Still demanding a share, refrigerators bare
‘Cause they wanna see trade get free and not fair
But we are not blind, we are not there
We don’t got time left to spare to not care

On the last day of November, swellin’ in ranks
Went to chant down the mighty IMF and World Bank
A gathering of people in peaceful assembly
Onward to Westlake to disrupt the entry

Walk along steady, riot squad ready
To protect every last dignitary’s ass
But this started when they herded us like cattle in a fence
Protesters gettin’ restless without an exit

They threatened to arrest us, we pushed back and then
A hail of rubber bullets hit teens and old men
I admit, had to split when the first gas canisters hit
Felt it burn in my eyes, nose, and lips

They tried to blame it on the anarchists, garbage
I was there, I’ll tell you right now the pigs started it
But they distort it in the news
Talkin’ bout stompin’ down Niketown wearing their shoes

But the body rock stopped, probably got caught by the cops
Nearby, somebody got shot
But the parties don’t stop and the parties don’t care
It’s a stick-up, it’s why we got our hands in the air

and yes you can get ringtones for them. As all the artist listed above songs can relate and express THIS WEEK IN THE NEWS. I left some of there lyrics for you to read.

Louise, you seem to use a lot of humor involving eating, urinating, defecating, body odor, animal feces, etc. Maybe the frustrations you have over confusing the pronouns “I” and “you” and their function, or grasping the differences between questions, factoids and facts, inform much of that mindset.

Richard Holbrook was on CNN today. He said something like…. if we lose Afghanistan, Taliban get Nuclear Weapons from Ali Khan in Pakistan, and then we are cooked. (Mushroom Clouds, Mushroom Clouds, Fear!!!)

Do NOT believe anything Richard says. His mission is to keep the state of war going…regardless of the fact that we are broke.

It is good for his Mama and it is good for Israel.

Lilya! Oh no! Rahm Emanuel and now Hal Holbrook??? And Mr. Holbrook is such a good actor, too! Why is he calling himself Richard these days? Another reason to distrust the man, I suppose. Do you think it’s wise to further aggravate him by dragging his mama into it?

Oh, and if that dentist says he knows nothing about the CPU chip implant, DON’T believe him!

Brett….

Don’t understand what you are up to…

Richard Holbrook’s mother is an Orhtodox from Russia who would do anything for the State of Israel.

If anybody with average intelligence who is in postion of Power (ie. Richard) and does not say: OUR PRESENCE IN AFGHANISTAN IS TOTALLY ILLEGAL…. in my book, THEY ARE CRIMINAL PIGS and THEY ARE WAR CRIMINALS.

What the hell is wrong with U.S. Justice Department?

Hands off with Roman Polanski….he is a Chosen Person.

He can do anything he wants, just like me.

Eric Holder, find something else to do.

Brett, I’m just using terminology that your juvenile brain can easily comprehend. Your incoherent and unitelligible blogs make that point apparent.

Michael, thanks for the lyrics.
Lilya, thanks for the answer: CNN.
Brett, Richard Holbrooke is a name I use rarely. Too many spelling issues. And he is so easily confused with Hal Holbrook (sp?), whom I saw in his famous one-man show representing Mark Twain (that was about 1962). He was a much decorated and celebrated actor.
Richard, however, is another animal.
IMHO, Lily oversimplifies wherever possible. Lilya, you present part of the truth, helpful parts, but you seem allergic to looking at the broader and very confusing picture. It ends up as a form of intellectual violence: let’s tackle this dog, without figuring out what the barking dog is guarding. I am not in a big hurry to demonize.

Ellen,
Yeah, I WAS using a bit of humor, there, to perhaps get her to lighten up on the grand conspiracy theories. Fact is, I don’t much care for Holbrooke–Richard, that is–either! (I like Hal Holbrook!) There is a lot of gray in these issues we face today, and looking at them in black and white absolutes often can obscure a point.

But Lilya Polanski is Jewish.

Lilya, you present part of the truth Sorry this person is not interested in truth part or whole.

Every chance to make a some absurd comment on Israel or Jews for that matter is taken. When someone from On Point gets wise and removes the most offensive posts she get’s pissed off. There is no interest in the truth.

Brett….
Don’t understand what you are up to…
Richard Holbrook’s mother is an Orhtodox from Russia who would do anything for the State of Israel.
If anybody with average intelligence who is in postion of Power (ie. Richard) and does not say: OUR PRESENCE IN AFGHANISTAN IS TOTALLY ILLEGAL…. in my book, THEY ARE CRIMINAL PIGS and THEY ARE WAR CRIMINALS.