From John Kerry

johnkerry.com

[expatpat]

Co-sponsor the bill

Dear ,

Our Put Kids First campaign is drawing national attention to the needs of the 11 million American children living without health insurance. This week, we take it to another level.

In less than 36 hours, President Bush will use his State of the Union speech to stampede the country into a false sense of crisis on Social Security, while ignoring the real and immediate crisis of 11 million American children waking up this morning without health insurance.

But, we won't accept the President's refusal to act as the final word on meeting the needs of our children. Not a chance. Last week, our Senate introduction of the Kids First Act of 2005 added even more energy to our drive for citizen co-sponsors for this vital legislation. Nearly 500,000 people have now signed on to our efforts.

When I laid out our plans in a national speech to Families USA last week, it stood in sharp contrast to the President's "no real answer" photo op on health care the same day in Ohio. And, this past Sunday, I continued carrying our message about covering every child to the national media on Meet the Press.

Here's what's next:

This week, I'm calling on the johnkerry.com community to "Give Voice to Our Values" by providing vocal support for our effort to provide every child in America with health care coverage. I need you to be a part of this effort.

Make Your Personal Call Right Now.

Call our "Give Voice to Your Values" project at 1-866-876-4490. At this toll-free number, you can record a message describing, in your own words, why it is so critical for America to Put Kids First.

If you have a personal story about a child living without health insurance, I hope you'll see it in your heart to share it. But, whatever your individual circumstance, it is essential that Americans from all walks of life give vocal support to our Put Kids First initiative.

All through the week, we'll be compiling recorded messages from across America. We'll put them on johnkerry.com, share them with local and national media outlets, and I will be delivering a copy of selected messages from across the nation to my colleagues in the Senate.

If we want to give full expression to the strong grassroots support for putting Kids First, we've got to create new tools for making our voices heard. That's exactly why we are today launching our "Give Voice to Our Values" advocacy line.

I urge you to use it. America's children are counting on us.

Sincerely,

John Kerry

P.S. We need to make voices all across America heard. Please call right now - and take a moment to forward this message to a friend.

[Howlin]

the needs of the 11 million American children living without health insurance.

Is he claiming that those 11 million children have NO access to medical treatment, or just that they don't have an insurance card?

I thought all children had access to medical treatment paid for by the government. Am I wrong?

[Fenris6]

Has Kerry actually sponsored any legislation since the election? I remember something about his 17 year career in the Senate consisting of nothing more than 3-4 resolutions - National Soybean Day, etc. type stuff.

[Howlin]

BTW, am I the only one who thinks that John F. Kerry is busy trying to give himself a brand new "record" to run on?

[Fenris6]

Sorry - meant to add that he seems to be following the Boxer example of "asking for $$ instead of doing any real work".

[frogjerk]

11 million American children living without health insurance

Question: Are my kids considered uninsured even though they are covered by my company's health insurance plan?

In less than 36 hours, President Bush will use his State of the Union speech to stampede the country into a false sense of crisis on Social Security

President BJ Clinton reported the same crisis...

[loborojo]

Look up "Empty Suit" in the dictionary and see a picture of Kerry. What a loser.

[sr4402]

President Bush will use his State of the Union speech to stampede the country into a false sense of crisis on Social Security, while ignoring the real and immediate crisis of 11 million American children waking up this morning without health insurance.

How long have we heard this shill about health care crisis? This is from the democratic playbook that is over 12 years old. Kerry is trying to run on the old playbook.

Also, Kerry, please not that Hillarycare is your queens trump card. Be careful that you don't offend her heinous.

Please, Please, democrats, please put John Kerry up for U.S. President one more time. I can't wait to see his military records.

[edcoil]

All those children live in states and every state provides medical care for children.

Maybe by Insurance he wants to tax us to give to the insurance companies so he can get more federal contributions.

[YOUGOTIT]

Another lie by the traitor John Kerry. Who will not release his military records and let us see his less that honorable discharge.

[r9etb]

In less than 36 hours, President Bush will use his State of the Union speech to stampede the country into a false sense of crisis ...

Nope ... no "false sense of crisis" stampeding going on here....

LOL! What a jackass.

[JCRoberts]

Welcome to the John F'in Kerry Shadow Presidency. What a jerk.

[Polyxene]

Ketchupboy -- 2008 candidate for the Say-Anything-Do-Anything-To-Get-Elected-President Party (then do nothing when in office). He has YEARS of experience!

[ArGee]

At this toll-free number, you can record a message describing, in your own words, why it is so critical for America to Put Kids First.

Dear F'n,

Before kids need or care about health care they need to be born. If they aren't born they don't need health care. Therefore, before I support your bill, will you support a bill to ban at least partial birth abortion? Just that much, F'n? Not even all abortions, just those that allow 90% of the child to be born before poking a hole in her skull and sucking out her brains? Will you support a bill that puts those kids first?

If not, go back to looserville and leave me alone.

Shalom.

[frogjerk]

from GOP.com

IN 1990s, PRESIDENT CLINTON RECOGNIZED THERE WAS A “CRISIS” IN SOCIAL SECURITY

President Clinton: “This Fiscal Crisis In Social Security Affects Every Generation.” (President Bill Clinton, Remarks At Georgetown University On Social Security, Washington, DC, 2/9/98)

President Clinton: “[F]irst, And Above All, We Must Save Social Security For The 21st Century.” (President Bill Clinton, State Of The Union, 1/19/99)

President Clinton: “So That All Of These Achievements – The Economic Achievements – Our Increasing Social Coherence And Cohesion, Our Increasing Efforts To Reduce Poverty Among Our Youngest Children – All Of Them Are Threatened By The Looming Fiscal Crisis In Social Security.” (President Bill Clinton, Remarks At Georgetown University On Social Security, Washington, DC, 2/9/98)

President Clinton: “Now Is The Time To Strengthen Social Security For The Future. … We Can And Must Accomplish This Critical Goal For The American People.” (The White House, “Presidential Statement On Social Security,” Press Release, 4/23/99)

President Clinton: “But Because A Higher Percentage Of Our People Will Be Both Older And Retired, Perhaps Our Greatest Opportunity And Our Greatest Obligation At This Moment Is To Save Social Security.” (President Bill Clinton, Remarks To A National Forum On Social Security, Kansas City, MO, 4/7/98)

President Clinton: “[I]f You Don’t Do Anything, One Of Two Things Will Happen. Either It Will Go Broke And You Won’t Ever Get It, Or If We Wait Too Long To Fix It, The Burden On Society … Of Taking Care Of Our Generation’s Social Security Obligations Will Lower Your Income And Lower Your Ability To Take Care Of Your Children To A Degree That Most Of Us Who Are You Parents Think Would Be Horribly Wrong And Unfair To You And Unfair To The Future Prospects Of The United States.” (President Bill Clinton, Remarks At Georgetown University On Social Security, Washington, DC, 2/9/98)

President Clinton: “And Above All, To My Fellow Baby Boomers, Let Me Say That None Of Us Wants Our Own Retirement To Be A Burden To Our Children And To Their Efforts To Raise Our Grandchildren. It Would Be Unconscionable If We Failed To Act, And Act Now, As One Nation Renewing The Ties That Bind Us Across The Generations.” (President Bill Clinton, Remarks To A National Forum On Social Security, Kansas City, MO, 4/7/98)

[jennyjenny]

heheheheh....a phone number to leave a recorded message....heheheheh. What fun!

[CIDKauf]

So what about SS? "Solid as a rock" I suppose. Let's get John to give us the order of the issues that need attention so we can address them in order. Or, maybe we'll get George to do that.

[sr4402]

'The Crisis is my mouth is still open and I can't close it'

/sarcasm off

[highflight]

Of that 11 million children - a very low percentage will need medical care in excess of a few hundred dollars a year.

Any child in a low income family, and eligible for Medicaid, has access to medical care.

A child in a family not eligible for Medicaid probably has self-employed or working parents who can sell an auto or TV or take a second mortgage if they need catastrophic medical care/funds.

Those families without health insurance are probably included in those of us who spend more than $60 billion a year on vet bills and pet food.

Kerry wants to introduce a bill with his name on it and promote another Federal program requiring taxpayer funding.

What a nincompoop.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"I thought all children had access to medical treatment paid for by the government. Am I wrong?"

I don't think you're wrong. Here is a snippet from an article I refer to often when debating the "Healthcare CRISIS" in America:

"And the uninsured aren't the same people from year to year or even month to month. Three-quarters of the uninsured remain so for less than a year. That doesn't mean they're going without care. Americans without health insurance actually spend roughly the same amount of their own money on health care ($242) as do the fully insured ($211).

The uninsured who do land in a hospital pay on average a mere 9% of the costs of their treatment after factoring in the average three hours a week doctors treat patients for free and the $21 billion in costs hospitals write off annually."

http://www.pacificresearch.org/press/clip/2004/04-09-14sp.html