Shemp is supposed to be the smart stooge at Fox? Where’s Curly? Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.

“Americans have had to cut back on health care as it gets more expensive and the economy struggles.”

That’s why the health care industry wants everyone to be forced to buy insurance.

I heard Starbucks is considering asking Congress for a coffee mandate for the same reason. /s

The survey by the nonpartisan organization found that 51 percent of Americans have “faced difficult health care choices in the past year.”

And without the efficient, affordable, private health insurance that we now have 100% of Americans would have been faced with difficult choices. */s

Good morning, pups. It’s Collins, Cohen and Kristof this morning. In “The Lion King in Winter” Ms. Collins says if his colleagues want Charles Rangel to step down as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, he certainly won’t go without a push. Mr. Cohen addresses “America’s Limits” and says the financial meltdown put America in a different mental place. President Obama’s challenge lies in how to manage reduced expectations. Well, says I, some of us have reduced expectations but the fat cats on Wall Street who are getting all their bonuses back certainly don’t seem to… Mr. Kristof has a great idea — “Let Congress Go Without Insurance.” He asks what better way to attune our leaders to the needs of their constituents without health insurance than to put them in the same position?

Here they are.

The coffee and tea are ready, and I’ve got apple walnut muffins this morning. I guess I was tired yesterday — I lay down to take a short nap and 12 hours later the alarm clock went off… Time for a second cup of tea now. Have a great day.

Why would Rangel leave quietly when it takes DeLay’s dancing partner’s breaking both his feet to get him off the floor.

Morning all.
Ahhh american exceptionalism. We have the best healthcare except that we’re ranked no. 37. We have a free press except that it is 32 in the world. We have the best education except it is 16 in the world. We have the best democracy except ………….

There’s not enough money in the world to bribe me to actually watch that show, but I may search out clips on YouTube just so I can watch The Hammer’s feet break…

That is another neo-con tactic. “American Exceptionalism” must be praised for all things
American, excepting the things that are librul.

But we are privileged to have some Exceptional Websites, such as RawStory, CrookAndLiars and ThinkProgress. There is also an up and coming website, something about a Lake with Dogs on Fire.

So I’ve been busy in all-day meetings most of this week and I’m traveling the rest of the week (leave in about an hour). Where are we now with health care? I heard the former insurance exec who turned to the good side on Rachel Maddow’s podcast the other day and it sounded pretty bleak to me.

Where are we now with health care. Are we to the point now where pretty much anything that still has the possibility to pass congress is actually WORSE than the status quo? Or is there still a tiny sliver of hope?

The news keeps featuring this comedy special, or I’d be missing it, but would like to see the frames of his feet breaking, or at least would not be personally offended.

People have begun to change their spending ways. This is due to falling wages/earnings, higher interest rates on credit or less available credit (or none) and of course higher prices for most things.

The pushers who have had hundreds of millions of consumers who bought bought bought without a thought to paying are getting nervous. People are worried. They are saving. They are not spending.

This has the effect of slowing and chilling the economy and pushing it into a self fulfilling downward spiral. Without spending, this economy withers and dies.

The spending was enabled at first by rising incomes. But that was supplanted by credit which was just another consumer product. Credit got abused by the sellers and the users, but it fueled the greed of corporations who addicted the population to consumerism. Corporations were after profit and could care less if they provided needed quality and services to the public.

Health and insurance are products which corporations offer and make huge profits on. It is a product that almost everyone is forced to consume. Few people live a life of health and just drop dead without medical intervention at times in their lives. The health industry has a captive market. They have you over a barrel.

Follow the money. It’s all about the money. It’s nothing personal, mind you, it’s business. It’s America – the greatest country that has ever existing in all of humankind. Right?

At the moment, the product is being warped to fit through the institution known as the Senate, but when it gets voted thru, will be put back into a form that will actually be acceptable to the public; oh, that’s not just my personal fantasy?

Seems like the arguments are being clarified and pressed to get into the media. We’ve suffered for months of BS without an honest discussion of what we have in front of us.

Obama has been afraid to call the insurance industry the blood suckers that they are – saying he only wants to offer the choice of something for those who don’t want to stick with what they have. He seems to think we are stuck with employer provided health insurance? Ha? I’m positive that any business would love to shed that one.

If this WERE possible most people would jump over to a public system where they didn’t to fit through the eye of a needle to get medical treatment. The insurers would wither and die. Who cares?

And perhaps the private ownership of medical patents might be reconsidered too. Viox killed 40,000 people but made the company $12BB dollars and $7BB after they settled all the lawsuits. Good business model eh?

We’re addicted to these idiotic over priced patented drugs.

The entire system is perverted and needs to be scaped and that message is barely getting out. But it is if you listen to the right messengers.

And even though I understand the influence of big money in our politics, I can’t for the life of me figure out what the Democrats are thinking. It seems to me including the personal mandate, which seems to be one of the things all the bills include is going to be a tremendously unpopular move with the populace. It just reeks of government heavy-handedness. Anyone who bristles at paranoia of authoritarian government is going to really melt down over the mandate, and even normal, freedom-loving Americans are going to be pretty uncomfortable with it.

It seems pretty obvious to me that the only way to keep that mandate from doing MAJOR political harm to Democrats is to include a strong, affordable public option.

And yet a good chunk of Dems seem intent on shooting themselves in the foot on this. I know the money comes in from Insurance companies, but if Democrats lose power, all that lobbyist money will start going back to Republicans. (As if the whole “morality” argument wasn’t enough, it doesn’t even make sense for amoral blood suckers).

I actually remember the very first political position I ever took but I don’t remember how old I was

I asked my dad, “aren’t kids tought in their country theirs is the best just like we are?”

my father didn’t get mad at all, seemed impressed with the question, he did have an answer for me though;

“they try to come to this country, we don’t try to go to theirs” to which I also knew most people don’t try to come here.

thanx for the post as always attaturk

“they try to come to this country, we don’t try to go to theirs” to which I also knew most people don’t try to come here.

By the time Americans have raped and ruined other countries for the pleasure of the oilygarchs it is not surprising that they want to come and at least get some bennies from the great satan. Frankly if I had known more about America I would not have come here. I had no bloody clue that I would have to pay for schooling and health. Of course the reason I came here was to be able to fight against the damn oil venture in Vietnam. I can hardly wait for my spouse to retire so that we can get the hell out of here.

Delta is ready when you are

We need a petition that demands that Congress MUST buy their own health care plan and will in no way be subsidized by the Government. I guarantee that every Republican and Democrat Citizen will be happy to sign.

Give them the same subsidy that is given to those that are not currently able to afford health insurance.

The sad Truth: Economic woes and increasing health care costs are driving many Americans into financial disaster, causing more and more people to forgo necessary medical treatments — and even marry to obtain health insurance.

Not even that. I am so angry at all Congress I think they all should be jailed especially that ass Backus, what a criminal.

Sorry , Morning all. All better now that I’ve had my coffee:)

I heard Starbucks is considering asking Congress for a coffee mandate for the same reason.

I’m sure a “donut mandate” won’t be far behind.

We need a petition that demands that Congress MUST buy their own health care plan and will in no way be subsidized by the Government. I guarantee that every Republican and Democrat Citizen will be happy to sign.

you underestimate their contributors, who will GLADLY pay for their health care insurance if it means getting the bill they want