Which one of his broken promises was the free healthcare one?

There is NOTHING more important to a politician that getting re elected.

the democrats are puppets on the stage just like the republicans.

The corporation are pulling all the strings.

"The issue, in voters' minds, has become less about health care than about the government and a political majority that will neither hear nor heed the will of the people,"

LOL.

Republican pollsters are reality-impaired.

The issue in voters minds is "Can the Dems stop pussy footing around with an obviously obstructionist Republicans and get things done?"

Well, that and, obviously, fixing a system so broken that to argue against reform defies all logic.

Hoping that your prophecy of doom will be self-fulfilling is one thing but reality is quite another.

Which one of his broken promises was the free healthcare one?

"Free Healthcare" like "Obamacare" is an rtard meme.

Be Well.

This is true of every politician we have. There are certain things every politician knows that need to be changed for the good of this country but they will NEVER change them because they are hot-button issues to large chunks of potential one-issue voters. Social Security and giving money away to Israel are two examples.

Social Security has to literally blow up and go broke because it won't be addressed before then.

Our politicians would rather raise taxes on all Americans than stop bleeding money away to Israel. They can do whatever they want and we pay for it. That's how it will be forever barring a major shift in American voting habits.

"Our politicians would rather raise taxes on all Americans than stop bleeding money away to Israel."

I doubt that the money we give Israel has much to do with why taxes need to increase. Trillions of dollars of debt left by tax cutters is more of a financial problem than Israel will ever be. Not to say I want to continue giving money to Israel, especially after the other day but still, need to keep it in perspective.

Is there some Dem out there, with a conservative enough base to kick him out if health care passes, but who is going to re-elect him if it doesn't?

Cause I'm just not seeing it. If they're angry enough to kick you out, they're kicking you out either way.

That said, if you pass something and lose... you force the GOP actually have to propose, pass, and defend something in the future on health. I doubt they've got the votes for an affirmation of the status quo. Don't pass something this term, and they can keep saying "we need reform, of some sort, some year" for the next decade or more.

fixing a system so broken that to argue against reform defies all logic.

#4 | Posted by dethspud

DeathsHead

Do you think that part of the fix should include tort reform? Not much talk about that from the politicians. Wonder why?

What about the government going after Medicare/Medicaid fraudsters? How many hundreds of billions of dollars are scammed every year? And you think it wouldn't be worse if the government was in charge of all health care?

Obama keeps campaining about the "evil insurance companies and their billions of dollars in profits...." ever wonder how much "profit" most of them make? For most, between 3 and 5 percent (and in a dollar amount, per company, it aint much compared to most other industries!).

How much money does one fat cat on Wall Street make in bonuses every year??? I bet it's more than most insurance companies make in one year!

I wish they'd vote today on this, yay or nay. As the little o has stated so many times already, "the time for talk is over". Then put your vote where your mouth is!

Time to bust out the pitch forks and torches!

zero is clueless,

One year the CEO of United Health Care pocketed $1 billion. How did he make so much money? SImple, by denying health care to those who had paid their premiums. What is their average profit margin? Closer to 30% than your 3-5%. The Insurance Industry has been claiming their administrative costs to be as low as Medicare and Medicaid by not counting salaries and bonuses, unlike the Government programs.

Tort reform might net 1/2% since the status quo adds 2% to health care costs.

I hate all fatcats too, but United Health Care's fatcats pocketed far more than the CEO of Goldman-Sachs.

Do you think that part of the fix should include tort reform? Not much talk about that from the politicians. Wonder why?

Are you insane?

A LOT of politicians are talking about tort reform.

The vast majority of them are, of course, republicans.

In fact, it's about the only consistent position they hold on HC reform.

Wonder why?

Because Lawyers are a special interest group that donates primarily to the DNC rather than the GOP.

It's the same reason you'll never find a GOPher railing bitterly against Oil Company shenanigans.

What about the government going after Medicare/Medicaid fraudsters?

Got no problem with anyone going after fraud and waste.

How much money does one fat cat on Wall Street make in bonuses every year??? I bet it's more than most insurance companies make in one year!

* facepalm *

See: Nutcase's post.

Be Well.

Do you think that part of the fix should include tort reform? Not much talk about that from the politicians. Wonder why?

Because 37 states have already have strict tort caps in place. Ain't done crap about medical costs in any of them, mind you, but if it makes you happy, whee. Since virtually all medical torts are filed in state courts, state law is a reasonable place to deal with it. The remaining states are perfectly capable of following suit. But, again, don't expect any kind of cost savings. We've already tried that 37 times. Didn't accomplish much.

Come back when you've got a proposal we haven't already tried.

go dems,come on with my FREE health care.

One year the CEO of United Health Care pocketed $1 billion

Yeah, William McGuire is a POS thief and was way over compensated for the amount of "leadership" he provided.

A LOT of politicians are talking about tort reform.

All talk, no action from both sides. If it's not in the bill, it's not part of the solution.

Because Lawyers are a special interest group that donates primarily to the DNC rather than the GOP.

Theifs of a feather, steal together.

One year the CEO of United Health Care pocketed $1 billion.

#9 | Posted by nutcase

I guess you have a link to back up that statement.

Do you think that part of the fix should include tort reform? Not much talk about that from the politicians. Wonder why?

#8 | Posted by OUR_ZERO

Because the LIBERTISTS have poisoned the term with what they advocate.

What they call TORT REFORM would not help individuals citizens very much. But it would help our corporate citizens greatly.

"What about the government going after Medicare/Medicaid fraudsters?'

They do go after fraud and many millions are recovered that way. And people go to jail for that.

All you have to do is look at how much MORE per person we spend on health care and how much LESS we get per person from the system compared to other countries.

PLUS all the people that get no coverage. This is long overdue to be fixed.

Interesting that EL RUSHBO mentioned he would leave the US for Costa Rica healthcare. That is a great example of a country that has socialized medicine and they have a great private system alongside the public one.

So does Italy so does etc etc.

Not the USA.

The public gets coverage and the upper class have the freedom to pay for whatever they want. That would be better for the USA than letting Insurance Companies pick us clean like vultures.

The haves are worried that the have nots are gonna take something away from their health care as the price to pay for the fix. Same issue to overcome as last decade when the first health care fix was attempted.

That is a truly pathetic position to take for the citizens of a christian nation.

#14 | Posted by Sniper

There's seems to be little doubt that he was a slimy bastard, though the $1B in a year is typical liberal hyperbole. In reality it was more like $1.6B in stock options over a 17 year period, plus whatever else me managed in more normal income. Stock options were invented to bypass the high tax brackets of the 70s and 80s. He finally made nice with the SEC and gave up about $500M, but he certainly pocketed a nice chunk of change. Not exactly the poster child of corporate responsibility.

All you have to do is look at how much MORE per person we spend on health care and how much LESS we get per person from the system compared to other countries.

PLUS all the people that get no coverage. This is long overdue to be fixed.

The public gets coverage and the upper class have the freedom to pay for whatever they want. That would be better for the USA than letting Insurance Companies pick us clean like vultures.

The haves are worried that the have nots are gonna take something away from their health care as the price to pay for the fix. Same issue to overcome as last decade when the first health care fix was attempted.

That is a truly pathetic position to take for the citizens of a christian nation.

#16 | Posted by Monstman

Every American wants healthcare reform but this bill is not reform---being in the healthcare industry, I'll guaranteed you if this thing passes and is implemented the way they want it to be implemented, Americans will rue the day this disaster was put into place----all the cuts in medicare----what's the money going to be spent on?---a huge new bureaucracy. Primary care providers already under huge pressures will leave medicine as soon as they can afford to (New England Journal of medicine). Healthcare premiums will continue to increase (Durbin from Illinois). Those on SS and Medicare will have to meet with counselors every 5 years to "talk about end of life decisions). Specialists are going to be paid the same. If too many patients are sent by primary care physicians to specialists, there'll be punitive financial fines. Taxes will go up and cost more jobs. Small businesses already barely surviving will be further under the gun. Sorry, Montsman, this is not reform.

What they call TORT REFORM would not help individuals citizens very much. But it would help our corporate citizens greatly.

#15 | Posted by Monstman

WRONG. It would change healthcare dramatically and help save billions---it would be easy to create panels to ferret out abusive medical malpractice claims which some states have done and have been successful with. I can give you multiple examples how fearful (some) physicians continually make decisions to avoid lawsuits---this bill will make it either harder because many of their incomes already are being squeezed and will be squeezed even further with no relief from malpractice. Plus there are penalties for them sending too many cases to specialists which many of them do because of the threat of lawsuits to begin with---you get the drift a little Montsman? It's so easy for you to make generalizations about this area when you don't know what the heck you're talking about.

The GOP would be wise to concentrate on tart reform.

Their main female spokeswomen are all intellectually challenged.

"What about the government going after Medicare/Medicaid fraudsters?'

They do go after fraud and many millions are recovered that way. And people go to jail for that.

#15 | Posted by Monstman

Now I'm going to educate you again, Montsman. The fraud is rampant in these 2 areas---you're right, the government should go after fraud, however, currently, they're incapable of doing that---I have a close relative that has a significant position in CMS and she's told me they don't have the resources especially from the technology side to go after fraud---that's the ugly problem. Now if there is intent in this bill to develop that then that's one small positive for this monstrosity--however, have not seen that specifically stated.

And I might add, if more people are added in the government programs and there's no methodology to ferret out fraud, can you imagine the ever increasing costs? Also, it's questionable how many that aren't currently covered will be.

The GOP would be wise to concentrate on tart reform.

#20 | Posted by AMERICANUNITY at 2010-03-16 11:30 PM

Intended pun.

Palin, Malkin, Coulter, Bachman, et al

All you have to do is look at how much MORE per person we spend on health care and how much LESS we get per person from the system compared to other countries.

#16 | Posted by Monstman at 2010-03-16 06:15 PM | Reply | Flag: SIMPLE COMMENTS FROM A SIMPLETON

Says the guy who lives in a country where you can buy national health care for $650 a family, dental co-pays of $1.50, and a top prescription drug co-pay of $7.

Plus, VERN wasn't even aware he could buy into that system once he's lived there 4 months, snarking that 'I'm a foreigner, dumbass!". Well, dumbass foreigners can buy into Taiwan's system. Taiwan has the same life expectancy as Americans. So, either we're massively overpaying or we're massively overpaying. Take your pick.

Intended pun.

Palin, Malkin, Coulter, Bachman, et al

#24 | Posted by AMERICANUNITY at 2010-03-16 11:53 PM

#27 | Posted by LIVE_OR_DIE

LOL!

Coulter does have an Adam's Apple.

"I lived in the UK for a couple of years and saw first hand how shitty a system "One Payer" is."

UK does not have single payer, they have actual socialized medicine. The government employs the doctors and owns the hospitals. In a single payer system doctors are not employed by the government, it only means that there is one single source for payments. Canada has single payer.

#26 | Posted by AMERICANUNITY at 2010-03-17 01:08 AM | Reply | Flag:

Because AU lives here, and not his mother's basement in Nashville.

He read it on the Internets, so he knows it's true!

AU, go play air guitar. Leave reality alone for those who live in it.

BTW ....

Be prepared for AU to try and milk this Taiwan thing for at least a week or so. He feels like he has discovered some great revelation (we've all found fun things on Google and imagine we're the first) but all he's found is the 'official' rules.

In Taiwan, just like any place, the rules and the reality are very different and open to interpretation.

AU's fantasy is that he could move to Taiwan, and in 4 months enroll in Utopian Socialized Health Insurance for free. Because in every land (other than America) health care is a sweet fountain where all can drink without regard for cost.

Number of MRI scanners (a prime diagnostic tool) per million people:
U.S.-----71%
England--14%
Canada---18%

Where you want to be if you need a scan? Could this be a part of our high costs? Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. MRIs are cheep. Any third world country could have invented and prefected that machine.