I do have a problem handing over money to some of these people. Alot of them want to sit around on the couch and watch t.v. all day and let the goverment take care of them with our tax dollars. If they are to lazy to earn it, they shouldn't be getting it. If they don't like it to bad, get a job. HEB and the burger flippers are always looking for a few good people. Like I said before, BO said that the unemployeement rate wouldn't go above 8% and its what.....9.4% now?

I am giving far more than a few dollars...if that was all they wanted I would be more than happy to chip in.

VBB. Who is asking you to save them all? If millions of people parted with a few dollars each, it would do a lot toward taking care of our less fortunate. But, if that is asking too much....
I know I'm willing, but that's just me.

I think the problem I had with your answer is the cold and condescending way in which you gave it.

Suzy, again you don't get it either....though I feel bad for many people, I cannot save them all. These poor people who have fallen on hard times have families...maybe they should step up to the plate like I am doing for my own. If that makes me a bitch, then so be it.

MUTE POINT sounds to me that the stance a bird dog assumes when indicating the presence of the birds being hunted is taken by a dog that knows not to bark. According an online reference:If something's a MOOT POINT, there's some disagreement about it: a debatable point.

Coburn or Inhofe made a comment about people's problems being taken to the churches to be solved. Since when do churches pay for hip replacements, broken legs, or chemotherapy? And where are the religious leaders in supporting taking care of our fellow man? This isn't a moral issue for them?

I guess those uninsured people will have to pay for their chemo using the coffee-can-at-the-store-counter method and hope the pennies and nickels will be enough.

Malaise said "I don't want anyone who is struggling to get by in this life to be forced to contribute to the bottom line of insurance companies (under threat of a govt fine). That is thievery and it is immoral and I hope it doesn't make it into a final bill."

I very seldom, ok, never, agree with anything you say, but I agree 100% with this. The government should not be able to impose fines on individuals for something that is within their rights to refuse. What about those religious groups that don't believe in industrialized medicine? Also it means everyone will be paying more & still everyone won't be covered. Pointless!

This is an important issue that needs to be given every consideration, every possibility looked at more than once & it is something that once it is done will be impossible to undo. Let's do it right the first time, it'll only cost more to revamp it time & again.

Well, actually he is having a time trying to convience his own left wingers...44 of them to be exact...

Furthermore, tell how enthusiasic you are when people start receiving those fines

speechfree, your criticisms of Obama amount to being disappointed that he's not the supreme ruler of the country that can circumvent the legislative process. You represent part of a growing collective that is a threat to my individual liberties, as did many Bush disciples who gave him a "mandate" to push totalitarian laws and fight an illegal war.

dang...I ment to say also "he said umemployment WOULDN'T go above 8 %" not would go....sorry.

gyroscope, the Pres has already agreed to consider some level of malpractice reform and caps on punitive damages to help reign in growing costs. About the only people against it now are the trial lawyers. It will probably happen.

I have a family member with a giant insurance company, and he sees the problems inherent in crossing state lines. Insurance companies will dump their sick and recruit only healthy patients across state lines in order to maximize their profits. Preventing this will require building a huge bureaucracy to regulate them to prevent this. If you don't prevent it, the people needing their insurance the most will see it disappear because the risk isn't spread as the companies go belly-up.

And I agree with Sandwich: people need to manage their finances responsibly. They need to prioritize and be responsible parents and citizens. But no one should have to spend 30% of their income to buy lousy health insurance.

This isn't about The People's pockebooks controlling the outcome of this issue. Time and again, it's the corporations that are trying to control it. That is why the health insurance companies haven't offered anything to bring down the cost of medical care. (The hospital associations and big pharma have at least thrown a few bones into the pile for consideration.) Too many of our congresspeople from both parties have had their roads paved by insurance companies. There was even an argument before the SCOTUS to remove the limits of contributions by corporations to political campaigns. Talk about fascism.

I don't want anyone who is struggling to get by in this life to be forced to contribute to the bottom line of insurance companies (under threat of a govt fine). That is thievery and it is immoral and I hope it doesn't make it into a final bill. I don't mind if they can be strongly encouraged to buy into a public choice plan. "So what" that Obama has changed his mind about mandating coverage. Maybe someone talked him into seeing the issue differently with new numbers.

LOL..both ends...not sides. Or maybe all!

As usual, nothing adds up with Obama. This little partisan speech will only succeed to flare more Americans into doing something about it. That's now a bad thing is it? He left his usual lip service technique and gave it a scare tactic flare. Again, no substance and lot's of talking out both sides. Hee haw! Hee haw!

electided....I ment elected...to early and the coffee hasn't woke my up yet.

Isn't "Obama's Genius" an oxymoron? All of the votes he had when he got electided, he doesn't carry that many anymore. I noticed at his speech there were ALOT of dems that were not standing and cheering. I see a couple of people drank the koolaide!! He has spent more in 1 year than all of the other presidents combined. He said the unemployment rates would rise above 8%, he has placed tax evaders and admited communists in high ranking positions. You wanted change, you got it.

BS spotter:
1] He plays to nice. He should sting with the same fire as a Hannity and a Rush. Like the comparison of the cost of reform equaling the cost of the "WMD War" and the Bush tax cuts.
2] He should do like the last decider and shove things through the congress and stop playing bi partisan.
3] He should have taken more control of the auto industry as like it is he is just putting good money after bad.
4] He needs to reverse the bankruptcy law back to its old form prior to Bush's protecting his buddies. It you lend money out at lone shark prices like credit cards the government should not be your Greedo debt collector.
5] Tell Republicans to shut up on Executive pay bonuses and put a cap on them. It should be a percentage of the pure profit the employee is directly responsible for only.

etc etc etc ...

speechfree - While we're on the subject of sheep, do you have the ability to be objective & critical of Obama and/or his half of the one-party system? Can you name 3 things you don't like about Obama's performance as President so far? Also, can you disprove my thesis that anyone who incessantly beats a Left-vs-Right drum is a sheep?

"Obama’s Genius"
ROFLMAO
The person pulling the strings maybe. He cannot make a decent speech without a teleprompter.

You think healthcare is expensive, wait till it's free.

Everyone has healthcare. Even the illegal alien. Go to the county ER. You might get a bill but you will get healthcare.

Health insurance needs to be revamp, open the markets to sell across state lines, tort reform, many other things. But if you choose to get a fancy car or go to Cancun instead of buying insurance that is your fault.

Nobama says he wants to know what the other side has but he hasn't talked to any Rep since April. Progressive style bipart. politics. Onesided and non factual.

Well compared to the last one we had he certainly is a genius!

You still don't get the point. Apparently you have a good job and/or multiple-income household.
What about people who work part-time because that is all that they can find, with no insurance from company, and earn poverty wages. Do you expect them to be able to buy insurance at a cost of 80% of their income? According to your answers, they should have been able to save by cutting corners, and be in a position to buy their own insurance and pay for any emergencies that come along, put their kids through college, and all the other things that you mentioned. I don't know about your math, but that doesn't add up to me.
Without healthcare reform, those people are left out in the cold. Private insurance is out of the reach of most, if not all, people who live paycheck-to-paycheck.

Isn't the title of this blog what they call an oxymoron?

I answered your question about what I would do if I were to lose company insurance. I never once danced on anyones misfortune, I stated I would buy it privately as I have done that recently. We are helping to support my daughter & granddaughter while she is fininshing college, which we pay for. Their insurance we pay for privately. I am taking care of my own & not expecting anyone else to. Before you know what is going on in my life, please refrain from calling me heartless & uncaring.
BTW, we did suffer from over $100,000 in medical bills a couple of years ago, it hit us hard, but we made cuts, adjustments & we are back in the positive because we made cuts & adjustments & they stuck. We were lucky we had saved for the rainy day & planned for the unexpected.

Well VBB, give it your best shot. Words are words and I am grown up enough to not take them personally

VBB, unless I hit a nerve with you, you are protesting too much. All I have to go on is your words, which basically were, I can pay my way, I could care less about anyone else. That one statement said it all about the way you, in your heart, think of others.
Do you really think you are doing anything special? You just described my life. The only difference between us is that I have real compassion for the plight of those less fortunate than I am. Your actions do not say that about you.

Suzy said "Ahhhh, I see. You got the money to pay for whatever you need, so to hell with everyone else. Nice attituded you have there VBB."

yes, I would say that is trying to begrudge me. It is also very hateful & wrong as I never said to hell with anybody. I can say that & alot worse to you though.

With bills such as that, big weddings should be forgone for the sake of the family. That is where people get confused between necessary & unnecessary. College, there are loans....my hubby got them, so don't tell me they aren't available.

You are assuming I am a heartless greedy mizer simply because I can pay for my own. My oh my oh my.

I am judging no one. I am not begrudging anybody anything. I am trying to take care of my family without the need for assistance. I don't know why you don't understand that. There are already programs for those in need. Redistribution of wealth though, I cannot live with, not anymore than we already have anyways. I stated how much we paid in taxes last year, I would rather that # go down than up. How do you know what I do privately? How do you know that I don't help people through donations or even independantly? You don't, so until you KNOW what I do, I suggest you keep your comments about the type of person I am to yourself.

VBB there are just some cost that regular folks can not prepare for. A friend just recently while fighting a grease fire, cloths took flame. Can not work and his bills are heading to a half million. At $11 an hour with college and weddings and the such to cover how does a regular person do that ? Be grateful that you live in a country the you have 60k to pay in taxes. We all get great services CDC stock piled millions of dosages of flu medicine, A 2 million man army to keep you safe, and if need be a helicopter to snatch you off a roof if you get caught in a flood. We get our moneys worth from schools, universities, police, fire, restaurant inspectors well you get the idea. This standard of living ain't free.

President Obama did a great job addressing a critical issue, healtcare. I commend him as the great leader of this nation. God Bless President Obama.

excuse me. I have insurance. You won't be paying anything for me. You think I don't have a pot to pee in just because I have compassion for those less fortunate that I am? My oh, my oh, oh my.

VBB, no one is begrudging you anything. You are begrudging those who have fallen into bad times through no fault of their own. Not everyone who is stuggling is lazy, or didn't plan ahead, or couldn't get a high-paying job due to economic conditions.
All of your planning and saving could be a mute point in one second. Would you want other people to think of you like you think of other people, for something that happened that you had no control over?
I have been on both sides of the insurance issue. I understand their plight.

Suzy, you have done opened up something you really shouldn't have. You people are the reason why NOBODY takes responsibility for their actions...why should they...you will come along and make excuses for them & save them from themselves. I am a firm believer in planning ahead for the unknown. I was raised that you don't spend more than you make & you save at least 10% or more if possible of what you make. You don't have all the latest gadgets, or new cars, you pay for what you buy in cash so you don't accumulate huge debt. That's just me I guess & I guess it makes me a bad person.

Well Suzy, I have news for you....if everyone did this, we wouldn't be in the mess we are as a country. I wouldn't have to pay $60,000 in taxes a year & we could all be happy & healthy. If this obomination does pass, make sure you are nice to people like me, as it will be people like me that are paying for your insurance, and Suzy, I hope you choke on it if that is the way you feel about people like me.

Suzy,
Republicans selfish and hypocritical ? Remember they are all about Christian charity and Brotherly love. Oh I forgot they just say that piously at church and turn their nose up and look at the poor and the sick with disdain, while wearing their WWJD bracelet.

A fool & their money...you know the old saying...Why is it so horrible for somebody to afford what they need in life? Why does that make them "bad" if they are able to take care of themselves & their own without help or assistance? When did that become evil? Truly makes me sad that one can be villified for merely trying to support their family.

My husband & myself have worked our asses off, sacrificed & managed our money wisely to save for the proverbial rainy day. Who are you to begrudge me ANYTHING?

VBB, had this to say...

..."I am not paranoid that the company that employs me is conspiring against me. How do I know they won't let me go tomorrow? I don't. I do know that regardless of what my company offers me, if I need to I can purchase insurance for myself & my family privately as I have done that recently. No big deal."...

Ahhhh, I see. You got the money to pay for whatever you need, so to hell with everyone else. Nice attituded you have there VBB.

OK, I read it all. I don't see anything that cannot be worked out if both parties came together and got it done.

I am not paranoid that the company that employs me is conspiring against me. How do I know they won't let me go tomorrow? I don't. I do know that regardless of what my company offers me, if I need to I can purchase insurance for myself & my family privately as I have done that recently. No big deal.

I do have a life and have other things to do right now. I share this computer with 3 other people and do not stay glued to my computer chair.

The article is not premature as it was checking the FACTS in his speech. How can the truth or lack thereof of a speech already given be premature? You people kill me.

but VBB, no one can say that by not passing the bill, companies will still not drop their coverage, or insurance companies will not find more ways to drop coverage for sick people, or old people, or whatever excuse they can come up with. How secure are you in your insurance company? How secure are you in your health? One accident tomorrow could get you dropped from coverage. I think his plan to hold insurance companies accountable is the only thing that makes sense.

LOL...the media & factcheck are not praising Obama & your tune goes flat......

Ooops, by that time it will be too late & we will be unable to turn back time. Do we really want to rush something as important as this? Republicans have been offering ideas but they have been soundly rejected if it is not what Obama & Pelosi wants. She has said nothing will pass her without a public option even though it is obvious that is not what the American citizens want. They are cutting their own throats.

BTW, the "trigger" I heard about on the news that would trigger a public option to come about was put up by Olympia Snow, Republican (if you can call her that) yet Obama is taking credit for it saying she will support it, actually from what I read, it is the other way around. Dems always have to have a scapegoat ready to slaughter & their sheep always want to believe.

the article is premature. No bill has been presented to the President to sign yet. He stated tonight that he is willing to listen to anyone's ideas and he wants input from both sides. Let's wait until something is presented to him to sign before passing judgement.

If you would bother to read the article it states that even though he says we will have the same coverage we presently have, that is not necessarily true. It also states if healthcare reform passes most companies will stop offering healthcare...if that happens the giant will awaken even more than it already has & there will be hell to pay.

VBB, how can you be sure that companies won't start dropping their employees insurance plans anyway? There's no written rule now that they have to supply insurance for anyone and more and more companies are opting to do just that. As more and more companies do it and more and more people are either out of work, or on part-time jobs, other companies will get confident enough that their employees will have nowhere else to go, they will drop theirs too. What will stop them?

But we have been hearing from the largerst voting block...Americans who aren't sitting quietly by, they ain't all Republicans. Obama recieved that many votes in part due to people who would not have voted if anyone else were running.

Suzy, did you bother to read the AP article or are you too busy catching up on your latest liberal catch phrases.

Texpat, that is your opinion. It is not everyones. America has not figured out anything of the kind. You haven't even heard from the largest voting block yet. You hear from Fox goonies. That is not all of America.

Obama got over 69 million votes. That is not a small group. Did you see the million at the inauguration ? Did you see the wise Latina take her place on the high court ? Did you see GM's destiny be shaped by him ? I think there was a coupon for Puff's in the paper last week.

Almerica has figured out hussein obama is a socialist, and one thing Americans wont accept is socialism/commmunist. we have fought them way too long, this guy hides his past by sealing all his records, the snake oil salesmans time is about to close, Americans aint that dumb, soon he, pelois and reid will be out on the street trying to regain their solcialist, leftist BS. America believes in democracy not socialism. GOD BLESS AMERICA !!

correction...As the cost of healthcare continues to rise.

VBB. What is today, may not be, by election time. As healthcare continues to rise and more people lose their coverage, little people are going to start blaming someone for not doing something about it. They will remember back to who was the driving force behind blocking any and all changes, and then...who knows.
If the last election proved nothing else, it proved that people were fed up with the status quo. Whoever keeps the status quo, just might lose it "all" in the next election. People's pocketbooks will win the argument every time.

Suzy go read the link I provided....it is an AP story based on Factcheck findings of the Presidents little white lies in his speech. I don't believe the uprising from the people that is happeneing now is all coming from Republicans....there are too many people, look at the poll numbers.

No, I suspected they would....now I'm looking forward to 2010..when y'all will be hanging your head wondering what happened. 49% of the country doesn't want what is being offered....79% of the country want both parties to find a happy medium. It doesn't sound like the country is putting forth a mandate on Health care...in fact, just the opposite. The few who do want it done, done right now, with the government option are the fringe groups who also favor socialism......that small group needs to move, IMO, that would include you.

this could all backfire on the Republicans. The people who elected President Obama could come out in force and the Republicans could lose more seats because the American public is damned tired of the party of "NO". President Obama still has 3+ years in office. How long do you think the Republicans can maintain their act of pretending to think about the welfare of the Country instead of just doing things to discredit the Democrats? Three years is a long time to try and do that. It's going to get old before election time.

ByBirth weren't you just as confident that the Democrats would not retake the White House and both houses of congress--heck solid majorities ? I think your crystal ball is broke and your wishful thinking is in high gear.

Nope, it would affect him & his lawyer friends.

Even the Dems have accepted that it will not pass.....you are right elections do have consequences...come on 2010!!!!

When it passes and becomes everyday reality how will you react ? Remember what Baby Bush said"elections have consequences ".

I'm sure speechfree & the Sham Wow guy have many things in common.....

I listened carefully to the President's speech tonight. The man is a gifted speaker and should be admired for that.
I did not hear anything new in his healthcare proposal. He mentioned tort reform but did not include it in the legislation he wants. He only said they would review it and set up a pilot project. He is not serious about tort reform.

Hey....we've all been reading the same article from the AP & factcheck...not some right wing hate blog...imagine that!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_health_...

factcheck is even calling him a liar......

Yawnnnn....Hohum.....ZZZzzzzzz

yeah right who are you kidding??