1) CHIP funds became available to the states, but Bush in Texas delayed implementation for over a year, thus leaving many Texas children uninsured during a time when the children of many other states were finally receiving much-needed health care.

2) Karl Rove and Bush rolled out their “compassionate conservative” bullshit slogan.

At least when Democrats come up with a slogan to describe the Republicans it’s true, as in “culture of corruption.”

The only positive thing that can be said about today’s neo-con-twisted Republican Party is that they are consistent in their “corruption,” synonymous with their greed, their big money addiction and their total uncaring contempt for the poorer citizens in our society. It’s incredible how low the Republican Party has fallen, especially in regards to any Christian ideals.

I know my financial plan to pay off the debt accumulated from a layoff right after a divorce requires me to stay healthy–even with health insurance.

I like to think that a litmus test for being a “liberal” is whether or not you believe health care is a Human Right. While it may not be feasible or practical to wave a wand and give it to everyone tomorrow, every person is born _deserving_ health care no matter how rich or poor their parents are. Heck, even George W. Bush was born _deserving_ it. Inmates on death row, children in Darfur, refugees from New Orleans, suburban kids in Minneapolis–they all deserve it. Not practical but, nevertheless, that is what I believe.

Does anyone know what medical care was like in this country before the advent of insurance companies? I just wonder if insurance is the problem instead of the solution.

When I was a kid(I’m 47)we had a family doc who made house calls. At the time we lived in Columbus,Ohio,not a rural area. My dad was a steelworker,but I don’t recall that we actually had insurance. My mom used to complain alot about the price of things,but I never remember her complaining about the cost of healthcare. Could be a childhood selective memory thing,but I’m curious as to if there’s ever been a time when healthcare actually took good care of most people or if it has always been a trainwreck.

I’m 53, and we didn’t have insurance wben I was a kid. Then I went to college and got the student insurance. And yes, we had a doctor who made housecalls when I was little.
From working in a doctor’s office and other health care areas, I know it takes manpower to do the insurance billing. Univeraal health care would eliminate that.

You’d be hard-pressed to find people here who DON’T support aggressive family-planning programs. You will find, however, that government funding for birth control is a political football. When I worked in New York, the only people we could reliably get it for were…wait for it…teen mothers.

I like the framing of this right here because it highlights two things, doesn’t overwhelm the reader (voter), and if the politics of it becomes troublesome, Democrats are CLEARLY on the side that most of the public will consider themselves on as well.

An administration spokesperson…or it could have been Bush’s new chief of staff…on a talk show a little while back, said that the government didn’t need to negotiate drug prices because “THEY’RE CHEAP ENOUGH ALREADY”…

In fact, I’m almost sure it was Bolton now that I think of it. That quote should be repeated a number of times on the House and Senate floor when debate is highlighted on this legislation. As out of touch as that sounds, it’ll sound even worse once the President has to decide whether to sign or veto the bill. A veto puts Bolton’s quote into every single news article written on it, and gives Democrats ANOTHER point to run on in 2008.

Good stuff…I’m really excited for what January will bring!

I find Brokaw irritating – but that’s just me (and he committed a major faux paux by forgetting to recognize Nancy Reagan

Sorry – should have been “faux pas”

personal note/fyi

sounds like your boy is getting the best of care/resources – thank goodness

the NOS was the most infuriating thing we dealt with and yet the very thing that provided us with the much appreciated help mentioned above

as parents, we found lots of practical help from families dealing with Non Verbal Learning Disorder –

http://www.nldontheweb.org/

you have probably already been there, done that, but just in case here’s a start w/ lots of good links