August 15, 2009

$630 Billion Can’t Just Show Up over Ten Years:

YES IT CAN

P. McGinness – a blogger on this site asked me the following about President Obama and the Democratic Party’s Health Care reform claims:

How do you set aside one fifth of the current budget? $630 billion can’t just show up even over ten years. What program is being cut? What tax is being levied? You just take it as fact $630 will magically be deposited in a set aside fund. The only way to reduce physician cost is to not pay them for services rendered. What load of road apples that whole statement is full of it.

As I’ve said previously, up front costs WILL increase.  In the long run however they should decrease.  Why you ask?  Think of it like a small leak on your roof.  If we do nothing, that small leak will become a huge hole over 10 years, that will eventually start dripping down onto your ceiling, which in turn cause a weakness in your ceiling.  If nothing is done to stop it, that ceiling will eventually cave into your living room damaging not only your roof, your ceiling and your carpet; it could conceivably ruin furniture, flooring foundation, etc, etc…

If we do what Republicans prefer to do by giving tax breaks to homeowners and businesses, and if they WISH to do so, they can have that leak fixed with a temporary patch of shingles or tar.  That temporary patch will also end up seeping water through the roof, down onto your ceiling and again eventually end up falling through to your living room and carpet.

President Obama and the Democrats on the other hand want to FIX that roof completely.  One leak means others will come.  Repair the whole roof, which may cost you $5000 today but it will last for another 20 years saving you tons of money over time.  Fixing it today would cost you, averaged out, $200-250 a year for 15-20 years.

If you just ignore the leak or patch it, it could end up costing you 4 times that amount, or more, in 3 years or less.

Health care costs are skyrocketing, if they are allowed to continue the way they today, you and I will be paying half our salary for that same care in less than 10 years.  Statistics prove this.

Just as some believe that Social Security, Medicare and our energy system needs to be revamped, so does our health care system.  Yes, there will be people that pay a little more up front, maybe even work a little longer; but in the long run – most Americans will benefit from that revamping that is done now.

If that roof leak idea doesnt convince you to support health care reform, ask yourself why you are willing to donate money to a baseball or football field, or why you would donate money to help send a kid to soccer or cheer leading camp; but you can’t find it in your heart to donate a little more (up front) so that every American can get health care without going bankrupt and losing their home and ending up on welfare — which we end up paying in the long run.  Some people may even walk away from paying a dime — leaving the rest of us to foot the bill.  How do you feel about that?

Yes McGinness, I think you CAN find $630 billion over 10 years without raising everybody’s taxes.  Just imagine having preventive care for everyone.  A person that never had care, suddenly gets a checkup.  It’s found that they have beginning stages of cancer of the prostate.  They are given radiation treatments for a few weeks – cured for another 10-20 years.  Now imagine that same person getting no preventive check up, waits 3 years and ends up with cancer of prostate that is spreading into the pelvic area and stomach.  Now that patients requires Chemo, Radiation, maybe a bone marrow transplant, hospital stays, etc.. — costing thousands of dollars, only to end up dying in 3 years.

Who pays for that care?  We do.  You are just being ignorant or arrogant — if you cannot see the savings.

August 14, 2009

Glenn Beck Loses Another One

Apparently State Farm is pulling their ads from Glenn Beck’s talk show on Fox network.

Dear ****,

Thank you for your recent e-mail concerning State Farm’s advertising on the Fox network.

We have a policy of not advertising on political or opinion programming.  These ads were mistakenly aired, we have corrected this issue and have taken steps to make sure it does not happen again.

Understanding our millions of customers and thousands of associates hold a full spectrum of views on political issues, State Farm has a long-standing practice of not advertising in political discussion programming regardless of a program’s political point of view.

Because of the recent situation, State Farm is now evaluating its commercial placement practices to ensure its political issues advertising guidelines are maintained.

Thank you for your e-mail and your continued support of State Farm Insurance, both are greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

********

Executive Customer Service Supervisor

State Farm Insurance

Perhaps other right wingers will get the message as well?

August 14, 2009

A Conservative Says Mobs Have it Wrong – It’s Bush’s Fault, Not Obama’s

Leading conservative economist Bruce Bartlett writes that the Obama-hating town-hall mobs have it wrong—the person they should be angry with left the White House seven months ago.

Where is the evidence that everything would be better if Republicans were in charge? Does anyone believe the economy would be growing faster or that unemployment would be lower today if John McCain had won the election? I know of no economist who holds that view. The economy is like an ocean liner that turns only very slowly. The gross domestic product and the level of employment would be pretty much the same today under any conceivable set of policies enacted since Barack Obama’s inauguration.

Until conservatives once again hold Republicans to the same standard they hold Democrats, they will have no credibility and deserve no respect.

This is really a rare occassion.  A conservative Republican speaking the truth about the George W. Bush administration.

In January, the Congressional Budget Office projected a deficit this year of $1.2 trillion before Obama took office, with no estimate for actions he might take. To a large extent, the CBO’s estimate simply represented the $482 billion deficit projected by the Bush administration in last summer’s budget review, plus the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, which George W. Bush rammed through Congress in September over strenuous conservative objections. Thus the vast bulk of this year’s currently estimated $1.8 trillion deficit was determined by Bush’s policies, not Obama’s.

I think conservative anger is misplaced. To a large extent, Obama is only cleaning up messes created by Bush.

More truth? Wow, I’m impressed with this man. Even the media lately has siding with Republicans, implying that it is Obama’s fault that we have an estimated deficit of $1.8 trillion because of his policies over the past 6 months — ignoring the previous 8 years the Republicans (for the most part) and Bush were in charge.

As for the current trash talk at town halls across America — I’m betting nearly three quarters of those complaining didn’t vote Democratic and I’m also betting that most of the other’s anger…stems from either a loss of job or fear of losing theirs.  They all fear the worst recession we’ve had in decades.  The  health care reform issue has just increased the anxiety that we all have.  It’s a bit scary not knowing exactly what is being planned, even I have expressed some of my concerns in the past.

In my case however, I fear even more so, is a time where I could find myself not being able to afford health care because it’s gotten way too expensive for me to afford.

So hats off to Mr. Bruce Bartlett — for being an honest man about the Bush administration.

Next Post August 14, 2009

Edwards ‘is’ the Father

FOX: A secret DNA test proves former presidential candidate John Edwards is the father of his former campaign aide’s baby, the National Enquirer reported Wednesday.

The Enquirer, which last year broke the story of Edwards’ affair with campaign videographer Rielle Hunter, said the test was taken after Hunter tried to get financial help from Edwards for her 18-month-old daughter, Frances.

Too bad he just didn’t admit it from the beginning instead of adding to all the lies.

August 12, 2009

ABC Says AARP Doesn’t Endorse Health Reform Plan?

Jake Tapper and Rachel Martin of ABC News reported today that Obama had a “Senior Moment” today by claiming that AARP has endorsed his plans;

“President Obama today suggested that the health care reform legislation for which he’s pushing has been endorsed by the American Association of Retired Person.

“We have the AARP on board because they know this is a good deal for our seniors,” the president said.

At another point he said: “Well, first of all, another myth that we’ve been hearing about is this notion that somehow we’re going to be cutting your Medicare benefits.  We are not.  AARP would not be endorsing a bill if it was undermining Medicare, okay?”

The problem?

The AARP hasn’t endorsed any plan yet.

While I will agree AARP, to my knowledge, hasn’t gone on live television or radio to ‘officially’ endorse any plan, they sure have come close to it. Tapper and Martin failed once again to point out ‘all‘ the details about AARP.

I’d like to point out an article from the Quad-City Times of Iowa, that shows AARP does indeed support President Obama and the Democratic Party’s health care plans — by merely acting against the opponents of it. Running nationwide television ads to counter the lies about their plan — sure seems awfully close to an endorsement if I ever saw one.

DES MOINES - AARP officials unveiled a national ad blitz Monday to counter what the organization says are attempts to scare and confuse seniors by opponents of health-care reform.

They say they want to counter “false assertions” that health-care changes would include a government takeover, rationed care or euthanasia.

The campaign, which includes ads on TV, radio and in print, seeks to dispel what they say are myths about health-care reform.

Bruce Koeppl, AARP’s Iowa senior state director, said they want to counter claims that reforms would lead to rationing or would put government in charge of whether older Americans with medical problems get to live or die.

“They are, frankly, lies. They are not true,” Koeppl said.”

Previous Post August 12, 2009

Townhall Backlash Begins

PRINCETON, N.J., Aug. 10 (UPI) — More than 60 percent of U.S. residents approve of the job President Barack Obama has done in his first six months in office, a Gallup Poll indicates.

Sixty-three percent of respondents approve of Obama’s performance, results released Monday indicate.

In a state-by-state breakdown, Obama’s approval rating was above 50 percent in all but two states — Wyoming

and Alaska, the Princeton, N.J., polling agency said.

Looks like for all their efforts, those sometimes hired guns at townhalls across America for the past couple of weeks was a waste of time.  Instead of hurting Obama, they’ve actually helped him – or so this polls seems to say.

It’s really funny to hear the media ask the question, “How did Obama lose the Health Care Momentum?”

Duh!  It wasn’t his doing, it was the media that has allowed lies to be spread across America.  The media waited until today to start releasing the FACTS about this so-called Death Panel of Sarah Palin’s and many other lies like the ‘government will control what doctor you see’, by other extremists out there.  Instead of giving a “REALITY CHECK”, the media has just “GONE ALONG” with the news.  They reported the comments and didn’t bother ‘correcting them’.

My very own home paper reported the Palin story about Death Panels last Friday — that’s all.  It was in today’s paper, a full 4 days later, they finally print the FACTS.

Maybe now that some in the news are reporting the FACTS — Americans will realize the sky ISN’T falling and toss aside any future LIES from these same characters that spread the previous ones.

August 12, 2009

The Glenn Beck Show is Losing Advertising

Fox News host Glenn Beck and his comments that President Obama is a “racist” with “a deep-seated hatred for white people.”, is starting to hurt his show.

“On Tuesday, August 4, GEICO instructed its ad buying service to redistribute its inventory of rotational spots on FOX-TV to their other network programs, exclusive of the Glenn Beck program,” said a spokesperson for GEICO Corporate Communications in an email to ColorOfChange.org. “As of August 4, GEICO no longer runs any paid advertising spots during Mr. Beck’s program.“

These people must learn to stop their ranting and lies or lose their place in the business.  Three other companies dropped their ads last week.

August 11, 2009

Stop an Attack without a War?

(CNN) — Kuwaiti security forces arrested six Kuwaitis linked to al Qaeda who planned to attack a U.S. military installation, the country’s state-run news agency reported Tuesday.

The suspects had planned to bomb Camp Arifjan during the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Kuwaiti security sources said.

It is unclear when the arrests took place.

The plot also involved an attack on Kuwait’s State Security Service headquarters and other government facilities, according to the Kuwait News Agency, which cited a statement from the Interior Ministry.

An investigation into the alleged plot linked to al Qaeda is ongoing, the news agency reported.

Gee Whiz!  Kuwait didn’t have to go to ‘War’ to find the terrorists – this is Shocking News!  I thought the only way to stop the terrorists was to send in the troops.  Boy how wrong I was.

Sounds to me like everybody is still working hard at keeping us safe former VP Dick Cheney.  You should be relieved.

August 11, 2009

GM Leading the Way?

WARREN, Mich. – The Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle is expected to achieve city fuel economy of at least 230 miles per gallon, based on development testing using a draft EPA federal fuel economy methodology for labeling for plug-in electric vehicles.

The Volt, which is scheduled to start production in late 2010 as a 2011 model, is expected to travel up to 40 miles on electricity from a single battery charge and be able to extend its overall range to more than 300 miles with its flex fuel-powered engine-generator.

“From the data we’ve seen, many Chevy Volt drivers may be able to be in pure electric mode on a daily basis without having to use any gas,” said GM Chief Executive Officer Fritz Henderson. “EPA labels are a yardstick for customers to compare the fuel efficiency of vehicles. So, a vehicle like the Volt that achieves a composite triple-digit fuel economy is a game-changer.”

And they said it couldn’t be done?

I just hope it’s large enough for most drivers and safe as well.

August 11, 2009

GUNS at Townhall Meetings?

Officer Marcus Gonzalez, the public relations representative for the police in Douglas, Arizona, has confirmed to TPM that police were indeed called out to an event last week by Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, where an attendee had dropped a gun.

Gonzalez does not know any further details at this time. But he could confirm to us that it was “not just media hype.”

If something happens at one of these town hall meetings and somebody gets killed or harmed by a gunshot wound — I can’t WAIT to hear the Republicans try and ‘stutter’ their way out of being the CAUSE of such hate being stirred up.