Cleo's Mom

Let's see how many things you covered in this post: First, a false claim that liberals put themselves on a higher pedestal than their opponents intellectually. Where has that been posted? But I will say that I am glad brains are back in the White House. Next, you start your bible quoting. It really does get tiresome when you turn every post into something about the bible. Everyone knows that you can find a bible quote to support or refute almost any position. Finally, you attack the morals of liberals, which I find amusing in light of all the sex scandals of the neocons, especially lately. :laugh: Conservative/Neocon/Republican Definition of Abstinence Only Education (ala Mark Souder): Don't have sex with anyone you are not married to...until AFTER you're married. :thumbup:

:laugh: Everyone should watch it as this is the face of the teaparty: The Rachel Maddow Show - Rachel Maddow's interview with Rand Paul 5/19 And this is who some want to elect more of? (I think I'll make that my third mantra after: without hypocrisy the republicans would have nothing and regulate, baby, regulate)

Of course that's what you'd say. But even if they are "better" educated, I stick by my original claim that I find most americans to be uneducated in matters of politics and government and how it works. I would be willing to bet that if you put all the teabaggers in one place and had them take a test about our government, most wouldn't pass. They couldn't name one amendment beyond the first and of course the second. They couldn't name 5 supreme court judges or the 3 branches of goverment or how many congressmen or senators there are. Or who is more responsible for the deficit we have, or the economic mess we are recovering from. We've seen the videos of them being interviewed about what they are protesting and it would be laughable if it weren't so pathetic.

This coming from the one who mocks me for fact checking? I'm not sure what you think "didn't happen". AP Poll: Most Americans want Democrats to control Congress May 19, 12:36 PMSan Diego City Buzz ExaminerJonathan Harris A new Associated Press/GfK poll out this week shows most Americans want the US Congress controlled by Democrats. According to the poll 45 percent of Americans want Democrats to control Congress, compared to 40 percent who would prefer it controlled by Republicans. This is a shift from just a month ago when the same question returned results showing 44 percent wanted Congress controlled by Republicans and 41 percent desiring that power for Democrats. Democrats Hold Murtha's Seat Permalink In a special election to fill the seat of John Murtha, who passed away earlier this year, Democrat Tim Critz, one of Murtha's staffers, beat Republican Tim Burns 53% to 45% in this R+1 district, the only one in the country that voted for John Kerry in 2004 and John McCain in 2008. Critz is fairly conservative and may vote with the Republicans from time to time, but in a one-on-one race, the fact that he is nominally a Democrat means the Republicans can't brag about taking over a long-time Democratic seat. But otherwise, it does not change the balance of power in Congress. electoralvote.com I already posted the facts about Rand Paul, but take a look at his video from the Rachel Maddow show last night.

The Tea Parties are the descendants of a number of conservative insurgencies from the past two generations: the anti-tax rebellion of the late ’70s, the Moral Majority and Christian Coalition of the ’80s and ’90s, and Pat Buchanan’s presidential runs. Like the Tea Partiers I saw in Washington—and the picture of the Tea Partiers put forward by the Winston and Quinnipiac polls—these movements have been almost entirely white, disproportionately middle-aged or older, and more male than female (though parts of the Christian right are an exception on this count). A majority of their adherents generally are not college-educated, with incomes in the middle range—attributes that also closely match the Tea Party movement’s demographic profile. (A misleading picture of Tea Partiers as college-educated and affluent came from a New York Times/CBS poll of people who merely "support," but don’t necessarily have anything to do with, the Tea Party movement. The other polls surveyed people who say they are "part of" the movement.) Sociologists who have studied these earlier movements describe their followers as coming from the "marginal segments of the middle class." That’s a sociological, but also a political, fact. These men and women look uneasily upward at corporate CEOs and investment bankers, and downward at low-wage service workers and laborers, many of whom are minorities. And their political outlook is defined by whether they primarily blame those below or above for the social and economic anxieties they feel. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the marginal middle class was the breeding ground for left-wing attacks against Wall Street. For the last half-century, it has nourished right-wing complaints about blacks, illegal immigrants, and the poor. dailykos

Pattygreen hijacks every thread and turns it into a debate about God and her interpretation of the bible.

That's just it- the right wing republicans aren't extreme enough for the tea baggers. They rejected the endorsed republican candidate in Kentucky in favor of the whacko Rand Paul. To the tea party I say: Hey, keep endorsing these types. It will be your Waterloo.

The 12th congressional district in PA is the only congressional district out of 435 that voted for Kerry in 2004 but Mccain in 2008. It is a very conservative district, the democrats are conservative. And despite the fact that the republicans were salivating to win this seat, and tie Mark Critz, the democrat, to Nancy Pelosi, it didn't work. All politics are local and each congressional race will be won on local issues. And I can't wait until the democrats in Kentucky start in on Rand Paul and his support of private businesses being able to discriminate as well as ignore the needs of disabled workers. He says if a private business has a disabled worker in a wheelchair, then give him a job on the first floor instead of being made to build an elevator so he can get to the second floor. I am going to enjoy sitting back and watching this guy self destruct. The teaparty is going to self destruct too if this is the type of candidates they are going to support. Oh, and BTW, the latest poll shows that people want the democrats to control congress by 45%-40%. Not a big lead, but surely headed in the right direction for November.

Of course we know that all the republicans, who had eight years under bush to address this problem, did a bang up job about immigration reform. I mean, what was stopping them? Maybe they were afraid they might have to cut their own grass or clean their own toilets. Of course none of these "freebies" were given to illegal immigrants during the bush regime. :laugh:

McCain - Ambassador to Iran Bunning - Head of the Local Unemployment Agency Sue Lowden - under secretary for the Dept. of Agriculture and in charge of the Bureau of Poultry. John Kyl - Department of Health, ob-gyn division.

{" Wed May 19, 2010 9:33 AM EDT

Department head of the congressional page program: Mark Foley Secretary of the Sanctity of Marriage Department: Rudy Giuliani and the under secretary: Newt Gingrich

Just think how many people within and supported by the tea party could staff this country. Palin for President Orley Tates (sp) - Secretary of Birth Records Michelle Bachman - Chairman of the Guns R Us Committee John Boehner - Chairman of Committee to examine the vitures of being orange via self tanning. The teabagger guy with the misspelled sign about homeschooling - Secretary of Education :laugh:

Let's examine the claim by the tea party that they are not racist by looking at their candidate who won yesterday: Rand Paul. An excerpt from the Courier Journal editorial April 25, 2010: The trouble with Dr. Paul is that despite his independent thinking, much of what he stands for is repulsive to people in the mainstream. For instance, he holds an unacceptable view of civil rights, saying that while the federal government can enforce integration of government jobs and facilities, private business people should be able to decide whether they want to serve black people, or gays, or any other minority group. He quickly emphasizes that he personally would not agree with any form of discrimination, but he just doesn't think it should be legislated. His perspectives — like Mr. Grayson's — are repellent to those who believe in a woman's right to choose whether to have an abortion. Indeed, Dr. Paul wouldn't even permit exceptions in the case of rape or incest. He says the mother and the unborn zygote have equal rights. My understanding is that he would not have voted for the civil rights act and would support its repeal, as well as the repeal of the Americans with Disability Act. So, when he says he wants to "take our government back" we now have a clearer picture of back to what. (when racial and disability discrimination was legal if not acceptable). Pretty scary stuff, but hey, the teaparty likes him.

Phil, I know it's hard to keep track of all these scandals from the "more moral party" :w00t: but you left out the following: Rep. Mark Souder Resigns Over Affair With Female Aide Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) resigned from Congress on Tuesday after revelations that he had an affair with a part-time staff member. Souder is married and has three grown children. The eight-term congressman, who is a well-known Christian conservative, spoke at length in a statement issued Tuesday about the honor and privilege of serving in Congress, and repeatedly spoke of God and his family before finally saying, "I sinned." "I sinned against God, my wife and my family by having a mutual relationship with a part-time member of my staff. In the poisonous environment of Washington, D.C., any personal failing is seized upon, often twisted, for political gain," Souder said. "I am resigning rather than to put my family through that painful, drawn-out process." He also spoke cryptically about the challenges of holding public office. "I do not have any sort of 'normal' life -- for family, for friends, for church, for community," he said. "To serve has been a blessing and a responsibility given from God. I wish I could have been a better example." At a press conference Tuesday announcing his resignation, Souder added a comment not in his prepared statement. In a video posted by Talking Points Memo, the congressman said, "My family were more than willing to stand here with me -- we are a committed family. But the error is mine and I should bear the responsibility. And, quite frankly, I'm sick of politicians who drag their spouses up in front of the cameras, rather than confronting the problem that they have caused." Souder has been married to his wife, Diane, since 1974. They have three adult children and two grandchildren. Mediaite.com reports that Souder, a proponent of abstinence education, once taped an interview on the subject with the woman he had the affair with. Souder represents Indiana's third congressional district. In resigning, effective Friday, he set off a scramble for his seat in Congress, which may be filled by a special election. He won the Republican nomination in the Indiana primary two weeks ago. Souder was first elected to Congress in 1994. He focused on homeland security issues and also led the fight to give federal funding to faith-based organizations. He was named "a conservative true believer" by Congressional Quarterly magazine. He was also one of four House Republicans to vote against impeaching President Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky affair. I guess his message of abstinence education is that you shouldn't have sex with someone you're not married to until AFTER you get married. Seriously, you can't make this stuff up. It seems like whatever issue these "moral family values" hypocrites focus on is the very one they violate, be it gays or adultry, etc..

Warning!! Cut and Paste to follow :wink: Looks credible to me. SiCKO' Truth Squad 'SiCKO' Factual Backup SiCKO: There are nearly 50 million Americans without health insurance. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention actually reported that 54.5 million people were uninsured for at least part of the year. Health Insurance Coverage: Early Release of Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, 2006. Centers for Disease Control. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/insur200706.pdf The amount of uninsured is rising every year, as premiums continue to skyrocket and wages stagnate. From 2004 to 2005 the number of uninsured rose 1.3 million, and rose up nearly 6 million from 2001-2005. Leighton Ku, "Census Revises Estimates Of The Number Of Uninsured People," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, April 5, 2007 http://www.cbpp.org/4-5-07health.htm. With 44.8 uninsured in 2005, in 2007 the number will be much higher. Professors Todd Gilmer and Richard Kronick, in "It's The Premiums, Stupid: Projections Of The Uninsured Through 2013," Health Affairs, 10.1377/hlthaff.w5.143, "project that the number of non-elderly uninsured Americans will grow from forty-five million in 2003 to fifty-six million by 2013." According to these authors, by now the number of non-elderly uninsured by this date clearly would be nearly 50 million. SiCKO: 18,000 Americans will die this year simply because they're uninsured. According to the Institute of Medicine, "lack of health insurance causes roughly 18,000 unnecessary deaths every year in the United States. Although America leads the world in spending on health care, it is the only wealthy, industrialized nation that does not ensure that all citizens have coverage." Insuring America's Health: Principles and Recommendations, Institute of Medicine, January 2004. http://www.iom.edu/?id=19175 SiCKO: Richard Nixon and John Ehrlichman are heard discussing the concept of a health maintenance organization in Oval Office Recordings. On February 17, 1971, Richard Nixon met with John Ehrlichman to discuss the Vice President's position on health maintenance organizations, as heard in the film. The Miller Center of Public Affairs has this audio recording (conversation number 450-23. "Richard Nixon - Oval Office Recordings," http://millercenter.virginia.edu/scripps/digitalarchive/presidentialrecordings /nixon/oval?PHPSESSID=b813e56b3017d097cd176720bc10fc74 The next day, Nixon called for a "new national health strategy" that had four points for expanding the proliferation of health maintenance organizations, or HMOs. "Special Message to the Congress Proposing a National Health Strategy," February 18th, 1971, http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=3311 The term "health maintenance organization" was coined by Nixon advisor Paul Ellwood. Patricia Bauman, "The Formulation and Evolution of the Health Maintenance Organization Policy, 1970-1973, Social Science & Medicine, vol. 10. 1976. After Congress passed Nixon's HMO Act in 1973, HMOs in America increased nine-fold in just ten years. N. R. Kleinfield, "The King of the HMO Mountain," New York Times, July 31, 1983. SiCKO: The American Medical Association distributed a record featuring Ronald Reagan discussing the evils of socialized medicine. Ronald Reagan's recording was widely available in the 1960s, and was a part of the American Medical Association's "Operation coffee Cup," a coordinated rebuttal to Democrats' push for Medicare. Max Skidmore, "Ronald Reagan and Operation Coffee Cup: A Hidden Episode in American Political History," Journal of American Culture, vol. 12. 1989. SiCKO: $100 million spent to defeat Hillary's health care plan. "Even before debate began in Congress, a powerful coalition had been cobbled together to fight Clintoncare, as opponents labeled it - congressional Republicans, the insurance industry, the pharmaceutical industry, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the Business Roundtable, the Christian Coalition, the conservative radio talk show network. Those groups spent between $100 million and $ 300 million to defeat it. And the battle was fought like a presidential campaign - with a TV advertising campaign, a network of field operatives and public relations experts to lobby members of Congress back in their districts." Rob Christensen, "Who killed health care reform? Answer: Everyone," News & Observer, June 19, 1996. "In 1993-94, the Health Insurance Association of America, a trade group, spent about $15 million on advertising to defeat Clinton's proposed overhaul of the nation's health care system." John MacDonald, "Proponents, Opponents Join Battle Over Drug Price Limits," Hartford Courant, June 21, 2000. "'We spent $1.4 million to fight President Clinton's plan,' [Mike Russell of the Christian Coalition] says." Harold Cox, "Business will spearhead Health Reform II ; Old enemies of Clinton's plan in lead," Washington Times, December 27, 1994. "A study by Citizen Action, a consumer group, reports that doctors, hospitals, insurance companies and other providers of medical services made campaign contributions of $ 79 million during the 1993-1994 election cycle. The insurance industry passed out $16 million. The American Medical Association, which objects to cost-control measures, contributed $ 3 million." Froma Harrop, "The big lie about health reform," Rocky Mountain News, August 20, 1995. "According to [Citizens for a Sound Economy] spokesman Brent Bahler, the group has not bought any airtime for commercials but has 'tentative plans' for a grassroots advocacy effort that would include an advertising component. Last year, Bahler said, the CSE spent more than $2 million on print, radio and television advertising to defeat Clinton's health care reform plan." James A. Barnes, "RNC Turns To TV Ads On Budget," National Journal, 5.16.95. SiCKO: The United States is ranked #37 as a health system by the World Health Organization. "The U. S. health system spends a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country but ranks 37 out of 191 countries according to its performance, the report finds." "World Health Organization Assesses The World's Health Systems," Press Release, WHO/44, June 21, 2000. http://www.who.int/inf-pr-2000/en/pr2000-44.html SiCKO: Health industry companies accused of wrongdoing in Sicko. Aetna: "Aetna Inc. … settled with the plaintiffs, which include the medical associations of California and Texas. Aetna agreed to pay the plaintiffs $120 million." Milt Freudenheim, "Class-Action Status Is Upheld for Doctors Suing Insurers," New York Times, September 2, 2004. See also, Susan Beck, "HMO Postmortem," American Lawyer, October 10, 2003. Settlement Agreement, http://www.aetna.com/provider/agreement_with_physicians.html Blue Cross/Blue Shield: "Sixty-seven Blue Cross/Blue Shield companies across the nation have paid the United States a total of $117 million to settle government claims that Medicare made primary payments for health care services that should have been paid by the Blue Cross/Blue Shield private insurance companies, the Department of Justice announced today." "Blue Cross/Blue Shield Companies Settle Medicare Claims, Pay United States $117 Million, Agree To Share Information," Department of Justice News Release, October 25, 1995. http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/Pre_96/October95/551.txt.html Cigna: "Cigna Corporation, [has] settled with the plaintiffs, which include the medical associations of California and Texas. … Cigna agreed to pay $85 million." Milt Freudenheim, "Class-Action Status Is Upheld for Doctors Suing Insurers," New York Times, September 2, 2004. "HCA Inc. (formerly known as Columbia/HCA and HCA - The Healthcare Company) has agreed to pay the United States $631 million in civil penalties and damages arising from false claims the government alleged it submitted to Medicare and other federal health programs, the Justice Department announced today. … Previously, on December 14, 2000, HCA subsidiaries pled guilty to substantial criminal conduct and paid more than $840 million in criminal fines, civil restitution and penalties. Combined with today's separate administrative settlement with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), under which HCA will pay an additional $250 million to resolve overpayment claims arising from certain of its cost reporting practices, the government will have recovered $1.7 billion from HCA, by far the largest recovery ever reached by the government in a health care fraud investigation." "Largest Health Care Fraud Case In U.S. History Settled; HCA Investigation Nets Record Total Of $1.7 Billion," Department of Justice News Release, June 26, 2003. http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2003/June/03_civ_386.htm SiCKO: Executive Compensation Michael B McAllister earned $3.33 million in compensation as CEO of Humana. "Forbes 2006 Executive Pay list," April 20, 2006. http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/12/AG0Q.html. John W Rowe earned $22.2 million in compensation as CEO of Aetna. Rowe has since left Aetna. "Forbes 2004 Executive Pay list," April 21, 2005. http://www.forbes.com/static/execpay2005/LIRS5NI.html?passListId=12 &passYear=2005&passListType=Person&uniqueId=S5NI&datatype=Person Bill McGuire has stock options worth $1.6 billion at the end of 2005, as CEO of UnitedHealth Group. Robert Simison, "SEC Investigates UnitedHealth Over Stock-Options Practices," Bloomberg News, December 27, 2006; Michael Regan, "Business 2006: Who Won, Who Lost," Associated Press,December 26, 2006. SiCKO: There are four times as many health care lobbyists as there are members of Congress. According to the Center for Responsive Politics (www.opensecrets.org), in 2005 there were 2,084 health care lobbyists registered with the federal government. With 535 members of Congress, that's 3.895 lobbyists per member. SiCKO: Hillary Clinton became the second largest recipient in the Senate of health care industry contributions. "As she runs for re-election to the Senate from New York this year and lays the groundwork for a possible presidential bid in 2008, Mrs. Clinton is receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from doctors, hospitals, drug manufacturers and insurers. Nationwide, she is the No. 2 recipient of donations from the industry, trailing only Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, a member of the Republican leadership." Raymond Hernandez and Robert Pear, "Once an Enemy, Health Industry Warms to Clinton," New York Times, July 12, 2006. SiCKO: Drug industry money to members of Congress, and the president, who led the effort to pass the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. "The health industry gave $14 million total to the eleven elected officials largely credited with negotiating the bill. Pharmaceutical company PACs, employees, and their families gave more than $3 million in campaign contributions to (those) eleven elected officials." Buying A Law: Big Pharma's Big Money and the Bush Medicare Plan, Campaign Money Watch, January 2004. http://www.ourfuture.org/docUploads/donnelly$_1-15-04.pdf SiCKO: The Medicare Part D plan will hand over $800 billion of our tax dollars to the drug and health insurance industry. According to the Congressional Budget Office, for the ten-year period, 2006 through 2016, the projected spending is $848 billion. "The Budget and Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2008 to 2017," Congressional Budget Office, January 2007. http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/77xx/doc7731/01-24-BudgetOutlook.pdf SiCKO: The elderly could end up paying more for their prescription drugs than they did before under Part D - and a majority of senior citizens could still pay over $2000 a year. "For all patients, Medicare covers 75 percent of the first $2,250 worth of drugs. But after that, coverage drops to zero - and doesn't resume until the patient hits $5,100 in expenses. Then Medicare kicks in again, paying 95 percent of costs. But it's this gap - of almost $3,000 - that many sick and disabled seniors call unaffordable." Medicare's 'Donut Hole,' CBS News, July 26, 2006. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/26/eveningnews/main1839288.shtml "Nearly 7 million seniors and individuals with disabilities who purchased stand-alone prescription drug coverage are now at risk of falling into the 'doughnut hole.' According to a report released today by Senior Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee… nearly 88 percent of new drug plan enrollees, roughly 7 million individuals, are at risk of losing coverage for their medications while they continue to pay monthly premiums to their insurers. The report further details how few individuals have enrolled in plans without doughnut holes, presumably because of the prohibitive cost of such plans." "88% Of New Medicare Drug Program Enrollees At Risk Of Falling Into The 'Doughnut Hole,'" Joint News Release From Representative Charles B. Rangel, Ranking Democrat, Committee On Ways And Means, Representative Pete Stark, Ranking Democrat, Subcommittee On Health, Committee On Ways And Means, Representative Sander M. Levin, Ranking Democrat, Subcommittee On Social Security, Committee On Ways And Means, September 21, 2006. http://www.house.gov/list/press/wm31_democrats/060921_88 _of_new_medicare_drug_program_enrollees_at_risk_of_falling _into_the_doughnut_hole.html "Over the past year, Part D drug prices have increased several times faster than the rate of inflation. Families USA analyzed the prices for 15 of the drugs most frequently prescribed to seniors. We examined prices for each of the plans offered by the largest Part D insurers, which together cover about two-thirds of all Part D beneficiaries. We then compared the lowest available Part D price for each drug in April 2006 with the lowest available price for the same drug in April 2007. The lowest price for every one of the top 15 drugs prescribed to seniors increased, and the median increase was 9.2 percent." Medicare Part D Prices Are Climbing Quickly, FamiliesUSA, April 2007. http://www.familiesusa.org/assets/pdfs/medicare-part-d-drug-prices.PDF SiCKO: Fourteen Congressional aides went to work for the industry; Billy Tauzin left Congress to become CEO of PhRMA for a $2 million annual salary. See, e.g., The Medicare Drug War: An Army of Nearly 1,000 Lobbyists Pushes a Medicare Law that Puts Drug Company and HMO Profits Ahead of Patients and Taxpayers, Public Citizen Congress Watch, June 2004, http://www.citizen.org/documents/Medicare_Drug_War%20_Report_2004.pdf "Retiring Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-La., who stepped down earlier this year as chairman of the House committee that regulates the pharmaceutical industry, will become the new president and CEO of the drug industry's top lobbying group…Public Citizen, a non-profit consumer advocacy group, called Tauzin's hiring 'yet another example of how public service is leading to private riches.' Tauzin gets a pay package reportedly worth at least $2 million a year, making him one of the highest-paid lobbyists in Washington." "Tauzin switches sides from drug industry overseer to lobbyist," USA Today, December 15, 2004.. http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/drugs/2004-12- 15-drugs-usat_x.htm SiCKO: Canadians live three years longer than we do. The 2006 United Nations Human Development Report's human development index states the life expectancy in the United States is 77.5, and the life expectancy in Canada is 80.2. Human Development Report 2006, United Nations Development Programme, 2006 at 283. http://hdr.undp.org/hdr2006/pdfs/report/HDR06-complete.pdf. SiCKO: Tommy Douglas, who pioneered Canada's health care system, was heralded as the nation's singular most important person. "In November 2004, Canadians voted Tommy Douglas the Greatest Canadian of all time following a nationwide contest. Over 1.2 million votes were cast in a frenzy of voting that took place over six weeks as each of 10 advocates made their case for the Top 10 nominees in special feature programs on CBC Television… . From his first foray into public office politics in 1934 to his post-retirement years in the 1970s, Canada's 'father of Medicare' stayed true to his socialist beliefs -- often at the cost of his own political fortune -- and earned himself the respect of millions of Canadians in the process." "The Greatest Canadian," CBC, 2004. http://www.cbc.ca/greatest SiCKO: Canadian "wait times" not nearly as long as some try to allege. According to Statistics Canada, the official government statistical agency, "In 2005, the median waiting time was about 4 weeks for specialist visits, 4 weeks for non-emergency surgery, and 3 weeks for diagnostic tests. Nationally, median waiting times remained stable between 2003 and 2005 - but there were some differences at the provincial level for selected specialized services.… 70 to 80 percent of Canadians find their waiting times acceptable" "Access to health care services in Canada, Waiting times for specialized services (January to December 2005)," Statistics Canada, http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/82-575-XIE/82-575- XIE2006002.htm A recent study of emergency care in Ontario found that overall, "50% of patients triaged as CTAS I [most acute] were seen by a physician within 6 minutes and 86% were seen within 30 minutes of arriving at the [Emergency Department]. In contrast, the 50% of patients triaged as CTAS IV or V who were seen most quickly waited an hour or less, while 1 in 10 waited three hours or more. Understanding Emergency Department Wait Times: How Long Do People Spend in Emergency Departments in Ontario? Canadian Institute for Health Information, January 2007. http://www.cihi.ca/cihiweb/dispPage.jsp?cw_page=reports_ wait_times_bulletins_e "Gerard Anderson, a Johns Hopkins health policy professor who has spent his career examining the world's healthcare, said there are delays, but not as many as conservatives state. In Canada, the United Kingdom and France, 'three percent of hospital discharges had delays in treatment,' Anderson told The Miami Herald. 'That's a relatively small number, and they're all elective surgeries, such as hip and knee replacement.' John Dorschner, "'Sicko' film is set to spark debate; Reformers are gearing up for 'Sicko,' the first major movie to examine America's often maligned healthcare system," Miami Herald, June 29, 2007. SiCKO: Drugs in England only cost $10. For much of 2006, the standard charge for a prescription was £6.65. "The cost of an NHS prescription in England is to rise by 15p to £6.65 from the start of April." "Prescription charge to rise 15p," BBC News, March 13 2006. From April 1 2007 to present, the charge is £6.85. "There are many unacceptable inequities and anomalies in the present system. Although around four out of five prescriptions are exempt (see below for list of exempt categories), the price of a prescription (£6.85 from 1 April 2007) often hits those who cannot afford such charges. There are many people with chronic conditions who are not exempt and those on low incomes find it very difficult to pay. This causes a disproportionate levy on a limited section of the population." British Medical Association, "Funding - Prescription Changes," March 2007. http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/FundingPrescriptionCharges SiCKO: After losing 42,000 civilians in eight months during a vicious bombing campaign during World War II, Britain pulled together and instituted a National Health Insurance program in 1948. "The Blitz was September 7, 1940 through May 11 1941. "42,000 civilians are estimated to have died during the campaign, with over 50,000 injured, and around 130,000 houses destroyed." See, "Remembering the Blitz," http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/archive/exhibits/blitz/intro.html; "Living With War; Air Raids," The Discovery Channel, http://www.discoverychannel.co.uk/ww2_home/ww2_living_with _war/index.shtml "The NHS was set up in 1948 and is now the largest organisation in Europe. It is recognised as one of the best health services in the world by the World Health Organisation but there need to be improvements to cope with the demands of the 21st century." "About the NHS," NHA website, http://www.nhs.uk/Aboutnhs/howthenhsworks/Pages/ HowtheNHSworks.aspx SiCKO: In a study of older Americans and Brits, the Brits had less of almost every major disease. Even the poorest Brit can expect to live longer than the richest American. "The US population in late middle age is less healthy than the equivalent British population for diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, lung disease, and cancer. Within each country, there exists a pronounced negative socioeconomic status (SES) gradient with self-reported disease so that health disparities are largest at the bottom of the education or income variants of the SES hierarchy. This conclusion is generally robust to control for a standard set of behavioral risk factors, including smoking, overweight, obesity, and alcohol drinking, which explain very little of these health differences… Level differences between countries are sufficiently large that individuals in the top of the education and income strata in the United States have comparable rates of diabetes and heart disease as those in the bottom of the income and education strata in England." (See also Table 1 - for example, prevalence of diabetes among high-income Americans is 8.2 per thousand, while it's 7.3 among low-income Brits.) Banks, Marmot et al., "Disease and Disadvantage in the United States and in England," Journal of the American Medical Association, 2006;295:2037-2045. SiCKO: A baby born in El Salvador has a better chance of surviving than a baby born in Detroit. According to the United Nations Statistics Division, Population and Vital Statistics Report, the rate of infant deaths per thousand in El Salvador is 10.5. "Table 3, Live births, deaths, and infant deaths, latest available year, June 15, 2007." http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/vitstats/serATab3.pdf According to the Michigan Department of Community Health, the rate of infant deaths for Detroit is 15.9 per thousand. "Number of Infant Deaths, Live Births and Infant Death Rates for Selected Cities of Residence, 2005 and 2001 - 2005 Average," Michigan Department of Community Health Web Site, http://www.mdch.state.mi.us/pha/osr/InDxMain/Tab4.asp. SiCKO: Around 65 percent of young Americans can't find Britain on a map. "About 11 percent of young citizens of the U.S. couldn't even locate the U.S. on a map. The Pacific Ocean's location was a mystery to 29 percent; Japan, to 58 percent; France, to 65 percent; and the United Kingdom, to 69 percent." "Survey Reveals Geographic Illiteracy," National Geographic Today, November 20, 2002. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/11/1126_021120_ TVGeoRoperSurvey.html. SiCKO: Companies that no longer offer pensions to new employees. These can be found on a list prepared by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. Pension Change Fact Sheets, http://www.bc.edu/centers/crr/PFFS.shtml In addition, the Pension Rights Center has also compiled a near-comprehensive list. Companies That Have Changed Their Defined Benefit Pension Plans, http://www.pensionrights.org/pubs/facts/company_list.html SiCKO: Like Canadians and Brits, the French live longer than we do. The 2006 United Nations Human Development Report's human development index states the life expectancy in the United States is 77.5, the United Kingdom is 78.5, France is 79.6, and Canada is 80.2. Human Development Report 2006, United Nations Development Programme, 2006 at 283. http://hdr.undp.org/hdr2006/pdfs/report/HDR06-complete.pdf. SiCKO: The productivity rate per hour in France is higher than in America. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, France has a higher labor productivity (GDP per hour worked) than the United States. "OECD in Figures 2005, 2005/Supplement 1 at 84. http://213.253.134.29/oecd/pdfs/browseit/0105061E.PDF "Britain has yet to catch up with its rivals on productivity. Gordon Brown, the chancellor, has long wished to close Britain's productivity gap with other countries. It is proving a long haul. In 2004, output per hour worked was 19% higher in France, 15% higher in America and 5% higher in Germany than it was in Britain." "Poor show; International comparisons," The Economist, January 21, 2006. SiCKO: French policy on childcare and household assistance for new parents. According to the French-American Foundation comprehensive review of child care, "For non-working parents or parents who work part-time, haltes garderies (drop-in centers) provide part-time, occasional, and drop-in care. Haltes garderies are also subsidized (by municipality and the National Family Allowance Fund), with parents paying a portion of the costs based on a sliding scale (parents pay an average of $1 per hour). … For working parents [there are] licensed family day care providers (assistants maternelles), licensed babysitters at home (social security costs and salaries subsidized by the National Family Allowance Fund)." Peer, Shanny., "The French Early Education System," French-American Foundation, November 13, 2003., www.eoionline.org/ELC/Presentations/Peer4.pdf SiCKO: There is a company in France, SOS Medecins, which will perform doctor house calls at any time. SOS Medecins has an English website, viewable here: http://www.sosmedecins-france.fr/en/smf_en_present.htm. SiCKO: The government initially refused to pay for the health care of 9/11 volunteers, because they were not on the government payroll. It remains difficult for the volunteers to access the $50 million fund that has been appropriated for their care. The Department of Defense and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Recovery From and Response to Terrorist Attacks on the United States Act provided a total of $175 million for workers compensation programs - $125 million to NYS Workers Compensation Review Board, and an additional $50 million to reimburse the NYS Uninsured Employers Fund, including for benefits paid to volunteers. However, there have been major delays in getting money to volunteers. See. e.g. "Statement of Robert E. Robertson, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues," "September 11, Federal Assistance for New York Workers' Compensation Costs," United States Government Accountability Office, (GAO-04-1068T) September 8, 2004. "With strong advocacy from New York's Congressional Delegation and labor leaders, a portion - about $52 million - of the $125 million in federal funding that had been allocated for administering workers compensation claims was re-allocated to provide some funding for medical treatment programs, but it will only meet a fraction of the need. Congress approved the legislation authorizing this funding in late December 2005." Devlin Barrett, "Congress Gives New Life to 9/11 Programs," Newsday, December 22, 2005. A $52 million fund for volunteers was eventually established, but experts agree it's inadequate. The New York Times reported on September 6, 2006 that "Dr. John Howard, who was named the federal 9/11 health coordinator in February, has already said that the $52 million the federal government has appropriated for treatment late last year is inadequate. He said in an interview yesterday that the new study will very likely mean that the gap between funds and the need for them is going to grow." Anthony DePalma, "Illness Persisting in 9/11 Workers, Big Study Finds," New York Times, September 6, 2006. SiCKO: American officials claim that detainees at Guantanamo Bay receive excellent health care. "There is still acute care 24 hours a day, in which surgical procedures, everything, can be performed right there in the detainee camps, but as those wounds healed and as the detainees got further and further away from acute injuries, there has been increasing emphasis on preventative care. Indeed, the immunization rate there is higher than in the United States of America…. Things such as screening for cancer have taken place there. Colonoscopies--a procedure which, as we all know, is used commonly in this country to screen for colon cancer--are performed there on a routine basis. The health personnel-to-detainee ratio is 1 to 4--remarkably high. That is all health personnel who are there. And I guess, as I left this briefing and the opportunity to talk to the doctors and the nurses and the psychologists and the psychiatrists, I left with an impression that health care there is clearly better than they received at home and as good as many people receive in the United States of America." Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN), remarks on Guantanamo Bay, U.S. Senate, September 12, 2006. "They go out, they do sick call on the blocks three times per week, care for them there, if they can… We have diabetes. We have high blood pressure, high cholesterol. Those detainees -- we've created a population health database so that we can track those detainees to make sure we're seeing them frequently, monitoring their labs and their overall health." Statement of Navy Commander Cary Ostergaard. "Hearing Of The House Armed Services Committee Subject: Detainee Operations At Guantanamo Bay," June 29, 2005. "Detainees receive medical, dental, psychiatric, and optometric care at U.S. taxpayers' expense. In 2005, there were 35 teeth cleanings, 91 cavities filled, and 174 pairs of glasses issued." "Ten Facts About Guantanamo," Department of Defense, September 14, 2006. http://www.defenselink.mil/home/dodupdate/For-the-record/documents/ GuantanamoBay_Top10_ATTACHMENT2.doc. SiCKO: Cuba is one of the most generous countries in providing doctors to the third world. "WHO statistics show that the incidence of AIDS in Cuba is the lowest in this hemisphere, and there are now more than 800 Cuban doctors in Haiti alone working to control the AIDS epidemic. President Castro has offered an almost unlimited number to be sent to Africa, to be paid by the Cuban government with only a small stipend from the host countries." "President Carter's Cuba Trip Report By Jimmy Carter," May 21, 2002. http://www.cartercenter.org/news/documents/doc528.html "The close friendship between Cuban leader Fidel Castro and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has netted Venezuela a loan of 20,000 Cuban health workers -- including 14,000 doctors, according to the Venezuelan government -- who work in poor barrios and rural outposts for stipends seven times higher on average than their salaries at home. Castro has vowed to send Chavez as many as 10,000 additional medical workers by year's end." "As Cuba Loans Doctors Abroad, Some Patients Object at Home," Boston Globe, August 25, 2005. "President Evo Morales on Friday heeded the wishes of six visiting U.S. senators by acknowledging the positive effects of American aid in his country - but added that Cuban doctors had had a greater impact on Bolivia than their U.S. counterparts… n a Friday interview with Bolivian radio network Fides, Morales said the assistance of Cuban leader Fidel Castro - who has sent Bolivia some 1,700 doctors and paramedics this year alone, setting up free hospitals and eye clinics throughout Bolivia -- outshines the United States' own medical aid." "Morales Says Cuban Doctors top U.S. Medical Aid," Boston Globe, December 29, 2006. SiCKO: In the U.S., health care costs run nearly $7,000 per person. But in Cuba, they spend around $251 per person. United States health spending per capita is $6,697 per person according to Catlin, A, C. Cowan, S. Heffler, et al, "National Health Spending in 2005." Health Affairs 26:1 (2006). As with the number of uninsured, the number continues to increase and is projected to be $7,092 per capita in 2006, $7,498 per capita in 2007 and reaching $12,782 by 2016, according the Department of Health and Human Services Center for Medicare and Medicaid Expenditures, National Health Expenditures Projections 2006-2016, http://www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalHealthExpendData/downloads/proj2006.pdf The 2006 United Nations Human Development Report says Cuba spends $251 per capita on health care. (Human Development Report 2006, United Nations Development Programme, 2006. http://hdr.undp.org/hdr2006/statistics/indicators/52.html) SiCKO: In Cuba, access to health care is universal. "Cuban dissatisfaction with their personal lives does not mean they are negative about the revolutionary government's achievements in health care and education. A near unanimous 96 percent of respondents say that health care in Cuba is accessible to everyone. Gallup polls in other Latin American cities have found that on average only 42 percent believe health care is accessible." Gallup/ Consultoría Interdisciplinaria en Desarrollo, "Cubans Show Little Satisfaction with Opportunities and Individual Freedom Rare Independent Survey Finds Large Majorities Are Still Proud of Island's Health Care and Education," January 10, 2007. http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/brlatinamericara/ 300.php?nid=&id=&pnt=300&lb=brla SiCKO: Cuba has a lower infant mortality rate and a longer average lifespan than the United States. The 2006 United Nations Human Development Report's human development index states the life expectancy in the United States is 77.5, and is 77.6 in Cuba. Human Development Report 2006, United Nations Development Programme, 2006 at 283. http://hdr.undp.org/hdr2006/pdfs/report/HDR06-complete.pdf. According to the United Nations Statistics Division, Population and Vital Statistics Report, the rate of infant deaths per thousand in Cuba is 6.2 per thousand, and in the United States is 6.8. "Table 3, Live births, deaths, and infant deaths, latest available year, June 15, 2007." http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/vitstats/serATab3.pdf

Yeah, why bother to repair or replace schools like this. So what that that peeling paint probably contains lead. Better to use the money for the military. Or better yet, maybe the military ought to raise money through bake sales and fundraising, like the poor schools have to do, and send their budgets to the schools.

Pattygreen - you keep yapping about how Pres. Obama has doubled the debt since he took office. Take a minute, in fact take several minutes, to look at this circle graph and then I'll explain: You see the deficit is caused by two things: 1) reduced revenues 2) increased spending Now let's take a look at the cause of reduce revenues: BUSH'S TWO (2) TAX CUTS TO THE RICH. Now let's take a look at increased spending: 1) two unfunded wars started by bush and still being funded. 2) big giveaway to pharma ($1 trillion over 10 years) with medicare part D You see pattygreen, the spending for these things doesn't go away just because Pres. Obama got elected. We still have to fund them whether we have the money or not (we don't). SO AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE CHART, IT IS BUSH'S PROGRAMS THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED THE MOST TO THE CURRENT DEFICIT. SO WILL YOU PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT? AND QUIT YOUR SAME OLD, SAME OLD FALSE TALKING POINTS.

That's okay. :biggrin:

We still don't know how our energy policy under bush was developed. cheney refused to tell what went on behind close door with his pals in the oil industry. The bush administration wouldn't turn over emails (or destroyed or "lost" them). Talk about secrecy!!! And Pres. Obama had televised negotiations with the republicans with regard to the HC bill and it was available online, too. And I knew that student loans would be in the HC bill before it passed, why didn't you? Oh, maybe beck forgot to mention it. :thumbup:

It really doesn't matter what your opinion or interpretation of the bible is with regards to what political idealology you think Jesus was or what you think he would say to the uninsured. Liberals can and do interpret the bible using many passages to support their views, too. The bigger point is that neither matters because we don't have a theocracy (yet, thankfully) and we don't form government policy based on what some specific religious group's interpretation of the bible is. And I want to keep it that way.

I don't search the internet to form my opinions, I search it to prove them. My opinions are formed from a lifetime of studying, reading, and educating myself about issues from many sources.

WARNING!! RED COLOR AND CUT AND PASTE Shuster column: 'Christian nation' label is a disservice to United States By Dave Shuster • Times columnist • May 2, 2010 More than 60 percent of Americans consider the United States a “Christian nation.” In a literal sense, the label is inaccurate. The Constitution clearly separates church and state. Still, there is no doubt Christianity has played a major role in our nation’s history and, as exemplified by the above survey, remains a dominant force in American culture. Despite the benevolent connotation of “Christian nation,” compassion is not a consistent characteristic of the United States and its citizenry. In addition, passive acceptance of the Christian-nation brand ignores the negative influence of this faith on our country. There have been legislative attempts to formally link our government to Christianity. References to God were successfully attached to our coinage and Pledge of Allegiance, but initiatives to insert Christianity into the Constitution failed miserably. More recently, evangelical leaders selectively mined early U.S. history and the written record of the Founding Fathers for religious references, disregarded the content of the Constitution, and presented out-of-context quotes as supposed proof the United States was established as a Christian nation. Combined with incessant repetition of this false claim, their tactic has been more successful than any legislation in promoting public acceptance of Christianity as America’s faith of choice. The founding principles of the United States — justice, freedom and equality — are consistent with traditional descriptions of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Our country has fitfully strived to meet these ideals. Admittedly, no religion, economic system or method of governance has found a solution to the evils that plague the world. However, at times, the above values are sorely lacking in our government’s policies and the behavior of our citizenry. The United States often meddles in the affairs of other nations entirely out of self-interest. In so doing, America has created its share of death, destruction and misery rather than freedom and justice. It may be of interest to St. Cloud residents that the list of countries wrecked by the wars on communism, terrorism or drugs includes Somalia, where Cold War pawn and corrupt dictator Siad Barre received millions of U.S. dollars in military assistance while he slaughtered his people and destroyed his country. Domestically, some of the wealthiest members of our society vehemently oppose contributing to government-sponsored social safety nets established for those less fortunate. They are supported by hysterical legislators that employ biblical references in statements that condemn egalitarian measures such as health care reform. In addition, our Christian nation is still adept at discrimination based on race, religion, gender, economic status or sexual orientation. Christian fundamentalism has not necessarily been a shining light to a righteous path. The checkered history of this faith in the United States is outlined extensively by Jeff Sharlet in his book, “The Family.” By his account, elite fundamentalists divested their faith from any concern with social justice, focusing instead on using the power of Jesus to increase their influence in America and throughout the world. The resultant “masculine Jesus” only demands devotion and, in return, allows his followers to flourish. Any pestilence left in the wake of the true believer is irrelevant. Only those who are spiritually fit endure. This survival-of-the-fittest theology sanctifies a variety of sins for those Christian fundamentalists who accept the alternative take on Jesus. The plight of the poor can be ignored. Lack of prosperity obviously means lack of faith. The environment exists for profit, not preservation, making a concern such as climate change irrelevant. These individuals are also resolute proponents of free market mythology. They see no roll for government-sponsored programs that discourage “self-reliance.” If one uses the overt religiosity of our political leaders as a barometer, the influence of Christian fundamentalism on our government has increased dramatically the past two decades. Electoral success in our country almost requires a candidate to dutifully endorse the idea that the United States is a Christian nation. It follows that the movement’s needs will be met by a steadily increasing number of favorable legislative initiatives and judicial decisions. This will include measures that adversely effect the environment and social safety nets, not just abortion and gay marriage. Public education will also be affected. The Texas Board of Education has already voted in favor of changing its curriculum to one that questions the Founding Fathers’ commitment to secular government. The label “Christian nation” does not serve our country well. It is factually inaccurate, provides a false sense of morality, and distracts an already unwary public from the slow ooze of unwanted fundamentalist tenets into our country’s legal framework and daily life. The founding principles of the United States are sound enough to stand on their own. They don’t need to lean on the back of Jesus. This is the opinion of Dave Shuster, a St. Cloud resident whose column is published the first Sunday of the month. He writes mostly from a liberal perspective. This guy just nails it. Everything he says is right on. LEROYSPUDS: You wanted more examples - well here they are.

I've been posting on here for quite a while and what I have noticed is that when my post hits my intended target, the neocons feel compelled to attack me personally. That's when I know I hit a bullseye. Because other than personal attacks, they got nothing.